This Is IOM
A podcast from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management. This show is a chance to get to know the stakeholders that make Institute possible.
This Is IOM
#MyIOMJourney: Institute Curriculum Committee
Time for some background knowledge. There is a lot that goes into making Institute well…Institute.
It can be like planning a conference and a small college all at the same time. However, we on the Institute team are not alone in our endeavor to educate in nonprofit management.
One of the most vital components to the whole system is an often unsung group of volunteers who help develop the curriculum being taught in the classroom. It is their job to stay apprised of industry shifts not only for the survival of their organization, but the continuation of Institute as well.
So, today we are going to do something a little bit different, and that is to air the first part in our #MyIOMJourney series. We have posted some these clips on our social media over the past couple of days, but here are the full interviews that my colleague Cici Francisco, IOM, CDP did with some members of the Institute Curriculum Committee. First up will be Christine Kennedy, IOM, CCE , then we will go to Allison Walden, IOM, CCE after that is Bob Rohrlack, IOM, CCE and we will finish up Zach Giglio
We will be doing more of these episodes with some of our other volunteers in the weeks and months to come. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy…or really do what ever you want. It’s your IOM journey. Im Nathan Graham, and This Is IOM.
If you like what you heard and want to get some more, subscribe to the podcast wherever you get them. Also, come to Institute and meet more chamber/association/ nonprofit professionals. You can find more information about Institute at our website: Institute for Organization Management – A Program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (uschamber.com)
If you have any questions, please email us at iom@uschamber.com.
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Time for some background knowledge. There's a lot that goes into making Institute, well, Institute. It can be like planning a conference at a small college all at the same time. However, we on the Institute team are not alone in our endeavor to educate in nonprofit management. One of the most vital components to the whole system is an often unsung group of volunteers who help develop the curriculum being taught in the classroom. It's their job to stay apprised of industry shifts, not only for the survival of their organizations, but for the continuation of Institute as well. Today, we're going to do something a little bit different. And that is to air the first part of our hashtag My IOM Journey series. We've posted some of these clips on our social media over the past couple of days, but here are the full interviews that my colleague Cece Francisco, IOM CDP, did with some members of the Institute Curriculum Committee. First up will be Christine Kennedy, IOM CCE. Then we'll go over to Allison Walden, IOM CCE. After that is Bob Borlack, IOM CCE. And then we'll finish up with Zach Giglio. We'll be doing more episodes with some of our other volunteers in the weeks and months to come. So sit back, relax, and enjoy. or really do whatever you want. It's your IOM journey. I'm Nathan Graham, and this is IOM.
SPEAKER_03:Thank you for joining us, Christine. Can you tell us what inspired you to become involved with the curriculum committee?
SPEAKER_02:Well, this is probably not the first time you've heard an answer like this, but my tenure with the Board of Regents was ending and I didn't want my experience to end because this IOM is such an amazing professional development experience, as well as the tool that, you know, can help. keep you growing and so being around peers and i didn't want to lose that connection i didn't want to lose that connection so i'm like okay where else where else could i lend some expertise and also still get to be around just an amazing group of professionals
SPEAKER_03:share your experiences and responsibilities as the curriculum committee vice chair sure um you
SPEAKER_02:know the main the main thing is obviously to make iowan look good because it's an amazing program um but you know partly it's supporting staff and Allison as chair and making sure that we have meetings that run smoothly and that we are doing what is described in our kind of mandate of work, if you will. But as a committee member, I think the larger you know, responsibility is just ensuring that we have curriculum and faculty that ensure that we are the best and the brightest in the association and chamber profession.
SPEAKER_03:And how do you ensure that institute curriculum aligns with attending needs and the industry standards?
SPEAKER_02:I think that is making sure that you, for me, it's staying in touch with the boots on the ground, right? The individuals that are doing the specific roles within chambers and associations. And so for me, that looks like I do a lot of strategic planning facilitation for associations and chambers. And so picking up on those things that, you know, what their challenges are, what are some of the emerging trends that they're dealing with so that I can bring that information back to curriculum committee as feedback so that when we're planning sessions or we're tweaking objectives, perspectives, right, that they're really going to make a difference for those that are attending our classes.
