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  New to the role? Start here. You don’t need to do everything at once.
{{Words of Wisdom
| wisdom  =
Your first days are about understanding how things work—not fixing everything.


Focus on learning the role, meeting key people, and understanding existing processes.
| success =
* You understand how new members are welcomed.
* You know who to contact when questions arise.
* You can access the tools and information needed to perform the role.
| best =
* Learn before changing.
* Build relationships early.
* Ask questions.
* Keep your initial focus narrow.
  | pitfalls =
* Trying to fix everything immediately.
* Overcommitting before understanding the role.
* Making changes before learning why current processes exist.
* Assuming you need to know everything right away.
  }}
== Purpose ==
== Purpose ==
Your first days are about understanding how things work — not fixing everything.


== Focus ==
Provide a checklist to help new [[Membership Officer|Membership Officers]] get oriented, build connections, and identify essential first steps.
The initial goal is to get oriented, build connections, and identify essential tasks.
  Success in this phase means you feel oriented, not overwhelmed.


== First Steps ==
== Checklist  ==


=== Understand Your Role ===
=== Understand Your Role ===


* ☐ Review your role page (e.g., [[Membership Officer]]) and its [[Membership Officer - Role Overview|Role Overview]]
☐ Review your role page (e.g., [[Membership Officer]]) and its [[Membership Officer - Role Overview|Role Overview]]


=== Connect with Key People ===
=== Connect with Key People ===


* ☐  Schedule a [[Membership Officer - Handoff]], if the previous Membership Office is available
☐ Schedule a [[Membership Officer Handoff Checklist]], if the previous Membership Officer is available
** ☐  If there isn't a handoff, find out if and how new members are initially contacted


* [[Membership Officer - Working with Local Leadership]]
☐ If there is no handoff, learn how new members are currently welcomed and contacted
** ☐ Ask the LocSec to have ''membership@localgroup.us.mensa.org'' redirected to your email address
** ☐ Understand the geographic area of your Local Group
** ☐ Attend your first ExComm meeting
** ☐ Ask how what type and how often local leadership would like [[New Member Events|new member events]] to occur
** ☐ Ask if local leadership reaches out to new members as well as the [[Membership Officer]] doing so


* [[Membership Officer - Working with Area Coordinators]]
==== Local Leadership ====
** ☐ If your Local Group has Area Coordinators, send an email introducing yourself to each one
☐ Meet with local leadership and discuss
* [[Membership Officer - Working with the Editor]]
** ☐ Contact the Newsletter Editor to clarify submission deadlines and the preferred method and format for content submission
* National Office Membership Staff
** ☐ Understand [[National Office Staff Contacts|who to contact]] at the National Office
** ☐ Read the [[National Office - Initial emails|initial emails]] sent by the American Mensa, Ltd (AML) to new members


=== Access the Membership Tools Available on the National Website ===
* How new members are currently welcomed and engaged
* Expectations for [[New Member Events]]
* How local leadership supports membership outreach and retention


* Ensure your credentials allow you to access:
☐ Attend your first ExComm meeting
** [[Local Group Reports|☐ Local Group Reports]]
** [[Email My Members Tool|☐ Email My Members Tool]]
** ☐ [[Mensa Connect]] Membership Officer Community
* ☐ Ensure you can search the [[Member Directory]]


=== Access Chapter Tools ===
☐ Understand the geographic area served by your Local Group


* ☐ Ensure you can access chapter communication channels (e.g., Facebook, Meetup, Discord)
☐ Ask the LocSec to have ''membership@localgroup.us.mensa.org'' redirected to your email address
* ☐ Learn how to access the Local Group file repository, if the Local Group uses one


== Initial Goal: Clarity ==
☐ Understand the geographic area served by your Local Group
You should have a basic understanding of:


* How new members are [[Welcoming New Members|welcomed]] and communicated with 
==== Area Coordinators ====
* Who is responsible for what locally 
* What tools and systems are used 
* What [[Membership Officer - Recurring tasks|recurring tasks]] exist 
* Who your key points of contact are


== What is Not Part of First Steps ==
☐ If your Local Group has Area Coordinators, introduce yourself and learn how they support member engagement


* Redesigning systems  
Learn more: [[Membership Officer - Working with Area Coordinators]]
 
==== Local Group Communications ====
 
☐ Contact the Newsletter Editor and learn submission deadlines, formats, and expectations
 
☐ Identify other communication channels used by the Local Group and learn who manages them
 
Learn more: [[Membership Officer - Working with Local Group Communications]]
 
==== National Office ====
 
☐ Review [[National Office Staff Contacts]]
 
☐ Learn which National Office staff support Membership Officers
 
☐ Read the [[National Office New Member Communications]] sent to new members
 
=== Access Membership Tools ===
Membership Officers commonly use the following tools and resources. See [[National Tools and Resources]] for descriptions and access information.
 
