There are points at which your members are in heightened states of fear. They probably wouldn’t admit to feeling fear. And they certainly wouldn’t recognize their fear as irrational, although it probably is. Fear is felt at all ages and stages of membership, even though what we might see is posturing, overcompensating, and carefully hiding anxiety.
When you are dealing with someone who is feeling fearful, you can help them by being more kind, preparing them in advance, and having many smiling faces around to help them through this challenging time.
When might your members experience fear?
- When they first join (the fear of making the wrong decision)
- Traveling to their first chapter meeting (the fear of possibly not fitting in)
- In the registration line for their first conference (the fear of not knowing anyone else)
- Walking into their first reception (fear of not having anyone to talk to or anything meaningful to talk about)
- The minutes before a training or certification course (the fear of not knowing enough already)
- Preparing to present a session (the fear of the presentation not being worthwhile)
- Preparing to take the stage (the fear of public speaking)
For every in-person fear-inducing moment, there is a virtual corollary. Identify all the places where members might feel a twinge (or a lightning bolt) of fear and work to improve their member experience.