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Normal Left the Party—Survey Reveals Associations Want Her Back
.orgSource
JUNE 9, 2021
What should we call it—the New Normal, the Next Normal, Another Normal? Please let go of normal. When the DJ stopped playing oldies, Normal left the party.
.orgSource
Diversity Rules the Global Economy, Step Up to Success
.orgSource
JUNE 29, 2021
We may have all come on different ships, but we are in the same boat now. Martin Luther King, Jr. The proof that we are citizens of the world, no matter how fiercely we choose to localize, was one of the pandemic’s profound lessons. Technology has created an interdependent global economy.
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Strategy and Preparation Boost Your E-Learning IQ
.orgSource
APRIL 6, 2021
Investing in a learning management system is no longer a choice. An LMS is much more than an enhancement to your website. It is essential equipment in a business environment that is challenging organizations to provide smarter, faster, and more engaging solutions for their customers than ever before.
Customer Experience Lifts Service to the Stratosphere
.orgSource
JULY 13, 2021
These comments from McDonald’s CEO, Chris Kempczinski to New York Times journalist David Gelles describing how the pandemic would change the company’s business resonated with me on a couple of levels. “We
Nonprofit Technology Adoption: Why It Matters and How to Be Successful
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Discover how this high-level overview report can help get your organization in shape for technology adoption and read helpful best practices for facilitating this critical process.
Digital Transformation—Once an Option, Now a Necessity
.orgSource
JUNE 14, 2021
When do you stop having a choice? In May 2019, when the panel discussion below was first published in the.orgSource newsletter, digital transformation probably wasn’t top of mind for most association leaders.
Maximize the Marriage of Marketing and Technology by Understanding Trends
.orgSource
MAY 26, 2021
When marketing got hitched to technology and changed its name to MarTech, their relationship caught fire. That marriage is making an indelible impact on the way associations operate and their ability to engage with members.
Turn Customers Into Community
.orgSource
FEBRUARY 25, 2021
How do you grow membership in a harsh climate? Attracting a wider audience and turning those customers into community is a good way to start. We’ve been on notice since well before the pandemic that shifts are occurring in why people join an association and what they want once they sign on.
A Publishing Strategy Makes Content Magic
.orgSource
MAY 28, 2021
What magic will– Define your association as the go-to source for education and career development? Engage members to click, like, share, download, purchase, and participate? Generate revenue, increase recognition, and build reputation? It’s a tall order, but no wands or capes are involved.
Giveaways and Gimmicks Are Short-Lived Solutions—Strong Membership Initiatives Begin With the Basics
.orgSource
FEBRUARY 9, 2021
From VIP clubs to fancy swag and tiered pricing, the tactics to win members’ hearts are only limited by imagination. When the economy, technology, or social disruption, like the pandemic, threatens to come between us and our reason for being, a little panic is understandable.
How To Eat an Elephant—Byte-Size Advice for Making Your Next Big Technology Purchase
.orgSource
MARCH 2, 2021
What does a technology investment have in common with a woolly mammoth? You guessed it: They are both a big, hairy deal. Whether you’re looking for a small, mid-sized, or major system, a lot is riding on that purchase. The stakes are more about success than money.
Become the Association Your Members Want
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As the pandemic advanced, we were keenly aware of the apprehension and pain throughout our community. Clients and colleagues contacted us with questions about managing revenue shortfall, introducing new technology, and preparing for changing membership patterns. The.orgCommunity organized a Think Tank to help identify trends and crystalize our outlook on the future of membership. The sessions were facilitated by Elizabeth Engel, Chief Strategist, Spark Consulting. This article is the result of feedback gleaned during those dialogues, previous research, and the viewpoints of the.orgSource team.
Empower Strategy by Incorporating Trends
.orgSource
JULY 19, 2021
Getting strategic planning right is challenging in the best of times. This season of disruption adds additional complexity and brings significant shifts in perspective that are important to recognize as associations prepare for the years ahead.
Finding Stability in the ContinuousNext
.orgSource
MAY 4, 2021
Remember the good old days? Once every three years, you gathered the board and staff in a conference room with baked goods, a lot of caffeine, and a facilitator. They produced what was euphemistically called a strategic plan. Often this document had more in common with a laundry list than strategy.
Want To Innovate? Don’t Get Too Comfortable
.orgSource
APRIL 28, 2021
A colleague recently confided in me that although her association is facing serious challenges, the board isn’t interested in learning how to govern more effectively. Her attempts to educate them are always met with resistance. You can guess where this group is headed.
