1. A couple of months ago Tony and I attended a GMT Strategy meeting in Oak Brook, Chicago along with the other GMT leaders from around the world.
The objective was for LCI to lay out their strategy plan to 2020.

2. Day 1 Recap
Let’s recap on yesterday

3. LCI Forward Strategic Plan: 2015-16 to 2019-20
The overall LCI strategic plan
As presented by Kevin Sherrick

4. Strategic Goals 2016-2020 Primary Goal: Supporting Goals:
Our primary goal is to improve the lives of at least 200 million per year (by ) through humanitarian service – tripling our impact.
Supporting Goals:
Develop an updated global service focus to launch in June 2017.
Become the best-known brand for voluntary service across the world.
Achieve best-in-class services to members, clubs, districts and the association.
Develop new and innovative ways to engage people in humanitarian service.
Enhance the value of being a Lion by continually expanding member benefits, leadership training, and member services.

5. Four Areas of Focus – Strategy ‘Wheel’
Four frames through which to view our strategic aims
What we need to do to achieve the goal of serving 200 million people per year
Provides a framework for action plans

6. Provide the foundation
Four Areas of Focus
Four Overarching Major Strategic Initiatives
Provide the foundation
for initial steps

7. Four Areas of Focus
ACTION PLANS
It all comes together

8. Overarching Strategic Initiatives
Four major initiatives lay the foundation for moving
LCI Forward
Launch an updated Global Humanitarian Cause by the 2017 Centennial Convention (Service Program Assessment)
Implement a Strategic Marketing Plan to enhance public appeal
Strengthen Clubs and Districts worldwide through a comprehensive Quality Improvement Program
Develop New Products and Innovations that allow more people to engage in service through LCI
Follows on from previous slide

9. Enhance Service Impact & Focus
Reshape Public Opinion & Improve Visibility
Pursue Club, District and Organizational Excellence
Improve Membership Value & Reach New Markets
Let’s take section individually
Look at the four focus areas from your perspective. What is your vision?

10. Area – Service Impact & Focus
General Comments & Questions
Service Assessment Project underway (April 2016 to be completed.)
How do we define our service in a new century?
Does ‘Knights of the Blind’ still resonate; should it be updated?
What new service needs are you seeing in your community or country?
Enhance Service Impact & Focus
How should our humanitarian service evolve?

11. Area – Reshape Public Opinion & Improve Visibility
General Comments & Questions
Strategic Marketing Plan being developed
How do we distinguish our brand in the nonprofit/ voluntary sector?
How can we do we best advance the public perception of LCI?
How do we best create a PR network at the district level?
What are the best and most creative ways to promote Lions’ image?

12. Area – Club, District, and LCI Excellence
Pursue Club, District and Organizational Excellence
Area – Club, District, and LCI Excellence
General Comments & Questions
What should be in a ‘Total Quality Improvement’ program?
Key questions:
How do we get more clubs to have websites and be social media savvy?
How do we get more than 1/3 of the clubs growing every year? Is our growth skewed by a minority of clubs/countries?
How do we make Club Excellence awards more sought after?
What services do members most want to see improved from LCI?
What services from LCI could be enhanced to better serve clubs and districts?

13. Area – Improve Membership Value/Reach New Markets
General Comments & Questions?
How do we define the value of membership to attract more people?
How do we best promote growth of family, women and young members?
What new club structures or membership models should be explored to attract more people who are not yet Lions?
Improve Membership Value & Reach New Markets
What are the primary membership needs and opportunities?

14. GMT Plan Octavia Treadway, Membership Development Team Leader
Then we moved onto the specific GMT plan as presented by the manager of the membership division

15. Why?
To improve the lives of at least 200 million people by by inviting at least 47,000 members to new and existing clubs.
The International Association’s strategic plan, LCI Forward, and Centennial Celebration planning provides the ideal timeframe and platform for a refocused Global Membership Team (GMT) strategy and operational plan, which has not had any significant retooling since GMT was formed in 2009.  
To be of greater service to humanity, LCI Forward has established a goal of improving the lives of at least 200 million people per year by , thus tripling our impact. With our Lions Centennial celebration, we made a commitment to becoming the largest our association has ever been by the close of fiscal year , meaning our membership will reach 1,425,311.  Once we have achieved the goal of being the largest we have ever been, we will set our sights on reaching new heights of service, impact and growth.
Achieving our Centennial membership goal will allow us to:
Continue to serve our communities during the Centennial Service Challenge
Launch the association into a second century of transformative service
Pave the way for tripling our impact through our expanded humanitarian service and improving the lives of at least 200 million people per year
The time for a re-imagined GMT is now.  To achieve our Centennial goal of being the largest we have ever been means bringing at least 47,000 members to new and existing clubs.  To do this, our overarching strategy will be an intense focus, training and resourcing for GMT toward two objectives:

16. Recruit and Retain Members
Our Strategy
Charter New Clubs
Recruit and Retain Members
Charter new clubs: Every leader specifically recruited to the GMT at the district level and above, will be asked to personally assume the responsibility to form at least one new club.  Specialized and customizable training and resources will be provided to support this goal along with a tiered recognition program.
Recruit and retain members: Club membership chairpersons have the most direct access and ability to recruit and retain members to their clubs.  Training, tool kits and lines of communication and resources will be provided to club membership chairpersons both through their district GMT coordinator as well as through LCI channels.  Naturally, other leaders may also be involved in recruiting and retaining members.

