Association Strategy: Challenging Assumptions is Hard

Posted on February 2, 2017 by admin

When it comes to making and executing strategy, it is human nature to want action. Association executives and managers are action oriented people and we crave execution. When we have a vision for where we want to go…we just want to get there. But is our need for action putting our strategy and our project outcomes at risk? Are we putting our association at risk?

As difficult as it is, we must all do a better job to clearly understand, state and test the critical underlying assumptions of our strategy and projects. First we need to agree that in order to believe our strategy or our project plan, we have in fact made some assumptions. Next, we must answer a few key questions and state our assumptions as clearly as possible:

To actually achieve our project objectives or vision, what would we need to believe to be true?
Whether we have said them out loud or not…either implicit, or explicit, what assumptions have we made?
If wrong, which assumptions are actually critical to our expected outcomes?

Tinder ranks you by how PICKY you are – the Tinder app actually ranks men according to their choosiness, and will rank guys who are more picky over guys who are less picky.

Finally, we must test our critical assumptions. This is the hard part because human nature means we would rather go ahead based on gut than find out our assumptions are flawed. Testing assumptions can be complex if the project is important, risky or costly. At the very least, try this:

Ask yourself the question: what is the one question I would rather not ask members or staff or volunteers until the project is complete? Now go ask that question?
Who is the one person that will be critical of this project and the assumptions we have made? Now go find that person and subject your assumptions to their criticism.
What is the most critical financial assumption we have made. Now go do the legwork and due diligence to prove or disprove that assumption.

Best Practices for Association Executives Integrating New Technology

Posted on April 14, 2016 by admin

Forward thinking association executives are always looking for new ways to add value for their members. So when a social media platform such as Facebook launches a live video option it is tempting to try integrate the service as quickly as possible. While experimenting with new platforms can be rewarding for your association be wary of how many resources are dedicated to trend chasing.

According to a recent article on Association’s Now, association’s should balance their focus between primary marketing platforms like email or an internal social network and third party platforms like Facebook or Twitter. The piece has one standout message that is easy to forget: “These platforms have business needs that don’t match your own.”

This means that their focus changes, features can go away and what an algorithm deemed important one day can be deemed unimportant the next. So if your association spends time and money perfecting something like Facebook live there is no guarantee that Facebook will continue offering the service the way they have been or at all.

Social networks offer an unprecedented ability to connect with current members, the public and future members. So try new services that are offered by social networks but experiment with a plan.

Decide how much of your marketing budget you want to dedicate to experiments
Examine what is working for other brands, associations, and companies using the service
Do not be afraid to fail. Failure is part of experimenting so expect it and embrace it. You’ll learn something.

How does your association handle integrating new trends with current social media strategies? Let us know in the comments or on social media.

Group Interviews Yield Positive Results For Association Leadership

Posted on February 26, 2016 by admin

When you start the strategic planning process for your association you’ll need to collect information from members. This information will help you articulate your plan later. Last week we went over how to get the most out of one on one internal interviews. This week we are focusing on how to maximize the value of internal group interviews. Like one on one interviews you should make it clear to the attendees that it is not an exchange of ideas; you are there to get answers and insight to specific questions that you have.

Group sessions allow association members to communicate with each other and work as a team. This dynamic collaboration offers insight that one on one interviews cannot match.

Prior to your group sessions make sure to meet with each person who will be attending. Even if you work with them everyday make time for a conversation. As we mentioned last week a 30-60 minute interview is best.

Those individual sessions will help guide the type of questions you ask in the group interview. If you notice different responses to one question in particular considering asking that again in the group interview. Ask clear questions about the issues association leadership are considering to attendees. This will help your group give more informed answers.

A few basic principles for group interviews:

Make sure to keep the group small enough for everyone to speak and be heard.
Remember that people are more vocal when their boss is not in the room. So if you are their direct boss or supervisor do not conduct the interview.
Adapt a set of questions based on the list you used for one on one interviews. Make note of which ones were contentious and which ones had a more universal reaction. Start with one that unifies the group. Don’t be afraid to add questions based on your own thoughts and reflections since the one on one interviews.
Announce to the group at the beginning of the interview what you will do with your notes. Similar to the one on one interviews you will get more frank responses if you can honestly say you won’t attribute anyone’s comments to them directly.
Always tell your group at the beginning that you will send them your notes immediately after the interview. Allow them to recommend amendments to your notes and offer further commentary.
Ask open ended questions, except where you need specific responses. Don’t be afraid to pose the same question several different ways to get the information you need.
Exactly like the one on one interviews aim for a 45 minutes and do not go over an hour.
Send an email to the group prior to the meeting to help them understand how it will be used in the broader process. Emphasize at the beginning of the email before you ask any questions. Always be honest about the reasons for the interview.

