Association Management

• Most Topular Stories

• The No-Excuses Guide to Greatness

  Associations Now RSS Feed

  20 Apr 2012 | 11:56 am

  A decade after his game-changing book Good to Great, Jim Collins has wrapped up one of the most influential leadership research projects in the world. The final book in his series, Great by Choice, examines why some organizations thrive in an environment of "uncertainty, chaos, and luck." Good news: Leaders have more control than they think.

• The End of Membership as We Know It

  Membership Marketing Blog

  23 Apr 2012 | 1:44 pm

  In her book, The End of Membership as We Know It, Sarah Sladek, makes important points – based on best practices in membership marketing -- that membership professionals should take to heart in order to grow a successful program. Her fundamental thesis is that “three key shifts in our society have caused a decline in membership: economic rescission, demographic shifts, and rapidly changing technology. [And] while the economy is likely to rebound sooner or later, the other two influences are here to stay.” 1. Sladek proposes a number of solutions to help in meeting these membership…

• Strategic Planning for Associations in 20 Minutes or Less

  a blog & resource centre for NFP organizations

  Carol-Anne Moutinho

  28 Mar 2012 | 3:17 pm

  Who? YOU...and me! What?  Discuss how you can develop  a strategic plan that is effective, easy-to-follow and that gets everyone excited and pulling on the same set of oars to help turn your Association’s strategy into a reality When? April 2, 2012. 4:00PM PST Where? From the comfort of wherever you like via webinar or in-person at SSU's gorgeous Gastown studio Why? Because I know you want to develop a plan that works...and that doesn't make everyone want to press the snooze button!   How?  Register Here For Free!  

• Discipline

  Jamie Notter

  Jamie Notter

  16 May 2012 | 7:52 am

  In Belgium a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of hanging out with Olivier Blanchard. He is ridiculously smart, and a fellow Que author–his book is called Social Media ROI. It is actually quite a nice complement to Humanize (I think Maddie describes it as “Olivier’s book is the how, and our book is the why”). I used an example in his book during my session that delved into some detail about how you humanize your organization (more on that in another post). But in my first presentation, I made the point that many organizations fall short when it comes to clarity.

• What I'm Reading

  Thanks For Playing

  16 May 2012 | 9:04 am

  Another short but solid list: Joe Gerstandt urges us to bring empathy back.Copyblogger points out common call to action mistakes that cost you sales.Acronym provides a list within a list with another great edition of Quick Clicks Jamie Notter doesn't like strategic planning, and it's not just because he's not doing it right.

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  Associations Now RSS Feed

• The No-Excuses Guide to Greatness

  20 Apr 2012 | 11:56 am

  A decade after his game-changing book Good to Great, Jim Collins has wrapped up one of the most influential leadership research projects in the world. The final book in his series, Great by Choice, examines why some organizations thrive in an environment of "uncertainty, chaos, and luck." Good news: Leaders have more control than they think.

• Why You Need an Investment Policy Statement

  11 Apr 2012 | 11:29 am

  Draft an IPS to demonstrate that your 401(k) plan sponsor is making prudent investment decisions.

• Cautious Optimism in a Recovery

  11 Apr 2012 | 11:29 am

  Association CEOs and members make predictions for 2012 in two recent ASAE Foundation economy surveys.

• Quiz: How Well Do You Know Your Insurance Coverage?

  11 Apr 2012 | 11:29 am

  Six questions to check your knowledge—and correct misconceptions—about your insurance policies.

• The Favorites Game: Leadership Development 2.0

  11 Apr 2012 | 11:29 am

  Women's Foodservice Forum CEO Fritzi Woods on her favorite professional risk, business icon, and more.

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  Jamie Notter

• Discipline

  Jamie Notter

  16 May 2012 | 7:52 am

  In Belgium a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of hanging out with Olivier Blanchard. He is ridiculously smart, and a fellow Que author–his book is called Social Media ROI. It is actually quite a nice complement to Humanize (I think Maddie describes it as “Olivier’s book is the how, and our book is the why”). I used an example in his book during my session that delved into some detail about how you humanize your organization (more on that in another post). But in my first presentation, I made the point that many organizations fall short when it comes to clarity.

• But You’re Just Not Doing it Right

  Jamie Notter

  11 May 2012 | 8:16 am

  That’s the response I get from the people who are very passionate about strategic planning. In case you don’t know me, I think strategic planning is horrible. In Humanize, we devote nearly 8 full pages to why strategic planning doesn’t work. And it’s not just us pontificating. We cite respected business school professors, people published in Harvard Business Review, peer-reviewed research studies. And these sources have been around for decades. This isn’t new. The way we do strategic planning is destined to NOT work. It is designed in a way that is deeply…

• Future of Work Manifesto

  Jamie Notter

  10 May 2012 | 3:46 pm

  You’ve probably already seen this on Maddie’s blog. And if not, you can also see it on Charlie Judy’s HR Fishbowl site. And now I’m putting it here. What is it? It’s a “manifesto” about the future of work. Maddie is the one who wrote it up, but it was the result of a weekend retreat last fall of twelve people (including me, Maddie and Charlie; Maddie lists them all in her post) in, of all places, Omaha, Nebraska. These are some exceptionally awesome people I got to hang out with that weekend, and I think the awesomeness of this manifesto is a…

• Two Slide Shows on Humanize

  Jamie Notter

  7 May 2012 | 6:43 am

  I’m back from my Chicago/Belgium trip, and I had a GREAT time. I am posting my slides, below from the two presentations I did in Belgium at the Fusion Marketing Experience conference (which together cover all that I spoke about in Chicago, and then some). The first presentation is the basic overview of the Humanize book. In it, I talk about the deep problems we have with the way we run today’s organizations (like how we haven’t seen significant innovation in management in over fifty years), and contrast that with the incredible growth of social media. I connect the trends by…

• On the Road

  Jamie Notter

  30 Apr 2012 | 7:08 am

  I am off to Chicago and Antwerp this week. On Tuesday morning, I’ll be doing the opening keynote at the annual meeting of IHRIM, the association for the Human Resource Information Management industry. The title of my talk is “Unlocking the Power of Human Organizations.” I’ll hang around after my talk to sign some books in the exhibit hall, but then I’ve got some free time before my flight to Belgium that evening (who’s up for lunch or coffee?). Then Thursday and Friday I am speaking at the Fusion Marketing Experience conference in Antwerp. I am excited…

• 

  Thanks For Playing

• What I'm Reading

  16 May 2012 | 9:04 am

  Another short but solid list: Joe Gerstandt urges us to bring empathy back.Copyblogger points out common call to action mistakes that cost you sales.Acronym provides a list within a list with another great edition of Quick Clicks Jamie Notter doesn't like strategic planning, and it's not just because he's not doing it right.

• TED Talk: Try Something New

  15 May 2012 | 9:35 am

  Working frantically on slides and handouts for three presentations over the next three weeks, so today's post is a VERY short but inspiring TED Talk video on the benefits of trying something new:

• Always the Last to Know: Nicira's Network Virtualization Platform

  14 May 2012 | 12:31 pm

  OK, this week's ATLTK is REALLY geeky, I admit, but this is worth it. One of the main flaws with the construction of the Internet has always been that it was made to prefer stability (as in, the whole thing won't go down) to security (as in, your network won't get hacked). And the hardware that runs it isn't exactly simple to change on the fly. One of the results (and this should sound familiar) is that lots of people and companies don't trust cloud computing, at least not for anything critical.Nicira is looking to change that. Much like you can have virtual servers, Nicira allows you to have…

• Friday Top 5

  11 May 2012 | 11:36 am

  In about two hours I'll be on my way to Pennsylvania for the weekend. While it is Mother's Day weekend and my mom does live in PA, that's not the only reason I'm headed there. Tonight is the premiere of Well of Dreams, a documentary film made by a friend focused on the life story of the extraordinary Anne Okelo. I've been privileged to help filmmaker Cindy Speaker in some minor ways, and tonight, we'll enjoy the culmination of several years of effort.Top 5 Things to Know about Well of Dreams:Young women in Africa are often denied education once they reach puberty because they cannot afford…

• What Do You REALLY Want to Know?

  10 May 2012 | 10:52 am

  Data, data everywhere - but what does it MEAN?We can measure a lot of stuff - opens and clicks and visits and time on page and community engagement scores and number of members and average tenure and number of attendees and satisfaction scores and followers and fans and shares and who's talking about this and reach and RTs and responses, ad infinitum ad nauseum.In fact, we can measure just about everything at this point, if we're dedicated and have reasonable tech systems. So we drown in data, inundate decision makers, and produce analysis paralysis.  We lose sight of why we were…

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  Effective Database Management » Blog

• Would you trust a mechanic with decades-old tools?

  Wes Trochlil

  10 May 2012 | 7:23 am

  If you have a car that was manufactured in the past ten years and you’ve taken it into the shop, you’ve probably noticed something interesting: One of the first things your mechanic does is plug your car into a handheld

• Two New AMS Vendors Added to the List

  Wes Trochlil

  8 May 2012 | 8:14 am

  I recently viewed demos from two new AMS vendors (well, new to me), which I’ve added to my list of software vendors providing membership management software. The first addition is MemberNation from Fonteva, which has built an AMS on top

• Kudos to ASAE

  Wes Trochlil

  19 Apr 2012 | 9:47 am

  I’ve served as a volunteer for ASAE for many, many years. (My first volunteer effort was writing an article for their print(!) membership section newsletter back in 1994.) Over the years I’ve written many articles, spoken dozens if not hundreds

• How Training Should be Done

  Wes Trochlil

  23 Mar 2012 | 7:56 am

  I’ve written many times about the importance of training. (I’ve even done a teleseminar on it!) And far too often, training from AMS vendors ranges from mediocre to really bad. So I was pleased to have the opportunity to sit

• See the man! – Speaking at NESAE

  Wes Trochlil

  14 Mar 2012 | 11:29 am

  I’ll be speaking at the upcoming New England Society of Association Executives’ Technology Conference on Friday, March 30, 2012, in Waltham, MA. I’m presenting the opening general session entitled “Managing your Data and Finding the Gold” and a second session

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  Mizz Information

• Why I Doubt Associations Will Become Filters for Digital Overload

  Maggie

  9 May 2012 | 7:00 am

  I admit, I was surprised but happy to see the headline "Will Associations Become Filters for Digital Overload?" in the Huffington Post. Happy because I'm always glad to read things pertaining to associations outside the association bubble--or maybe I just don't read the Huffington Post regularly and they always post about associations. Regardless, if you read this blog you probably know what my first thought was when I read the headline: of course I do not think associations will become filters for digital overload! Why not? Here are but a handful of the reasons: Associations care about their…

• Facebook Fails are Mounting

  Maggie

  8 May 2012 | 8:27 am

  Despite the media frenzy over Facebook's impending IPO, all isn't 100% rosy for Facebook. Two things I've recently read  highlight what I consider to be pretty big fails on Facebook's part, and, were I considering investing in Facebook (which I never in a million years would do), would give me pause: Social Readers are collapsing. Wow, "frictionless sharing" is annoying people and backfiring? Who could have called that one? To me, the bigger story here is that people do not have infinite patience for just accepting whatever Facebook throws at them. Facebook is notorious for…

• 31% of Associations Have Online Communities. Where are the Association Community Managers?

