Ontario Chamber of Commerce
presented by: Bob Malcolmson,C.E.O. & General Manager
Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce
BOOT CAMP 2004
THE WHO DOES WHAT OF A
CHAMBER
BOOT CAMP AGENDA
Introduce the Panel
The Alien Test
Staff and the Chamber
The Manager, Chief Volunteer,
The Board
How you Might use this
Information
Questions & Answers
The Panel
Chief Volunteer
John Hertel, Chair Education
Committee Ontario Chamber of
Commerce
Chief Staff Person
Bob Hammersley, President and
C.E.O St. Thomas & District
Chamber of Commerce
THE ALIEN TEST
If an Alien abducted your Board
today
1)Would anyone care?
2)Would it make any difference in
your community?
3) How much would you pay to
get some or all of them back?
Are the Board Members and
staff clear on
WHAT their roles are
HOW their roles and
responsibilities differ?
The Chamber Staff
Day to day needs of between
200 and 1500 Members
15,000 to over 30,000 inquiries
per year.
Add the operation of a Tourism
Centre or a Motor Vehicle
Licensing office or a provincial
Park
The Chamber Staff
Order Products
Pay bills
Financial Statements
Update Website
Certificates of Origin
Member Referrals
Group Insurance Plan
The Chamber Staff
Business After Five
Business Before Breakfast
Mayor’s Luncheon
Annual General Meeting
Trade Show
Awards Dinner
Golf Tournament
The Chamber Staff
Monthly Board & Committee
Meetings
Annual Board Elections
Tourism
Political Action
Voice of Business all levels of
Government
Directory & Newsletter
The Manager
President, COO, GM, CAO, CEO, GM,
ED
Directs Administration and co-
ordinates the Chamber
activities
Guides and directs the support
staff in activities and objectives
Recruitment and member
retention
The Manager
Directs operations to achieve
budgets
Financial watchdog to preserve
the capital and reserve funds of
the chamber
Promotes direct volunteer
involvement
The Manager
Establishes and maintains high
profile relationships with
business leaders and
community leaders
Directs development of budgets,
strategic plans, long and short
term goals of chamber
The Manager
Member and principal resource
person to the Board
Appraises and evaluates the
results of over-all operation
Supervises communication
programs
Acts as spokesperson
The Manager
Ensures Chamber activities in
compliance with government
regulations and laws
Ensures that interests and
welfare of employees preserved
and protected
Ensures that interests of Board
are preserved and protected
The Manager
Maintains and recommends
changes to Chambers Strategic
Plan for the growth of the
chamber
Ensures operating policies are
consistent with Board pollicies
and objectives and ensures
execution
The Manager
Directs the development and
establishment of equitable
personnel policies
Directors Insurance
Staff is responsible to General
Manager
The Chief Volunteer
Set the tone for the year ensuring
that the future planning and goals of
the Boards Strategic Plan are
followed through with
Attend as many social and
community functions where
Chamber representation is desirable
attend the OCC and CCC Annual
General Meeting when possible
The Chief Volunteer
The President or Chair
• Official spokesperson for Chamber
• plan along with CEO all meetings
of Executive and Board
• Chairs Executive and Board
meetings
• Leads and receives delegations
• Mandate, Mission, Vision,
Objectives
The Chief Volunteer
Maintains the Chambers
relationship with the Chamber
network and the OCC and CCC
Official voting delegate at OCC
and CCC
convenes and Chairs
Nominating Committee
The Board
Giving Money is enough for a
Board seat.
Warm bodies are Welcome.
Board members tolerated even
if not adding value (even if
detracting)
OR ARE
The Board -
Responsibility
Competent people actively
recruited for a Board Seat.
A Waiting List
An Honour to be on Board
• Ambassadors for Business
• Represent all the businesses in
community
Board Member - Role
Clarity
Role Clarity -
Accountability is critical
when Board Member acting as
• Advisor/Consultant to Management
• Volunteer on Committee
• Board Member
Board Member - Role
Clarity
As Consultant/Advisor to
management he or she is
accountable to management
As Volunteer he or she is
accountable to the committee
chair or staff
Board Member - Role
Clarity
As a Board member has no
special status over and above
any other member except when
he or she is in a duly called
Board meeting
Board Member - Role
Clarity
Must add value and not just
mind the store.