Group interviews get participants to take an active role in the planning process. It also gets them talking to each other and ensures everyone is on the same page.

As we said last week most people never seriously consider the future of the organization until someone like you comes along to ask. Do you have any tips for running internal group interviews? If so leave them in the comments or through social media.

Association Leadership: What A Good Vision Statement Looks Like

Posted on January 6, 2016 by admin

Last week we discussed how association leadership should approach your association’s Vision Statement. In this week’s blog we highlight good, the bad, and the ugly of Vision Statements. These are real vision statements that we changed enough to protect the companies and associations that submitted them. Our changes are in [brackets].

The Good

At the end of 2017, Acme is recognized by business, media, and government as the most important authority for Canadian [xyz] issues, and the principal advocate for the [xyz] community. With [X,000] highly engaged members and [X] regional chapters, we have more in diverse revenue and a sustainable business model for an expanded delivery of our mandate.

In particular:

We understand and address the in-depth needs of our members across a broad industry and sector representation.

Our annual conference is the foremost [xyz] event in Canada with more than [X] exhibitors and [X] attendees.

We are an important career resource for members and the preferred sourcing point for [xyz] roles for Canadian employers.

Our searchable online library of precedents, tools, and resources is a central component of the value we provide members, and the most comprehensive source of [xyz] knowledge in Canada.

We provide timely, relevant communication to our members regarding issues that matter to them.

Our efforts have helped to improve the understanding and importance of the role of the [xyz professional] in Canada.

What makes it good?

It’s relatively short, and they have put the supporting detail in bullet points that could easily be dropped when a sound bite is all that is needed. It’s written in an active voice. This may have thrown you at first to see the words “we are, we have” in a vision statement, but it creates a sense of ownership over a passive voice of “the XYZ organization will…” or worse yet, “a new system will…” This statement is specific about the timing, but not too detailed. Using 2017 creates a sense of urgency, but they recognized that this is still a strategic document, and they didn’t say “March 1” 2017.

They made sure that everything in here is measurable. They didn’t (and shouldn’t) lay out the exact measures in the Vision Statement, but they made sure the concepts are concrete enough to actually track for success.

The statement is written as if it already is 2017, and this vision was written in 2014. Remember this is a vision of where the organization will be, not a strategy, or plan of how to get there. Although the statement is specific and easy to understand, the vision is not a slam dunk. This organization will really have to stretch itself to achieve this vision, and any employee or member would immediately recognize that. Employees would also recognize that under the right circumstances, the vision is achievable.

Although it’s a vision statement, it foreshadows the real priorities of the organization.

The Bad

“The [XYX] is a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, scholarly, international society that provides an open forum for all those who are interested in risk analysis. Risk analysis is broadly defined to include risk assessment, risk characterization, risk communication, risk management, and policy relating to risk, in the context of risks of concern to individuals, to public and private sector organizations, and to society at a local, regional, national, or global level.”

What makes it bad?

It is too complicated and even people in this field will not read it. This is not a Vision Statement at all. It’s more of a description of what this society is and a definition of their work.

The Downright Ugly

“To be the leading global force in advancing science to enhance human, animal, and environmental health.”

What makes it ugly?

This could be for almost anything. This statement is far too vague to be valuable. Furthermore it won’t drive any action because anyone that reads it will not take it seriously. Finally, it doesn’t make sense grammatically.

Now you know what to look for when reviewing your association’s Vision Statement.

Retooling your association website starts with keywords and power pages

Posted on April 7, 2015 by admin

Most associations recognize that their website is in dire need of improvement. They just don’t know where to begin.

“In every strategy session I’ve ever done with associations, and I’ve probably done 50 of them in the last five years, website overhaul always comes up as one of the biggest priorities, and obstacles,” says Peter Wright. “In terms of SEO, most associations don’t know how to do it and they don’t put any effort into it.”

