Embracing Otherness for Conference Uniqueness [Webinar] October 20, 2016 by Sarah Michel Think about the last time you approached a stranger and asked if you could help them? Now ask yourself; Did that person look like me? Robert Putnam, Harvard Political Scientist claims that when most of us are faced with diversity, we retreat and close our doors. As a species we are attracted to sameness and … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , hospitality, hostmanship, radical hospitality.
Many Organizational Leaders Prefer Dysfunction September 14, 2016 by Jeff Hurt Your organization needs to change because it’s broken! Or is it? “There is no such thing as a dysfunctional organization, because every organization is perfectly aligned to achieve the results it currently gets,” says Jeff Lawrence. The Illusion Of A Broken Organization? So is your organization broke? Or is it working just fine… Even though … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , adaptive challenges, adaptive leadership, association best practices, leadership
Tactical Or Strategic: Which Best Describes Your Governing Nonprofit Board August 19, 2016 by Jeff Hurt Tactical board members are focused on the predictability of the past for today, the here and now, and getting through the year. Strategic board members think, prepare and act on challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Why? Because they care about the organization’s future. They know they can play an important role in creating their … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , ASAE16, association governance, association issues and challenges, integrated reasoning, strategic thinking, strategy, tactics
Betsy Bair Joins Velvet Chainsaw May 31, 2016 by Dave Lutz VCC is excited to welcome Betsy Bair, Vice President, Strategic Narratives to the Velvet Chainsaw Consulting team! To better resonate with target attendees, most of our clients are embracing new and more agile attendance acquisition and communication strategies. Betsy’s vast expertise in content and digital marketing will improve our ability to help conference organizers engage … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , Attendance Acquisition, content marketing, content strategist
How Conference Networking Improves Participants’ Brain Health [Webinar May 11] May 6, 2016 by Sarah Michel Brain science research continues to prove that our brains function best when we’re engaged in meaningful We-centric conversations. We are a highly social species. This research illustrates our need to design conferences that promote deeper and more meaningful conversations, especially in our networking. These We-centric conversations, as organizational anthropologist and author Judith Glaser states, move … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , community, conference best practices, connexity, conversational intelligence, engagement, event website, I-centric, levels of conversations, networking, We-Centric
Future Forward Thinking Cultures Lead To Extraordinary Results May 2, 2016 by Jeff Hurt This is part four of a series on being more future focused in our planning. See part one here, part two here and part three here. So how do we develop, foster and leverage future focused leadership? How do we encourage our committees, volunteers, staff and customers to laser focus on what’s next, what’s coming … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , association best practices, association future, association governance, association issues and challenges, board of directors, foresight, forward thinking, future focused thinking, leadership, organization development, volunteer leadership
Start Today By Stepping Into Your Future With Your Feet Firmly Planted In Reality April 29, 2016 by Jeff Hurt This is part three in a four part series on being more future focused in our planning. See part one here and part two here. Strategic foresight is a competency that all leaders need today! Yet rarely do we discuss it. Much less practice it for our future planning. And hardly ever do we foster … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , association best practices, association future, association governance, association issues and challenges, board of directors, leadership, organization development, volunteer leadership
Foster Novelty And The Absurd as You Feed Your Brain’s Craving For Future Foresight April 22, 2016 by Jeff Hurt This is part two in a four part series. See part one here. Go ahead and admit it! If you are even a little like me, you have a curiosity for the future. I have always felt a fascination for what’s next more than a nostalgia for the past. Imagine my surprise to discover my … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , association best practices, association future, association governance, association issues and challenges, board of directors, leadership, organization development, volunteer leadership
Future Focused Leadership Not Lollygagging Laggards April 21, 2016 by Jeff Hurt This is part one in a four part series on being more future focused in our planning. This illustration is part of the booklet How to Change the World. Many organization leaders take great comfort in rear view leadership. It feels safe. We know what to expect. (At least that’s what we tell ourselves and … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , association best practices, association future, association governance, association issues and challenges, board of directors, leadership, organization development, volunteer leadership
Disrupting Our Own Conference Learning Models [Webinar] March 2, 2016 by Jeff Hurt The demands of our 21st Century conference participants mandate that we change our traditional event experience. Today’s workforce requires that our participants interact, think and work in collaborative ways. Yet our conferences persistently promote expert-directed, one-way passive monologues and panel dialogues. Our conferences continue to resemble the routines of the 19th and 20th century school. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , adult learning, conference best practices, conference education, conference learning model, networking, peer-based learning, peer-to-peer, peerology, webinar
