.orgCommunity Leadership ColLAB Gets to the HEART of Technology
There’s always a magnet for attention in the room–that individual surrounded by a group of eager listeners. Have you ever wondered what spark makes them special? Some people just understand how to click with others. They’re good at social skills like listening, empathy, and finding common ground. The same concept applies to organizations. The associations […]
Are Marketing and Membership at Opposite Poles? Take the Journey to Collaboration
Is your marketing team hanging out at the North Pole while the membership group chills in Antarctica? If these two drivers of engagement are a world apart, it will be challenging to deliver the seamless experience customers expect from their favorite brands. There was a time when associations didn’t think of their members as customers. […]
Are AI and EI an Odd Couple? Nope, Pairing Bytes With Behavior Is a Perfect Match
During 2023, I’ve written extensively about all things tech, from digital transformation to MarCom strategies, and more recently AI. No matter what topic I choose, one idea persists. These electronic miracles are pointless unless they are grounded in strong values, positive emotions, and productive behavior. Human drivers center digital initiatives where they need to be—on […]
Lessons Learned Living the Virtual Experiment
COVID made us lab rats in a variety of unusual experiments. Remote work was one of those unsettling tests. it was also an experience that transformed the employment landscape. When Kevin Ordonez, my business partner, and I wrote our Association 4.0 books, a home office was still a glimmer in every busy parent’s eyes. Despite […]
Good CEO, Bad Call—How to Recover
Martha Stewart took her company public in 1999 and became America’s first self-made female billionaire. Then, in December 2021, she acted on an illegal stock tip and was sentenced to five months in prison. You probably won’t become a billionaire and I don’t see any of my readers going to jail, but there is one […]
Build a Marketing Dream Team—Welcome AI
Oh, those pesky keywords. For communicators who would rather write sentences than algorithms, finding the phrases that will viralize your posts seems like a New York Times word game gone wrong. Good news! You don’t have to wake up at four a.m. weighing the merits of “member satisfaction” versus “satisfying member customers.” AI, your new […]
Are Associations Losing Their Members’ Trust?—The Leadership ColLAB Explores This Critical Question
If your membership numbers are marching into the red, you and your team are probably focused on trying to identify the cause of the bleeding. Is technology tying your audience in knots? Perhaps it’s content that’s missing the mark. Maybe stale programming is stopping the love? Something flashier might be needed to attract the coveted […]
ChatGPT Isn’t Ready for Prime Time, But an Upskilled Team Will Be
The introduction of ChatGPT from Open AI makes for jittery breakroom conversation. An AI whose vocabulary is limited to customer service platitudes doesn’t seem so threatening. But when the chatbot can write an essay, that’s another story. Back in 2017, McKenzie reported that: “by 2030, 75 million to 375 million workers (3 to 14 percent of the global […]
Be the Voice of Relevance—Make Mission, Vision, and Values Fit the Moment
Imagine you’re teed up for a jackpot question on Jeopardy. Mike Richards gives you this clue—“It revolves around mission, vision, and values.” An ear-to-ear grin lights your face and you answer, “What is an association?”—That win would be a no-brainer for anyone reading this post. Mission, vision, and values are a fundamental trio in the […]
Customer Experience Plays Marketing as a Long Game
If your brand was a person, who would it be? Wait, before you stop reading, this question isn’t as silly as it sounds. There should be someone in your organization who walks in your brand’s shoes and always puts the best foot forward. This representative should be dedicated to building lasting relationships with members and […]
Influencers and Influences—2023 Marketing Trends
What can you learn from Charli D’Amelio? Don’t know who Charli is? You definitely need to keep reading. Charli D’Amelio rules the nanosecond video clip. She is a TikTok star influencer and was the first of those ephemeral luminaries to reach 100 million followers. Even Charli is baffled by her popularity. But there are several […]
Flat, Tall, or In Between—Is It Time to Evaluate Your Organizational Structure?
Even small associations tend to stack layers of management like the cake at a royal wedding. As many as five tiers of responsibility (junior positions, middle managers, executive staff, committees, and the board of directors) are not unusual. Depending on the circumstances, these levels either promote efficiency with short, clearly defined reporting lines or create […]
Use Technology to Put People First—How the Country Music Association’s Members Took Center Stage
Until AIs can think for themselves, digital systems are tools that do their best work with human ingenuity as the driver. And one of the puzzles technology excels at helping us solve is how to understand each other. The presentation Tiffany Kerns gave at .orgCommunity’s recent Solutions Day event, centered on that idea. Tiffany explained that although the Country […]
A Technology Assessment Connects Intention and Ability
Do you have a friend whose house looks like it belongs to neat freak Felix Unger, but the closets and drawers are clearly owned by lovable slob Oscar Madison? This Odd Couple disconnect happens to even savvy digital organizations. My writing about digital leadership often focuses on values and attitudes. But attention to the infrastructure’s nuts […]
Are Dues on the Chopping Block? Solutions Day has Answers to Membership Challenges
This week’s food bill could have financed last year’s luxury vacation. The grocery store receipt is an emphatic reminder of the need to provide member value. Interest rates are rising, and fears of a recession are spiking concern across the economic horizon. Are membership dues on the chopping block? If you aren’t giving members professional […]