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Training your volunteer leaders so that they understand the duties and responsibilities of their position is established routine at many REALTOR® associations, but it’s not the practice everywhere.
Some associations lack the time and money for leadership education, and others aren’t aware of the resources available from the National Association of REALTORS®. Some associations have leaders who do not travel to national meetings where training and networking is offered.
“Sometimes there’s a lack of interest from leaders in spending a whole day in orientation, or sometimes they believe they know the job already,” says Michele Holen, RCE, chief operating officer of the Portland Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® in Oregon.
Holen is chair of the 2016 Volunteer Leadership Training Work Group made up of AEs from across the country. Its goal this year is to help association executives overcome the challenges blocking effective volunteer leadership education. In addition to establishing new ways to promote the leadership training already available from NAR, the work group hopes to enhance training in many areas, including running meetings with parliamentary procedure, managing conflict, evaluating CEO performance, and working with the media.
Trained leaders are better leaders
No AE could question the benefit of having leaders who understand their duties, how to fulfill them, and the role and duties of the AE and staff.
For John B. Leonardi, RCE, CEO of the 3,000-member Buffalo Niagara Association of REALTORS® in New York, new leadership orientation is one of the highlights of his year. He has compiled a four-hour, 55-slide program (available for you to adopt at realtor.org/presentations/better-training-for-volunteer-leaders) that takes his new volunteers through all the information they need to feel fully integrated and comfortable with their positions.
The focus of Leonardi’s program is making sure leaders understand the AE’s role as well as their own.
“AEs have a plethora of responsibilities that many volunteers don’t even know about or possibly understand,” says Leonardi. “I’ve found that many volunteer leaders have never run a business or managed a staff. An orientation program that showcases your role and responsibilities may protect you from bumps in the road throughout the year.”
Leonardi’s program begins with a description of what volunteers will learn and why and follows with the association’s challenges and goals, discussing how the volunteers play a critical role.
After explaining the basics of the leadership team structure and the essentials of teamwork, he continues with an explanation of how associations function differently from brokerages. “The important part here is that more often than not, directors compare their business to that of associations, but they are two different environments. The distinction must be made very clearly.”
Several slides in the presentation are dedicated to staff duties. “Don’t take for granted that new or existing directors know what staff does. Show them,” advises Leonardi. The association’s staff responsibility chart is an eye-opener, he says, and generates a good amount of positive discussion.
Leonardi then enlists his legal counsel to review fiduciary duty, state laws governing not-for-profit boards, confidentiality, solidarity and conduct, and Robert’s Rules. An outside auditor presents the details of budgets and how they’re created, profit and loss statements, and how to read a balance sheet. “The reason you want to place a strong emphasis on financials is because for many volunteers this can be scary. They don’t know how to read a financial document so their constant questions can frustrate other directors,” says Leonardi.
At the end, Leonardi’s new leaders walk away with copies of the entire presentation, a laminated copy of the association’s strategic plan, a six-month calendar, and his contact information.
After the orientation, Leonardi says, the mood among his new directors is electric and exciting. “They’re very talkative and very thankful for a thorough presentation,” he says. “Some are overwhelmed, but I would like to think that by the time they decide to run for a position they have a good idea of what they’re getting into.”
An informed director creates a smart and proactive director, says Leonardi, “who will be a great team player.”
NAR leadership training resources
The National Association of REALTORS® provides several online and in-person leadership training opportunities throughout the year, including:
- The REALTOR® Leadership Program, a daylong seminar the day before the Leadership Summit in Chicago in August
- The Leadership Express, a series of 40-minute leadership-focused sessions for AEs and their leadership teams held during the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo
- The President/President-Elect Roundtables at all NAR meetings
- The Leadership Academy, an 11-month, six-session training and development program designed to foster and develop future NAR Leaders
- The Volunteer Leadership Resource toolkit at nar.realtor
- The REALTORS® Excelling in Association Leadership (REAL) course offered free online through REALTOR® University
Professional development requirement for elected leaders
If the recommended enhancements to the Core Standards are approved by the NAR Board of Directors in May, all associations will be required to provide resources or access to leadership development education—or training—for elected REALTOR® leaders. This education may take the form of local classes, online resources from the national association, or training offered from state associations.