On this episode, Kelly is joined by National Council member, Amber Shaverdi Huston, HH, to discuss the work of national council in reviewing and updating Alpha Sigma Alpha’s Vision and Purpose statements.
On this episode, Kelly is joined by National Council member, Amber Shaverdi Huston, HH, to discuss the work of national council in reviewing and updating Alpha Sigma Alpha’s Vision and Purpose statements.
Disclaimer: This transcript was developed with an automated transcription program, spelling and grammar errors may occur.
Kelly
Welcome to the Alpha Connect sisterhood series podcast. I'm your host Kelly McGinnis Beck national president. This podcast is all about sharing the stories of our members and our connection through Alpha Sigma Alpha. Thank you for joining us today. Welcome back to the podcast, Amber Huston.
Amber
Thanks, Kelly for inviting me back. I'm excited to talk with you and get to connect with our members some more.
Kelly
Yeah, I'm excited about this special podcast, because we are going to share with everyone how we arrived at our new vision and purpose statements. And we've spent a lot of time over the last year, year and a half working on these. And so I thought it would be great for you since you lead these efforts for the board to give everyone some context about how we started this work, because it does tie into our strategic planning, which we have also been working on. Our new strategic plan will launch in 2022. And so we've kind of folded this effort of looking at our statements as a first step in designing that new strategic plan. So before I get too far down the road and reveal everything, I'm going to pause and let you kind of talk about how we structured this and and your thoughts around how you organize the leading of the these efforts.
Amber
Yes, and Kelly, I just want to share that this has been one of the most wonderful, phenomenal, exciting experiences that I've had as an Alpha Sigma Alpha. It was a great responsibility that you tasked me with, and also one of a great honor. And I had such a good time working with our national council team, and our executive director, Krystal Slivinski on this project. It is been one that we took our time. And I think it's important for us to really use this time to share with the sorority membership, how intentional we have been, and if you've ever been involved with a project where you are debating and examining every single word, that is what we experienced over the past year and a half. So we're going to travel back in time, it was one of our last in person board meetings before the pandemic and we were starting our work on the strategic plan. And I posed the question to our team as as a board and said, What's our North Star? And it was really became a great conversation. And we were able to breathe out the different areas of the sorority that inspire us and, and we all ultimately agree that our north star is, our ritual, and that ritual encompasses so many messages to the sorority as an organization, to chapters and to individual members. But then we took a step back, and we were thinking about our responsibility as a board to lead the organization. And we were thinking about it from a nonprofit and for profit lens. And ultimately, that meant we needed to start by looking at our value proposition statements, our mission, purpose and vision statements. And that's where the homework and the project really started was examining those three statements for the sorority and thinking about what those statements mean to Alpha Sigma Alpha, and really what their intention is, when it comes to guiding an organization. And at that time, when we started the exploration as a team, we identified that the intention of a mission and purpose statement are very similar. And that is where we as a team decided that we felt that we could consolidate and have one statement that serves as that guide for our everyday work. And that is that was one of the first steps in the in the process of do we move forward with existing statements? Where did these existing statements come from? How were they shaped? And do they continue to meet the needs of current members, future members and of course, the the forward direction of the sorority, so that's where it all started was getting to the strategic plan, it really comes through, starting with mission vision and our purpose statements. So that's, that's where it started and we had that exploration and did a lot of reflection as a team and then knowing how important in valuing the voice of the membership we started conducting listening sessions and posting open ended questions on social media and getting a sense of what words what phrases really resonate with the membership? And what is it that when a member is describing Alphq Sigma Alpha and what it means to be an Alpha Sigma Alpha, how do they how do they describe that to someone that's not a member? And that was really informative. And it was a lot of fun. We I think we took a lot away from those listening sessions and learned more about tthe Sorority. And not just in these when it pertains to the statements, but we learned a lot about how members connect with ritual and our creed. And so I that was a really exciting and fun time for us to get to just listen to members.
