The Tipping Point

Week Six Assignment

Who do you know in your school that is an example of a connector, maven or salesman? Perhaps you are one of them. Give specific examples w/o necessarily using their names.

 This question frustrated me. I looked through our district staff directory. Granted, I don't know all the staff really well, but no one just jumped out at me as being one of these types of people. By some, I might be considered to be a maven when it comes to association issues, since I served as president for four years. I probably know more association membership than any other staff member at this time.  I still can't think of any one individual who is looked up to by most staff members at all of our schools that you would consider a connector. There is one teacher who I find to be a good salesman. He always provides points of view that I find very convincing.

How would you use the theories in this book to build membership in your Local?

In order to succeed in building membership in your local, one would need to seek out the proper opportunities and circumstances which would allow the idea to tip. You would need to find good examples of The Few, Stickiness Factor and The Power of Context which would help promote the value of membership.

Now do it... build a Local membership plan for your school district.  Using Gladwell's theories and principles, show us a comprehensive action plan for the upcoming school year.

Ideas:

1. The Few:

If you are lucky enough to have them, teach a connector in each building who would be willing to sell the benefits of membership to others. Find a maven who is really enjoys sharing the benefits of membership with others.

2. Stickiness:

Create an environment where the association is continually in the spotlight in some way. Members could all wear their association shirts on designated days. Heavily promote meetings via email and word of mouth. Raise a spirit of camaraderie amongst members that can be felt by all staff in the school. Make it cool to be a member.

3. The Power of Context:

Find some unique circumstances with which you could build your membership campaign. For instance, highlight a member who has recently been helped significantly by the Association. Perhaps they received representation or legal help that got them out of a bind.

Make the recent accomplishments of the association very prominent to the staff and the community.

Shed light on an important event that occurred in your district that was heavily influenced by the association. Bring out this event so that staff would see how silly it would be NOT to be a member.