SPEAKER_03:And what is the process for incorporating attendee, faculty, volunteer feedback into the curriculum? So the,
SPEAKER_02:I want to give kudos to the curriculum staff, hence the the amazing Cece, who I'm talking with today, but all of Institute faculty and staff, because we've tweaked the survey and evaluation process over the years to make sure that the feedback we're getting is relevant and applicable to really help the curriculum committee make changes. I mean, it's great if you want to tell us the room was cold, but that is not... And we're all laughing. I can see everybody that ever plans programs and their Chamber laughing at that comment or the food, right? Like those comments might be helpful from a. staff perspective, but curriculum doesn't get involved with that. So we have tweaked and perfected the evaluation process of both faculty and the student experience so that we're asking questions that are relevant to how we can make things better. Or really just sometimes it's just affirming that what we're covering is meeting them where they are and helping them raise their lid.
SPEAKER_03:And in what ways have you contributed in shaping the Institute curriculum? So I
SPEAKER_02:had to think about that. I'm like, have I contributed? I mean, I really had to kind of, what have I done? I was like, maybe I need to ask Cece that question back. But so a couple of things I think of when we tweaked the foundations class, because before, you know, that was kind of, well, first of all, it was an elective and it was not as prevalent or urgent for a lot of chambers and associations. It was like, oh, this would be nice if you had a 501c3 But if you look at the recent data, especially post-COVID data, you know, most associations and chambers are really leveraging that opportunity. So I think I had a pretty good hand in tweaking the objectives and the relevancy of that foundations class and also teach it. So we really have amplified our efforts with our foundation and leveraging that as an opportunity to be a catalytic vehicle from which to to to use in your chamber. And so I think that, I also love making recommendations for faculty and not just for onsite, but for some of the other one-offs we do, right? So the emerging topics or the topic takeovers that we do virtually. I love making those recommendations because I sit through a lot. I sit through a lot of presentations and a lot of learnings through my chamber and what I do here. And so when you find somebody that's really good and engaging and gives you the nuggets you need to take back to your own organization, those are the people I'm like, oh, yeah. other people need to know about you. And so making recommendations. And finally, I think what's new and upcoming that we're working on is how do we engage the most recent class members as potential focus group members. I mean, they're right out of institute. We want to keep them engaged. It's kind of like with your own chamber and association. You know, you run them through a program. And for us, I run all of our leadership Lynchburg programs. You run them through a program and you have some that really stand out as being ones you really want to stay engaged and keep it keep engaged in the movement. And so having a vehicle or a way to keep them involved in IOM so that we benefit from the their knowledge, boots on the ground. And then, I'm always looking at who, who might become a potential faculty member or a potential curriculum committee member moving forward. So I'd say those three things are hopefully I've contributed to the Institute experience.
SPEAKER_03:You have, can confirm. And can you share a highlight or a significant change or initiative that you were a part of? And it sounds like you kind of did. I don't know if that already answers that a little bit.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, probably the foundations class. And I would say, you know, I did, I am, I do get vocal when I have a recommendation for a faculty member or a institute curriculum committee member. And because I know what it takes to do this and I do want to benefit selfishly from those voices at the table. So those are the things I'd say I'm most proud of is just recommending a couple of people. I won't mention them by name, but surrounding yourself with winners, right? Like you just want to surround yourself with winners. And I think that's the benefit of curriculum committee is you're with the best of the best that is helping shape our profession moving forward.
SPEAKER_03:And how has your time on the curriculum committee influenced your perspective on curriculum development?
SPEAKER_02:Well, as I mentioned, I run all of our leadership development programs here and our faculty. female leadership programs. And, you know, it's, I'd say it's, it helps systematize. And if that's even a word, operationalize, making sure that you are consistent with formatting and language and, you know, the practical things. A lot of times as chamber and association professions, we're like, oh, that's a great idea. Let's just throw it out and make it happen. And that works okay until it doesn't work okay. And you don't You need to fire a faculty member, but you don't have anything written that says you didn't adhere to the standards. So I think it's just the quality and the standardization of what I'm offering, making sure that this process has helped to make sure we do that really well. And how has your involvement impacted your professional growth? Oh, I mean... Again, sitting at the table with winners. I mean, you know, just, you know, there's a quote, and that's probably where I'm using this from. It says, sit with winners because the conversation is different. And, you know, many times back at our offices, we have committee meetings, and we go to community meetings, and you get the gamut. And sometimes you're like, OK, did I just sit through that? Like, what did I waste that hour for? But it's not the case with this group. I mean, we are the conversations are different and we are we are business focused. We are focused on the agenda and the needs of IOM and we get it done. And so I think, again, sit with winners. The conversation is different.
