By: Dr Maria Gallo, Founder and Principal of KITE – Keep in Touch Education
Our guest blogger and key note speaker of our most recent global network webinar on defining success for alumni networks shares her ABCs of defining what success means for an alumni network.
When I accepted the invitation by InHive to speak on defining success for alumni networks, I wondered if I had set myself up for an impossible task. The trend of alumni networks outside of traditional higher education institutions has emerged of late along with the interest in understanding what exactly makes an alumni network successful. At the surface, literature suggests alumni altruism is the successful output. I must confess that even my own journal publications point to such alumni support, such as volunteering or financial giving by alumni occurs as a result of long-standing alumni engagement efforts. However, it would be considered naïve to consider this philanthropic output as the measure of success. The more I study alumni communities, the more I realise their ability to yield the best of human potential. They offer a wealth of connection and opportunities to all those who participate in them. Therefore it is not the outputs that truly measure success, but in fact the outcomes that often lead to transformational experiences for individuals or even broader social change.
What is meant by success? Alumni networks at its core foster the generosity of human relationships. These connections can be challenging to pinpoint or define. More acutely, every individual participating in the alumni network and experiencing connection may have their own idea of why the network has proved to be useful, helpful, inspirational or illuminating for them personally or professionally. A fellow alum might make an introduction leading to a work internship. Mentoring students or alumni might hone leadership skills, contributing to a job promotion. Participation in alumni events may also enable participants to gain self-confidence or boost self-esteem and find relatable role models.
On the 8th of June, the inHive Webinar brought over 30 participants from four continents together to explore alumni network success. My role was to open the debate and discussion, by presenting a simple ABC model for defining success for alumni networks. As I explained on the day, there are incredible complexities that can emerge from deciding to define success and this ABC model is an opportunity to step back and gain perspective. The steps are as follows:
- Aims: First begin the process by returning to the aims, purpose, objectives or even the impetus for starting the alumni network in the first place. These starting points can help to create outcome statements (based on these aims, what would success look like?), or to anchor the discussions on the alumni network and its humble beginnings. I described this at the Webinar as reflecting on the network
- Breakthroughs: Next, it is recognised that establishing and maintaining an alumni network is a labour of love. Sometimes there are these moments—breakthroughs—that make all the effort worthwhile. These are the stories, the qualitative, seemingly intangible measures of success that can capture the imagination on what is possible for the network. Big or small, these are the stories of success. In the Webinar, I presented this as the importance of collecting and communicating stories.
- Connection: We cannot ignore the key performance indicators or targets that we may need to meet in our organisations, such as the quantitative measures of success. A and B can be helpful in defining appropriate quantitative measures for C. In addition, in a previous blog post I likened alumni work as being the lone wolf. Therefore, there is an essential component of defining success by looking to like-minded alumni networks, even similar networks in different cities or countries. Our online world now opens us to learning from these other alumni networks (and they can learn from you!) in a strategic way. This is what I described as aligning the constellations.
This ABC model is an opportunity to go back to basics, to reconsider the pearls of simplicity in a sea of success complexity. The future of alumni networks is bright: as communities of practice, as platforms of potential and as collaborative networks for social change. This is our opportunity to identify, define, celebrate success of our alumni networks with enthusiasm and authenticity!
If you enjoyed this post and would like to be part of future global network webinars that explore topics such as this, please get in touch at prerna@inhiveglobal.org and we’d love to include you in our invitee list!