17. Invite For Impact
The theme that will permeate these two focused strategies of forming new clubs by district GMT coordinators and recruit and retain new members by club membership chairpersons, will be Invite for Impact.  In this way, we keep front and center that our reason to grow is to serve and impact more people than ever before. 
The following plan sets forth the specific structure, strategies and required resources. 

18. Club Membership Chairpersons - YTDCA
% of Missing Club Membership Chairpersons 1
26% 2
22% 3
13% 4
40% 5
44% 6
19% 7
16%
29% of clubs are missing a membership chairperson

19. Training
Annual in-person training/meeting for the GMT International Level
MD/District GMT Invite for Impact Training
Developing New Clubs
Recruiting New Members
Engaging Members
District Coordinators can request US$250, after completing all training modules
Multiple District/District GMT training
Three training modules will be developed for all members of GMT to take.
Invite for Impact: Developing New Clubs
Invite for Impact: Recruiting New Members
Invite for Impact: Engaging Members
All modules will be web-based for leaders/coordinators to easily access at their own convenience. When possible, MD-GMT Coordinators can conduct the training in-person using the web-based platform.
Trainings will have a cultural adaptability to provide specific training on strategies that work throughout each constitutional area.
District and single district coordinators can request a local budget of US$250 for training club membership chairpersons and new club development after they have completed all modules.

20. Training Club Membership Chair Training
Invite for Impact: Recruiting New Members
Invite for Impact: Engaging Members
On average, 17% of club membership chairpersons sponsor a new member annually.
Club membership chairpersons shall be trained by the district/single district coordinator or through the web-based training on the Invite for Impact: New Members and Engagement module.
Therefore, an online club membership toolkit will also be developed which will provide useful resources for the club membership chairperson to use in their clubs.
In addition to web-based training, regional webinars will be provided by the GMT staff specialist and area leaders to train club membership chairpersons on how to form a branch or sponsor a new club.

21. Report Access/Training
GMT Toolbox
If you have a questions on any reports, on how to interpret them or access, please contact you GMT Specialist.
You should spend time to ensure your GMT coordinators know how to access and read these reports. (you may wish to further discuss this in your 1st strategy session when you talk about communication plans.

22. Targets and Goal-Setting
Multiple District Membership Target Guideline
based on a 2% growth of their five year membership growth average of the multiple district/single district
For the past several years, districts have been establishing their own membership goals. Success in reaching established goals has been minimal. In fiscal year, only 12% of districts met their established membership goals. LCI believe there are several reasons. In many cases, goals were established in the absence of carefully studying previous trends within the district, thus leading to overly ambitious goals for a one year period. A careful system of reporting and accountability has also been lacking in some areas, leading to limited ability for GMT Area Leaders to support their team.
In order to be successful in membership, attainable growth goals with an associated action plan need to be established and developed by the district governor-elects (DGEs) for their upcoming year as district governor. In effort to assist in the development of realistic goals, LCI will provide a multiple district membership target guideline to GMT constitutional area leaders, area leaders, to utilize while reviewing their district governor- elect membership goals.
The membership target guideline is based on a 2% growth of their five year membership growth average of the multiple district/single district. No single formula or approach will work for all districts; therefore, goals should ultimately reflect the recent realities of their district.
Beginning in fiscal year, there will be more emphasis on developing SMART membership goals with detailed action plans. In addition, DGEs will also report a women’s membership goal for new members joining. Furthermore, each district should set a goal to charter a minimum of one new club per district each fiscal year.

23. Targets and Goal Setting
Future goals
Women’s Membership Goal
Minimum of 1 new club per district each fiscal year
Also heard a recommendation of asking the DGE to list the locations of the new clubs.

24. Reporting Written-electronic activity reports
Verbal quantitative reports through Worldwide Report Days
Highly structured and regular reporting between all levels of the global membership team for the first three quarters is an important and effective strategy for generating activity, creating a sense of urgency and maintaining a consistent focus on achieving established goals. A principal value of the report may not be in the report itself, but rather in the reporter’s anticipation of the report date or deadline, and the fact that the entire global membership team is involved and success depends on accountability to one another. This will be accomplished by written-electronic activity reports and verbal quantitative reports through Worldwide Report Days.

25. Activity Reports
Will focus on membership activities conducted in GMT areas, multiple districts and districts.
Activity Reporting
Staff will work closely with constitutional area leaders on developing activity reports for, area leaders to submit electronically through the LCI website. Reports will focus on membership activities conducted in districts, multiple districts, and areas focused in the first three quarters. These reports will help to identify successes, best practices, and challenges.