  Maggie

  30 Apr 2012 | 9:08 am

  I just read a post about an upcoming membership marketing benchmarking report, specifically detailing the part of the report that addresses social media use by associations. The report surveyed 700 associations and, according to the summary of the upcoming  report, among associations with over 20,000 members, 31% reported having a private social network. Hm, I thought--that's a lot of private social networks....yet, as far as I know, there are still very, very few community managers in the association world. I've blogged about this before--this is an aspect of associations that I simply…

• Why Facebook Timeline Will Continue to be Bad For Brands

  Maggie

  24 Apr 2012 | 11:19 am

  What--Facebook Timeline hasn't performed as well for brands as Facebook led them to believe it would? Say it isn't so! I am not at all surprised--here's why: Timeline is a UI nightmare. Where the hell are you supposed to look? With so much emphasis on images, pages take forever to load. There are two columns--except when there aren't when an image spans both columns. And don't even get me started on the way the admin panel takes up an entire screen. My eyes don't even know where to look when a page finally loads; apparently I'm not the only one who is confused.Timeline totally discourages…

• What Does a Washington Post Blogger Resigning Say About the State of Digital Publishing?

  Maggie

  23 Apr 2012 | 6:55 am

  While reading Sunday's Washington Post, I came across the headline "The Post fails a young blogger." This should be interesting, I thought, and read it. It was not only interesting but scarily familiar to me. The article describes how the Post blogger responsible for blogPost just resigned because of the no-win nature of her job. Her job entailed writing an average of 5.9 blog posts per day approximating 500 words each with a goal of attaining 1-2 million "hits" a month (don't get me started on the term "hits"). She was a one-person operation, presumably making far less than "seasoned"…

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  Velvet Chainsaw | Midcourse Corrections

• Horseshoe Groups: Merging Two Buzz Groups To Increase Audience Discussion

  Jeff Hurt

  16 May 2012 | 10:56 am

  Lectures are a barrier to the listener’s thinking. The constant one-way transfer of information is like a dripping faucet. The information keeps coming and coming and coming. And that constant drip of new data, facts, figures and info keeps the brain overwhelmed with new information. The listener is faced with a choice: listen to the new information or think about what they just heard. You can’t listen to the lecture and think about that information at the same time. You either do one or the other. Small group and peer discussions foster learning and retention in ways the lecture…

• Creating Planned Serendipity For Your Conference Success

  Dave Lutz

  15 May 2012 | 5:00 am

  Networking: there’s more to it than business professionals speed handshaking while exchanging business cards. It’s an opportunity to connect and link with others as you share information, services and ideas with each other. Attendee Networking Expectations Increase There is no doubt about it. Conference attendee networking expectations are on the rise! Your conference is often your stakeholders’ best opportunity to connect in person with thought leaders and colleagues. While we intuitively know this, networking at most conferences continues to be a random, luck-of-the-draw…

• Using Content Marketing To Grow Conference Attendance

  Jeff Hurt

  14 May 2012 | 5:00 am

    Joe Pulizzi shares how he uses content marketing to grow attendance at the Content Marketing World Conference. Here’s a rundown of his video if you want to fast forward to a specific area. 00:10 – Who Is Joe Pulizzi & What Is The Content Marketing World Conference 01:00 – What Is Content Marketing? 02:07 – How To Use Content Marketing To Grow Conference Attendance 03:39 – Tips For Creating Content For Your Conference Marketing 06:59 – For More Information On Content Marketing Video edited from PCMA’s Convening Leaders 2012 Learning Lounge Live Chat Room video clip.

• Are Business Travelers Too Addicted To Technology? [Infographic]

  Jeff Hurt

  11 May 2012 | 8:38 am

    According to PC Housing stats, smartphones and tablets are slowly placing themselves in between water and food as top necessities for business travelers. It makes sense. Being on the road is simply made easier and more manageable by these tools that allow us to stay connected. Yet are these mobile devices taking up too much of our time? Check out PC Housing’s infographic below to see how dependent you are in comparison to other road warriors! Browse more Travel infographics. Business Traveler’s Mobile Dependence Infographic created by PC Housing What’s the most unusual…

• Creating Buzz Groups To Add Audience Participation To Traditional Lectures

  Jeff Hurt

  10 May 2012 | 1:13 pm

  Lectures are good for sharing information. They are not good for learning and getting listeners to think! Nor are the good for getting listeners to remember and apply the information they hear. Audience discussion methods are more effective for learning than the lecture. Lectures are the equivalent of distributing a report and asking people to read it. The scientific research about the ineffectiveness of lectures for education and learning abounds. Yet it is still the primary method used in most education programs. If the goal of a lecture is audience learning and retention, then the lecture…

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  Membership Marketing Blog

• The End of Membership as We Know It

  23 Apr 2012 | 1:44 pm

  In her book, The End of Membership as We Know It, Sarah Sladek, makes important points – based on best practices in membership marketing -- that membership professionals should take to heart in order to grow a successful program. Her fundamental thesis is that “three key shifts in our society have caused a decline in membership: economic rescission, demographic shifts, and rapidly changing technology. [And] while the economy is likely to rebound sooner or later, the other two influences are here to stay.” 1. Sladek proposes a number of solutions to help in meeting these membership…

• Membership Retention and Renewal Findings

  23 Apr 2012 | 9:58 am

  Findings from the 2012 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report show a pretty consistent theme when it comes to membership renewals – renew members early and often.  • The average renewal rate for individual membership organizations this past year was 78% and the average renewal rate for trade or organizational memberships was 85%. • The average first year member renewal rate for individual membership organizations this past year was 67% and the average first year renewal rate for trade or organizational memberships was 75%. • Associations that offer an “early-renewal…

• News on Social Media and Membership Marketing

  12 Apr 2012 | 10:00 am

  As we continue compiling the data for the 2012 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report for our upcoming release, I thought that I would share some trends that we are seeing related to social media. The data represents responses from nearly 700 unique associations. The data suggests to me that there has been a nearly complete adoption by associations of the official use of at least some social media tools. Here are some interesting findings that I have noted. • The top social media networks officially used for association membership are: Facebook 86%, Twitter 78%, LinkedIn (Public) 55%,…

• Product and Service Engagement Drives Membership Retention and Growth

  10 Apr 2012 | 7:39 am

  The connection between the products and services offered by an association and the impact of usage of these on membership is profound. Effectively, it is the fast track to membership success. Intuitively, we all know that members using the associations services is good, but seeing the statistics to support it highlights the critical nature in the membership lifecycle of member engagement. In our soon to be published 2012 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, we asked associations to tell us first whether they offered a specific program or service and then the proportion of their members…

• Updated Membership Marketing Tracking Dashboard

  8 Apr 2012 | 5:47 pm

  A number of years ago, I shared about a dashboard that I created to help with keeping track of your organization’s membership numbers. I have just finished updating it based on some feedback that I have received from readers. If you would like an Excel version of it, please send me an email (under my bio at right) and I will forward it to you. The dashboard includes calculations for tracking: • Year over year total membership decline or growth • Year over year new member recruitment • Monthly and annual conversion (renewal) of first year members • Monthly and annual subsequent year…

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  Mission to Learn - Lifelong Learning Blog

• 10 Brain Links Worth Clicking

  Jeff Cobb

  2 May 2012 | 1:39 pm

  For those of you who haven’t yet decided to follow Mission to Learn on Twitter (You know who you are.), here’s a round up of some exquisite links I’ve tweeted lately on the general topic of brain science and the human mind: A Brief Guide to Neuroscience (The Guardian) Just  what it says it is – a quick run down on one of the trendiest of sciences these days. What is Working Memory and Why Does it Matter? (National Center for Learning Disabilities) I mention working memory frequently here on Mission to Learn. This post gives you some of the essentials in the context of…

• So maybe we can make ourselves smarter?

  Jeff Cobb

  23 Apr 2012 | 4:00 am

  I noted in an earlier post that as powerful as deliberate practice can be for mastering particular skills or knowledge, recent research suggests that we eventually run up against the limits of our intellectual capabilities. In particular, the capacity of our working memory seems to have significant impact on what we can ultimately achieve. So, are there ways to improve our overall intellectual capacity? It was with this question in mind that a handful of recent articles in The New York Times caught my eye. In the first, Dan Hurley asks Can You Make Yourself Smarter? The answer is not an…

• Are You Ready for Digital Civilization?

  Jeff Cobb

  10 Apr 2012 | 7:37 pm

  A student at Brigham Young University e-mailed to alert me to an event her Digital Civilization class will be presenting on Wednesday, April 11, 2012, from 7-8:30 PM MDT. The event will feature students delivering TEDx-style presentations on “how to be more engaged in our digital world.” You can catch the live stream or tune into the recording later at http://digiciv.byu.edu/. This seems like a great event – kudos to professors Gideon Burton and Daniel Zappala for making it a part of their class. The class, too, sounds fantastic. Here’s the description: Western…

• Want some community to go with those great courses?