Association Hub Experts Peter Wright and Jim Beretta will take the “magic” out of search engine optimization and provide associations with the tools needed to embark on a clear strategy for maximizing website reach and effectiveness. Their April 23 workshop will walk association staff through the strategic process and the 10 Steps to Retooling Your Website step-by-step.

Step 1 Audit your site

In this step you will assess the strengths and weaknesses of your current site, making sure to identify broken links and other errors as you progress through the audit process. Various tools are available on the Web, such as whois.domaintools.com where you can check your SEO score. Wright and Beretta will review additional tools during the workshop.

As noted in previous posts, a successful association website requires a strong SEO strategy to keep you top of mind with your audience. To do that, you must understand what your target audience is looking for when they search the Web. You must identify those critical keywords.

Step 2 Choose your primary and secondary keywords

This is the single most important step in retooling your website. You want a list of at least 12 primary keywords that are most important and account for the highest traffic. Then you want up to 30 secondary keywords.

“If you’re a hotel located in Ontario, then you better have ‘Ontario hotel’ on your home page (and several other pages), because that’s what people will be searching for,” says Wright.

By the end of the workshop, your association staff will leave with your relevant keywords in hand. You will also learn how to build a Power Page.

“People always focus on only getting their home page ranked higher on the search engines,” explains Wright. “But most association websites have at least twenty if not hundreds and thousands of pages. We want to get as many pages returning results on Google as possible. We’re not only trying to build power on the overall site. We’re trying to build power across all the pages on a site, so that we’re seen as the thought leader for all things that pertain to our industry or practice area.”

Step 3 Choose your preliminary site pages

Each page should be based on two to three keywords that make sense together. For example, ‘strategic planning consulting’ and ‘business planning consulting’ work well together.

“We take a pair of each of those primary keywords that make sense together and build a Power Page around each pair,” says Wright. “At the end of this step you should have a written list of pages with the name of each page, the primary keywords, and the URL.”

Avoid the temptation to retool your site with hundreds of new pages all at once. Google rewards ongoing improvements to your site. Build a strong foundation first. Then add new pages over time.

In our next post we’ll preview steps 4-6, including on-page optimization. Stay tuned.

InBloom’s failure contains lessons for nonprofits

Posted on April 28, 2014 by admin

For nonprofits to succeed, they need to learn from those that have failed.

Consider the example of inBloom. As far as nonprofit startups go, this one had it all. It was backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and was based on a exciting proposal to reform education with the help of big data. And yet, last week inBloom announced that it would shut down, according to an article on Associations Now.

The problems, as it turned out, were many.

First, the group failed to build public support for its offerings before actually building them. This turned out to be a mistake, especially when parents realized that some of their children's personal information might have been handed over to third-party private companies. Many turned against the proposals for that reason alone.

How bad was it? According to the Associations Now story, parents in Louisiana became outraged when they found out that their children's Social Security numbers were being used to identify them in a data base. It was not long before states that had initially been enthusiastic about the program started dropping out.

Meanwhile, inBloom did little to improve its messaging and ensure parents that their children's personal information would be secure. And since the public was already growing skeptical, it would have taken a massive effort to regain their trust.

Obviously, not all nonprofits will run into the same problems that plagued inBloom. But every organization can benefit from a messaging campaign that builds awareness quickly. Those who are unfamiliar with these efforts should seek out training programs as they launch their organizations.

Capital campaigns help nonprofits make big purchases

Posted on April 24, 2014 by admin

Fundraising is a constant challenge for nonprofits and associations, which often rely on periodic drives for the majority of their revenue. But sometimes, these organizations need to embark on specific fundraising projects for large scale purchases or investments. That's when it is time to launch a capital campaign.

A capital campaign, in short, is an effort to raise money for a particular need. Building purchases are a common goal, since growing nonprofits often need to move into larger facilities when they outgrow the ones they currently occupy. However, this is far from the only thing that a nonprofit organization might have to purchase.

Because of the narrow nature of capital campaigns, they are often run differently than general fundraising drives. First and foremost, organizations must define exactly what they need and be prepared to make their case to potential donors. In some cases, a feasibility study then becomes necessary, as the organization needs to establish specific details about the project, such as location and cost. Finally, organizations should form a capital campaign committee to oversee the fundraiser and the project itself.