Kelly
I agree, I think one of the things we also heard was the connection to our values. And, you know, really a strong connection to those statements as well, which was reaffirming to hear is, as we had also explored those values and kind of came back around to say no, these these really resonate with members of all different generations within Alpha Sigma Alpha and are still relevant, as we look ahead of the future of Alpha Sigma Alpha. And certainly I think as we went on this journey, that was one of the things we talked about was how do we honor our heritage, and ensure that we are relevant for today and tomorrow, and the future that we are looking forward to, because certainly the world continues to change, the landscape is changing. And in order for us to continue to grow as an organization, we've got to adapt with the world as it's changing as well.
Amber
And I'll share that, I love history, that was my first major before I changed.
Kelly
I didn't know that!
Amber
Yes, it just it was. And so even personally, for me, the responsibility, but also the opportunity to connect and think about the future of the sorority, while we honor our heritage and continue to be rooted in the vision that our founders had, I, that was such a thrill for me. And something that I think all of us really enjoyed and got to have those moments where we did a deep dive into our ritual, and Krystal was awesome, and would dig into the archives and find something and share it with us and whether she found a quote, a line from other historical documents. And so that was something that was such a significant responsibility that I really enjoyed. And I think we had, we made sure that we kept front and center was, how do we capture the spirit of alpha alpha, from the early 1900s, to our next 125 years. And Kelly, to your point about the values, something else that continued to come up through our listening sessions was the the character and concern for others that's mentioned in our, in our ritual, that's something that that in the world that we are living in today, members continuously expressed, that they really felt was so special about Alpha Sigma Alpha, and how that wording really inspires us to be good human beings in the good, give that kindness to our neighbors and improve our communities and, and help look out for our neighbors. And that that character and concern for others really kept coming up. And I thought was really a, something for us to to consider. And it was, it really brought things full circle, because I think that that captured the spirit of, you know, in my mind what our founders wanted us to do as a sorority and make the world a better place. But it also is so relevant today. And so that wording was certainly something that was common through members no matter what timeframe, they joined the sorority.
Kelly
Absolutely. So we should probably share some of our new statements so that folks know what we're talking about, because we've used some of those words very intentionally. So I will share with everyone Alpha Sigma Alpha'ss vision statement is to elevate the influence of women in the world. I'll say that a second time to elevate the influence of women in the world. And our purpose, which I think will resonate with everyone is to cultivate friendship among members who are known for their character and concern for others, which comes straight from our ritual.
Amber
And I think those statements are statements that can be applied to you as an Alpha Sigma Alpha, to a collegiate or an alumnae chapter and association and to the organization, and when we were doing our research about the role that a vision statement has for an organization, a vision statement is something that you're constantly striving towards, you don't ever quite achieve it, but you're always working towards it. And oftentimes, the vision statement is meant for an organization. But us as a team, we wanted that statement to guide the organization, but also be a guidepost for, for individual members and for chapters. And then of course, the same can be said about our purpose statement, our new purpose statement, connects to ritual, and helps give us a personal compass, and can give us that, that direction, that of how we approach daily life as an individual member, and as an organization. And, of course, then, what we just recently did, and we got to have our first in person board meeting in a year and a half. And the work of these statements, was able to inform the work of the strategic plan that you mentioned, is going to come out in the summer of 2022. And then that'll be that first document that directs us forward and talks nd directs the work that we're going to do, and bring the vision and purpose statements to life through our different sorority initiatives and education and programming. So I'm really excited about these new statements, and the fact that we already have been working on the strategic plan. And through that experience and that exercise, we're seeing these statements guide our work, I just share, you know, shows how important they are and, and how they're already being applied.
Kelly
Agreed. And I also think about as we went through this process, you know, we talked a lot about who are these statements for, in terms of, you know, are they for our members? Or are they for non members, because these are public facing statements, they're on our website, and we share them in other materials. And so to find the connection, and the relevance between they connect with our members, and they feel inspired, and, you know, motivated and connected through them, but also that, you know, for a non member, learning about Alpha Sigma Alpha, and they look at these and say, Yeah, I can see where it what their vision is, and why that's relevant and important to not only a woman's organization, but to what's happening in the world today and understand who we are, and who we aspire to be.
Amber
I am really excited to see where this takes us. And then, of course, now even more excited for us to continue the work of our current strategic plan, and then launch our next strategic plan in 2022, which will be shared at convention. So you know, the countdown is on, to get to be reunited with our sisters and come together and celebrate our history, celebrate our achievements, and of course, celebrate where we're going as a sorority.
