Surveys!

I am always so encouraged when I get to apply some of what I am learning in school to life in the 'real world'. It is gratifying to realize that this long, sometimes arduous, and rather expensive process has meaningful and valuable application to my here-and-now life. I have recently had two opportunities to do just this.

The Merchant Association that I belong to through my business is undergoing a renaissance of sorts. The group has seen membership decline by more than half over the last 10 years. Those that remain have been members practically from the associations' inception. As a result of new business growth in the area recently, however, interest in reinvigorating the group has soared. The old guard, who have been tirelessly holding it together, has decided that the time has come for some fresh ideas, younger leadership, and some new blood to take up the torch of association development. They are ready for a rest from the necessary chore of keeping a cohesive and eclectic assortment of players moving in the same direction and focused on the same long-range goal, which is the success of the area as a shopping destination. They have earned the right to take a breather. The task has, at times, been likened to trying to heard cats...impossibly difficult.

The group recently expressed a need for a strongly worded cease-and-desist type letter to be written to a rather rouge member who had self-appointed herself to head up an important association-sponsored community event against the wishes of the majority of the membership. While wanting to approach the matter delicately but emphatically, the letter required some level of legal overtones. Asked to pen the letter on behalf of the group, I had my first opportunity to put my paralegal writing skills to real use.  The opportunity preceded my learning of Google Docs. Had it not, I can see how much more efficiently I could have circulated the draft letter amongst the membership in order to make the numerous but necessary revisions. As it was, I used a combination of e-mail, face-to-face, pavement-pounding, and telephone to come up with the final product. Although the end-product came out well, it certainly took a great deal more effort than it could have.

At our last couple of meetings, there has been talk about conducting a  survey amongst all of the merchants in the area, members and non-members, to see how membership could be grown. I had already made up a mock survey for the Google Doc assignment, so this was perfect timing! I volunteered to draft an actual survey on behalf of the group. I plan to use Google Docs for this project and save myself a whole lot of time. I'm excited for the opportunity to put another newly acquired skill to practical use. The only challenge I am facing is trying to muscle e-mail addresses from the old guard...they are privacy loving people of the highest order. They are not giving them up easily. Considering all that I have learned this semester, I think I am just the girl for the job! What do you think?