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December 2007 Volume 1 #4
 Succession planning in support groups Personal health records: Survival tools DCA: Promising cancer treatment? WWPCC to World Cancer Congress |
Who's Next? The realities of succession planning in prostate cancer support groups By John Hoffman  One issue that all prostate cancer support groups face sooner or later is, who's going to be the next fearless leader? Conventional wisdom suggests that there's a best way to handle succession in support groups and other volunteer-driven organizations. Don't depend too much on one person. Have a succession process in place. Limit the terms of chairs so nobody gets burned out or starts to think he owns the place.But, as is the case with many aspects of voluntary organizations, support group leadership, including succession planning, is the art of the possible, based on the abilities, interests, and capacities of the people involved. Emmett Mulvaney, who has chaired the Fredericton PC Support Group for three years, quips that his group used the army method---"We need a volunteer, and you're it." "When we were looking for a new chair, one member of the executive spoke up and said, 'I think Emmett would make a really good chair,' " says the retired supervisor with Natural Resources Canada. Hint, hint. Emmett, who had been involved in leadership and committee work through his church, stepped up to the plate, although not exactly eagerly. "It was completely contrary to my nature to be a chair," he says. "I'm not a good public speaker. But I could see that if I didn't do it, nobody would, and the group might fold. You know, when the boat's leaking you jump in the boat and try to plug up the hole. It was that sort of thing." This is one of the realities in volunteer-driven organizations. If they had their druthers, many people would just like to be attendees. They might be willing to pitch in with a specific task, but who really aspires to be in charge? On the other hand, some fellows who find themselves in charge discover that they like it, and hang around for quite some time. Bob Shiell, chair of Calgary's Prostaid, has led his group for seven years. Bob also serves as president of CPCN's board of directors, is a director of the Canadian Prostate Cancer Research Initiative, and, in the past 16 months, has travelled to Washington and Barcelona to participate in the newly formed World Wide Prostate Cancer Coalition. Oh yes, and he's composed every one of the group's newsletters that have come out since he took over. Sounds like a recipe for burnout---or at least a one-man show that may not be sustainable. But that's not really true, he says. First of all, his group is flourishing. "We average 100 people per meeting, and we've had as many as 200," he says. Second, he really enjoys the work. "I really believe in giving back to the community, and I think having something to focus on helps keep me young." Prostate cancer work also allows Bob to keep up some of the contacts and employ the skills he used during his career in sales with the CBC. And it's not quite the one-man show it appears to be. "We have an active executive of nine people, and we've recently brought in some new people with lots of skills and experience. A number of them could step in and take over if need be. I know I won't be here forever." In fact, executive members have stepped in for Bob on several occasions. He explains. "About a year ago I was getting tired, juggling a number of responsibilities. I made it known to the group that I needed help, and they quite willingly took on more of the work." Having one person at the helm for a long time is just one model Shiell says. And it can work, as long as the leader shares responsibility in place and has some people who can step in if necessary. On the other side of the country, the Avalon Prostate Cancer Support Group, based in St. John's, made a recent decision to rotate the chairship regularly---every two years at least. Ray Andrews started as chair this past September after serving on the executive for five years. "I started out on a social subcommittee and that helped me get a general sense of what the group was about," he says. Subsequently, Ray joined the executive and so was ready to accept the top job when the fickle finger of fate pointed at him. He hasn't found the responsibility onerous. "One of the strengths of our group is that we have three past chairs serving on the executive. That's very helpful to the new chair," Ray says. "And we are always on the lookout for people who show a real interest in the group. When we find somebody, we try to bring them on the executive with minimal duties at first. Sometimes we just say, 'Why don't you come on the executive for six months?' " Often they stay for longer. The Avalon group also tries to balance working people and retirees. "People who are still working can reach out to a different group of the public," he says. "Retirees, of course, have more spare time, so we need them too." The Newmarket Prostate Cancer Support group takes a similar approach to maintaining a pool of potential future chairs, or at least people who are prepared to be actively involved in planning and operations. Ron Stephenson has been the group's chair for two years now. At 61, Ron is still in the work force, so he leans heavily on his seven fellow executive members and also his group's secret weapon, Mr. Derek Lawrence. "Derek is somewhat of a legend around here," says Ron. "He's been with the group for a long time. He chaired for a while. We have had a number of chairs since I've been here, but Derek has been a constant. He is very, very knowledgeable and well connected, and he does a lot of the work. I felt comfortable as chair very quickly." Although these groups don't all operate in exactly the same way, they do share some strategies. Always be on the lookout for new people who show an interest and find ways to get involved. Make sure there's an active and committed group behind the chair, helping out with practical work, planning, and ready to step in when necessary. But whether you operate on one- or two-year terms or by the "chair as long as you want it" model, good meetings that balance information and education with a little fun will keep groups alive and well. Bob Shiell builds his meetings around good informative speakers, but he always starts and finishes with a humorous video, usually one he finds on the Internet. "I think you have to entertain as well as educate," he says. Another factor that keeps movers and shakers in the picture is the people factor. Ron Stephenson says his executive enjoys getting together each month. "There's always a lot of joking around at our executive meetings. People say things like, 'Well, I guess you're going to want me to do that job. You're going to have to double my "salary," you know.' " Salaries may be in short supply in prostate cancer support groups, but most chairs and executive members would tell you that they like their work, especially the social aspect and camaraderie of coming together with people of similar interests. Says Stephenson, "I'm sure I wouldn't have done this for so long if I didn't enjoy the people." |
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