By: Kimberly Miller
In this blog post, I would like to share a few tips with you as you complete your Section Vitality Self-Assessment (VSA) Report. As a Coach with the Leadership Coaching Committee (LCC) and a previous section President for both my professional and collegiate SWE sections, I’ve seen how sections make the most of their VSA. These tips will cover what you can do in advance of, during and after completion of your VSA to identify gaps and evolve your section.
First, we should talk about what the VSA is. It’s a tool to be completed by section leaders and used to facilitate section self-awareness and improvement, with the support of the LCC. Every section’s President received an email from SWE Headquarters with how to submit their section’s VSA by January 31, 2020 in the online SWE Leadership Portal. Here is a brief training video on how to complete the report.
In Advance
Tip #1: Assemble your section’s leadership team
While the VSA is completed by the section President, it is best if all section leaders (executive council) provide input. Having multiple people participate in the VSA provides a wider variety of experience and perspectives, which leader to stronger ideas for your section.
Tip #2: Review your section’s past VSAs
By studying past VSAs you have a better baseline and can recognize similarities as you complete your VSA. The report focuses on five topic areas: Section Management, Leadership, Financial Management, Membership Growth and Retention, and Section Activities and Participation. The previous 2 years of VSA reports can be accessed by the “Section Vitality History” button in the online SWE Leadership Portal by your section President and Treasurer.
During
Tip #3: Prioritize time for conversation
Ensure your executive council has enough time to reflect and discuss the questions in each topic area of the VSA. The ideas from these conversations will help your section to reach your goals and continue your great work. Utilize the comment boxes in your VSA to capture your discussion points on what is going well for your section and what you can improve.
After
Tip #4: Take action on your VSA results
After completing your VSA, it’s time to put your ideas into action. Build on the strengths of your section, and incorporate ideas your team has generated to continue to advance towards your goals. Prioritize actions that you can take in the remainder of the fiscal year. For longer term actions, ensure that these are shared with incoming section leaders, so they can align with goal setting and planning in the transition for the upcoming year.
Tip #5: Utilize the LCC Coach assigned to your section
LCC Coaches work with you through consultation to build on your section’s strengths, work through areas of opportunity, and discuss any questions. Common sessions that LCC coaches lead after sections complete their VSA include strategic planning, tactical planning, building membership, and leadership pipeline development. Reach out to your assigned leadership Coach for support customized to your section, with your VSA as a key input. Your assigned coach can be found within SWE's Leadership Portal in your section leadership roster and this document provides an overview of how our LCC can support your section.
With these five tips, I hope you and your executive council make the most of your VSA experience and continue your section’s great work in 2021.
First, we should talk about what the VSA is. It’s a tool to be completed by section leaders and used to facilitate section self-awareness and improvement, with the support of the LCC. Every section’s President received an email from SWE Headquarters with how to submit their section’s VSA by January 31, 2020 in the online SWE Leadership Portal. Here is a brief training video on how to complete the report.
In Advance
Tip #1: Assemble your section’s leadership team
While the VSA is completed by the section President, it is best if all section leaders (executive council) provide input. Having multiple people participate in the VSA provides a wider variety of experience and perspectives, which leader to stronger ideas for your section.
Tip #2: Review your section’s past VSAs
By studying past VSAs you have a better baseline and can recognize similarities as you complete your VSA. The report focuses on five topic areas: Section Management, Leadership, Financial Management, Membership Growth and Retention, and Section Activities and Participation. The previous 2 years of VSA reports can be accessed by the “Section Vitality History” button in the online SWE Leadership Portal by your section President and Treasurer.
During
Tip #3: Prioritize time for conversation
Ensure your executive council has enough time to reflect and discuss the questions in each topic area of the VSA. The ideas from these conversations will help your section to reach your goals and continue your great work. Utilize the comment boxes in your VSA to capture your discussion points on what is going well for your section and what you can improve.
After
Tip #4: Take action on your VSA results
After completing your VSA, it’s time to put your ideas into action. Build on the strengths of your section, and incorporate ideas your team has generated to continue to advance towards your goals. Prioritize actions that you can take in the remainder of the fiscal year. For longer term actions, ensure that these are shared with incoming section leaders, so they can align with goal setting and planning in the transition for the upcoming year.
Tip #5: Utilize the LCC Coach assigned to your section
LCC Coaches work with you through consultation to build on your section’s strengths, work through areas of opportunity, and discuss any questions. Common sessions that LCC coaches lead after sections complete their VSA include strategic planning, tactical planning, building membership, and leadership pipeline development. Reach out to your assigned leadership Coach for support customized to your section, with your VSA as a key input. Your assigned coach can be found within SWE's Leadership Portal in your section leadership roster and this document provides an overview of how our LCC can support your section.
With these five tips, I hope you and your executive council make the most of your VSA experience and continue your section’s great work in 2021.
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