Your association website probably isn’t accessible — but should be
When President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, he did so on the White House lawn in front of a crowd of 3,000 people. The landmark legislation would ensure “every man, woman and child with a disability can now pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era […]
What Lady Gaga can teach your association
Nearly a decade ago, Lady Gaga fans were introduced to Jo Calderone. Calderone, a striking Italian-American from New Jersey, was in a kind of love affair with Gaga. When Calderone wasn’t appearing in a menswear fashion spread for Vogue Hommes Japan or heading to Bikram yoga classes, he was tweeting at Gaga, giving interviews, walking […]
Why you need to be intentional about culture
There’s a quick way John Spence can tell if an organization’s culture is effective: Are people smiling when they get to work? Are people actually happy to be there? It may sound a little strange — after all, it can be incredibly easy to get caught up in the day to day: There are emails to […]
10 habits you need to grow your organization
The world has changed quite a bit since John D. Rockefeller went into business. The self-made co-founder of the Standard Oil Company, who was responsible for hundreds of millions of philanthropic donations before his death in 1937, never had to worry about a social media strategy, nor did he have to consider disruption from a […]
Ready for a digital transformation? Focus on these 4 areas
It’s time for associations to think of a digital transformation as a business model transformation, which means business strategy, technology strategy and — most often — a cultural transformation. A well thought-out, long-term digital pathway can ensure the viability of our organizations, and help us reshape the customer value experience to meet customer needs and […]
How to make sure ‘crazy’ ideas get a chance to succeed
In September 1922, Leo Young and Hoyt Taylor set up a radio transmitter on the edge of the US Naval Air Station outside Washington, D.C. The pair were testing out whether high-frequency radio could help ships communicate, but instead they accidentally discovered a new way to detect enemy ships on the water. In a letter […]
Ready for SURGE Growth? Meet the 3 keynote speakers for our digital conference
When we first started to think about what the next SURGE should focus on, we considered associations’ biggest challenges today, how there’s a need to face transitional forces coming from both inside and outside the industry and how these organizations are looking to tap into new generations coming of age and into the market. We […]
HOW TO RESUSCITATE YOUR EDUCATION
It’s no secret that traditional lecture-style educational sessions are no longer the most effective way to educate.But how do you overhaul outdated learning techniques for interactive and engaging sessions, especially when you’re working on a budget? It starts with lots of pre-planning. Your conference teams, committees, speakers and anybody else who is working on your […]
PROBLEMS WITH ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP
This year I joined three associations and let two memberships lapse. Since I specialize in member engagement I paid special attention to each association’s onboarding and renewal messaging. One association sent a welcome email from the executive director inviting me to reply with questions. I did have questions so I wrote back but never received an […]
A futurist’s view: On the Amazon of certifications
Association leaders need to be futurists and makers. It’s that simple. We can no longer bask in the effervescent glow of 100 year-old business models and think our non-profit halos will protect us from massive disruption. It’s time to reinvent. Get nervous: Be bold If you’re not designing a new future for your association right […]