In every professional or business organization there are what I call do-ers and lurkers. If you want to get value from the dues you pay to your local chamber of commerce or to a professional association, you definitely want to be a do-er.

Being a do-er means you volunteer to serve on committees and help the organization get things done. In the course of doing so, you form valuable relationships and, more often than not, get to showcase your talents to fellow volunteers.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve had people tell me they joined an organization and got no business benefit from it. Invariably, when I ask how involved they were with the group, they say something like, “Oh, I went to three or four networking meetings, but nothing happened so I quit going.” That was it. They expected to show up every few months and be able to form meaningful business connections over a glass of wine. I call them lurkers.

When I moved to the Pioneer Valley in 2002, I did not know a single soul in the region. The first group I joined was the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. At my second Arrive @ 5, I was invited to join the Membership Committee since they felt they could use someone with my communications skills. For the next several years I went to early morning committee meetings once a month; as a night owl, this was painful, but it paid big dividends. I made great connections that led to business and even obtained business from the Chamber itself, which hired me a number of times to write press materials and Web site copy. That never would have happened if all I was doing was going to the networking meetings.

Folks, you get out of an organization what you put into it. It takes effort and it takes time. Nearly every association I’ve ever belonged to was desperate for volunteers to help it achieve its mission. So there is no shortage of opportunities to put you hand up and offer to help out. The payoff may take a while, but I guarantee you it will come if you decide to be a do-er, not a lurker.