Though they can be more difficult to carry out, capital campaigns do carry some advantages. For example, high profile donors to buildings are often granted the opportunity to name the structure once it is finished. It is also true that the completion of a major project can help a nonprofit boost its own name recognition, which is particularly useful for future fundraisers.

For the members tasked with running these campaigns, it can feel quite different from what they might be used to. However, many training programs are available to help ease the process.

When organizations have big purchases to make, they often rely on capital campaigns.

Is there a Generation Gap in Association Staff?

Posted on April 16, 2014 by admin

Will the generational divide be too much for nonprofit organizations?

Some labor force observers believe we have reached a unique period in the history of work. This isn’t just because information technology has revolutionized how we communicate with one another. We’ve also reached a time when multiple generations of employees will be working for the same organizations.

Writing for Association News, contributor Steven Hacker points out this fact and its implications.

“With four of six different American generations now working side-by-side for the first time in history, and each group characterized by its own beliefs, biases and value systems, one might assume the result to be utter chaos,” Hacker writes.

This is particularly important for nonprofit organizations, many of which are attracting young college graduates who will work alongside older members. The question is: Will the generational divide be too much for these organizations?

Hacker doesn’t think so, noting that throughout history, senior managers have always had to adjust to younger hires. However, he adds that there appears to be a peculiar communication problem at present. For example, a recent survey of 6,000 “millennials”—those born between the 1980s and 2000s—and human resource specialists found that the two groups do not always see eye to eye on many issues. Eighty-two percent of millennials said that members of their generation were loyal, while only 14 percent of HR specialists agreed. Meanwhile, only 35 percent of millennials said that their generation was tech savvy, while 86 percent of HR specialists though this was true.

Hacker’s solution is better communication between the generational groups. After all, both have much to learn from each other, especially when dealing with the complexities of nonprofit managing. The importance of investing in training and communication cannot be overstated.

Will the generational divide be too much for nonprofit organizations?

Is there a generational gap in the labor force?

Posted on April 16, 2014 by admin

Some labor force observers believe we have reached a unique period in the history of work. This isn't just because information technology has revolutionized how we communicate with one another. We've also reached a time when multiple generations of employees will be working for the same organizations.

Writing for Association News, contributor Steven Hacker points out this fact and its implications.

"With four of six different American generations now working side-by-side for the first time in history, and each group characterized by its own beliefs, biases and value systems, one might assume the result to be utter chaos," Hacker writes.

Hacker doesn't think so, noting that throughout history, senior managers have always had to adjust to younger hires. However, he adds that there appears to be a peculiar communication problem at present. For example, a recent survey of 6,000 "millennials"—those born between the 1980s and 2000s—and human resource specialists found that the two groups do not always see eye to eye on many issues. Eighty-two percent of millennials said that members of their generation were loyal, while only 14 percent of HR specialists agreed. Meanwhile, only 35 percent of millennials said that their generation was tech savvy, while 86 percent of HR specialists though this was true.

Hacker's solution is better communication between the generational groups. After all, both have much to learn from each other, especially when dealing with the complexities of nonprofit managing. The importance of investing in training and communication cannot be overstated.

How to market your nonprofit with limited funds.

Posted on April 15, 2014 by admin

As a nonprofit, you don't have anything resembling the hefty advertising budgets of major companies. Still, you have marketing needs like any other organization. You need to reach out to potential members who might be willing to volunteer their time and donors who will keep you operational.

First, like any organization, you need to identify your target market. What niche does your nonprofit fill? Who would be interested? This might be a difficult question for a nonprofit to answer immediately after it has gotten off the ground, but it becomes easier after you begin attending events and conferences.

The next step is to set specific goals. Estimate how many people you want to reach, and in what time frame. Your overarching strategy does not need to go into minute detail, because there will be room to refine your tactics once your organization chooses a channel by which to market.

With limited funds, there are only so many options. Luckily, the internet—specifically, social media—offers plenty of opportunities for organizations to spread messages to specific audiences. If you don't already have a Facebook page, create one and connect it to your nonprofit's website so any visitor can easily find it.

This is only the beginning. It is crucial for your organization to update its Facebook page regularly with relevant posts that followers will "Like" and share with their own friends. Don't hold out for that perfect viral post—you can steadily build an audience with regular, compelling content.

Those who are new to the world of nonprofit management may not be aware of all of the opportunities for low-cost marketing. Luckily, these organizations can invest in training programs that will get them up to speed.

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