Kelly
Absolutely, I mean, we've we've come a long way and have a long way to go still. One of the things I also thought it would be interesting for folks to know, maybe not surprising, but we spent a lot of time focused on the words themselves. Because we know words are important and convey a message.
Amber
We did and and that's why we spent the past year and a half working on this. We, you get, gained that initial information during the listening sessions, and through some planted questions in social media to see how members responded and what number shared. And then we were able to play around with some wording and experiment with some wording and make phone calls to current volunteers, past volunteers, members. We had conversations with collegiate members, with alumnae members, and we were able to what I call test drive the wording and not say hey, we're we're experimenting with a new vision, but we were able to talk about the words and ask members some more open ended questions and get some insights from a collegiate perspective, from an alumna perspective of different generations and that and then we were able to bring that back together as a national council and talk about what what response we received when we were sharing the different phrases and words with members and and that really weighed heavily on us in a positive way because we put that all out on the table. And we dissected every word and we talked about how did members respond to this singular word? And then how did they respond to this phrase. And that was extremely helpful. Because again, these statements are for the membership and for the organization and for those that are not members, but have a relationship with Alpha Sigma Alpha. So it was really important that these statements, be words that members already use to describe the power of sorority and specifically, the power and influence that we have as Alpha Sigma Alpha. So that was really something that we were able to do. But it took time. And that's why it took us a year and a half to work on it. And again, we didn't want to make any decisions in a vacuum, we wanted to make sure that we were utilizing the opinions, feelings, and thoughts and words of the Sorority membership. And then of course, because we recognize that these are statements that live with the organization for quite some time, and they guide the strategic plan, they guide other strategic decisions of this sorority. So we wanted to make sure that we were very intentional about the words that we choose, because we know that our words have impact and, and that was something that we debated it, you know, those late nights, and many phone calls and zoom meetings to review this. But it was a great commitment that we undertook. For, for our listeners who really love those Alpha Sig fun facts the vision and purpose statement that we previously had came to be with our very first strategic plan. And that was launched in 2000. And our mission statement had previously been adopted by the organization in the early to mid 1990s. So it's been 20 years since we've adopted new statements. And it's wonderful to know that, you know, of course, we've got the support of the former board members that helped craft those statements. And they're very excited about, you know, the continued growth of this sorority.
Kelly
Agreed. And it's it's the evolution right as we continue to evolve. You know, one thing that struck me as we went through this process, and I look at the statements, and I reflect on what they mean to me, one is, this is language that is already a part of alpha, Sigma Alpha, as you shared our vision is, you know, very similar to what was listed in the charter of Alpha Sigma Alpha, almost 120 years ago, we've updated or refreshed the words to make them a little bit more current, but a similar meaning, and you think about to elevate the influence of women in the world, and how important that is still today, as it was in 1901, when our five founders came together, and determined what the future of Alpha Sigma Alpha would look like back then. And so to me, you know, I feel there's a connection to the founders, and to the beginning of Alpha Sigma Alpha, but thinking about how we continue to aspire to do that moving forward as a women's organization, and the purpose coming, you know, straight from the ritual. And we talked about, you know, as you said, the ritual is our Northstar. And it grounds us in everything that we do. And when we talk to people and to hear those phrases repeatedly come back, that you knew that they were connecting the ritual, and really saw that as a guide for them personally, as well as their chapters in our organization. So, you know, I look at that in it. It's exciting. And it just kind of to me deepens that connection to Alpha Sigma Alpha.
Amber
I think our founders are smiling down and looking at the work that we're doing to positively impact individual members lives and our communities. So I, I Well, I've never met them, I never had the honor to meet them. I think that they would be happy given everything that we read, and especially the fact that we were able to utilize wording from our charter at that, as you shared it, we looked at that wording, we, we kept going back to it but we knew we needed to make just a little bit of an adjustment so that it was more current. And it also just helps capture all of the initiatives that that we're working on an towards as a sorority, that I that was again, part of that fun of getting to explore and continue our education of Alpha Sigma Alpha, because there's always so much to learn. About our beloved sorority. But I am excited for us to launch these new statements. I'm excited for them to help guide our work. And I hope our members can find ways that they can apply them to their daily life. And I look forward to seeing them in action.