Must be focused on future and
achieving the mission
Must concentrate on policy
Board - Responsibilities
Move from Micro to Strategic
Management
Keep Board out of Staff Duties
Strategic Planning
Ensure Board duties are back
on Board
Whole Board must be involved
in Strategic Planning
Financial Management
Are adequate Financial Tools in
Place?
•Financial Policies,
•Internal Controls,
•Regular Audits,
•Financial Reports
Financial Management
Do Board Members understand
and contribute to discussion of
your financial status?
OR
Are they just a rubber stamp?
Financial Management
Are Statutory remittances noted
at Board Meetings
(i.e. GST, Revenue Canada, PST)?
Do Board members approve an
Annual Budget?
Financial Management
Are new members and
terminations discussed at the
Board level?
When Does a member become a
member?
After Board Approval or when
the cheque is presented?
Incorporation & Legal Issues
Does the Board understand its
legal responsibility for the
Chamber?
Is the Board operating within
the By-laws?
Director’s Insurance
Conflict’s of Interest &
Confidentiality
Governance
Agree upon role and
responsibilities
Committees develop policy
Boards debate, approve and
monitor policy
Staff puts in place policy
Strategic Planning
Do you have an established
Strategic Planning Cycle linked
to Fiscal Year-end and Budget?
A professionally run planning
process?
Involvement in the planning
process by Board, Committee
Volunteers and staff?
Recruitment, Retention
Renewal
Is Your Chamber known as
“AN OLD BOYS CLUB”?
Board Recruitment
A Successful Recruitment
Record
Staggered entry and Board
turnover
Diversity of the community
Nomination Process
Orientation
New members given appropriate
orientation
Must be organized
Plan and Budget Time
for Board Development
Make it Meaningful
Orientation Manual
Orientation
Annually as part of Orientation
review
• Strategic Plan
• Business Plan
• Budget
• Board Job Description
Effective Meetings
Do Board Members Arrive
prepared for meetings, having
read the agenda, minutes and
reports sent out in advance?
Are meetings serving a useful
purpose?
Effective Meetings
Are meetings spent on;
Housekeeping formalities
Speeches,
Non-Board items
Non- Agenda items
Handouts
Effective Meetings
The Chair
• Controls the Meeting
• Is like a traffic cop directing traffic
- The Chair should Direct the
Discussion
• Should refrain from entering the
Discussion
• Duty is to get the Board to debate
the issues.
Effective Meetings The
Handout
Director - “I didn’t have time to
get this to you sooner.”
Chair - “I will give each of you a
few minutes to look at this
before we open discussion and
then call the motion.”
THE ONLY MOTION
Move to TABLE
Effective Meetings
Do Board members Leave
meetings with a clear sense of
what was determined and their
responsibilities?
External Climate
Is your Chamber recognized for
community leadership?
Work with other Organizations
Participate at OCC or CCC
Policy for dealing with Media,
Government and Major
stakeholders
Human Resources
Micro Management
Does the Board permit the
Manager to do his or her job
within a mutually understood
framework?
Staff and volunteers MUST work
as a Team to be effective.
Internal Climate
Is Your Chamber’s viability due to
the contributions and leadership
of;
Many People,
One Person
or a Few?
Internal Climate
Are Members able to influence
the decision-making process?
Newsletter
Internal Climate
Your Chamber should be open
to people with diverse views,
opinions and experience.
Conflicts arising at the Board
are they generally
Acknowledged and dealt with in
an open positive manner?
Internal Climate
Are relationships among Board
Members, Staff, Volunteers
characterized by:
• Openness,
• Trust and
• Mutual Respect ?
HIDDEN AGENDA’S
Internal Climate
Volunteer Handbook
Event List for the Year
Press Release and Interview
Policy
Confidentiality Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy
Staff Training
Internal Climate
Remember!!!!
Volunteers & Staff must be
appreciated for their
Contribution and
Accomplishments
Internal Climate
The Manager and Chief
Volunteer
MUST WORK AS A TEAM
COMMUNICATIONS
How you Might Use this
Information
Compare Trends to your own
Chambers practice.
List the Variances to your
current practice.
Consider identifying areas of
possible improvement
How You Might Use this
Information
Identify What is
- Attracting New Board Members
- Driving Board Members away
Set priorities and Develop Action
Plan to Correct the Variances.
COMMUNICATE
So How much would you pay an
Alien to get some or all of your
Board back?
THANK YOU