Setting Context

Within club leadership there is typically a core group of leaders, at least from my experience. These are the people who know the system well and can be counted on to be take some leadership role every year. I have become one of those people in my home club. After four years in the club I have spent one as Ed VP and two as President. This year I take Ed VP on again for two reasons: someone needed to do it and I never did it right my first time. As past president, I need to be available to provide the new president advice, but as Ed VP I have to be available to back him up. It is very important to me that I keep a clear line between the duties of these two roles.
The reason I did not have a successful run as VP Ed a few years ago was because I did not know how to do this. We lost our Membership VP within a month of the year. I took on the role since there weren't enough of us to go around. I could not draw the line between the membership work I did and the educational work I did. I ended up putting to much effort into membership and letting education fall behind. Knowing what I do now about my own ability to organize and communicate, I am looking for a second chance to balance two important roles.
How does one do this? I asked myself this question and have come up with two tips for myself and other people in this situation:

1. Make sure you are clear on the duties for both position. I need to make sure I know what each duty entails before I start working. This helps you know what the context of your duty is.
   
2. Put the situation into context. This often means speaking the context aloud. In my case, when the president comes to me from help I must say "As the VP of Education" or "Do you want to hear what the past president has to say?" This helps people learn that you are aware of the different context. This will also help them process it better. The new president does not want his past president being so hands on, but he will accept it from his VP Ed. If he is clear this is who is comes from, he can process the information in the correct context.
   

Hopefully this will help me and others fill two roles within club leadership.