SPEAKER_03:Love that. I'm going to throw in a question that isn't on, isn't, you know, pre-planned or I'm going to put you on the spot here. How has being on curriculum committee shaped how you teach as a faculty member? You have the unique perspective that not all curriculum committee members teach. So tell a little bit of how has been being on curriculum committee influenced or impacted the way you teach?
SPEAKER_02:Well, it certainly amplifies the importance of the objectives and making sure you meet those, but for me, it puts a lot of pressure because when we do those meetings, I'm looking at direct feedback on me, which is a little awkward. But, you know, it just it keeps you sharp. It keeps you sharp. I want to do the profession proud. I want to represent IOM well. And so getting kind of behind the curtain a little bit and seeing what all goes into that process and how thoughtful and intentional that the committee members are at truly evaluating that feedback because that, you know, it does get picked apart. It gets picked apart. And so if I'm going to get picked apart from a teaching perspective, you know, I want to make sure they don't have much to pick on. And so it really does help me be a better facilitator in the room.
SPEAKER_03:And my final question is, What has been a highlight of serving on curriculum committee?
SPEAKER_02:Oh, the people you meet, right? And the camaraderie and the sharpening of the saw, right? Like, I mean, we mean business, but yet, you know, I now have people I can pick, like I'm thinking of certain topics. I now know someone I can call about a certain topic because they're an expert that now serves on faculty. And so for me, it gives me, you know, it's enlargening the circle of influence and people that we have peers that we have in our network when we run into a challenge.
SPEAKER_03:Excellent. Well, thank you so much, Christine. I appreciate your time today. What inspired you to become involved with the curriculum
SPEAKER_01:committee? Oh, that's a great question. Admittedly, Institute has been one of the more transformative And so to be asked to be part of the process of identifying and developing what the next generation of chamber association nonprofit leaders may learn over the course of the next decade was really challenging. encouraging, exciting, and it felt like a great opportunity to give back to the profession and also continue to sharpen my skills to look for what relevant information, what topics, what trends we really need to be embedding into the curriculum to make it the most relevant for attendees.
SPEAKER_03:And can you share your experiences and responsibilities as the Curriculum Committee Chair?
SPEAKER_01:The Curriculum Committee's responsibility is to oversee in a collective format the curriculum for institutions as a whole. What are the courses? What are the descriptions? What are the objectives? What should attendees be taking away from each course and how all those courses integrate and overlap together? So it's a really sophisticated and somewhat complicated process of making sure that the journey from start to finish makes sense and that the attendee at the end of the tackle the challenges in their industry than they did when they started.
UNKNOWN:Excellent.
SPEAKER_03:And on that, can you tell us how do you ensure the Institute curriculum aligns with attending needs and the industry standards?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, that's a great question. I would say it all boils down to feedback. Institute as a program is excellent at absorbing feedback in all its forms, whether it's anecdotal or through specific surveys that are taken at multiple points along the process. They survey attendees, they survey volunteers, they survey faculty members, and they get those groups together to convene and talk specifically around trends or issues or opportunities that they may be seeing. And so really, The institute curriculum and the institute journey is an ever-evolving one that's continually looking at how to grow as a curriculum and how to create space for those issues and those trends and those topics that are really important to attendees. So, you know, an attendee may start an institute. journey in year one and by year four, the curriculum may have adapted just a little bit to kind of absorb industry trends or relevant information that needs to be embedded in a course that maybe wasn't available to an attendee even just a year or two before.
SPEAKER_03:Excellent. And can you tell us a little bit more about what is the process of incorporating that attending faculty and volunteer feedback into the curriculum?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, the first step is always about gathering that feedback. It's not just the loudest voices are being listened to, but all voices are being listened to and identified over time and across key themes and maybe even across multiple sites. So once those little blips on the radar are identified, that data comes to their curriculum committee. Staff also oversees or kind of takes a look at that. And then questions to faculty members and to volunteers are also asked to kind of, how do I say, like clarify or verify that the data that is being observed kind of on the dashboard is really something that needs to be looked at further. And if that is the case, then it will show up as an agenda question and then an agenda item for the full curriculum committee to discuss. And typically what will happen after that is if there is an issue that really needs to be dug into a little bit more, there may be a committee or task force that is spun up specifically to tackle that topic and to bring recommendations back to the larger group. So while it sounds like there are a lot of steps in that process, and there are, it really can be a fairly quick turnaround between the identifying the trend and an adjustment to the curriculum.