  Jeff Cobb

  29 Mar 2012 | 6:00 am

  I’ve been a fan of The Great Courses from The Teaching Company for quite some time. In fact, I mentioned to my wife just recently that it would be interesting to put together some sort of discussion group around the courses I’ve taken so far. Then, serendipitously, I received an e-mail from Mission to Learn reader Dan Egbert about a new site he has started to help Great Courses students connect. TTC University is a fledgling effort, so you won’t find it overflowing with discussion just yet. But hey, that’s why I’m writing this post – you have to start…

• Take one or more of these 5 risks and really learn something

  Jeff Cobb

  26 Mar 2012 | 5:00 am

  I did a brief interview with Chris Hutton over at Liter8 Ideas recently, and one of the questions Chris asked was “What have been obstacles that you’ve had to overcome when it relates to your educational journey?” There have been many – as I am sure there have been for you – but one that came to mind immediately was a “tendency to avoid risk.” Now, don’t get me wrong – I’ve done some reasonably adventurous things in my life, and I have also been an entrepreneur for most of my career. So, I am hardly what might typically be thought of as…

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  Reid All About It

• Word of the Day: Truthiness

  deirdrereid

  14 May 2012 | 10:25 am

  Is that even a real word? Yes, it is, says Dictionary.com: truth·i·ness [troo-thee-nis] (noun): “the quality of seeming to be true according to one’s intuition, opinion, or perception without regard to logic, factual evidence, or the like: the growing trend of truthiness as opposed to truth.” And Wikipedia says: “Truthiness is a quality characterizing a “truth” that a person claims to know intuitively “from the gut” or because it “feels right” without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or facts.” I came upon…

• How’s Your Association Attitude?

  deirdrereid

  8 May 2012 | 8:48 pm

  Quiz time: How often do you try a new recipe? A different gas station or restaurant? An unfamiliar magazine or radio station? When’s the last time you talked with someone about an idea or project that flopped, or asked for constructive criticism? When did you last seek ideas from someone with a different perspective? Or collaborate with a colleague from another department? Who lights up your office with their energy, passion and creativity? Is it you? Whose reactions concern you the most: your boss, the CEO, leadership or the average member? These questions are based on traits identified by…

• New Member Onboarding (Part 2)

  deirdrereid

  20 Apr 2012 | 3:44 pm

  How’s your first-year member retention rate? Not that great? You’re not alone. First year retention is a challenge for most associations, maybe because they spend much more money on acquiring new members than on guiding them into the association. Last week I suggested several onboarding ideas, beginning with the application and welcome touches. The next touch: orientation. New approaches to orientation Many associations still run orientations the way the Pennsylvania School Boards Association used to: “We talked at new members — the ‘It’s all about us’ approach.” Turn the…

• New Member Onboarding (Part 1)

  deirdrereid

  23 Mar 2012 | 8:15 am

  There’s a restaurant saying, “turn ‘em and burn ‘em.” Get customers in the seats and back out the doors as quickly as possible. Although turning tables helps the cash register, you risk alienating customers if they think you’re only interested in their money, not their dining experience. I thought of “turn ‘em and burn em” recently when I read this in MGI’s Membership Marketing Benchmark Report: for every dollar spent on recruitment, associations spend only 27 cents on new member onboarding and engagement. Why is so little dedicated to new members, the ones most at risk…

• Is Your Association the Online Hub for Ideas?

  deirdrereid

  15 Mar 2012 | 6:31 pm

  Museums and associations, they’re more alike than you think. Nonprofit mission-driven membership institutions governed by member boards Engaging audiences through education Traditional and hierarchic cultures Professional staff siloed in departments Risk-averse and slow-moving Striving to remain meaningful to a growing younger market While volunteering in two different museums, I overheard many staff conversations: they worry about the same things we do. When I read the blogs of museum professionals, I’m struck by how much we’re wrestling with some of the same issues. Many museums are…

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  SocialFish

• Associations are More Advanced Than You Think!

  Maddie Grant

  16 May 2012 | 12:37 pm

    …. Ha. This includes all the associations we’re working with (and those we aren’t) who are working on their Social CRM.  So there!! (Source)

• Social Business for B2B in Healthcare [case study]

  Maddie Grant

  16 May 2012 | 7:00 am

  This short and sweet B2B case study discussed by Sandy Carter of IBM shows us some numbers on how Premier, an alliance of 2500 community hospitals, leverages their online community. Awesome.

• Human Motivation: The Forgotten Element in Our Theories and Practices

  Anna Caraveli

  16 May 2012 | 7:00 am

  “Companies that are afraid to commit to goals that lie outside the range of planning,” Gary Hamel and C.K Prahalad conclude in their booklet, Strategic Intent,“are unlikely to become global leaders.”  The authors argue that strategic planning fetters companies to the present and filters their views of possibility through the limiting lens of their current assumptions and limitations.Their alternative to strategic planning is Strategic Intent: harnessing resources and human motivation to an all-consuming, shared ambition, such as beating competitors or innovating far beyond their…

• Got E-learning?

  Maddie Grant

  15 May 2012 | 1:51 pm

  Need your feedback please! Does your organization rely on e-learning to drive revenue or member retention? Are you managing multiple e-learning platforms and software to deliver webinars, hybrid events, virtual conferences and more? Association Forum wants to give you access to the professional development you need to maximize the impact of e-learning. Complete this brief survey by 11:59 p.m. CT on Tuesday, May 22, to tell us whether you’re using e-learning, how and why, and you’ll receive the survey results and an executive summary report. Your feedback will allow us to design…

• Tracing the Path of the Digital Learner

  Maddie Grant

  15 May 2012 | 7:00 am

  Check out this Google Insights study about Education Trends Through the Eyes of Your Customer. In a fast-changing world, education is still in high demand online. Google looked at internal search query data, Compete clickstream data and commissioned a brand perceptions study with Ipsos OTX to understand the 2012 landscape and found: 80% of education search query paths end without a conversion. 1 in 4 education researchers never even look outside the web. 9 in 10 don’t know which school they want to attend at the onset of the journey. 2 out of every 3 researchers who use video do so to…

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  Condo Association Management Blog

• Does owner need association approval to do work on condo?

  16 May 2012 | 8:32 am

  We are purchasing a condo unit in Baltimore County MD - Annen Woods. We are still awaiting condo documents to review before settlement. I am planning to totally gut the 30 year old kitchen and remodel, lower two interior walls to open the unit up and install hard wood. I know that 80% rule on the floor and plan to use oriental rugs. I have hired a licensed contractor to handle all efforts. i have been told I must obtain approval of the Condo Association before work begins. How much true control over what I do on the interior of my unit can they have? There is no impact on the exterior of the…

• Can condo owners sue association board

  14 May 2012 | 7:34 am

  I'm in a condo association in Pennsylvania. We have a new board, elected about 15 months ago. Upon taking office a transition occured. The new board refused to use a lawyer to review the transition from developer to association members. To date the only info owners get is.....don't worry it's done. Recently, November 2011, my building that is 5 years old was found to be infested with termites. To date, the board has spent $42K of reserve fund to repair the damages. This excedes their 5% limit. They refuse to take legal action against the builder, provide any documents spelling out services…

• Increased costs: how does association share financial burden?

  13 May 2012 | 9:05 am

  I am part of a 12 unit Townhome Association here in Nevada. Our current CC&R's provide for maintenance of all common areas such as Landscape, parking lot, trash, insurance, water, etc. and we all pay the same amount right now. We are now considering making building maintenance as part of the association responsibility. This would include siding, roofs, decks, outside lighting, gutters and metal flashing, painting etc. Since the individual Townhomes differ in size and some of the units would cost more to maintain then others, what would be an equitable way of charging for monthly assessments.

• Condo association wants to secretly install security cameras

  11 May 2012 | 8:52 am

  Can our Board of Directors install security cameras in our common share parking garage to catch a thief without telling the other condo owners? The camera would be paid for by the condo association funds. Our 15 unit condo association in Washington State has had some thefts of owner's personal property from the common shared open parking garage. It is secured and locked so only owners supposedly have access. The board believes it is one of the current owner's relatives stealing items. They want to "catch" the person and not just use the cameras to deter the thefts. As a board member, I am…

• Becoming a non-smoking condo association or HOA

  10 May 2012 | 6:54 am

  Our current Board President has begun talking about making our community a non-smoking community. While I do not smoke any longer, I am concerned of what may happen if this action takes place. This community was not non smoking when it was built so there was no intent for that. Therefore I would like to think that those of us who were here before now would have to be grandfathered in. I mean what if I have a friend who smokes and then I'd never be able to invite them to my home again. Who would I need to contact to protect my rights? Or is it simply that I have no rights? Thank you for your…

• 

  HOAleader.com - Practical Advice on Homeowner Association Management

• What Should Your HOA Do to Prevent Hoarding?

  11 May 2012 | 3:00 am

  Hoarding is a growing problem for associations because of the increased risk of fire in multi-family buildings like condos.

• Hoarders: It's Reality at Some HOAs

  11 May 2012 | 3:00 am

  In this week's tip, we explain that hoarding isn't just a can't-look-away TV issue. It's a real danger in associations because of the increased risk of fire in multi-family buildings like condos.

• What Should HOAs Learn from the Trayvon Martin Tragedy?

  4 May 2012 | 3:00 am

  What does the tragic death of Trayvon Martin have to do with HOAs? The Feb. 26, 2012, fatal shooting of the teenager by an informal neighborhood watch leader, George Zimmerman, occurred on the grounds of The Retreat at Twin Lakes Association, a Sandford, Fla., homeowners association where Martin was visiting and Zimmerman lived. Martin's death has triggered soul-searching throughout the country. It should also prompt reevaluation among HOA boards if, as many news outlets have reported, Martin's parents are contemplating a lawsuit against the HOA because it allegedly endorsed Zimmerman's…

• Trayvon Martin Tragedy Hits Close to Home for HOAs

  4 May 2012 | 3:00 am

  In this week's tip, we offer lessons for HOAs from the very sad death of Trayvon Martin.

• Discussion Forum Follow-Up: Seriously, Can You Buy Lotto Tickets for Owners?

  29 Apr 2012 | 3:00 am

  An HOAleader.com reader writes: "The HOA's social committee hosted a party. Eight lottery tickets were bought with social committee funds and placed on each table as a favor. Is this opening the door for possible litigation (either from homeowners not involved or possible winners of a lottery prize)? This issue has caused disagreement among members."

