Planning Lays the Foundation for Improvement
A recruiting plan provides the path to meeting the needs identified by assessment. An effective plan will include multiple levels that support one another:
- The council plan likely will include goals to recruit assistant council commissioners with specific accountability as well as goals with specific accountability for the number and type of commissioners to be recruited in each district.
- District plans likely will include goals with specific accountability to recruit assistant district commissioners, unit commissioners, and roundtable commissioners.
Establishing priorities will help determine target dates for goals. Additional leadership might be a high priority and result in a near-term goal to add assistant council or assistant district commissioners. Plans for new units obtained from the district membership committee will enable establishing priorities for recruiting new-unit commissioners.
Recruiting plan goals should be SMART:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time-based
To help ensure achievement, it may be helpful to establish interim goals, or checkpoints, for each goal. For example, a district goal to recruit 12 unit commissioners during the coming year might be broken down into interim goals, or check points, for each quarter.
An individual should be responsible for each goal in the plan. On the council plan, the council commissioner, an assistant council commissioner, or a district commissioner should be responsible for each goal in the plan. On the district plan, the district commissioner or an assistant district commissioner should be responsible for each goal.
Consider skills in establishing accountability. Every commissioner may not have experience with or be good at recruiting. Identify commissioners who will be effective when assigning accountability for elements of a recruiting plan. Like other commissioner roles, prior experience isn’t necessarily a barrier: a commissioner with the right attitude and personality may, with a bit of training and experience, prove to be a great recruiter.