SPEAKER_03:Excellent. And how has your time on the curriculum committee influenced your perspective on curriculum development with Institute?
SPEAKER_01:I think the biggest takeaway from my participation on the Curriculum Committee is that there is so much value in diverse perspectives. The folks on the Curriculum Committee come from nonprofits, associations. Some of them have corporate background. Some of them have an educational background. Maybe they are faculty members themselves for Institute or at their own educational institutions or institutions of higher learning. And we come from all across. across the country. So, you know, our climates, our kind of environments and our communities are very different. And so when we bring all of those perspectives together, it's almost impossible not to get multiple sides of the Rubik's cube, if you will, and to see all different kind of angles and sides of issues. So I'm really confident that the curriculum that Institute provides has been thoroughly vetted and approached. by multiple different people with multiple different lenses to make sure that it's relevant to the most people possible who are going through the program. And how has your involvement impacted your professional growth? My involvement from Institute has impact professional perspective, but also, you know, very personally, as we all know, who have gone through the program, not all leadership is about kind of the external. A lot of leadership comes from what is inside and some of those internal reframings or, you know, thoughtful considerations that you have about, you know, what are your core values? How do you speak those core values out? What do you believe in? And how do you approach your work? And how do you approach others? And so even watching people interact on the curriculum committee and observing how we tackle those challenges. It's been really nice to appreciate other's perspectives, appreciate other people's ways of approaching a problem and taking that feedback in and learning how to work with others and how to collaborate across a collective.
SPEAKER_03:And my final question, what has been a highlight of serving on the curriculum committee?
SPEAKER_01:I will share two. One highlight has been interfacing with the Institute staff. I think it is very easy to go through Institute journey and focus on maybe your class advisors or a faculty member that really inspired you. And then think about how you might be able to come back to Institute and volunteer or participate maybe on a curriculum committee or another facet of that. But the Institute staff is the kind of like, line that kind of threads through and see and make sure that we're continuing to focus on the future and focus on the goal to your leadership of course leads the way and our key ambassadors for institute but if it weren't for this staff i don't think we would be as consistent of a program and the experience for the attendees would not nearly be as excellent so one of the key things i've really enjoyed is engaging with the institute staff and watching that process play out The second thing I would say is watching an idea evolve into an actual class. So, you know, an example of that was we learned that we needed to dig in a little bit more in the fundraising space and potentially develop a fundraising class on foundations and to see that. idea germinate, to see it go into a task force and eventually kind of go full bloom into a class with objectives and curriculum and course bullet points, you know, things that needed to be learned by the attendees and then to see attendees go through that program, give feedback and then have a discussion about how to continue to refine it for the future. I mean, that's a really kind of start to finish moment that speaks to the power, the influence and the opportunity of the curriculum committee to really enact change that impacts attendees and helps them do their job better
SPEAKER_05:okay
SPEAKER_03:well we will go ahead and kick off and i am going to just start with a question that's not on there which is um can you tell us how you came to be on the curriculum
SPEAKER_05:committee with institute sure uh i've been teaching uh at southeast location i think about six years uh with a break in the middle at one point but uh as as We saw the curriculums coming out for each year. I think I want to be a part of helping this based on feedback I get in the classroom, based on follow-up meetings I have with people with the one-on-one consultations and throughout the year, and just what I'm seeing with the industry. So I want to get involved to help shape the curriculum, to help IOM be even better than it already is.
SPEAKER_03:Excellent. Thank you. And what has been a highlight of serving on the curriculum committee?
SPEAKER_05:You see it at every phase with IOM, from being in the classroom as a student, to being an instructor, to being on the Board of Regents, all the different levels to be engaged, that chambers do better when chambers are together. The support, that we give each other, the learning from each other and borrowing ideas from each other that become part of who you are just really helps all of us succeed with what we're doing. And that's even heightened more being on the curriculum committee because there's such a strong focus on making sure we're delivering something of value to each participant that comes to IOM. And it's just great seeing all those same-minded people coming together to try to be better with what we're doing.
