The Patio or the Weeds: What Makes People Show Up?

by Monette Anderson, CAE

garden photo: © iStock/ HannamariaH

My parents recently sold their house. They were convinced they were going to have a hard time selling because of their garden. It’s beautiful. It’s also, admittedly, a lot of garden.

They were worried buyers would look at it and immediately picture all the work: weeds to pull, plants to maintain, one more thing to do on a Saturday, and opt out.

I told them they had nothing to worry about. Most buyers (unless they already have experienced burnout from gardening) are not picturing themselves pulling weeds. They’re picturing their ideal Saturday night sitting on the patio with a glass of wine or hosting friends with something good on the grill.

Lately I’ve been wondering: Is human behavior a lot like my parents’ garden?

As VP of Membership and Education at the WSCPA, I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about what makes people participate in professional communities. And then a lot of time building what members like you tell me they want.

What have survey feedback, conversations with members, strategic initiative forums and committee input told us lately? I’ve heard that WSCPA members want the following:

• More in-person events where you can build relationships instead of staring at another screen
• Mentoring programs and opportunities to talk to and learn from professionals in different fields
• Reimagined CPE programs, like WSCPA’s new Industry and New Professional Cohorts
• Volunteer opportunities where you can give back and help shape the profession

So, WSCPA built it. Sometimes the turnout has been great. Sometimes, not so much. I think people genuinely mean it when they ask for these things. But I also think they might be picturing the patio. They answer as the version of themselves who has the time, energy and motivation to do the things they genuinely believe would make their lives better.

I know I do it. For instance, I said I was going to go to the gym after work. Then Thursday at 5:30 p.m. came. I’ve been working all day. Traffic is terrible. My son needs a ride to golf lessons. And for some reason, I decided writing this article seemed better than an incline treadmill session.

Now, you can see the weeds.

I know, you’re not a member engagement strategist. So why are you still reading this? If you’re still with me, I’d be willing to bet you’ve encountered your own version of this.

Maybe your staff tells you they want more opportunities to get to know people across the firm, but the optional post-work happy hour gets a lukewarm reception. Maybe you say your staff needs more soft-skill development, but finding the time for training amid deadlines is another matter.

Maybe you recognize this struggle in yourself. You decide that “Future You” is going to invest in professional development and make new connections. So, you register for an in-person conference six weeks in advance. Then, as you are focusing on your busy to-do list, the calendar reminder pops up, and you think, If I switch to virtual, I can save 90 minutes of commute time and sneak in more emails during the breaks.

If you’ve ever planned an event, you’ll recognize that decisions like this create a challenge for those of us asking what you want, what you would attend, and what would make your experience more valuable. While these are important questions that I don’t plan to stop asking, I’m increasingly interested in a different set of questions.

What did you actually do? 

• What was the last professional event you attended even though it would have been easier to go home?
• When did you intend to participate in something and ultimately decide not to?
• What changed your mind?
• What made something worth the effort once you got there?
• What separates the things we genuinely want to do from the things we actually do?

Does this distinction matter to me because I’m your Membership Director? Well, sure. But I think it matters to you as a member who wants a vibrant, thriving professional community. It matters if you lead people, too.

Whether we’re trying to build a stronger culture inside our organization, develop professionals or ask someone to volunteer, we can’t design everything for the person imagining Saturday night on the patio. We also have to design for the person facing the weeds on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

That doesn’t mean convincing people to do more. Not all things are worth the weeds, genuinely. For me, the more interesting question is what we can learn from that and how we create events and programs that fit the lives people are actually living. And I’d like to ask you to help me better understand it.  

I’d love for you to take just a minute to fill out a short survey about the professional experiences you want more of and what you’ve actually chosen to participate in.

I want to better understand: What gets you through the weeds? What makes you change your mind? And when you show up, what makes you glad you did?

As for my parents, their house sold in less than a week. The buyers’ favorite feature? The garden.

Maybe I should ask them how the upkeep is going.