Education Coordinator

Did you get volunteered to be the Education Coordinator? Not sure about what it involves?

What follows is a list of general points about the role. Things you might consider, perhaps a few dos and don'ts. It is not definitive, but after listening to hundreds of poor Education slots, it is obvious what doesn't work and what does.

• The clue is in the name
  The word coordinator means just that. Get other people to give the short talk each week. NOT YOU EVERY WEEK! The obvious sign of personal disorganisation is when the same person stands up every week to give their view of the world. They look like an organisation shambles, it is obvious that most of the time they are winging it and they are harming their chance of getting a referral.
  If you are doing the job properly, you should have a rota, so every member gets a turn except the CD (they talk too much anyway usually)
  
• Stick to topics that relate to BNI
  It is agony listening to someone waffle on about something obscure they read in the newspaper yesterday that is nothing to do with BNI or networking. There are four main BNI topics, stick to them. One to Ones, open networking techniques, 60 seconds presentations, and how to bringing visitors. Tell each person you invite to cover the Education slot which topic you wish them to cover. DO NOT LET THEM CHOOSE ANYTHING THEY LIKE!
• Liaise with the membership committee
  Often the EC is a bit distant from the committee. This is completely wrong. The EC should be right in the thick of it. Usually the committee will highlight the important issues and the EC can spread the word.
• You only have three minutes
  The Chapter Director will really appreciate you if you can keep everyone who talks to 180 seconds. Time is tight in a well run meeting. Make sure you know what the presenter is attempting to achieve in three minutes. They may need lower their expectations.
• Don't spend sixty second introducing this week's presenter
  It is a luxury that a well-run (>27 members) chapter simply does not have. Tell the CD in advance who is taking the Education slot this week, and the CD can simply ask them to start. You don't need to introduce them.
• Plan ahead
  If you stick to the four main topics, then write yourself a backup presentation for each topic in advance. There will be times when a member due to talk simply doesn't show up and you will need to step into the breach as cover.

So plan ahead for the whole 23 / 24 weeks. Don't schedule yourself to give more than two weeks worth but make yourself first reserve. Give the CD a copy of the rota each week. Tell and remind people which week they are presenting, and tell them which topic they are talking about. Attend the Membership Committee meetings, and check which topics need more prominence.

You can plan and arrange all of this before October 1st, and then you can sit back with confidence that the next six months will be straight-forward.