Blog
The Great Resignation Association Style
You may have read about “The Great Resignation”— droves of employees quitting their jobs for new opportunities, to start their own businesses, or to avoid a long commute and/or a return to the office. Associations are not immune to this trend. According to workforce...
Your “Go Forward” Strategy
Have you heard your board talking about “going back to the way things used to be?” If so, don’t let them! The pandemic accelerated trends that have been challenging associations for years. It also created a sense of urgency and provided a tailwind for needed change....
What Associations Can Learn from Coca-Cola
According to an article by Jordan Valinsky, though Coke Energy had just hit shelves in January 2020, the pandemic altered the beverage giant's business strategy. In a statement, Coke said that it's focusing on the drinks that are selling well, including...
Deliberate Action Builds an Innovative Culture
My recent original research about association innovation shows that highly innovative cultures don’t just happen: they are carefully and intentionally built. The graphic below illustrates the “Path of Resistance” to achieving a strong culture. The “easiest” component...
Association Innovation Culture Traits
What traits do innovative cultures have in common? The graphic above shows six. Though this isn’t a complete list, it’s a good place to start. If you’re lacking in any of these areas, your innovation culture isn’t as strong as it could be. You can download the...
What’s the Secret to Association Innovation?
The headwinds against association innovation are strong. It’s clear that comfort, status quo, complacency and inertia represent business as usual. How do we move—collectively as staff and board—to discomfort, disruption, and industriousness? We plan for it. Business...
Innovation Success Story
In 2012, Michigan farmers experienced a gut-punch: the worst year on record since 1925 due to a deep freeze. Apple growers picked only 10-15 percent of their normal crop. Tart cherry production dropped by a whopping 92 percent. Peaches, pears and plums had essentially...
Identify Your Innovation Process
An association innovation process map makes it easier to understand what happens when and how it will happen. It assists staff in understanding their respective creation roles. And, importantly, it makes it easier to emphasize the importance of innovation during new...
The Association Innovation Challenge
Associations have been innovating on the fly for a year now. How have our habits changed as a result? What creativity muscles have we strengthened? More importantly, how can we take what we’ve learned and make it a part of our culture going forward? I’m joining with...