A Day of Blue Sky Thinking—Recapping.orgCommunity’s 2021 Innovation Summit
.orgSource
JULY 27, 2021
Greg Larkin, our keynote speaker at.orgCommunity’s July 14 Innovation Summit, was quick to admit that he was feeling a little rusty being in front of an audience for the first time in over a year. “I’m I’m freaking out,” was what he actually said.
Don’t Wait Until You’re Swamped in Negative Numbers to Call a Consultant
.orgSource
APRIL 6, 2021
The conference ROI slowly rose like a gator lifting its head from the swamp of negative numbers. But membership dues, product sales, and web analytics are sinking deeper into quicksand. Even facing a dismal scenario like this, the decision to call for outside expertise can be difficult.
Achieving Organizational Transformation: Pathways to Success
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Association executives—and hopefully their boards—know that they are facing perilous times. Driven by the pace of cultural and technological change, they are experiencing major disruptions in the traditional business models that used to guide organizational growth strategies.orgSource offers a straightforward approach to navigating these changes and readying your organization for growth.
Strategies for Innovation Stop Groundhog Day Thinking
.orgSource
JULY 7, 2021
In the movie Groundhog Day, actor Bill Murray is condemned to live the same day of his life over, and over, and over again. Groundhog Day thinking is the seductive loop that lurks in offices and conference rooms tempting us to reject fresh ideas for recycled solutions.
Labor Shortages Loom—Learn to Hire and Manage Freelancers
.orgSource
JUNE 22, 2021
Anyone who has spent time here in Chicago knows that the weather can turn from sunshine to flurries in the time it takes to stroll a block down the Mag Mile. This fickle about-face seems to be happening everywhere. We spent the last year urging people to stay home.
Send Culture to the Door When Trouble Comes to Call
.orgSource
MAY 11, 2021
I frequently write the words digital and success in the same sentence. Technology is important. A weak infrastructure at the beginning of 2020 meant it was a very hard year. As much as I value electronic connectivity, culture or the human side of business will always be the imperative.
Be the Voice Your Members Want to Hear—A Content Strategy Makes It Happen
.orgSource
APRIL 21, 2021
Siloed organizations used to be hard to manage; today, they are a real business liability. Success in the digital marketplace depends on a holistic approach—this is a mantra that I can’t repeat frequently enough. Systems, teams, and departments must all be directed toward common goals.
The Denan Project - Leveraging WhatsApp for Good
As part of building a new supporter journey (from making a one-time donation to becoming a sustaining supporter), The Denan Project set out to shorten the time between the first donation and the recurring donations.
How to Think Like an Entrepreneur and Why You Should Want to
.orgSource
APRIL 13, 2021
My fascination with technology began when I realized it would help me become better at something I love—dealing with challenging problems. Originally,orgSource was focused on software and hardware solutions.
Don’t Wait Until You’re Swamped in Negative Numbers to Call a Consultant
.orgSource
MARCH 31, 2021
The conference ROI slowly rose like a gator lifting its head from the swamp of negative numbers. But membership dues, product sales, and web analytics are sinking deeper into quicksand. Even facing a dismal scenario like this, the decision to call for outside expertise can be difficult.
A Red-Carpet Approach Grows Dynamic Industry Partnerships
.orgSource
MARCH 24, 2021
You wouldn’t go to the bank for a loan without a fine-tuned business plan or approach a fundraising prospect for a major gift before learning everything you could about their interests.
As the Pandemic Ends—The Need to Reinvent Grows
.orgSource
MARCH 16, 2021
I found a relic of my former life when I was organizing my files. It was a presentation I created back in January 2020. The title was Association 4.0—Creating Creating Community in a Less Social World. I planned to use the deck to launch a new series of in-person Think Tanks.
The Association 4.0 Podcast Series—Build Skills to Succeed in the Digital Marketplace
.orgSource
MARCH 10, 2021
Podcasts are the perfect learning tool for multitaskers. You can walk the dog, workout, or pick up a Starbucks and be educated and entertained at the same time. That’s why.orgSource,orgCommunity’s partner consultancy, is excited to launch the Association 4.0 series.
Guarantee Your Success—Network Like Your Career Depends on It
.orgSource
FEBRUARY 17, 2021
What’s the single best thing you can do for your career? It doesn’t require special training, it’s never too late to get started, better still, it will return your investment of energy and effort many times over.
