Creating a strategy for your IPC

© Can Stock Photo / ivelinradkov

It's not enough to simply create an IPC, but what do you want from it? This applies for any type of IPC defined in the 'What should be the focus of my informal private club (or IPC)?' post. For instance, if you've created a professional club, then what is the core mission? Is it to simply be a mixer for like-minded professionals, or is there something deeper to consider? A club should strive to elevate its membership in some way. Networking can be one way, but there's plenty of networking organizations out there. What more can your club do, or advocate? Is there a aspect of ethics you want to accentuate? This could lead to different types of events past socials, such as guest lectures or round tables.

Although I used a professional club as an example, most other club types can also dig deeper, be more focused and exclusive. Hobbyists can focus on a niche such as HO-scale trains rather than model trains in general, Rose gardening rather than flower gardening, and the same for any hobby. Social clubs can focus on food and drink, or an activity such as dancing (which can also port over to a hobby); clubs devoted to a field can narrow themselves down to a specific topic field. Studying the Civil War? You can go as specific as the war in the Appalachians. Studying the civil rights movement? Try looking at the issues per state. There's many ways to split the subject.

If you have a focus, then what is your club's overall strategy? How are you going to elevate your own members' awareness and knowledge, and by what means? What is the club going to offer past gatherings of folks? If you had a schedule, what would you plan to make the club a worthwhile investment of time for the membership and yourself? I suggest start thinking broadly, but narrowing your focus to find a comfortable niche. Also think in terms of 'offering', rather than terms of 'teaching.' What folks want to learn is up to them, and forcing a topic on them will cause some rebellion. Variety within the focus is good. You may look at asking for volunteers, and share the work. Also, I suggest living by the 'Stone soup' story, and have everyone contribute something.

By the end of the year, what opportunities will you have given your membership?