☐ Local Group Reports
 
☐ Email My Members Tool
 
☐ Member Directory
 
☐ Mensa Connect Membership Officer Community
 
=== Access Local Group Tools ===
 
☐ Verify access to Local Group communication channels (Facebook, Meetup, Discord, etc.)
 
☐ Learn how to access the Local Group file repository, if one exists
 
== What Can Wait ==
 
* Redesigning systems
* Launching new programs
* Launching new programs
* Fixing long-standing issues
* Fixing long-standing issues


== Common Pitfalls ==
The goal is to understand how things currently work before deciding whether changes are needed.


* Trying to fix everything immediately
== If You Feel Overwhelmed ==
* Assuming previous volunteers did things “wrong”
* Overcommitting early
* Not asking questions


== If You Feel Overwhelmed ==
That's normal.
That’s normal.


Focus on:
Focus on:


* One task at a time
* One task at a time
* Asking for help
* Asking questions
* Learning existing processes
* Keeping things simple
* Keeping things simple


== Next Step ==
== Next Step ==
Once you feel oriented, move to:
Once you feel oriented and have completed most of these tasks, continue with:


* [[Membership Officer - Next Steps]]
* [[Membership Officer - Next Steps]]
== Related ==
* [[Local Group Toolkit]]
* [[Membership Officer]]

Latest revision as of 02:36, 4 June 2026

Words of Wisdom

Your first days are about understanding how things work—not fixing everything.

Focus on learning the role, meeting key people, and understanding existing processes.

What Success Looks Like

  • You understand how new members are welcomed.
  • You know who to contact when questions arise.
  • You can access the tools and information needed to perform the role.

Best Practices

  • Learn before changing.
  • Build relationships early.
  • Ask questions.
  • Keep your initial focus narrow.

Common Pitfalls

  • Trying to fix everything immediately.
  • Overcommitting before understanding the role.
  • Making changes before learning why current processes exist.
  • Assuming you need to know everything right away.

Purpose

[edit | hide all | hide | edit source]

Provide a checklist to help new Membership Officers get oriented, build connections, and identify essential first steps.

Checklist

[edit | hide | edit source]

Understand Your Role

[edit | hide | edit source]

☐ Review your role page (e.g., Membership Officer) and its Role Overview

Connect with Key People

[edit | hide | edit source]

☐ Schedule a Membership Officer Handoff Checklist, if the previous Membership Officer is available

☐ If there is no handoff, learn how new members are currently welcomed and contacted

Local Leadership

[edit | hide | edit source]

☐ Meet with local leadership and discuss

  • How new members are currently welcomed and engaged
  • Expectations for New Member Events
  • How local leadership supports membership outreach and retention

☐ Attend your first ExComm meeting

☐ Understand the geographic area served by your Local Group

☐ Ask the LocSec to have membership@localgroup.us.mensa.org redirected to your email address

☐ Understand the geographic area served by your Local Group

Area Coordinators

[edit | hide | edit source]

☐ If your Local Group has Area Coordinators, introduce yourself and learn how they support member engagement

Learn more: Membership Officer - Working with Area Coordinators

Local Group Communications

[edit | hide | edit source]

☐ Contact the Newsletter Editor and learn submission deadlines, formats, and expectations

☐ Identify other communication channels used by the Local Group and learn who manages them

Learn more: Membership Officer - Working with Local Group Communications

National Office

[edit | hide | edit source]

☐ Review National Office Staff Contacts

☐ Learn which National Office staff support Membership Officers

☐ Read the National Office New Member Communications sent to new members

Access Membership Tools

[edit | hide | edit source]

Membership Officers commonly use the following tools and resources. See National Tools and Resources for descriptions and access information.

☐ Local Group Reports

☐ Email My Members Tool

☐ Member Directory

☐ Mensa Connect Membership Officer Community

Access Local Group Tools

[edit | hide | edit source]

☐ Verify access to Local Group communication channels (Facebook, Meetup, Discord, etc.)

☐ Learn how to access the Local Group file repository, if one exists

What Can Wait

[edit | hide | edit source]
  • Redesigning systems
  • Launching new programs
  • Fixing long-standing issues

The goal is to understand how things currently work before deciding whether changes are needed.

If You Feel Overwhelmed

[edit | hide | edit source]

That's normal.

Focus on:

  • One task at a time
  • Asking questions
  • Learning existing processes
  • Keeping things simple

Next Step

[edit | hide | edit source]

Once you feel oriented and have completed most of these tasks, continue with:

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