Ipswich City Council Stronger Communities Masterclass series
Starting in September 2021 and finishing September 2022, Michael and Steve Connelly hosted 11 masterclasses as part of Ipswich City Council’s Stronger Communities project. These masterclasses saw over 150 attendees come together, from more than 100 local community organisations, clubs and associations. These masterclasses were designed to cover the common pain points volunteers face, give them practical tools and provide the techniques to implement those tools within their organisations.
It was important to lay the foundation of the series with topics such as committee coaching and knowing good governance, and understanding how to retain volunteers, especially young people. Michael demonstrated powerful influence and engagement techniques to form stronger partnerships and to understand the networks that exist in and around each organisation. Part of growing a network involves cultural awareness, so it was essential that people realise that everyone has blind spots and biases. It’s the tactics people use to overcome these blind spots and biases that help build inclusive and welcoming places for members and the community.
With over 25 years of experience, the passion Michael and Steve have for helping organisations, clubs and associations was obvious to all of the participants. Feedback following the sessions focused on how the masterclasses provided the type of practical support volunteers need to be the best they can be.
Non-profit organisations often overlook opportunities to make the most of their marketing and branding, so it was great to see so many groups register for the Marketing and Branding Masterclass. This in-depth workshop provided volunteers with the necessary techniques to make the most of their brands and to use social media in ways that deliver results. The content really hit the mark and some groups immediately updated their online presence to put the session’s take-aways into practice.
Dealing with difficult people in clubs and associations was another popular topic, because sometimes good intentions turn into bad behaviour. People’s desire to deliver what’s best for members can give way to their ego and they become difficult to work with. During this session, Michael touched on the importance of self-awareness in being an effective community leader, ensuring that people realise that they can’t change anyone else’s behaviour. All we can do is adjust how we behave in an effort to better engage with others. Michael provided a series of practical steps for dealing with difficult people, both from the position of being a party to a dispute, and when trying to help others resolve conflicts.
The aim of the Stronger Communities Masterclass series was to give everyone the tools to be able to make their roles easier, and therefore more enjoyable, and to look after themselves as volunteers, both physically and mentally.