SPEAKER_03:Excellent. Thank you. And could you share your experiences and responsibilities as a curriculum committee member?
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, it's really an interesting process. It's very well thought through. The entire curriculum catalog is done very well. It's very helpful to anyone who's going to be an instructor. But discussing new ideas and how to incorporate that, not just, oh, let's create another class, but how do we weave that topic into existing classes? And Truly looking at the feedback from the classes on how it can be better and what other information they would like has kind of been a, you know, we need to step up our personal game, our individual game in this as well, because this is really good feedback. How can I help with IOM in doing this? But then when I get home, I want to make sure I'm doing this on that issue related to my chamber. So it's an enhancement both back and forth to the classroom as well as going home to my chamber.
SPEAKER_03:Excellent. And you touched on this, but how do you ensure that the Institute curriculum aligns with attendees' needs and the industry standards when you go back home from Institute?
SPEAKER_05:Well, being chamber people or association people, we're not shy to share what we'd like to see and how we'd like it to be. So we really do get some good feedback from the classes on what they'd like to see and how they can continue to grow on a particular topic. That's taken very serious, and I've been really impressed with how the curriculum committee may get into a discussion, but it's always, well, wait, we're getting this feedback. This is what everybody wants to see, so we need to make sure we're doing this as well. And that just good customer service, good client relationship. So it's a true value to make sure those in the classes are sharing their feedback after each class.
SPEAKER_03:Excellent. And on that note, can you share what is the process for incorporating attendee and faculty feedback into the curriculum? So how do we go from receiving that feedback from attendees and faculty into translating that into changes in the curriculum?
SPEAKER_05:Well, I got to give the first shout out on that to the IOM team, because you all have got great ears on the ground for what you're hearing from participants, as well as what you're getting from the rank and file members at the US Chamber and what they're seeing and saying and what your board is telling you that's going on. So that helps us with, here's some ideas on the wall. Let's see what we think and how it can incorporate. Then through the experience of the chamber and association folks on their curriculum committee. And again, what we get in that classroom and what our experiences are, all help us with the discussion. And then there's always somebody who has really done a deep dive into that particular topic we're trying to figure out how to incorporate. And they bring that value add in, which helps us understand what the issue is better. So we know how to shape it for, okay, here's how we'll weave that into a current class, or does this need to be a class on its own? If we're adding a class, we have to give up a class. So how do we balance that to make sure we're staying current and not just doing, oh, we got to do this class because we've done this class for the last 20 years. We got to keep doing it. Well, maybe time to retire that class and bring a new topic into the discussion. So all the different levels of the size chambers and associations that are part of the curriculum committee and the experience level of everybody involved in those subject matter experts that happen to be there kind of create that great lot of soup on how we're going to get to that really good idea at the end.
SPEAKER_03:And can you speak a little bit about in what ways have you personally contributed in shaping Institute curriculum or in what topics have you been a part of the curriculum shifts and changes?
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, I like to really get into how are you working today to plan your chamber for the future? So chambers of the futures and alliances and those kinds of topics I really like diving into. And it's always a key point for me to stress in the beginning. It doesn't matter what size community or chamber you're in. We all face very, very similar problems. It's just the scale of the problem. So when somebody in the class will say, well, that's great for a big chamber, but I can't because we're a small chamber. I'll stop the class and go, wait a minute. You're holding yourself back by thinking that way. You may not be able to take 100 people to an inner city visit, but you probably can take 10. Why aren't you doing it? It's a great way to bring your leadership together. You got to start thinking the scale. So helping smaller chambers think that they can't just because they're small is really a misnomer. We need to help them break through. And same thing for associations. You may be a regional association or a state association. It doesn't mean you can't scale and do things that national associations are doing. That's how we help all these organizations grow. So I really like plugging into to think about how you can take an idea and apply it to yourself. You don't have to cookie cut the idea from what somebody else did, but make it your idea and what fits for you. So Chambers of the Future, Alliance is really big and what leadership looks like and strong leaders for the future and how to do that. A leader doesn't have to be the person in the very front. You know, a coach doesn't play on the field. They're coaching from the sidelines, but they're a leader. How can you help your team? How can you help your volunteers lead? So all those kind of aspects coming together is what I really like to dive into.
