PALMS for Beginners

PALMS

‘Who has been to a fortune teller? They can read your palm to foresee your future. In BNI, one of our Core Values is Accountability. We are accountable to each other to do the things that we know from experience will help everyone and the chapter to be successful. We can read the PALMS report for a member and a chapter and get an objective view of how successful a member and the chapter is and how the future might look. It shows Key Performance Indicators or KPI’s that are objective, considered alongside other factors (like if the member is brand new) we can be guided on where members or the chapter might need help.

What does PALMS stand for?

Here is an easy explanation:

P is for PRESENT, which I always want to be.
A is for ABSENT because of something last minute like a headache or the flu.
L is for LATE because my car has a flat battery.
M is for MEDICAL, I’m off work for an urgent or unexpected major medical event OR a long-time recovery from hip surgery.
S is for the SUBSTITUTE I send in my place when I know I’m going to be away because I’m taking the kids to the Zoo.

What about all the other ACRONYMS?

I’m glad you asked:

RGI is a referral I have given for me or my company.
RGO is a referral I give to you of a friend or client when I trust you implicitly.
RRI is a referral I receive from you for you.
RRO is a referral I receive for someone who’ve you talked to about me and what I do.
V is for VISITOR when we invite someone to share the meeting fun.
1-2-1 is for a one to one for when two of us meet over a tea and a bun.
TYFCB measures the referrals I give that turn to gold.
CEU are chapter education units to keep you learning; you are never too old.

Summary

Regularly reviewing the PALMS for ourselves and our chapter and trying to achieve our chapter goals benefits us all. PALMS won’t always fully reflect the other ways a member might contribute like raising money for charity, serving on the Leadership Team or being very positive and supportive of the chapter and other members but they are a great tool to make sure the chapter and members are headed in the right direction.

When you measure the right KPIs and focus on achieving those KPIs, then it’s very likely success will result. After 30 years of BNI we know the actions that make a member, along with other core attributes, will make a member and the chapter successful. The chapter has goals for each of these KPIs in PALMS, which if everyone strives to achieve them will make everyone and the chapter successful.

Optional Extra:

Our chapter goals are….?