Are we witnessing a digital revolution? Or digital evolution? Can we simply adapt and apply old skills to new contexts? Or do we need to learn new ways of thinking, doing and being? One thing is certain. Our nonprofit institutions are dynamic, complex systems embedded within an even more dynamic, complex übersystem: human society. The Traditional Nonprofit Conference Scenario Consider the following typical conference scenario: After registering for a conference and paying a fee, Sue travels … [Read more...]
Association Members Want Movement Not Organizational Institutions
I have devoted more than twenty years of my adult life to nonprofits and associations. I have spent countless hours volunteering my time to help nonprofits succeed. I have given many staff hours to helping an industry progress. When a nonprofit works, it is a thing of beauty. It is uniquely able to do radical things such as helping the downtrodden, lending a hand to the underdog, assisting an industry's progress, educating the unlearned, challenging status quo, bettering our world, improving a … [Read more...]
Are Millennials And Associations The Oil And Water Of Today?
It's an association migraine of the worst kind. The tension is as thick as a dense fog. It's at an all time record threat level. It's like mixing oil and water. Some try to label this tension as one of two traditional categories: threat or opportunity. Others say it requires more than identification. This dynamic tension is not temporal. Nor can it be relieved with aspirin or the massage of forward thinking strategic planning. It is the evolving model of how member-based advocacy … [Read more...]
You Don’t Know Jack About Working With Volunteers
(Here are some of my notes from Cynthia D'Amour's Lazy Leader Road Show "Creating A Surplus Of Volunteers" which recently stopped in Dallas.) Martyr leader volunteers! Our organizations are rife with them. They are the survival strategy for many nonprofits. Yet, focusing on them can actually kill an organization. The Awful Truth About Our Current Volunteer Strategies We reward volunteers who are over-achievers. The ones that throw their entire lives out of balance each year in the name of … [Read more...]
Six Web Verbs Associations And #Eventprofs Should Adopt
In the next 20 years, six dramatic technology trends will influence our connected world. We are already watching how these forces are shaping modern web culture. Kevin Kelly, co-founder and senior maverick of Wired Magazine, identified these six trends in his opening keynote at the 2011 Web 2.0 Conference. His reflections give us a window into what is important now and what we should be planning for in the future. Is your association prepared to use these web verbs to their advantage? Are … [Read more...]
6 Radical Work Changes Coming In Next 10 Years: Are You Ready?
Is your organization prepared for increasingly chaotic work environments in the next ten years? The lines between work and non-work have already frayed and will continue to unravel. Gartner, Inc. predicts that the world of work will witness ten key changes through 2020. 6 Key Changes Shaping The World Of Work Here are six of Gartner's ten key changes that will shape the next decade of work. 1. De-Routinization Of Work Discovery, innovation, leadership, learning, sales--all skills that cannot … [Read more...]
Seven Association Stakeholder Principles For 21st Century Success
Collaboration and stakeholders. Two words that strike fear in many association executive hearts. Yet, most associations were built on the foundation of involving all members, giving all members a voice and a vote, and allowing all stakeholders an opportunity to collaborate. Seven Stakeholder Association Principles For 21st Century Success Here are seven stakeholder association principles for 21st Century success that extend the thoughts from Seven New Association Attitudes For 21st Century … [Read more...]
Seven New Association Attitudes For 21st Century Success
TTWWADI (pronounced Twadee). "That's the way we've always done it!" It's probably the number one excuse used by association professionals to keep programs, services and processes average or status quo. It is heard in association board rooms and offices around the world. It is a major symptom of complacency that can eventually lead to collapse. Here are seven new association attitudes for 21st century success that combat TTWWADI. 1. A concentrated focus on improving the organization's capacity … [Read more...]
