Blog
Video: Magnetism as Strategy
Many associations suffer from inconsistency in their recruitment and retention efforts. That’s why mapping what’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen, and who’s going to do it is so important. It’s also where technology can help. Identifying touch points -- and...
A re-post from Seth’s Blog: Closing the gate
This post first appeared on Seth Godin's Blog on April 19, 2016 and is shared here with permission. Closing the gate Sooner or later, tribes begin to exclude interested but unaffiliated newcomers. It happens to religious sects, to surfers and to online communities as...
Video: The Secondary Benefit of Strategic Planning
What’s more important: the consensus that emerges as a result of strategic planning or the connections participants make with one another? Planning participants tell me it’s both. Something special happens when you bring people together to chart a course for...
Video: Want to increase membership by 200%?
62% of associations are experiencing flat or declining membership according to Sarah Sladek, CEO of XYZ University and author of Knowing Y: Engage the Next Generation Now. That’s a scary statistic! Are you going to let this happen to your organization or are you...
Relevant Thoughts: Great Leaders
"Great leaders think less about what they have to say and more about what they should ask." -- Mary Byers, CAE
The Bravest, Scariest Form of Leadership
Courteous dialogue is one of the most powerful (and most underrated) leadership tools. Courageous dialogue even more so. Talking to, and with, "the enemy," is the bravest, scariest form of leadership.
Representative Governance Isn’t Always the Best
Representative governance isn't always the best. It assumes that representatives really know (or take the time to find out) what constituents want. It also assumes that constituents know what they want -- and often, they don't. Decisive governance -- where elected...
Relevant Thoughts: Consensus
"Consensus doesn't mean everyone necessarily agreed to a decision; but it should mean everyone can live with it." -- Mary Byers, CAE
Strategic Planning Doesn’t Need to Take Weeks or Months
There are many who believe that strategic planning has to be a long, drawn out process and that the more time and effort spent, the better the end result. I don't believe that. In my work with associations, I've seen many benefit from gathering staff and leadership in...