Chapter of the Month—The Chicagoland Chapter

Serving the greater Chicago metropolitan area, the Chicagoland Chapter is the largest ASTD chapter, consisting of more than 1,000 workplace learning and performance professionals who have fun learning and growing together. The Chicagoland Chapter offers key benefits for chapter members, including a comprehensive job bank, successful mentoring program, ongoing professional development programs and special interest forums, trade publications, and unique opportunities to volunteer.
In 2007, the Chicagoland Chapter was recognized for three Sharing Our Success (SOS) best practices, including their “Bi-Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey,” “Redesign of Chapter HRDI Program to WPL& P Institute and Alignment with ASTD Competency Model,” and “Membership Growth Through Chapter Engagement Activities.” Below is a brief description of the Chicagoland Chapter’s SOS submissions in 2007.

Surveying Members to Ensure Satisfaction

The Chicagoland Chapter used Survey Monkey, an online service, to query their members to better understand their needs, develop areas of focus for chapter programming, and find out where the chapter is strong and areas that need improvement. More than 95 members responded to the survey and offered positive feedback along with suggestions that the chapter is taking into account for future programming.

Providing Learning Opportunities Through Redesign of Chapter HRDI Program

The popularity of the Chicagoland Chapter’s once successful Human Resource Development Institute (HRDI) began to diminish as the materials and content became outdated. The chapter felt that the value to attendees and the training community was still high. By working with local universities, the chapter redesigned the HRDI to a Workplace Learning and Performance Institute and aligned the program with the ASTD Competency Model.

Membership Growth Through Chapter Engagement Activities

The Chicagoland Chapter developed an annual report and chapter review to communicate the chapter’s key objectives and initiatives with members. Members appreciated the enhanced communication, and the results were an increase in the chapter’s membership numbers, energy, and engagement of members.

For more information about the Chicagoland Chapter’s SOS submissions and for access to best practice materials, visit the SOS Success Stories page of the Chapter Leader Community website.

Congratulations to the Chicagoland Chapter on being named Chapter of the Month for December 2007!

Visit the Chicagoland Chapter website.