association management
A Publishing Strategy Makes Content Magic
What magic will– It’s a tall order, but no wands or capes are involved. A publishing strategy that unifies mission and messaging to deliver the information your members need accomplishes all that and more. The challenge lies in navigating an industry that is an epicenter of disruption and regularly reinvents itself. If you follow my…
Read MoreMaximize the Marriage of Marketing and Technology by Understanding Trends
When marketing got hitched to technology and changed its name to MarTech, their relationship caught fire. That marriage is making an indelible impact on the way associations operate and their ability to engage with members. The MarTech stack, or the digital platforms that professionals use to understand and reach their audiences, is changing so fast…
Read MoreFrom Problem Child to Genius—Energizing Chapters
The smiles are back! Yesterday the CDC announced that anyone who is fully vaccinated need not wear a mask in most circumstances. But wait. The comments on my Facebook page tell an interesting story. Everyone isn’t jumping on Open Table or heading to the movies. Some of us are quite happy, thank you very much,…
Read MoreSend Culture to the Door When Trouble Comes to Call
I frequently write the words digital and success in the same sentence. Technology is important. A weak infrastructure at the beginning of 2020 meant it was a very hard year. As much as I value electronic connectivity, culture or the human side of business will always be the imperative. We may never experience another global…
Read MoreArrested Development? A Strategic Approach to Technology Reboots Association Growth
Somewhere back in the Dark Ages of IT- say two years ago, because that’s how fast the electronic world moves now - we thought about technology as a tool to do business. There has been a profound shift in that concept. Technology has made the leap out of the toolbox. It has become integral to…
Read MoreAt CHEST Innovation Is Called Business as Usual
The opportunity to participate in my clients’ stories is one of the reasons I love being a consultant. To write our book, Association 4.0—Positioning for Success in an Era of Disruption, we interviewed leaders who strive to stay a step ahead of the future. CHEST is one association that doesn’t shy away from bold moves,…
Read MoreGive Your Team Something to Shout About—Move Strategy to Execution
Watching the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team beat England, it occurred to me that the game was a perfect example of strategy in action. A great team was testing their skills and tactics on the pitch, fully prepared to meet unexpected challenges. Granted, business will never have the flash of World Cup soccer. But strategic planning…
Read MoreLet the Light in—Creating an Organizational Culture Around Passion and Partnership
Closed office doors, break room gossip and a CEO who gives Tony Soprano a run for the money—culture gone wrong is easy to spot. Where work moves forward and employees treat each other civilly, culture may be the caboose on a long train of priorities. Hiding somewhere in the cloud’s dark recesses is a values…
Read More“The Beach Was too Sandy”—Happy Members Are a Nonnegotiable
I’ve been thinking, writing and talking a lot about Association 4.0. That’s how I describe best practices in a game-changing time for the association community and across the business world. Technology is driving the most visible disruption. So, it’s easy to forget that the new online community or e-learning platform you just launched is not…
Read MoreGive Your Data the Muscle to be Convincing
What would you expect a conference called Solutions Day to deliver? Answers to tough questions, strategies to tackle challenges and new perspectives. Our speakers made good on that promise. In the next few posts, I’m highlighting some of my personal aha moments from the November 15 event. If you’ve been considering how to make the…
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