• 

  Cynthia D'Amour on Leadership and Life

• 24 Hours Does Not Say “I Love You”

  Cynthia D'Amour

  15 May 2012 | 2:41 pm

  Or even that you want me. Got a personal invite to a chapter event. The group was a good fit for me. The meeting sounded fun. I was tempted. And then I read the next paragraph. She acknowledged I was not a member. Shared the event location - five hours away. And date - tomorrow! Did she seriously think I would drop everything to attend a full-day commitment the NEXT day? Instead of being thankful for the invite. I’m sort of put-off. What happened to respect? First impressions are lasting… She is my (lacking) image of the chapter. I’m sure other chapter leaders might think more…

• Your Wedding on a Public Beach

  Cynthia D'Amour

  6 May 2012 | 3:12 am

  Reality check. Went down to the beach to watch the sunset. Noticed a good-sized wedding. Taking place in the back of the beach. How lovely. I walked to water’s edge. Joined a small crowd of folks. Happy to end the day in beauty. Sat down and started to relax. Unfortunately the bride had other ideas... She wanted wedding shots on the water’s edge. Right in front of me. Friends and family blocking my sunset view. They stormed into the midst of my happy space. Kicked sand in my face. Positioned themselves with total disregard for the rest of us. Focused on their photos. I moved…

• I Can See Clearly Now

  Cynthia D'Amour

  4 May 2012 | 9:24 pm

  The smoke is gone. Decided to cook dinner. In rental unit kitchenette. Got fresh meat. Heated my pan. Tossed the meat in right after a little oil. Smoke started to billow immediately. No fire. But lots of smoke. Turned down the heat. It was too late. The kitchen became as smokey as a bar after midnight. It was hard to breathe and to see. I opened the windows. Turned on the ceiling fan. Swung the front door back and forth. The room stayed dark with smoke - no matter what I did. I went to pull my hair in frustration. And discovered my sunglasses on my face. I thought my contacts were out and I…

• Just Call Me the Beach Bod Queen

  Cynthia D'Amour

  3 May 2012 | 6:08 pm

  For the day. Three months ago my trainer Mollie issued me a challenge. To work out at the beach guys’ lifting gym. The next time I was at a beach. Today is the day. I woke early this morning. Sick to my stomach. My nerves jangled. My workout scheduled for early afternoon. As the morning progressed, it got worse. I studied the workout Mollie gave me. Practiced the moves as if at the gym. Nothing helped. My productivity was shot. Decided to hit the gym early. Walked through the Beach Bods gym doors with knees shaking. And pretended like I belonged. The staff person on duty was welcoming.

• Do 15 of These

  Cynthia D'Amour

  25 Apr 2012 | 4:11 pm

  Times FOUR! I worked out with my trainer Mollie this morning. Exercising around my cracked toe. To keep the rest of me strong. And ready to run again in the future. Mollie usually gives me sets of exercises to do. This morning was no different. 15 push ups on the BOSU ball followed by 30 seconds of Russian twists. Four sets of each. I did the math quickly. 4 X 15 = 60! 60 push ups in just our first round of exercises. My prior record was 36! The cool thing - I didn’t totally freak out. And self doubt. Although I did squeal a bit. Then assumed the position to start. I did them all. I…

• 

  Acronym

• A little curation on curation for associations

  Joe Rominiecki

  14 May 2012 | 11:49 am

  Two weeks ago I shared a few thoughts on how the concept of curation might work (or is working) in the retail industry, and I promised to dig a little deeper into curation in the association context. That post drew some interesting comments, so first I recommend going back and reading them. That discussion got me thinking a lot about the topic, and so I spent some time reading what others have written about content curation already (which is quite a lot). In the interest of practicing what I preach (and in not restating what others have already said much better than I could), I decided to…

• How Much Influence Does a CEO Have?

  Mark Athitakis

  11 May 2012 | 12:33 pm

  Forbes writer Eric Jackson galvanized the business web's attention late last month with a troubling headline: "Here's Why Google and Facebook Might Completely Disappear in the Next Five Years." (I figured an association online community manager somewhere audibly sighed after reading that, then began adding new images to a Pinterest board, "Images of Despair About an Unstable Universe.") But embedded in Jackson's provocative argument is an even more troubling claim: Leaders are more or less meaningless. Jackson's specific point is that however much they try to innovate, web-based companies…

• Quick clicks: May 10, 2012

  Joe Rominiecki

  10 May 2012 | 10:06 am

  Volunteerism. Greg Baldwin offers a glimpse into some new science on altruism that focuses on "cooperative groups and the biological advantage they have over less cooperative groups." Risk management. What's the difference between a policy and a procedure? Leslie White clears it up for us and says that most associations are doing it wrong. Virtual events. Celisa Steele looks at some recent data on associations and virtual events and writes that most virtual events still need to be tied to an in-person event to gain traction. Leadership. Eric Lanke, CAE, shares a story from a colleague who…

• Neglecting a Big Slice of Potential Membership

  Mark Athitakis

  8 May 2012 | 8:10 am

  Today we're pleased to welcome Acronym guest poster Sarah Sladek, CEO of XYZ University and author of The End of Membership as We Know It (ASAE Press). Sladek will be the Opening General Session speaker at the ASAE Marketing, Membership & Communications Conference, held May 23-24 in Washington, DC. In this post, Sladek discusses the urgent need to attract members of generations X and Y to associations. Membership associations are a lot like pizza parlors. I read somewhere that three-fourths of Americans like pizza. Likewise, most Americans belong to a membership association. (However, if…

• Innovating in compartments

  Joe Rominiecki

  3 May 2012 | 1:09 pm

  Association professionals who missed Peter Sheahan's general session presentation at last year's ASAE Annual Meeting had a chance to catch him today at ASAE's Springtime Expo. After speaking broadly about innovation last August, Sheahan narrowed in on innovation within association meetings Thursday, appropriate for the crowd of meeting planners and meetings industry professionals. Sheahan, author of several books on innovation, including Making It Happen: Turning Good Ideas Into Great Results, acknowledged that innovation within meetings can be difficult, particularly when, for many…

• 

  Splash: Refreshment For Your Small-Staff Organization

• Building an online community

  Shannon Otto

  16 May 2012 | 11:11 am

  We’re just about halfway through the week; we hope everyone is having a good one! Today we have some awesome slideshows to share (courtesy of SlideShare). Building communities can be challenging, but nurturing them and allowing them to flourish can sometimes be even more difficult. The presentations below have some great tips. TALK TO US: What has been the most challenging aspect of building your association’s online community? Building and Nurturing Global Online Communities View more PowerPoint from Amy Sample Ward Getting The Most Out Of Facebook For Your Nonprofit View more…

• Prepping your speakers

  Shannon Otto

  15 May 2012 | 12:51 pm

  How well do you prep your speakers before your events? Isn’t that the most important thing when planning a speech or session? Of course, your speaker’s area of expertise doesn’t change, but the people to whom they’re speaking do.     When you’re scheduling speakers for your next conference, meeting or event, here are some things to tell your speakers: Audience demographics and professional experience Audiovisual and room set-up information How flexible is the room set-up? Are there opportunities to speak to audience members before the even to learn about their…

• How does technology affect recruiting?

  Shannon Otto

  14 May 2012 | 2:35 pm

  Happy Monday, Splash blog readers! I wanted to share some interesting information about how technology has affected recruiting. The Internet has helped people search for jobs and search for prospective candidates practically since its inception, and now it’s rare to receive a resume through “snail mail.” TALK TO US: How does your association use technology to recruit? Do you take out ads on LinkedIn? Do you use your MemberClicks Career Center?

• Friday Top Five: never say never

  Shannon Otto

  11 May 2012 | 1:43 pm

  Happy Friday to all the Splash blog readers! Here in Atlanta it’s such a gorgeous day that we’ve been counting down to the weekend all day long. But, it’s Friday and before we head out to enjoy the weekend, we’ve got to share five of our favorite blog posts from around the association community this past week. Feel free to share your own in the comments! 1. We tweeted this one earlier today but the message is so great we wanted to share it again: Resisting resistance is futile. Jeffrey Cufaude shares a number of reasons why people resist facilitation – including…

• Slideshows for Small Staffs

  Shannon Otto

  10 May 2012 | 9:00 am

  Happy Thursday, Splash blog readers! Is it just us, or has this week gone by extraordinarily quickly? Today, we’ve got some awesome slideshows and presentations to share. We love getting insights from others’ presentations and think the three below have some great resources. Social Media for Nonprofits View more PowerPoint from rmlaflam Future of Nonprofit Storytelling – 501TechNYC View more presentations from Rob Wu The nonprofit event management success formula View more presentations from Constant Contact Event Marketing

• 

  GrowGlobally.org

• India and China Market Opportunities Highlighted at ASAE International Conference 2012

  Peter Turner

  4 May 2012 | 4:39 pm

          Two popular sessions focusing on the market potential of India and China drew large audiences of association executives this week at the ASAE International Conference 2012 in Washington DC.  Two of MCI’s senior consultants who live and work in these markets were on hand to present a first hand look at the dynamics and what is needed to succeed as these countries try to close the skills gap needed to compete in a 21st century global marketplace. India Tarnbir Kaur, MENA & India Director- Association Management & Consulting, MCI Dubai & Mumbai…

• US Associations with Global Interests Growing Faster than Peers

  Peter Turner

  2 Apr 2012 | 11:30 am

  At MCI, we often hear from clients about when in their development they should consider focusing “market building” resources outside the US market to drive better product sales and build market share.  Although we find certain activities like regional events can grow brand and product interest in young markets, having a more 24/7 local presence is required to consolidate and expand growth for those associations who derive at least 15% of their revenues from outside the US. As we have shared often on this blog as well as through presentations, having good market insight into the…

• Healthcare Associations Use Delegate Building to Boost International Meeting Attendance

  Peter Turner

  24 Mar 2012 | 11:26 am

  No matter where you are in the world, the need to maximize delegate attendance is critical.  The problem is finding methods that can be employed effectively across various regions to ensure maximum results.  This article features the delegate acquisition strategy being used by such organizations as the World Heart Federation and the European League Against Rheumatism for their global congresses. Targeting Ideal Delegate Composition Delegate registration revenue typically represents between 30-50% of overall international conference revenues and the presence of a rich, diversified, and…

• Revenue Streams Building Profitable Enterprises – AAO

  Peter Turner

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:39 pm

  The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) has developed a product series that has been credited with sustaining retention and increasing new membership while delivering new revenue streams through the digital capture, marketing, and dissemination of its meeting programs. Over the past four years, this AAO program has delivered new forms of revenue by leveraging and repurposing existing program content.  Together with their partner Blue Sky Broadcast, AAO has a turnkey system that permits them the flexibility to change how they are using the captured content as members’ needs change.

