In going from good to great sometimes you gotta get out of town. The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce' Board of Directors lost no time in pushing forward on 2011's resolution to go from good to great as they decamped to the desert for the annual Board retreat.
Nearly 40 members of the Chamber's Board, including most of the officers, attended the two-day planning summit held at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage. Also attending were city manager Lisa Hildebrand, city council member Mark Packard, and Mayor matt Hall. The members met at the resort's sprawling facility and got down to the business of planning the Chamber's 2011 agenda. They spent two days listening to an overview of the Chamber's accomplishments and broke into several sessions of small group discussions to examine how to take their Chamber from good to great.
“We took the time to establish where we are on the map of excellence,” said Chamber COO Toni Padron, “Then worked on charting our course to make our Chamber even better.”
Board members and Chamber staff broke into groups based on industry market segments and number of employees to identify the challenges and priorities of Chamber member businesses for the next year. They minutely and honestly examined their S.W.O.T. list — SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture.
They also took into account the results of the Chamber's Annual Survey, which polls members to gauge the levels of satisfation with Chamber services. The survey was sent out late in 2010, and the results helped the Board establish where the Chamber might need to shore up efforts and where they might use a solid base of success to launch future programs and workshops.
According to Padron, the results of the survey were encouraging and motivating. “We are really proud of the services we provide our members and the atmosphere of possibilities and opportunities,” she said. “But the survey is a clear snapshot of possible areas for us to beef up those opportunities for success to reach each and every member.”
Nearly 90 percent of survey respondents said they felt they got their money's worth from their Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce membership, and 85 percent said they were likely or extremely likely to recommend another business to the Chamber. More than 90 percent of members who responded said they were satisfied or better with the level of of satisfation with the responsiveness of the Chamber staff (24 percent answered “satisfied;” 26 percent answered “better than expected;” and 43 percent replied “excellent.”).
“These numbers bolster our confidence that we are headed in the right direction,” Padron said. “But in 2011, we want to accelerate the pace toward our destination of greatness for our members.”
The Chamber of Commerce comprises businesses of hundres of employees as well as single proprieterships. The Chamber caters to manufacturing businesses, technical services, professional services, restaurants, hotels, biotech companies, dog sitters, musicians, sales people, and auto mechanics. “Carlsbad is home to every type of business,” Padron said. “Our Annual Board retreat helped the Chamber staff and Board members outline initiatives designed to bring opportunities to member businesses of all sizes and in all industries.”
According to Padron, going from good to great is not exactly an easy thing to do. “But we take our cues from our members,” she said. “We see them out there giving their businesses their best effort day after day. We are here to support them every step of the way. So we are going from good to great in 2011, and we're going to do it together.”
Nearly 40 members of the Chamber's Board, including most of the officers, attended the two-day planning summit held at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage. Also attending were city manager Lisa Hildebrand, city council member Mark Packard, and Mayor matt Hall. The members met at the resort's sprawling facility and got down to the business of planning the Chamber's 2011 agenda. They spent two days listening to an overview of the Chamber's accomplishments and broke into several sessions of small group discussions to examine how to take their Chamber from good to great.
“We took the time to establish where we are on the map of excellence,” said Chamber COO Toni Padron, “Then worked on charting our course to make our Chamber even better.”
Board members and Chamber staff broke into groups based on industry market segments and number of employees to identify the challenges and priorities of Chamber member businesses for the next year. They minutely and honestly examined their S.W.O.T. list — SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture.
They also took into account the results of the Chamber's Annual Survey, which polls members to gauge the levels of satisfation with Chamber services. The survey was sent out late in 2010, and the results helped the Board establish where the Chamber might need to shore up efforts and where they might use a solid base of success to launch future programs and workshops.
According to Padron, the results of the survey were encouraging and motivating. “We are really proud of the services we provide our members and the atmosphere of possibilities and opportunities,” she said. “But the survey is a clear snapshot of possible areas for us to beef up those opportunities for success to reach each and every member.”
Nearly 90 percent of survey respondents said they felt they got their money's worth from their Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce membership, and 85 percent said they were likely or extremely likely to recommend another business to the Chamber. More than 90 percent of members who responded said they were satisfied or better with the level of of satisfation with the responsiveness of the Chamber staff (24 percent answered “satisfied;” 26 percent answered “better than expected;” and 43 percent replied “excellent.”).
“These numbers bolster our confidence that we are headed in the right direction,” Padron said. “But in 2011, we want to accelerate the pace toward our destination of greatness for our members.”
The Chamber of Commerce comprises businesses of hundres of employees as well as single proprieterships. The Chamber caters to manufacturing businesses, technical services, professional services, restaurants, hotels, biotech companies, dog sitters, musicians, sales people, and auto mechanics. “Carlsbad is home to every type of business,” Padron said. “Our Annual Board retreat helped the Chamber staff and Board members outline initiatives designed to bring opportunities to member businesses of all sizes and in all industries.”
According to Padron, going from good to great is not exactly an easy thing to do. “But we take our cues from our members,” she said. “We see them out there giving their businesses their best effort day after day. We are here to support them every step of the way. So we are going from good to great in 2011, and we're going to do it together.”