The Official BNI Podcast — Episode 942: Engaging Long-Time Members

Host: Dr. Ivan Misner
Guest: Tim Roberts, BNI Director (New Hampshire, Central & Northeast Florida)
Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode addresses the ongoing challenge of keeping long-time or "seasoned" BNI members actively engaged in their chapters. Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, with guest Tim Roberts — a veteran director and host of the "BNI Power of One" podcast — discusses why seasoned members risk becoming complacent and how chapters can reignite their involvement, benefit from their institutional knowledge, and ensure sustained chapter vitality.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Challenge of Complacency in Seasoned Members

[03:00]

• Tim Roberts: Notes that long-term members often develop comfortable habits, sometimes becoming complacent because of their established relationships and satisfaction with current results.
• Newer members are often highly motivated, creating a disconnect with seasoned members who may seem less engaged.
• Insight: Complacency doesn’t just affect the long-term member but also impacts others’ opportunities for receiving referrals.

Quote:
"The longer people are in BNI, ... they get, as you said, complacent. They might be comfortable with the results they're producing ... and often lose sight of the impact they have on other people's results."
— Tim Roberts [03:10]

2. The Importance of Institutional Memory

[04:31]

• Dr. Ivan Misner: Highlights that seasoned members bring valuable history and stability to a chapter—what he calls "institutional memory".
• However, this same experience can sometimes lead to a reluctance to engage in new activities.

Quote:
"These long-term members ... bring to a chapter a sense of institutional memory. They remember things that have happened in the group ... But they also sometimes bring a complacency."
— Dr. Ivan Misner [04:34]

3. Strategic Roles for Seasoned Members

[05:10 - 08:08]

• Dr. Ivan Misner: Suggests engaging long-time members in roles like Education Coordinator, Visitor Host, or Mentor—positions that utilize experience without overburdening them.
• Avoid reassigning heavy leadership roles such as President or Vice President.

Quote:
"Bring them in to be the education coordinator, the visitor host, a chapter mentor, a member mentor. ... These are easy roles that long-term members can be really, really good at because of their experience in the organization."
— Dr. Ivan Misner [05:54]

• Tim Roberts: Mentoring is especially impactful. By mentoring, seasoned members often reengage with foundational practices (like 1-to-1s) and remember the behaviors that led to their own success.

Quote:
"They will teach new members everything they did to get to the level of success that they're having ... and it almost kind of forces them to re-engage."
— Tim Roberts [06:13]

4. The Power of Teaching and Education

[08:08]

• Tim Roberts: Shares that being Education Coordinator forces learning and engagement; teaching requires ongoing learning.
• Education around measurable activity (like BNI's Power of One reports) helps members realize the broader impact of their engagement or lack thereof on the chapter.

Quote:
"People who were in the red in their activity actually passed eight times less than people in the green. ... Even if you have been a standing member ... the newer members haven't done it with you, and it requires a new level of activity."
— Tim Roberts [08:35]

5. Inspiration vs. Motivation

[09:45]

• Tim Roberts: Emphasizes you can't motivate others directly; you can only inspire and educate them, recognizing past contributions and challenging them to reengage.

Quote:
"You really can't motivate other people ... You got to inspire them, teach them and show them what the impact that they're having, recognize the impact they've made and then challenge them to re-engage with the chapter."
— Tim Roberts [09:26]

• Dr. Ivan Misner: Clarifies the distinction: "Someone can inspire you to motivate yourself, but nobody can motivate you. Only you can motivate you." [09:45]

6. Setting Clear Goals and Expectations

[10:03]

• Precise, well-defined chapter goals (especially at the start of the year) can prompt seasoned members to decide if they wish to recommit or step back.
• Complacency thrives when expectations are unclear.

Quote:
"Set really precise chapter goals with really precise strategies to achieve them ... Oftentimes you will see seasoned members step up to those."
— Tim Roberts [10:04]

7. The Role of Appreciation

[11:21]

• Recognize and honor the long-term commitment of seasoned members — always begin with appreciation.
• Appreciation fosters buy-in and makes discussions about future engagement more productive.

Quote:
"Start with appreciation. Recognize the fact that they have been there for a long period of time and what they've given to the chapter over those years. You'll get more buy-in when you start there."
— Tim Roberts [11:22]

• Dr. Ivan Misner: Reinforces this approach, adding, "Even if they're not doing a really good job at the moment, appreciate what they did do, remind them of what they did do, and talk to them about what they can do again. The place to always start is appreciation." [11:53]

Notable Quotes

• "Complacency is something people may not even notice. But when those who've been around a long time step up in roles like mentor or education coordinator, they often rediscover what made BNI work for them."
  — Ivan Misner [05:35]

• "You can’t just motivate them. You got to inspire them, teach them ... show them the impact they're having; recognize, then challenge."
  — Tim Roberts [09:26]

• "Only you can motivate you."
  — Ivan Misner [09:55]

Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• [06:42–08:08]: Ivan's personal story about coaching his son's chess club, illustrating how teaching others can redevelop one's own skills and enthusiasm.
  • "When I started mentoring 10-year-olds on how to play chess, my game improved ... it's exactly what you just described." (Ivan Misner)
• [11:21]: Final advice to always begin with appreciation when re-engaging seasoned members.

Actionable Takeaways

• Engage experienced members in roles that use their expertise but do not overtax their time.
• Mentoring and education roles are key: They help seasoned members revisit successful behaviors.
• Continually educate about the ripple effect of engagement (e.g., how activity stats impact chapter health).
• Clearly set chapter expectations and goals—particularly important at annual transitions.
• Always start difficult conversations with appreciation to foster respect and openness.

Summary

This episode highlights the unique value and challenges of long-time BNI members, offering actionable strategies for keeping them—and, by extension, whole chapters—vibrant and effective. The emphasis is on appreciation, appropriate engagement, and setting a clear vision, underpinned by inspiring, not merely motivating, participation.