• Global Content Dissemination – Opening New Markets for Existing Education Products

  Peter Turner

  3 Feb 2012 | 12:43 pm

    In the new book “The End of Membership As We Know It,” the author contends that the era when associations could count on members joining and renewing with a relatively unchanging menu of membership benefits has passed. To support this notion we’ve seen a couple US association industry trend surveys from last year suggesting that associations will need to ramp up their product development capacity if they hope to keep their existing members or secure new ones.  Today, it is all about “product first strategy” as the lead value driver rather than simply…

• 

  Association Subculture

• What Do Benefit Corporations Have to do With Associations?

  Shelly Alcorn, CAE

  9 May 2012 | 4:20 pm

  Everything. Those companies who are becoming benefit corporations are required to select and demonstrate compliance with a particular independent third-party standard that measures their commitment to good business practices, as well as social and environmental performance.  The question for associations is - who should be setting those standards for those companies in your industry or profession who want to be benefit corporations? The answer is - YOU. Who else should be involved in setting standards for your members?  Wouldn't you like to direct your members to standards you have…

• The Gift of Ignorance

  Shelly Alcorn, CAE

  30 Apr 2012 | 9:27 pm

  "I began asking for things which in my ignorance were impossible to do...." Thanks to Brain Pickings for this wonderful clip of Orson Welles from 1960 discussing the filming of Citizen Kane. In the clip, Orson tells a story about the first day of filming.  His background was in theatre, not in film.  So when he got on set for the first time, he took the initiative and began arranging the lights which theatre directors do but film directors typically did not. Apparently his cameraman, Tollen, told everyone to be quiet and not correct him.  Five days into filming, someone finally…

• Sometimes It's How You Say It.....

  Shelly Alcorn, CAE

  19 Apr 2012 | 7:15 pm

  My daughter has a close friend whose mother is an English teacher.  The other day my daughter came home laughing over the following sentence game (emphasize a different word each time you read it): I never said I stole your money. I never said I stole your money. I never said I stole your money. I never said I stole your money. I never said I stole your money. I never said I stole your money. I never said I stole your money. Many of you know I happen to love language and playing with words.  I find this game so fun because it so clearly illustrates the principles of tone and…

• What Monkeys Know About Membership

  Shelly Alcorn, CAE

  11 Apr 2012 | 1:06 pm

  The video below is from a fascinating TEDTalk about animals and morality. It discusses our previous views of animal behavior seen through a lens of aggression and competition and how our understanding of animal (and also human behavior) has evolved and now points to different outcomes in terms of how animals value each other, cooperate and also evince a basic sense of fairness. I can't help but think there are messages in here that can relate to the concept of membership, citizenship or community.  As members of an association, we sometimes get into conflict and then go through a…

• Benefit Corporation Standards Institute, Inc. Officially Launched

  Shelly Alcorn, CAE

  9 Apr 2012 | 12:52 pm

  I am pleased to announce the official launch of a new 501(c)(3) non-profit - the Benefit Corporation Standards Institute, Inc. (BCSI) I don't know how many of us in the third sector association sphere have been paying close attention to the movement to establish a new corporate structure in the United States known as the benefit corporation. Although businesses of all types have been pursuing goals related to a triple-bottom-line for some time, and sustainability issues aren't new, what is new is the push to put the legal structures in place to foster, promote and protect the development…

• 

  vanguardtechnology.wordpress.com

• Do’s and Don’ts of Website Redesigns

  Ray van Hilst

  15 May 2012 | 11:10 am

  Good project management is the key to staying calm during a website redesign. Next week is ASAE’s Marketing, Membership and Communications Conference where Ray van Hilst from Vanguard will be co-presenting Association Website Redesign and CMS Migration: Best Practices (and Horror Stories) with Ceela McElveny from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists and Tobin Conley from DelCor Technology Solutions. The session will cover a number of web redesign best practices including managing expectations, timelines and project management tools as well as an in-depth case study of our…

• Digital & Mental Spring Cleaning

  Ray van Hilst

  28 Mar 2012 | 12:55 pm

  Is it time for some spring cleaning on your association's website? It’s that time of year to open the windows, grab the cleaning supplies and wipe away the stale air and grime of winter occupying our homes as we look forward to days spent outdoors. So it is only appropriate that over the past few days, I’ve taken on some “Digital Spring Cleaning” of my own.  As I synced my iPhone I got a notice I had 70 app updates.  I didn’t even know I owned that many apps!! So I took a quick look to see what could go away to make room for the next round of digital innovation. The whistle has…

• Amazon Trick Could Get You More Members Or Why A Confirmation Page Is Your Most Important Salesperson

  Chris Bonney

  16 Feb 2012 | 7:40 pm

  Have you purchased from Amazon.com lately? If so, you’ve hopefully noticed the new share feature they’ve added on their purchase confirmation page. See the tabbed area above enabling purchasers to share their recent purchase with their Facebook friends, Twitter followers or with anyone by email? We’ve been talking to associations for years about how much a form confirmation page can be a sales tool. For some reason, most associations have chosen not to take advantage. The tide may turn now that Amazon has given us such a great example of how easy it is to do. It’s word…

• 5 Critical Association Web Strategies For 2012

  Chris Bonney

  3 Feb 2012 | 8:33 am

  1. Leverage What Works. The Internet is full of “good enough” information. Trying to be all things to all members is the kiss of death online in 2012. Determine what’s working on your website, what your members seem to gravitate toward, and do more of that. Don’t be afraid to cut content for the sake of doing fewer things better. 2. Curate. Do the searching for your members. Content curation sites like scoop.it and squidoo.com make it drop dead simple for people to cull niche content for specialized audiences. Is there a way to curate your organizational or industry content in a…

• Find Your Association’s Creative Strategy for Social Media

  Ray van Hilst

  1 Feb 2012 | 9:17 pm

  “What should my organization be doing with social media?” continues to be one of the biggest questions from associations – no matter what their level of engagement is. That’s why today’s ASAE Idea Swap in Reston Virginia by Kiki L’Italien from Delcor Technology Solutions titled “Roadmap to Creative Social Media for Your Association” was so important. The big takeaway Kiki hammered home is that social media is constantly changing (for example, 6 months ago there would be no mention of Pinterest… but more on that later).  That’s why it is so important to have a strategy…

• 

  a blog & resource centre for NFP organizations

• Five Key Elements of the Succession Planning Process

  Carol-Anne Moutinho

  2 May 2012 | 9:00 am

  By Jack Shand. Succession planning is not about replacing an existing employee. The purpose is to prepare the organization and develop its "bench strength" for future organizational requirements. There are five elements to managing a succession process.

• TED Talks You Should Watch: Simon Sinek On How Great Leaders Inspire Action

  Carol-Anne Moutinho

  25 Apr 2012 | 9:00 am

  Why does your organization exist? What do you get out of bed in the morning? Why should anyone care? Simon Sinek maps out a simple process by which you can lead and inspire from the inside-out.  The words that stuck with me the most? “People don't buy what you do. They buy why you do it.” Watch it:

• Done With Dull! Shake Up Your Next Strategic Plan Free Webinar Recap

  Carol-Anne Moutinho

  19 Apr 2012 | 9:00 am

    Want to develop a strategic plan for your association that isn’t boring? Missed last week’s webinar?  No problem! Check out this 15 minute recap on how you can create a plan that gets folks motivated and thinking ‘big’ when it comes to your association.  

• Strategic Planning for Associations in 20 Minutes or Less

  Carol-Anne Moutinho

  28 Mar 2012 | 3:17 pm

  Who? YOU...and me! What?  Discuss how you can develop  a strategic plan that is effective, easy-to-follow and that gets everyone excited and pulling on the same set of oars to help turn your Association’s strategy into a reality When? April 2, 2012. 4:00PM PST Where? From the comfort of wherever you like via webinar or in-person at SSU's gorgeous Gastown studio Why? Because I know you want to develop a plan that works...and that doesn't make everyone want to press the snooze button!   How?  Register Here For Free!  

• CharityVillage Launches 2nd Annual Salary Survey for Canadian Nonprofits

  Carol-Anne Moutinho

  23 Mar 2012 | 1:12 pm

  CharityVillage launched it's 2nd annual Salary survey for Canadian nonprofits yesterday.   The initiative hopes to build on the success of last year's inaugural study, which was the first of its kind to focus specifically on compensation and benefits in nonprofit organizations from across Canada.  Last year saw almost 1,200 respondents report data on almost 16,400 employees in the Canadian charitable sector. They are hoping to do even better this year!  Participants recieve... A complimentary copy of the Executive Summary; Be able to purchase the full report for only $49 (50%…

• 

  Jeffrey Cufaude, Idea Architects

• Seen Elsewhere: Building Creative Capacity, Emerging Education Models, and Group Decision Making

  Jeffrey Cufaude

  16 May 2012 | 3:53 am

  In one of my volunteer roles, I write a feature in the ASAE Executive Management Section IdeaLink newsletter called Seen Elsewhere.  Every few months I share a few interesting websites, blogs, or publications from sources a bit off the beaten path of most volunteer or staff leaders to provide a professional development field trip.  With ASAE's permission, I reprint them here, a few months after their original online publication.  Thanks to Joe Rominiecki, Senior Editor, for helping polish my submissions into a more appealing form.Summary: A selection of thought-provoking…

• Quotes About Change, Resilience, and Transition

  Jeffrey Cufaude

  14 May 2012 | 4:45 am

  Nancy Margulies, theworldcafe.com“The primary way to prepare for the unknown is to attend to the quality of our relationships, to how well we know and trust one another. It is possible to prepare for the future without knowing what it will be.”Margaret Wheatley, “When Change Is Out of Our Control”“Communities are places or entities where each member can give something, where they can contribute something that they feel especially able to give, something they are good at. The gift from each member is valued by the whole community and all gifts are unique and individual. The gift that…

