What does ‘Member Engagement’ actually mean?

What does ‘Member Engagement’ actually mean? Professional Bodies and Peak Associations spend a lot of time talking about it, trying to measure it, and even appointing people whose role it is to promote it. I have worked in organisations that have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars employing consultants in an attempt to define what member engagement is and then to plan a strategy in order to do more of it. But what is ‘it’?

One reason why member engagement is difficult to define is because it means different things to different organisations and sometimes to different members within those organisations. The situation is sometimes further complicated by management’s and executive groups’ tendency to cling to preconceived ideas on definition. Consider an example: member A attends a relevant conference and, by doing so, ‘ticks a box’ to have demonstrated member engagement. Member B, on the other hand, reads the professional journal religiously every month but never turns up to anything. Does this display less member engagement on the part of member B? Probably not but the less public demonstration of engagement is far more difficult for management to quantitate.

I propose that the term ‘member engagement’ is both confusing and sub-optimal and suggest changing the rhetoric to focus Professional Bodies on ‘member value’. Now, I know what you are thinking. There is an equal problem with defining ‘member value’. With more than 14?years working in membership bodies with both accountants and engineers and on both sides of the Tasman Sea, I think ‘member value is a more relevant term that embodies:

• Assistance with Career progression at each stage of a member’s professional career.
• Being at the forefront of change within the profession and educating members on what they need to know and when.
• Creating a network that allows for peer interaction, mentoring, and help with career advancement.
• Facilitating member interaction to allow for members to give back to their chosen profession by sharing knowledge experience and insight.

The message is simple with the core emphasis being on career progression and advancement. In a world that likes to make things complicated I am proposing the opposite:

• An education pathway, recognised internationally, with continuing professional development that is relevant and easy to consume
• A series of discreet learning modules that help members with future changes in their profession – an example is understanding ‘block chain’ for accountants
• For members to interact with and to promote mentoring initiatives. Measured by use
• A formal mentoring program

The success of each of these initiatives can be evaluated relatively easily and a crucial arbiter of success in each case will be the extent of member uptake.

Members’ lives are busy juggling family and work commitments. Ultimately, (most) members want to advance their career, be successful, and develop a deeper understanding of their profession and this is where Professional Bodies and Peak Association should direct their attention - supporting members at every stage of their career. Changing from ‘engagement’ to ‘value’ provides a different focus that concentrates management decisions to a more definite outcome. Does implementing project ‘X' provide more member engagement or does it actually deliver value according to a defined set of parameters? The distinction is important because ?I would argue that a Member will be more influenced to retain membership by being ‘valued’ than by being measured on an internal measurement scorecard. In fact, if?individual value?is evident then personal engagement is highly likely to follow.

At IPWEA we have developed an education pathway that can lead to an internationally recognised qualification. We will also be launching a new emerging technology micro-credential in asset tracking in November 2021.

To find out more visit www.ipwea.org