26. Worldwide Report Days District MD Area Worldwide Calls
District MD
Area
Worldwide Calls
1st Quarter Reports
October 1
October 15
October 29
Oct 31- Nov 3
2nd Quarter Reports
January 1
January 15
January 29
Jan 31 – Feb 3
3rd Quarter Reports
April 1
April 15
April 30
May 2 – 5
Engage district team to gather reports from all clubs, then send report to MDCs*
Engage DCs and discuss their reports, then send composite report to GMT Area Leader
Engage MDCs to discuss reports, then send report to CA Area Leader and International Coordinators
Engage Area Leaders/ Special Area Advisors individually with their CA Leader to discuss their report and action plans
District Report Days
District GMT Coordinators (DCs)
Multiple District Report Days
MD GMT Coordinators (MDCs)
Constitutional Area Report Days
Area Leaders and Special Area Advisors
Worldwide Report Day
International Coordinators
2 weeks
1 week
Worldwide Report Days set a particular time for reporting and serve to stimulate interest and activity. These verbal reports on quantitative membership figures help leadership identify areas where additional assistance may be needed, as well as areas that are doing very well and can be showcased to others.
Invite for Impact Worldwide Report Days will:
Establish accountability among the GMT
Reinforce the Invite for Impact messaging of service equals growth and vice versa
Sustain motivation and momentum toward annual goals as well as activity and benchmark goals
Encourage the use of established LCI reporting tools
GMT report days occur over a 7-week period. During each stage, the GMT will host discussions and gather reports with the team members within their care and responsibility. Discussions will focus on activity, progress toward goals, celebrating successes and providing support and encouragement for completing and reporting their results and activity on the prepared forms. Discussions can be in person or by conference call. Dashboard reports will be used to inform the discussions. At the end of each stage, the GMT will send their summary report to the leader they are accountable to-culminating in all GMT area leaders calling in on the designated Worldwide Report Day to the GMT international coordinator.

27. Recognition and Awards
Certificates
Website recognition
GMT District Coordinator Awards Program
1% overall membership growth that is higher than the 5-year average + 1 new club = Silver Award
2% overall membership growth that is higher than the 5-year average + 2 new clubs = Gold Award
3% overall membership growth that is higher than the 5-year average + 3 new clubs = Diamond Award
Expressions of appreciation and recognition for a job well done are proven to be highly effective to motivate various constituent groups to take action and achieve established goals. The following recognition and awards program for the Global Membership Team (GMT) serves to incentivize leaders and their actions essential to the membership growth plan. The GMT achieves its goals when working not only with the appointed members of GMT, but also through the engagement of all Lions in growing our membership to do more service in our global community.
Certificates: Each GMT leader at the international level (as well as the GMT International Coordinator and International Family and Women’s Coordinator) can request GMT recognition certificates that can be given to deserving GMT members who go above and beyond to increase membership and new clubs in their area. GMT members who receive a recognition certificate will also be recognized on the LCI website.
GMT District Coordinator Awards Program:
District coordinators will be recognized if one of the following has been achieved at the end of the fiscal year (based on the June cumulative report):
1% overall membership growth that is higher than your 5-year average + 1 new club = Silver Award
2% overall membership growth that is higher than your 5-year average + 2 new clubs = Gold Award
3% overall membership growth that is higher than your 5-year average + 3 new clubs = Diamond Award   

28. Recognition and Awards
“GMT Coordinator of the Year”
At the end of the fiscal year, LCI will recognize the MD and district coordinator in each constitutional area that has reached the highest net growth in overall membership
GMT Coordinators of the Year:
Based on the June cumulative reports, LCI will determine which district coordinator and MD coordinator have made the most impact in overall membership.
One MD coordinator and one district coordinator from each constitutional area will be awarded the “GMT of the Year” award. Pending on how conventions fall, leaders may be recognized during the international convention.

29. Recognition and Awards
Membership Goal Achievement
GMT Position
Must achieve
Will receive
District GMT
District membership goals that were established for the fiscal year by June 30th
Exclusive certificates signed by the International President and GMT International Liaison, along with a congratulatory letter
MD GMT Team
Membership goals that were established for the fiscal year for the MD by June 30th
Area Leaders/Special Area Advisors
Membership goals that were established for the fiscal year area by June 30th
Constitutional Area Leaders
Membership goals that were established for the fiscal year for the Constitutional Area by June 30th
Membership Goal Achievement:
GMT members will be recognized if the membership goals for the fiscal year were achieved.

30. Additional Web Toolboxes

31. Family and Women SpecialistsCA
% of MD Family & Women Specialists Appointed
% of District Family & Women Specialists Appointed 1 7%
26% 2 0%
10% 3
71%
65% 4
33%
13% 5
18%
44% 6
38%
51% 7
25%
35%
25% of MD specialists appointed
33% of district specialists appointed

33. Safe travels!