Article:
Interview with
Linda Oestreich
By Deborah Silvi, Houston
chapter
I recently talked with Linda
Oestreich, who is a Region 5 director-sponsor candidate, about her thoughts on
chapter issues and how she might help with these issues if she becomes the next
Region 5 director-sponsor.
Deborah: Thinking
about the many different types of chapters we have in the region and their
diverse needs, what services or processes should the Society be providing to
chapter leaders; and how could you as director-sponsor help?
Linda: The Society has
a lot of good processes and services in place, but sometimes chapter leaders
don’t know about them. For example, the Society offers help with hotel and
vendor contract negotiations for major events such as regional conferences, yet
many chapters jump into negotiations on their own without asking for help.. I
don’t think the problem is really with missing services or processes; instead,
it's more a matter of chapter leaders not being aware of everything the Society
offers. Much of this is because chapter leaders change from year to year and
chapters seldom practice succession training.
Director-sponsors should know
what’s going on the region, be in touch with chapter presidents, and
continually remind chapter leaders about the different resources the Society
provides.
Deborah: What is your
role in meeting chapter member needs in general?
Linda: It’s not
really possible for the director-sponsor to have contact with each individual
member in a region, so it comes back to serving chapter leaders and listening to
what they say about their membership needs. The director-sponsor must answer
phone calls and emails and meet members during periodic chapter visits. The
director-sponsor role is to take the needs of the membership to the board of
directors and champion those needs into solutions. The organizational structure
of STC is an inverted pyramid, the 20,000 plus membership is at the top! All STC
leaders, no matter at what level, report to the general membership—those
members are the true bosses of the Society.
Deborah: A lot of
chapters today are being affected by the economic slowdown and company layoffs.
Do you have any ideas about how chapters or the Society can address these issues
for their members?
Linda: I've been in
technical communication for a long time and have experienced many economic
changes. Chapters can do a number of things to help their members, they can plan
programs that support job searches, develop and maintain an active, online job
bank, or host a share-the-knowledge seminar about career development and
employment issues. STC is a good place to be in times of economic slowdown. It
shouldn't be the first place people think about dropping out of.
Deborah: Any special
thoughts or ideas for student chapters?
Linda: Student
chapters are often at the mercy of their sponsoring academic institution. I have
taught at several colleges that have technical writing programs and I know that
many students juggle jobs and school. They seldom are interested in adding
professional organization responsibilities to their load. So, it becomes our job
as chapter leaders to get the word to them about the value of joining STC.
Director sponsors should keep in touch with the student chapter sponsors and
plan events that appeal to students. Students need to know that STC can help
them find work, be better at that work, and establish networks that will help
them long after they have received their degrees.
Deborah: What do you
think are the most important qualities that a director-sponsor should possess?
Linda:
A director-sponsor needs to be a good listener, a good communicator, and
a good champion for their region. Good
director-sponsors never ignore a problem, they work it until it’s fixed. They
return phone calls and they make sure the chapter leaders in their region know
that they are always available. Successfully meeting all those qualities takes
time and patience and a lot of learning. It’s one of the reasons
director-sponsors serve their regions for 3 years. It takes time to make a
difference.
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