A FOCUS ON FEEDBACK
The lucky door prize winners.
Last winter’s NCTA member survey has provided positive feedback that is driving new initiatives.
BY COREY ROY
Something different happened at NCTA’s General Meeting on May 4, 2013. Instead of hearing from a presenter on an aspect of the translation and interpretation professions, NCTA asked to hear from you.
Last winter, NCTA asked its members to take a brief survey, with the aim of improving the association’s services to its members. After the results were presented at the General Meeting, attendees were asked to divide into groups to brainstorm about ways to improve how the association operates. Ideas were shared with the entire group of attendees, who deliberated on how to make the association work even better for members.
Group discussions focused on three areas. The Volunteerism and Mentorship group thought about how to increase active participation of NCTA members in the association. The Jobs group considered efforts that NCTA could undertake to help its members get more jobs and promote themselves to potential clients. Finally, the Social Events, Educational Events, and Webinars group discussed what kinds of topics would be most interesting for members, as well as how to make it easier for NCTA members who live in different regions to participate in events.
Of the many suggestions and ideas offered at the General Meeting, several predominated and reflected survey feedback. The prospect of online seminars and webinars was discussed, which the board is currently pursuing. Many members also expressed interest in having some events hosted in locations other than downtown San Francisco, including in the North, East, and South Bays.
The latter suggestion prompted a larger discussion about how NCTA events are organized and what would be needed to increase the geographical reach of such events. Board members agreed that events in other regions would be beneficial to the membership, particularly for those who have difficulties travelling to downtown San Francisco. The challenge lies in the fact that NCTA is a volunteer-based association, and the engine for creating events is actually those individuals who take the time and effort to organize them. The conclusion reached by participants at the General Meeting is that we would need more NCTA members willing to host events in other locales. To that end, suggestions for potential volunteers are being collected and a greater effort is being made to enlist the feedback and support of members in NCTA programs.
But NCTA members don’t have to wait for the next survey or meeting to voice their opinions, offer suggestions, or volunteer. The association works best when more people are involved. Call or email anytime to make your voice heard and to find out what you can do to help: ncta@ncta.org, (510) 845-8712, or see the NCTA website for a list of board members and their email addresses. Let the discussion continue! CR