• Facilitation Friday #19: Resisiting Resistance is Futile

  Jeffrey Cufaude

  11 May 2012 | 5:51 am

  t-shirt from thinkgeek.comWhat will you do when people resist your facilitation?  At some point it is going to happen.  The resistance could come from a lone individual or a majority of the group.  It could be subtle and covert or disruptive and overt.  Resistance is routine and normal.  It simply is an individual or individuals saying "this really isn't working for me."While you do want to observe it long enough in order to be sure you need to intervene and are prepared to do so, you generally can't simply ignore it.  Doing so can impede the ability of the group…

• My Simple Business Blueprint

  Jeffrey Cufaude

  8 May 2012 | 11:44 am

  After working in student affairs on the college campus and for two associations, I have owned my own businesses for the last 16 years.For the first five years I was a co-founder and partner  (with Karyn Nishumura Sneath) of a leadership development practice called like minded people.  The past 11 years I have been flying solo as the president and CEO of Idea Architects.  And I have a confession to make.I've never created a business plan.I don't set annual goals or goals for any other timeframe.I don't actively monitor current financial projections compared to the same time last…

• Authenticity: 10 Favorite Quotes

  Jeffrey Cufaude

  7 May 2012 | 7:12 am

   “When we are authentic, we set in motion events that compound themselves and lead to discovery and growth. In contrast, when we choose to lead a life characterized by prevent defenses, the choice we faced at 20 is there again at 30 and again at 40 and again at 50 and again at 60.“ Barry Brownstein, "The Downside of the ‘Prevent Defense'," The Systems Thinker, September 2003“ ... authenticity can’t be cloned without turning it into ‘authenticity,’ and smart listeners can hear quotation marks a mile away.” Lorraine Ali and David Gates Newsweek, March 11,…

• 

  KiKi L'Italien's Acronym Soup

• It All Looks Different at 10,000 Feet

  4 May 2012 | 8:14 pm

  With travel dominating much of my schedule lately, I've been appreciating the freedom of WiFi at 10,000 feet so I can keep up with work and communications while in the air. This may seem like a small thing, but it isn't. The ability to do what I want, when I want to is somewhat shocking to many people. But more and more people are like me and expectations are changing.How are you changing your communication style to members to reflect your openness to adaptation and recognition of powerful trends shaping us all?

• Pull The Next One Up – Developing Talent In The Workplace

  18 Mar 2012 | 9:02 am

  [Cross-posted to the Relationship Economics blog] When I receive Success Magazine in the mail each month, I usually pick it up with a balance of pride and humility. The magazine, blatantly named after an aspiration known since the beginning of time, represents a call to action before you ever open its pages. It takes more than a subscription to achieve success after all, so I take a keen interest in the articles focused on leadership – a true indicator of success. This month’s issue of Success (April 2012) features John C. Maxwell’s article, “The Fifth Level of Leadership.” The…

• Extrapolation Gets You No Where

  1 Mar 2012 | 2:51 pm

  Most of my life I have tried preparing for the future the best that I could. Sitting deep in thought,  going around and around looking at all the options and all the possibilities before moving forward had a dizzying effect. I've struggled with anxiety. And here's what that did for me: Nothing. A friend of mine recently beseeched me to "stop extrapolating" so I would focus on being present and not worrying about things that haven't happened. Actually, she said this a lot and once I was finally able to stop thinking so much, an incredible thing happened...clarity!  Not only did I…

• I'm Just So In Love With All of You Right Now [a.k.a. A Case of TMI]

  21 Feb 2012 | 11:45 pm

  I share. Probably too much, but I like to share everything online from the drawing my daughter creates to a link to my latest webinar. People who follow me on Twitter, Facebook, G+, Pinterest, or any of the other online places I tend to hang out in probably know me better than I do. That said, like many of us these days, my private and work life mingles closely online and for me they are practically indistinguishable from one another. Which is why I choose to steer clear of anything that might be considered too incendiary. Just like I wouldn't want to make someone uncomfortable visiting my…

• Duh. Pinning. (Advice for Association Executives Interested in Pinterest)

  7 Feb 2012 | 8:18 pm

  If you are sick of hearing about Pinterest, then you'll really hate this post. Pinterest has basically taken the world by storm and is one of my favorite excuses for insomnia lately. Haters are quick to call Pinterest an online campground for women who want to get married, lose weight, make scrapbooks, and decorate their houses. Admirers could say the same thing. There is a lot of all of those things there. But to be fair there is more to it than that. Quick description: Pinterest in an online corkboard for cataloguing interests and sharing those interests with connections (or anyone). Does…

• 

  ASAE CareerHQ.org Search Results

• Professional Development Manager | American Dental Education Association

  16 May 2012 | 3:19 pm

  US - DC - Washinton, The position requirements include: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of training, experience and skills.  Five years experience in a progressively responsible association or hi

• Chief Executive Officer - Oregon Food Bank | Oregon Food Bank

  16 May 2012 | 3:06 pm

  US - OR - Portland, Ideal candidates for this position will be passionate about OFB’s mission, and compassionate toward our clients and stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have proven fundraising and political skills

• Executive Director | Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.

  16 May 2012 | 2:39 pm

  US - Alexandria, VA, Master’s degree or equivalent education; Certification in Association Management (CAE) preferred; 7-10 years’ experience in a similar sized association (preferably nonprofit); excel

• Executive Director | League of Women Voters of Michigan

  16 May 2012 | 2:28 pm

  US - MI - Lansing, Key Areas of Responsibility Fundraising • Leads fundraising efforts including annual fundraising campaign, major donor solicitation and growth of individual donor base. • Seeks sources for and

• Administrative Manager | Drohan Management Group

  16 May 2012 | 2:27 pm

  US - Reston, VA, Reston-based association management firm seeks individual to support, meetings support, member database work (IMIS software), and other miscellaneous administrative work.  Association and IMI

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  Wired 4 Leadership

• Leadership, Technology and Society

  Kerry Stackpole

  6 May 2012 | 1:38 pm

  A fearsome battle about the future was being fought.  It wasn’t about political philosophy, geopolitical boundaries or land rights.  It was about the future of printing, more specifically composition and typesetting.  The battle in 1895 pitted an unknown watchmaker Ottmar Mergenthaler against one of … Continue reading →You are reading Leadership, Technology and Society from the Wired 4 Leadership blog.

• Why Leaders Should Practice Forgetting

  Kerry Stackpole

  27 Apr 2012 | 12:18 pm

  When it comes to common knowledge, leaders have a lot to learn about forgetting.  Why?  Because forgetting is essential to finding new, innovative solutions to long running problems and challenges.  It’s way easy to reach into one’s memory grabbing a … Continue reading →You are reading Why Leaders Should Practice Forgetting from the Wired 4 Leadership blog.

• Innovation At The Start

  Kerry Stackpole

  3 Apr 2012 | 12:31 pm

  I recently had the opportunity to spend a day and a half with innovator John Kao at the ASAE Great Ideas Conference to discuss the “Four Questions of Strategic Innovation”.  Kao, well-known for his extraordinary creative expertise also shares a … Continue reading →You are reading Innovation At The Start from the Wired 4 Leadership blog.

• Process or Vision? The Making of Great Leaders

  Kerry Stackpole

  12 Feb 2012 | 1:41 pm

  Can great leaders succeed by focusing on process over vision?  Is luck a more important indicator in the success of great companies?  Why is it leaders point to their own talents when things go well, but tend to fault economics, … Continue reading →You are reading Process or Vision? The Making of Great Leaders from the Wired 4 Leadership blog.

• How 50 Wise Women Are Changing Our World

  Veronica Verdolini

  25 Dec 2011 | 9:51 am

  The Washington Post delivered a wonderful and informative Christmas gift to its readers–an illuminating story about the growing array of talented women in leadership–and the writer and force behind the success of Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women conference, Pattie Sellars. … Continue reading →You are reading How 50 Wise Women Are Changing Our World from the Wired 4 Leadership blog.

• 

  aLearning Blog

• Indefinite Hiatus

  Ellen

  24 Apr 2012 | 12:44 pm

  Regular aLearning blog readers have probably noticed a sudden drop in activity here. No worries! We’re fine. But we are involved in some other areas these days and providing up-to-date insight on association-related elearning topics hasn’t been at the top of the list, sorry to say. Previous posts on various topics continue to garner so many hits daily that the blog will sit, waiting and ready for new posts, when the time comes. In the meantime, please know that the aLearning Fundamentals tutorials — always free and never requiring registration — are still live and will…

• February March April Quick Links

  Ellen

  11 Apr 2012 | 12:07 pm

  Yes, aLearning has been distracted these past few months with some non-blog projects… so although a few of these resource items are a little older than a month or two, they’ve been re-vetted and we think they’re still worth your attention. LMS Resources The most popular topics on this blog are those on LMSes. They get the most initial hits, and some posts that even date back a few years are still getting a lot of attention. Having said that, here are a few excellent resources — in no particular order — if you’re trying to decide whether to get an LMS or…

• Get Latest Tagoras Report on Virtual Events — FREE

  Ellen

  2 Apr 2012 | 7:21 pm

  For just this week, if you sign up for the Tagoras Research Community list — which is free to join — you will receive a complimentary copy of Association Virtual Events: State of the Sector. It’s a win-win! Don’t wait — the offer will expire at the end of this week (April 6 or so). For details and to sign up, see this page on their Web site: http://www.tagoras.com/catalog/virtual-events/ If you’re not really in the profile for getting this report gratis, but you have a vested interested in finding out about the status of virtual events in the association…

• What Corporate Trainers Can Learn from Associations

  Ellen

  8 Mar 2012 | 12:08 pm

  In her reaction to our recent post, “Did You Feel That?” Adrienne Gross said, “One thing that technology can’t really help with though is motivation: ‘I want to do this training.’” I responded by agreeing that we can lead people to training but we can’t make them learn. And that got me thinking about a key difference between corporate training and association training. Our problems are 180-degrees in difference. Corporate trainers struggle to get learners engaged. Often they’re showing up for courses because they’ve been sent, the…

• Don’t Assume Anything

  Ellen

  5 Mar 2012 | 3:11 pm

  You’ve heard that old expression, right? Don’t assume anything, it makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me.” Haven’t ranted in awhile, but I ran into one of those situations lately that had me swearing under my breath. And it had to do with some of you, probably. Yes, you. You who have your blog comments linked to particular response vehicles. Nothing worse that reading a long post, getting into the point of view expressed in it, drafting and editing a thoughtful response, then starting to submit it when — wait! What’s this?!?!? I…

• 

  anassociationcareer

• Don’t Forget To JOIN Associations

  Career Coach / Resume Writer for Association Executives

  5 May 2012 | 8:59 am

  One of the reasons the association industry remains a “secret” sector is because people only think of joining them – not working for them. Do association employees do the same thing in reverse? Do they forget the impact that membership can make on their own careers? Often, it’s a case of “the cobbler’s children have no shoes.” In general, there are two types of organizations association employees can join: industry associations such as ASAE or associations focused on a specific functional area – for example, the American Marketing Association for someone who works in…

• Career Lessons Learned

  Career Coach / Resume Writer for Association Executives

  12 Apr 2012 | 12:56 pm

  Edited article as posted on Chuck’s Blog. Click HERE for the original. Regardless of if you are a seasoned C-level executive, a first time job seeker, or an entrepreneur, there are plenty of lessons to be learned throughout your career journey. Some are more obvious than others; some you still don’t quite implement even though you know they are important. Keep these lessons shared by Chuck Hollis, VP and Global Marketing CTO of EMC Corporation, top of mind; you’ll be able to stay a step ahead of your peers. Enjoy What You Do. You’ll do more of it, which makes you better at it, which…

• Are You “Penny Wise and Pound Foolish” When it Comes to Your Career?