SPEAKER_03:And how has your time on the curriculum committee influenced your perspective on curriculum development? And also as a faculty member, you have a unique perspective.
SPEAKER_05:It's really helped me a lot for the classes that I will teach on just hearing the thought process that goes in to developing the curriculum and what we're going to be doing and always being mindful of. Don't ignore what that curriculum syllabus says. That's really the key points we need to get over. And it was designed to be helpful. And so it's kind of steer the topic following the broad curriculum, bringing in the class's perspective and what their issues are and growing that. It's just helped me be more aware of just don't eat 90 minutes on the clock. Make sure there's a good deliverable that they can take back. And you usually can tell if it's work. The questions that come afterwards really are helpful.
SPEAKER_03:Excellent. And my final question, how has your involvement in Curriculum Committee impacted your professional growth?
SPEAKER_05:I look forward to going to IOM every year. It's a recharge, even though it's an exhausting week. There's a lot going on. It's a recharge, and it really reinforces that this is a great industry. The association management, the chamber management, it's just a really great place for me to help the topic or the industry or a community succeed. So I like it from that perspective of, It helps keep me fresh and I don't get stale eyes looking at topics at my chamber, but I'm always trying to think of, okay, what's next? How are we going to prepare for the horizon? Keeping what works really well, but how do we improve it to be better for what we don't know is coming yet, but being ready for that when it comes. So staying sharp and on game has been probably the best benefit that's come to me from being on curriculum committee as well as just being president at IOM.
SPEAKER_03:Excellent. Well, thank you so much. Well, thank you for joining us today, Zach. Just to start off, can you tell us what inspired you to become involved with the Curriculum Committee?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, so we've been involved with chambers really throughout our business life and really appreciate everything that they've done for us and for the community and also understand how trusted they are in our community and across the country. And so to be able to work on the curriculum committee and volunteer alongside other really smart and successful people, it's a really exciting opportunity to then maybe give back and also influence and help the chambers, not only in our community, but around the country.
SPEAKER_03:Thank you. And could you share your experiences and the responsibilities as a curriculum committee member?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, so I'm really fortunate to have been able to be on a few of these meetings and look over the agendas and talk about curriculum items, where we're having discussions and figuring out what are the best ways that we can put together content and trainings for executives around the country at these chambers and associations, and being able to just brainstorm and share and go back and forth and hear different opinions from different people who are successful in their own rights all around the country has been really rewarding and really exciting. And also being able to put in an emphasis on the stuff that we do in our life, which is artificial intelligence and being able to be a voice for that mission and that journey going forward has been really exciting.
SPEAKER_03:Institute curriculum aligns with attending needs and industry standards.
SPEAKER_04:Well, what's really great is that the IOM has, you know, takes a lot of effort to go and get this feedback. So it's, we, you know, especially in the AI world, like your output's only as good as the data you have. And thankfully the IOM, the team works really hard to get us some good data so that we can consider what the feedback actually is. And we get tremendous feedback, both on the quantitative side and the qualitative side, people just giving their, their feelings and their ideas. And what I always think about when I take any training or course myself is what are the tangible takeaways that, that i can walk out with and so being able to look at that feedback and and really listen to the parts where people are saying this is what i want to walk away with this is what i want to be able to do now once i've done this course to take back to my organization and my community being able to connect those dots and doing it together as a team i think has been really really valuable and also something that has helped me consider thinking about all the trainings we do anyway, like in our business, like keeping that focus on the feedback, on what the mission is, which is to give the people who are going to these trainings, something to walk away with.
SPEAKER_03:And can you tell us a little bit more of what is the process of incorporating that attendee faculty volunteer feedback into the curriculum?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, so very recently we had a meeting where we looked over the feedback from some of the previous, from the last courses. It was the Winter Institute where particularly even in the AI thing was the first time that was offered as a class and being able to both before we had the meeting, being able to look through all the feedback, read through the comments and the thoughts and the questions that they had, and then getting together as a team and figuring out how do we incorporate that into the next iteration, understanding, one, that we have an opportunity to make that class even stronger, although it seemed to be very strong in the Winter Institute already, but then also understand this is a journey. We're going to do it again, and then we're going to get more feedback, and we're going to do it again, and it seems like this really positive cycle that we get to do.
SPEAKER_03:And in what ways have you personally contributed in shaping the curriculum on what topics?