Kelly
Agreed and certainly as we continue our work and our strategic plan, which we've had the opportunity to spend a lot of time at our last in person board meeting just a few weeks ago in Baltimore, so shameless plug for everyone to be coming to the national convention leadership conference next July, in Baltimore, Maryland, the property is beautiful. It's right there in the harbor, we had a great time, not just in our board meeting, working and dreaming about the future of Alpha Sigma Alpha, but getting to explore Baltimore, and all of the fun things that our members can do. So I don't want us to go by without that shameless plug.
Amber
Absolutely, it was great, because we were right there in the city. And I've loved our conventions when we're at a resort. But this is a little bit of a different experience where you're right there in the city, we'll be able to support local businesses that are just down the right next to the hotel. And so we're, we're right there in the heart of the city. And the, the strategic plan, work that we were able to do during the board meeting was great, because, you know, it was a time for us to come together as a team. And, where previously over the past couple months, we had been doing individual work, we've been working together in partners and in small groups, to research review data and do you know scans of our, of our peers in higher education and membership and to bring all of that individual and partner small group work together, and sit in a room and dream and think about the opportunities that we have ahead of us and the work that we need to be doing so that we can continue to evolve and grow and provide that wonderful sorority experience that we know that Alpha Sigma Alpha can and does do. So it was it was one of my favorite board meetings, because we, that's the time that we get to really think and be creative, and brainstorm and think about what we can continue to do, and build off of past initiatives to make sure that members have a fulfilling and positive experience that challenges them to grow as individuals. And then of course, as a as an organization.
Kelly
Yeah, it's exciting to as we think about how we engage members in that work with us, because we can't do it alone and so that's been exciting. And then thinking about how we are also embarking on a rebranding process. And so these statements are really kind of the first step in, you know, updating our visual identity as Alpha Sigma Alpha. And so all of that flows through when you think about our vision and purpose statements, and our strategic plans and, and all the other elements that come with, you know, when we say brand, I think people think right away of the logo and the image. But that brand is so much more than just what you see. It's really how well it encompasses who you are as an organization and what you put out there into the world.
Amber
Absolutely. And Kelly, I think it's important for us to talk about the fact that sometimes that all comes out to the membership at one time. But given the the conversations that we had been having, we felt that it it worked well in this situation to share out with the membership first, here's our new vision and purpose statements. This is guiding our next strategic plan, it is now also guiding the updated brand that will encompass in message out to the world what it means to be an Alpha Sigma Alpha and what the sorority stands for. So this is a little bit of a different experience. But that was intentional conversation that we had. And we wanted to really be very upfront with the wording and the statements that are our guiding our decisions.
Kelly
Absolutely. And the opportunity for us to connect member stories with these statements and really continue to tell Alpha Sigma Alpha story and it's not a one and done. It's an ongoing thread throughout the organization.
Amber
I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited, I know that we're going to really see that whether that be in the emails or the Phoenix or in social media, but we're going to get to see members sharing the values in their life and these statements. So a lot more to come Alpha Sigma Alpha, we're excited. And I'm really proud of the work that the individual members and the chapters, we are doing that bring our brand and these statements to life.
Kelly
Yes, well, Amber, thanks for coming on the podcast and sharing this. I think that often we put these statements out. And we don't sometimes remember to take the time to share how we arrived at this place. And so I hope our members appreciate learning a little bit more about what I'll call the behind the scenes of how we got here and how we took their input and why them providing their input when we put those call to actions out there is really important and how we use that. So I appreciate you sharing the background around that I appreciate you leading these efforts. I'm really excited to share all these with our members and hear all of their feedback as well. So thank you for all of the work that you have done in leading our board through these efforts.
Amber
Thank you, it's been an honor and I just really appreciate you and the Sorority putting the trust in us as a team and more more exciting things to come for Alpha Sigma Alpha. And thanks for having me on the podcast. I love it. I need to swing by you know another time and maybe I'll crash another podcast. I'm kidding.
Kelly
It sounds good. Oh, you're always welcome to come on. And I'm sure there'll be some future ones for us to talk about the strategic plan.
Amber
Thanks, Kelly.
Kelly
Thanks, Amber and to our listeners, until next time.