After nearly 30 years leading the event development and execution at the Society for Human Resource Management, I took the leap earlier this year to join the remarkable VCC team and focus on helping associations and organizations improve their annual events. The work we do has reignited my deep appreciation for the role associations play in society and the importance people attribute to their affiliation with a profession or business vertical. I have learned more about the importance of … [Read more...]
Free-Agent, Lisa Block, Joins Velvet Chainsaw
While many have been focused this winter on who is going to land free agents like Bryce Harper or Manny Machado, Lisa Block inked a deal to join the Velvet Chainsaw Consulting team! Lisa will join our team just in time for opening day – April 2, 2019 – as Executive Vice President, Conference Strategy & Design. Qualified Lisa is one of the most respected, innovative and experienced event strategy professionals in the majors. Since 1991, she has been responsible for growing and innovating … [Read more...]
Effective Organizational Change Requires Engagement and Empowerment
I’m still getting my head around what does and doesn’t work with organizational development and change. After eight and half years of consulting at Velvet Chainsaw, one would think I would have figured out this change management stuff. But I haven’t. I have more questions than answers. I have seeds of ideas in need of planting. So, here are some of my current thoughts about change and change management. I know my thoughts will continue to evolve as I refine how to support, foster and … [Read more...]
Encouraging Words For Professionals On An Association Journey Including Stay Curious And Hungry
Nothing we do is inevitable. Our success as association professionals is not inevitable. Achieving a thriving conference and burgeoning membership is not inevitable. We are not guaranteed that our association will stay small or that it will grow big. Nor are there any assurances that if we do everything right, at the right time, with the right people, we’ll succeed spectacularly—or nose dive miserably. So as long as you choose to take this amazing, exciting, frustrating, uncertain, … [Read more...]
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: From Industrial Revolution Work Models To Knowledge Economy Models
Is your organization stuck in a 20th Century time warp and on the endangered list? Are its structures, business models and operations using outdated methods resembling a relic of the past? Or are your organizational work processes thriving in today’s increasingly hypercompetitive, fast-paced and interconnected marketplace? In order to be a successful 21st Century organization, our structures, operations and governance models need to move from managing tasks to managing minds to paraphrase … [Read more...]
An Association Committee’s Three Responses To Change And Innovation
Here’s your Who Wants to be A Millionaire million dollar question: What are the three states of association committee change? Is that your final answer? I’m sorry but solid, liquid and gas are not the right responses. And no, the State of WADITW (we’ve always done it this way), the State of WFIIINB (why fix it if it’s not broke) and the State of DIMWN (do it my way now) are not correct either. Resisted, Constrained and Dynamic are the three states of organizational change says author, CEO, … [Read more...]
Follow The Leader Can Be A Dangerous Game When It Comes To Best Practices, Solutions And New Ideas
Do you remember playing follow the leader as a kid? We all stood in a line behind one child who was the leader. We followed that leader around the room mimicking every action s/he took. When the leader squatted and quacked like a duck, we squatted and quacked like a duck. When the leader skipped forward, we skipped forward. So many of today’s conference and learning programs are like follow the leader. We secure successful leaders to speak and share their best practices and solutions. Then … [Read more...]
The Achilles Heel Of Association Leadership
One of the ironies of associations is that the strengths that led to their initial success may actually be detrimental to their ongoing growth. Most associations start with a group of passionate volunteers that serve in many roles. They are intricately involved in all the functions of the association. These core volunteers oversee the organization’s daily operations, make all the decisions, manage each committee and approve every purchase. While the role of these early volunteer leaders is … [Read more...]
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