The third part of this course sharpened the operational side — documentation, communication infrastructure, and the space between meetings.
Three things I'm taking with me.
Documentation templates. I don't have them. Welcome letters, thank-you letters, dismissal notifications — each of these happens case-by-case right now. The module made the case for why templates matter beyond efficiency: they're the institutional memory that survives leadership turnover. I'm building a document template set this quarter, stored in a centralized shared drive, not scattered across email threads.
AI transcription for minutes. We run virtual meetings. AI transcription already exists inside the platforms we use — I'm just not activating it. The difference between manually reconstructing minutes after the fact and auto-generating a summary from a recording is hours. This is an immediate change.
Member outreach infrastructure. The module calls this a "game plan" — structured messaging members can use when they represent the program publicly at chamber events, industry gatherings, hiring conversations. I have 40+ members. I have not given them the tools to be ambassadors outside our meetings. That's a gap. If each member can articulate what METT does and how other employers can get involved, the council becomes its own recruitment engine.
How I'm applying it: documentation template set built and stored on shared drive by end of May, AI transcription enabled at the next council meeting, and a one-page member outreach guide drafted for distribution before Q1 SY27.
