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In many ways, the keys to your success in business are right at your fingertips-literally. They are the keys on your computer keyboard.

Many people join Groups and Organizations in hopes affiliation will somehow help their careers, create a more visible Internet presence, or help them gain access to knowledge or people who can facilitate their success.

The problem with joining a Group or Organization is you'll never get anything out of it if you don't participate.

Even though a Group or Organization might have a large member population, it is an unfortunate reality that many Groups and Organizations actually have very low member participation.

As an example, I was recently asked to speak about building an on-line Internet presence at a Chapter meeting of the British American Business Council (formerly known as the British American Chamber of Commerce). This is one of the oldest organizations around having been formed in the 1950s, and is the largest transatlantic business network, with chapters - and 3,500 member companies - based in more than 20 major business centers throughout North America and the United Kingdom.

The local Chapter Director told me they have about 400 local members. I asked, "How many actually participate?" She responded, "Well typically about 30-40 will show up to a Chapter networking event, and the most we've ever had show up at a Chapter event was about 100 members."

Unfortunately many people find face-to-face meetings to be a bit intimidating from a social perspective.

This can be true especially where someone's career doesn't necessarily cause them to interact with a lot of people they don't actually know on a regular basis.

So how do you change this if you're one of those less participatory members I'm alluding to (or the Chairman of a Club or Organization with less than optimal member participation)?

Get on your computer, and find out how to participate in your Group or Organization's on-line forums.

If they don't have one, then ask the Chapter Chairman to start one. Tell them the organization could leverage the on-line forum in a way that would create more community amongst the membership and draw less participating members into more active but less socially intimidating participation than face to face meetings. As members start participating more on-line, they will be more inclined to participate off-line in face to face meetings where they will actually have the opportunity to meet members they've developed relationship with on-line. On-line forums would also bridge the gap between face-to-face events providing continuity to the membership community as well. And if you have the ability to do so, offer up your assistance as an administrator or moderator of the on-line forum. Just think of how many people you could build relationships with on line-through your keyboard-in that role!

Learn more about this author, Ron Bates.
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