Onboarding Online, Keep New Hires on Track for Success
.orgSource
FEBRUARY 2, 2021
Congratulations! Online interviewing didn’t make you skip a beat. You found the talent to complete your dream team. You’re probably feeling pretty lucky. But you might be less than enthusiastic about navigating those first months of learning to work together through the small screen.
Hiring Without a Handshake—Get Virtual Interviewing Right
.orgSource
JANUARY 27, 2021
Every new hire is either an opportunity for success or a challenge to it. No recruit is neutral. If there are people on your team who don’t rock the boat, but never move it forward, that’s a drain on precious resources.
Remote Work Is a Superpower—Learn How to Use It
.orgSource
JANUARY 18, 2021
I hate to see COVID-19 give remote work a bad rap. The ability to do business from anywhere gives you the superpower to slay disruption in its tracks. But only when you learn the rules. Over the last few months, more than a few people feel as though work sabotaged their lives.
Find the Athletes You Need to Innovate
.orgSource
MAY 10, 2022
Don Dea and Hugh Lee, the co-founders of DigitalNow, are colleagues I look to as voices from the future. In an interview for our book, “Association 4.0: An Entrepreneurial Approach to Risk, Courage, and Transformation,” Don made this prediction. “In
The Big Shift—A Conversation About the Impact of Change
.orgSource
JANUARY 19, 2022
The Association 4.0 Podcast allows me to do something I love. I’m able to exchange ideas and opinions with the savviest leaders in the industry. Recently, Jacqualine Price Osafo, MBA, CAE, and I had a wide-ranging conversation about the need to shift and the impact of change.
To Stay on the Bull, Learn From Other Riders
.orgSource
MARCH 21, 2022
Being a CEO today is a little like riding a bull. The experience is guaranteed to be bumpy. But, if you have half an hour to listen to someone else’s story, you can learn a lot about how others manage the challenge. The leaders I interview for my Association 4.0
Heroes Shaping the Future of Education Technology
.orgSource
FEBRUARY 21, 2022
I’d like to introduce you to a group of unsung heroes. While the pandemic was making kids cranky and parents crazy, members of the California IT in Education Association (CITE), were on the frontlines restoring order.
Good Culture Makes Good Sense
.orgSource
FEBRUARY 15, 2022
Smiley or sad—which describes your culture? Some people work on a dream team. Others are ready to be a statistic in the Great Resignation. What makes the difference? If your answer was people, go to the head of the class.
Hitch Your Wagon to a Star—Find the Right Partner for Success
.orgSource
JANUARY 25, 2022
A comment Adele Cehrs, CEO and Founder of When + How agency, made stayed with me. Adele, who thrives on a healthy dose of risk, said this, “Chutzpah is what drives me and other entrepreneurs to keep reinventing ourselves.
Good Governance Makes Data the Asset It Should Be
.orgSource
OCTOBER 15, 2021
Is a hacker haunting your future? Or is your data dilemma more like a recurring headache? Data shouldn’t be a challenge. It’s an asset that should work for you. Two-point-five quintillion bytes of data are generated online daily, according to SaaS Scout Research Group.
The Right Tech Tools Deliver the Frosting and the Cake
.orgSource
MAY 2, 2022
orgCommunity’s June 9 Innovation Summit showcases the most interesting trends in the association industry and the people who make them happen. Planning this event is an annual reset. It’s an opportunity to consider fresh ideas and the strategies that keep them growing.
In the Spotlight, the IDSA Foundation Finds Success
.orgSource
OCTOBER 12, 2021
Most of us didn’t have viruses on our minds before 2020. Fortunately, some people make researching, preventing, and helping patients survive diseases like COVID-19 their life’s work.
Sharing Knowledge Keeps Associations Strong—Review Newest Survey Results and C-Suite Discussion
.orgSource
DECEMBER 7, 2021
Early in my career, I was drawn to the nonprofit world. My attraction centered around the idea of sharing. Competition defines even the friendliest corporate relationships. Associations have a happier orientation to their community.
Get Them to Build Castles—Strategies for Successful Cross-Functional Teams
.orgSource
APRIL 2, 2022
Great leaders rely on both sides of the brain. The right brain meticulously lays out the goals and follows the tasks, timeline, and budget. The left brain uses emotional intelligence, empathy, creativity, and artful facilitation to keep all the players working productively together.
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