SPEAKER_04:Well, so just generally, I always believe in trying to be in a room with a lot of people who are smarter than you. And I think that I've been able to achieve that by being on the curriculum committee because I get to learn and grow as a person, which is really wonderful. And then on the topics themselves, I mean, being able to look through things, you know, about leadership and about, you know, all the different courses that are being taught at Institute and even the AI stuff, talking to other people who have interest and expertise in AI and being able to figure it out and how we do that in our day-to-day work has been really exciting.
SPEAKER_03:Can you highlight a significant change or initiative that you were a part of?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I mean, I'm very proud to have done, I think were the first three webinars for the IOM on artificial intelligence and how chambers can do that. I mean, it's something I'm really, I mean, I talk about it because I feel really proud to even have given that opportunity to share what we believe is some pretty important knowledge and some takeaways and to have done that. And so that was, you know, something brand new for IOM and really a big credit to IOM for actually even taking that initiative on because despite what we see out there, really most organizations and people are not really thinking about AI in this like really intentional way and how to use it practically. And you all were on like the real like forefront of this. So that, and then also helping out with the Winter Institute course, having, you know, being able to offer some ideas and insights and some of the documentation that we had to even in a small part help shape that course And I've been really proud of that.
SPEAKER_03:And how has your time on the curriculum committee influenced your perspective on curriculum development?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, so, you know, it's really helped me understand that. the process that goes into identifying the curriculum for each of these courses and how much time and energy and perspective people are giving to shape these courses. That it's not just like a, you know, let's look online, figure something out and then give it to people. There's like really heartful discussions that are going on that are bringing in different perspectives. And just to understand like how much people are really giving of themselves and of their minds and of their energy and of their effort to help shape these courses and to help build on really what is already such a successful program, but just maybe add and offer a different perspective. That was something maybe I don't think I really understood before getting involved in the curriculum committee is how much the volunteers, but also the staff at the IOM really put into this and how much everybody really cares. It's very mission driven work. It's really cool. Excellent.
SPEAKER_03:And how has your involvement impacted your professional growth?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, so I do feel that, you know, even having been involved for the past year or so, being able to listen and to be a part of these discussions and being in the room with all these very successful people who have a similar mission to what we have, which is to help chambers and leaders of chambers and associations around the country so that they can then go and help their organizations and then their communities and the people that they represent. I mean, it's a massive impact and it's actually a lot of responsibility. I thought it would be a good amount of responsibility, but I definitely feel more of the weight that it actually is. And I think that's a good place for me to be in. know we work really hard to try and put ourselves in in situations where we can have an impact and which can be very nerve-wracking um and this has made me more comfortable doing that and also being around other people who are willing to do that and to give their time and also reminds me as well as you know as much as we like um making money which believe me we do that volunteering and being a part of good initiatives like this is as good for our business and our professional journey as it is for us to go out and sell something
SPEAKER_03:I love that. And my final question is, what has been a highlight of serving on the curriculum committee?
SPEAKER_04:I would say, you know, there's two things, which I know is not necessarily the best answer to what is the one highlight. But one is just being around and working with all the people from the staff to the other volunteers in the curriculum committee. That's definitely one of the big highlights. But the other one was leading those initial webinars. I mean, again, I feel really proud about leading the initial webinars on and working with you all and putting that together. I mean, it was really great. We came with our ideas and you were, you know, you all very focused on making sure this was going to have tangible takeaways for the people who were going to attend. And we had what seemed to be great attendance in all three webinars. And I feel really proud of that. And it's something that I talk about a lot. I think it's probably somewhere in my bio and stuff like that. It's a big highlight for us.
SPEAKER_03:Excellent. Well, thank you so much for taking the time today.
SPEAKER_04:Thank you.
SPEAKER_03:Perfect and just like that it's a wrap.
SPEAKER_00:That's the show for today. What did you think? A special thank you to Allison, Christine, Bob, and Zach for sharing their IOM journey with us. What's your IOM journey? Do you have one? Do you want to start one? Well, fret not. Registrations for our Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast sites are still open. You can find more information about that at institute.uschamber.com. If you have any questions, get the fast pass to the top of our inbox, IOM, at uschamber.com. This podcast is a production of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management from Raymond, Karen, Cece, Ivy, and yours truly All the best today and for a better tomorrow. Bye, everyone.