  Career Coach / Resume Writer for Association Executives

  28 Mar 2012 | 10:54 pm

  This maxim really applied to me a few months ago. To save a dollar or two, I bought the cheapest toothbrush in the store – and ended up paying hundreds of dollars after the rough bristles damaged my dental work. Of course, it can be difficult to tell when you’re being frugal and when you’re being “pound foolish.” The area becomes even greyer when it comes to your career. Isn’t the point of a job to MAKE money? Why would you need to spend anything? Consider the following: 1)      You’re company won’t cover the cost of a certification you’re interested in pursuing. The…

• Set SUPER SHORT Term Goals

  Career Coach / Resume Writer for Association Executives

  14 Mar 2012 | 10:54 am

  I’m a big proponent of short term goals. I cover how they specifically relate to getting a promotion in “I Want a Job in an Association – Now What???,” but they can apply to just about anything. Based on what I’ve observed, overwhelm is one of the main obstacles to moving forward – and with good reason! In the career space, most things are not immediate. A job search can take months, you may need to gain experience before you can be considered for a promotion, etc. You may think, what’s the point? Well, finishing a bite-sized goal is still a step forward, and the confidence that…

• “The CEO” Provides Daily Job Search Advice

  Career Coach / Resume Writer for Association Executives

  27 Feb 2012 | 10:42 pm

  Edited article as posted on Employment Crossing. Click HERE for the original. Looking for a job isn’t always easy, however, with the right job search methods; it does not have to be that difficult.   According to A. Harrison Barnes, “The CEO”, the success and failure of an organization depends on the relative failures and successes of its employees. The CEO provides daily job search advice to those looking for jobs so that they don’t go wrong. He says, ”I have often noticed that job seekers want to get a job overnight i.e. they expect a bit too much and this…

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  Latest Buzz - The Membee Blog

• HELP - I Dont Know What to Do!!

  Anita Lask

  15 May 2012 | 6:00 am

  What do you do if you don’t know what to do in Membee?  Getting help in Membee is easy!  The Support tab stays at the left hand side of the screen no matter where you are in Membee just waiting for you to ask a question. Despite the great rating our help desk receives ( Membee Ranks High in Customer Satisfaction), the best answer to most questions is the one you get immediately. Our help articles are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are the fastest way to get an answer to your question since you don’t have to wait for a support agent to get back to you. Type your question…

• Ontario Membee Users Meet to Compare Notes

  Anita Lask

  9 May 2012 | 6:00 am

  On April 26 – 27, 2012 the Ontario Membee User’s Group met in Guelph, Ontario to share best practice ideas, to learn more about Membee, to provide user feedback and ideas and perhaps even to have a little fun! This user group meets twice a year in the spring and fall in an effort to share their experiences peer to peer.  Members of the group represent diverse associations including chambers of commerce, professional associations, and trade associations.  While the organizations are diverse they share common concerns and challenges. This spring the meeting’s focus was on identifying…

• Use the Batch Management Report for Data Consistency

  Anita Lask

  30 Apr 2012 | 11:44 am

  Make data maintenance easier and ensure consistency in your data records by using the awesome Batch Membership Management Report feature for tasks like dropping members or renewing returning members.  Saving a favourite version of the Batch Membership Management report for those tasks ensures that you don’t forget steps. Create a favourite report for Cancelling or Renewing members. Cancelling/Suspending Members When a member Cancels there are often a number of steps needed to properly close out a record.  For example you staff might need to: Change the membership status Write off…

• 7 Killer Enhancements to E-Billing

  Anita Lask

  23 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am

  Membee’s popular E-billing feature is getting a big update, making it faster for your members to pay.  The new widget will also make deploying your E-billing page even easier. The E-Billing Control is Now a Widget The new Widget is part our our ongoing effort to make implementing our online modules seamless and will allow you to integrate the Membee E-billing page right into your current website.  Simply paste a bit of script generated by Membee into your webpage. Enhancements We have added a few enhancements to the E-billing page. Apply Styles to the Widget – A Style section in the new…

• Membee Makes Directory Updates Simple

  Anita Lask

  16 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am

  Creating a new member directory or updating one of your current directories is simple using the Directory Populate Report.  Recent enhancements to this report now mean that you can make wholesale changes to directory listing settings, easily create new directories, or update by adding listings to current directories. Create a New Directory If you need to create a new directory in Membee, it is as simple as running the Directory Populate Report.  When you run the report it creates directory listings based the information in the member’s Profile Tab and your filter criteria. Select the…

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  Social Media for Chambers, Associations, and Members

• How to Remain Relevant and Thrive

  Frank J. Kenny

  15 May 2012 | 11:52 am

  Yesterday I wrote about the wisdom of thriving over merely existing. Thriving means: 1. to grow strongly and vigorously 2. to do well; prosper Have you seen this video? Over 100,000,000 people have. Isn’t this concept innovative and beautiful? I love the fact that even after all these years, all these centuries, people can still create stunning new gifts [...]

• Are You Going to Thrive or Just Exist?

  Frank J. Kenny

  14 May 2012 | 1:14 pm

  Seth Godin makes some great points about the new realities of business and life in this 8 minute video. He nails it when he discusses the shift from the factory, do what your told mindset of the 20th century, to the new necessity for individuals to go after their passions (if they want to thrive). [...]

• Don't Make This Big Chamber of Commerce Mistake

  Frank J. Kenny

  7 May 2012 | 11:32 am

  I generally post on how your chamber of commerce can use social media to grow the membership, increase retention, bring in non-dues revenue, and the like. Today though, I want to make some quick comments about chamber of commerce financial controls. Every so often we read in the press about somebody getting in big trouble [...]

• Are Young Professional Groups a Bad Idea?

  Frank J. Kenny

  5 May 2012 | 12:40 pm

  Does your chamber have a young professional group? They seem to be springing up more and more. Chambers, like most business associations, are seeing that their core members, the baby boomers, are retiring in droves. The next generation, X, is still involved and will be for a long time to come…but they are a much smaller [...]

• How To Earn Non-Dues Revenue Through A Chamber Social Media Seminar

  Frank J. Kenny

  25 Apr 2012 | 12:25 pm

  Earlier this week I posted to this blog asking if your chamber has offered a larger social media seminar, workshop, or class yet. More than 100 chambers (now at 123), large and small, responded to that question (and an earlier email) by downloading the chamber social media seminar proposal. Many of respondents had questions. In general (and I should [...]

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  Association Management Blog

• Association Conference Calls: Stay Productive

  Kevin Davis

  27 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am

  784. That’s how many association conference calls I facilitate in the average year.  With that many calls, I want them to be productive time.  Here are seven habits that help keep calls that I facilitate more productive: Know who’s driving. So many calls are just adrift, it’s unclear who is charged with facilitating the call [...]

• Technical Committee Checklist

  Mary McRae

  29 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pm

  You have just formed a new consortium and you’re anxious to begin work – real work – on meeting your goals and objectives. Your chances for success will be much higher if you first have a solid foundation in place.  Here is a handy checklist you should have before starting your first technical committee or [...]

• Association’s “To Don’t” List

  Andy Freed

  24 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am

  Today marks 15 years since the publication of one of my favorite business books, Built to Last, by James Collins.  Given the title, it’s appropriate that its lessons have been “built to last” as well—having stuck with me for the 15 years since I first read the book. Collins writes of what it takes to [...]

• We All Have Issues

  Mary McRae

  17 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm

  Yes, it’s true. If you’re an association of any kind, chances are extremely high that at least one of your committees or working groups has a list of open items, or issues. It could be items that the group hasn’t yet reached consensus on, parking lot items that the group hasn’t yet had a chance [...]

• Associations Year End Checklist

  Andy Freed

  15 Dec 2011 | 9:00 am

  With the calendar down to just one page, now’s a good time to think of all the “year end” activities for your association.   Here’s my list, I’ll leave it to the guy with the beard to check it twice. Environmental scan Every Board should spend some focused time looking outwardly at trends that are driving [...]

