#association40
Association 4.0—A Playbook for Success
Every great team needs a playbook—a blueprint that outlines the rules you live by and your strategies for peak performance. At .orgSource we call that collection of wisdom our Association 4.0 framework. It is the product of ongoing research to prepare our clients for success in digital markets. Many of the characteristics we identified are…
Read MoreChallenging Conversations—Tackling Risk
If your association is lucky enough to have an investment portfolio, a discussion about risk has probably been on the board’s agenda. Financial managers make understanding the group’s risk tolerance a defining component of their strategy. These conversations are limited to bottom-line issues. But risk doesn’t always come with a dollar sign attached. Although money…
Read MoreFlat, Tall, or In Between—Is It Time to Evaluate Your Organizational Structure?
Even small associations tend to stack layers of management like the cake at a royal wedding. As many as five tiers of responsibility (junior positions, middle managers, executive staff, committees, and the board of directors) are not unusual.
Read MoreUse Technology to Put People First—How the Country Music Association’s Members Took Center Stage
Until AIs can think for themselves, digital systems are tools that do their best work with human ingenuity as the driver. And one of the puzzles technology excels at helping us solve is how to understand each other. The presentation Tiffany Kerns gave at .orgCommunity’s recent Solutions Day event, centered on that idea. Tiffany explained that although the Country…
Read MoreWhen the Talent Does the Shopping—Recruiting in a Crowded Market
Are you Gucci or Goodwill? Both brands have an audience. But when employees are shopping for a new look, it’s best to be the high-end option. Customer centricity doesn’t apply just to members anymore. Today, it’s equally important to give your employees that white glove treatment. And, if you’re looking for new talent, it’s time…
Read MoreAre Dues on the Chopping Block? Solutions Day has Answers.
This week’s food bill could have financed last year’s luxury vacation. The grocery store receipt is an emphatic reminder of the need to provide member value. Interest rates are rising, and fears of a recession are spiking concern across the economic horizon. Are membership dues on the chopping block? If you aren’t giving members professional…
Read MoreMake Change Your Most Significant Advantage
This idea from an article in the “Harvard Business Review” caught my attention. “As the shelf life of business strategies grows shorter, a corporation’s transformation capability becomes its only enduring advantage.” Authors N. Anand and Jean-Louis Barsoux go on to ask: “With serial transformations becoming the norm, a key strategic question for any corporate leader…
Read MoreDrones, Robots, and Farmers—Prepare Your Association To Meet Fast-Moving Technology Trends
To make a point about technology and its impact on the future of work, Hugh Lee, Co-Founder of Fusion Productions, told me this story: “Several years ago, we invited some young presenters who were developing cutting edge farming technology to digitalNow. They were using drones to fly over fields and analyze the irrigation and fertilizer…
Read MoreDon’t Be Afraid to Move the Rug! Seven Steps for Organizational Excellence
Consultants see everything—from organizations that make Dunder Mifflin look like a tight ship to associations that could teach us a thing or two. We focus attention on what the most successful groups do right. At .orgCommunity’s June 9 Innovation Summit, Kevin Ordonez, .orgSource President and Managing Director of Digital Strategy, and I gave a presentation…
Read MoreAssociation 4.0™ – Find the Sweet Spot in Digital Markets
Is anyone else tired of dystopian predictions? Today, I’m going to consider perfection. This may not be what most people imagine as utopia. But the realm of Association 4.0™ is pretty close to my ideal for my clients and their organizations. Several years ago, .orgSource coined the phrase Association 4.0 to describe the approach needed…
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