• 

  Leonard Sipes.Com

• Battling the Bullies–Using Audio for Internet Reputation Management

  admin

  14 May 2012 | 5:43 pm

  Http://LeonardSipes.Com Note: Good writers visualize their readers. I see a women/girl being the victim of internet bullies posting photos or salacious stories on Facebook and related social sites. This article is for her. There was an article in the New York Times addressing reputation management. The fundamental question was neutralizing negative articles or blog posts or photographs that affect careers and personal lives. Aggrieved people can contact online publications and ask for them to remove the offending items. They can also employ reputation management organizations to monitor and…

• Using Video or Audio to Explain and Sell Your Website

  admin

  7 May 2012 | 8:14 am

  Http://LeonardSipes.Com This site specializes in public relations and social media for government, associations and nonprofits but the bulk of innovation in the use of video or audio to explain and sell websites comes from the commercial sector. The question is whether non-commercial sites should adopt the same strategies? The bulk of visitors to any website (regardless as to how good the site is) leave within seconds. Even when relevancy is established visitors often see a confusing mess of options and choices. Web visitors are flat-out unwilling to invest time in your website unless you…

• Reaching Critical Communities through News and Social Media

  admin

  2 May 2012 | 8:22 am

  Http://LeonardSipes.Com Pew Study-Background: “A recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism and Internet & American Life Project, in partnership with the Knight Foundation, finds that nearly three-quarters of Americans (72%) report following local news closely “most of the time, whether or not something important is happening.”  In contrast, one-quarter (25%) indicate they follow local news closely “only when something important is happening.” This follow-up report takes a closer look at one unique group of local news…

• Social Media and Stress in Communications

  admin

  24 Apr 2012 | 8:23 am

  Http://LeonardSipes.Com I wrote “Stress and Public Relations” last week and received comments and questions via e-mail, LinkedIn and Twitter. Most debated the reasons for stress in communications but several suggested that social media was a contributing factor. The original article was based on a findings from CareerCast/PR Newser on the ten most stressful jobs. Summary: Public relations officers had the second most stressful jobs. Photojournalists were fourth. Newscasters (television and radio news presenters) ranked  fifth. Advertising account executives were sixth. Observation on the…

• Stress and Public Relations

  admin

  19 Apr 2012 | 8:38 am

  Http://LeonardSipes.Com Tonya Garcia from PR Newser reports on findings from CareerCast regarding the most ten most stressful jobs. Selected findings: Public relations officers were second on the list. Photojournalists were fourth. Newscasters (television and radio news presenters) ranked as fifth. Advertising Account Executives were sixth. Observation on the PR profession from the article, “This highly-competitive field and tight deadlines keep stress at high-levels for specialists. Some PR officers, also, are required to interact with potentially hostile members of the media.” A…

• 

  XYZ University

• Recognition 3.0: New rules for making Millennials feel like they matter

  Hillary Feder

  14 May 2012 | 8:34 pm

  The Millennials (a.k.a. Generation Y, Digital Natives and Echo Boomers) have arrived with a very different work agenda than preceding generations. Prepared to stay with their employer for 2-5 years, their average tenure is only 1.5 years according to the Department of Labor. With 75 million Millenials entering the workforce, employers must understand this disconnect and close the gap if they want to attract, retain and encourage better performance from Gen Y employees. A few key facts about Gen Y and their expectations: They are the most educated generation in American History They are social…

• The new workforce: Young, rich and female

  Sarah Sladek

  10 May 2012 | 7:46 am

  Picture a picnic blanket, laid out beautifully on the green grass set with a wooden picnic basket and plates, napkins, and delicious food on display. Now picture someone coming up to your glorious picnic and yanking the blanket out from underneath it all. You stand there, watching everything come crashing down in complete disarray. Well folks, that’s exactly what’s happening to the workforce. First it was a demographic shift. About 10 years ago, younger generations with very different values and approaches to work started to influence –and change– the way we work and do business.

• Gen Y and associations: The perfect Twitter match

  Colin Hirdman

  8 May 2012 | 7:41 am

  You’ve heard of Twitter. You may even use Twitter. But do you know how effective Twitter can be in engaging with a specific audience? I’m not writing this post to give you stats and industry trends. I’m writing this post to give you actionable steps to engage Gen Y using Twitter. Interested? Read on! You are not a celebrity! One of the unique aspects of Twitter vs. other social networks is you can follow whomever you want without their permission. And that’s the fundamental key to building an audience on Twitter – you must follow other people first. Oh sure, you may think that the…

• Is your association’s culture helping or hurting member recruitment and retention?

  Sarah Sladek

  2 May 2012 | 8:00 am

  As an association executive, you may have the power to change your association’s mission with the stroke of a pen. And you may have the ability to hire, fire, promote and demote people with relatively little effort. But changing an entrenched culture is the toughest task you will face. To do so, you must win the hearts and minds of your staff and membership, and that requires a great deal of effort and persuasion. Culture is not something you can actually see, yet it permeates the environment and experiences your association creates for its members. It’s the values, beliefs,…

• Creating positive culture for your association

  Sarah Sladek

  30 Apr 2012 | 10:19 am

  Culture is not some inanimate object to scoff at or neglect. Fueled by economic decline, rapidly changing technology, and demographic shifts, culture is more powerful than ever. Here are a few tips for creating a positive culture for your association: Gain support. Start with people who have considerable influence in the organization. (Note: The board and senior staff aren’t always the most influential.) If you get the influencers committed to change, cultural challenges will be easier to resolve. Provide proof. In the 1990s a New York Police Commissioner made his top brass—including…

• 

  Affinity Insights

• Why We Like to be Treated Like a VIP

  davidcarrithers

  10 May 2012 | 8:58 am

  While on vacation, we had the chance to take the Universal Studio’s VIP tour. This included a behind the scenes tour of the studios, the prop building, sound stages (we walked on an active set for Parenthood), to driving on Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives. We got access to the front of the line for all rides and choice reserved seating, a great lunch and more. From the moment we arrived and had Valet parking at the Frankenstein Lot, the red carpet treatment in the VIP l area, and the private tour guide for the day it was all thought out, very personal for a very small group,…

• What are these Links℠ Reward Points We’ve Been Talking About?

  Champion of the Association Experience

  2 May 2012 | 9:57 am

  So, what are these Links reward points we’ve been talking about and what can you as a member of an association, whether a business or individual do with them? It’s really simple…. It really is. Links reward points are simply points earned when you buy the things you buy every day, whether for business or personal use.  Right now you can earn these points when you buy online from hundreds of merchant partners in the AchieveLinks program, like Home Depot, Cabellas, Avis, Fashion Bug, Walmart, Hotels.com and others. There’s no cost to join the program, but you must be a member of a…

• Can’t Escape Loyalty

  davidcarrithers

  26 Apr 2012 | 9:34 am

  My two teenage daughters and my lovely bride of 26 years, Kristy, along with myself went to southern California to the Newport Coast looking for some beach and amusement park time, and to check out Caltech for my oldest. It’s fun to see my daughters be the young adults they are turning into and then every so often step back and be the kids they really still are (like Carolyn running up to show me the baby crab she caught at the oceans edge or Hannah smiling when the dinosaur popped up at Universal and spit water on her!) As we neared the end of our week of sun and too many meals out, a…

• Misconceptions Hinder Member Participation Until ‘A-Ha!’ Moment

  Champion of the Association Experience

  18 Apr 2012 | 9:14 am

  Reading Linda Dickerhoof Sperling’s recent post ‘Customer loyalty programs… you got some ‘splaining to do’ on the VIPdesk Blog, I see similarities in how Affinity Center International needs to communicate to associations and how associations need to communicate to their members about the AchieveLinks program. In her example, Linda states that she has probably been told numerous times about the benefits of the Giant Gas Rewards program, but due to so many things going on around her and in her life, she never felt motivated to participate in the program because of her pre-conceived…

• Power Of Partnership – ASAE Small Staff Association Executives Can Read All About it!

  affinitycenter

  12 Apr 2012 | 12:32 pm

  Widespread and continual knowledge are very important in professional and organizational development, as are strong and smart professional relationships. Through our corporate partnership with ASAE, we are excited to provide valuable reading that association executives can translate and apply to the workings of their association. Every other month, ten ASAE small staff association executives will be randomly selected to receive the free book “The Power of Partnership: Principles and Practices for Creating Strategic Relationships Among Nonprofit Groups, For-Profit Organizations, and…

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  SSU Blog

• 3 Things to do now for Search Relevance through Google’s Change

  Jay Nelson

  15 May 2012 | 5:29 am

  The days of gaming Google’s search algorithms seem to be coming to an end.  Soon, search will be based on activities that require honest effort to gain that valuable search result placement.  Content is regaining the throne as king of search and things like video and social referrals are going to weigh more heavily than purchased links and keyword laden tags. If you’re going to get on the first page of Google’s search results – you’re going to need to earn it. Search relevance is going to take a consistent flow of quality information which is shared and appreciated…

• Encouraging Online Engagement

  Alicia Wrobel

  7 May 2012 | 11:22 am

  We’ve discussed how to create a social media strategy for your association; now how can you be sure it is working? Ensuring that you're measuring more that just the basics & understanding the difference between "cool" & "hot" levels of engagement is key to developing your networks in a valuable way. Ideally, member engagement should parallel your desire to seek & meet member needs. Here are a couple of things to consider when you're evaluting your member engagement. "Hot" vs. "Cool" Engagement"Hot" levels of engagement refer to interactions which require an individual to…

• Make it Yours: How to Brand Your Video

  Alicia Wrobel

  1 May 2012 | 2:18 pm

  A great deal of time and effort is invested in building your brand's reputation, and your videos need to extend that effort. Utilize the trust you've established around your brand by employing it in your videos - giving people reason to watch them. This post provides a few tips to make this brand and video Ying and Yang easy.   To YouTube or Not to YouTube? There are a lot of places to publish your videos online. The most popular being YouTube and Vimeo; how do you decide which is right for your association?  Ideally, you publish your video in as many places as you can, and…

• Promoting Video Using the Power of Influence

  Alicia Wrobel

  23 Apr 2012 | 1:46 pm

  So you've spent hours perfecting the audio, script, and vision of your next video for publishing. Now you're left with a masterpiece and you don't know how to get it out there into the world of the internet. What many people often fail to recognize is that one of the most important tools you can utilize is the power of influence. This doesn't mean you have to be some hot shot celebrity either. Here are a couple of things to consider when you're beginning the promotional process: Your friends & colleagues value your opinion. Your first obligation is to ensure what you have is share worthy.

• Top Ten Easy Tips to YouTube Success

  Michael Rogers

  9 Apr 2012 | 11:54 am

  You’ve finally done it! You created a YouTube channel for your Association and embedded your first video creation on the organization’s website. Within no time the phones will be ringing off the hook with new members signing up, existing members registering for events, and sponsors looking to get involved with the best group in town. But then, nothing. How come some organizations shine through online video while others sink to the bottom of an ocean full of content? Poor quality, poor content and poor implementation are just a few thoughts that come to mind. With that being said,…