Industry 4.0 is a Rocket—Don’t Let a Strategic Plan Designed for a Bicycle Leave You in the Dust
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Arthur C. Clark Industry 4.0 is killing science fiction. With each new technological miracle, the window of time and imagination between fantasy inventions and real products and services grows smaller. Here are some examples: Doctors in the United Kingdom recently created an artificial cornea using human cells […]
Style Grabs Attention/Substance Wins Hearts—A Website Content Strategy Makes It Happen
Animation, riveting images and a contemporary color palate get you noticed. But a content strategy is the secret to giving your audience a more meaningful relationship with your website, your brand and your organization. A website redesign is a significant investment in resources. The temptation to take shortcuts is understandable. But even Ferrari-sleek graphics, won’t […]
Make a Plan Now for a Professional Development Day During the Holidays
Several times a year, kids are sent home early or have a day off so teachers can attend professional development workshops. Teachers look forward to their Professional Development Day because they’ll learn about new instructional strategies and acquire new skills. Wouldn’t it be great if your members could have a Professional Development Day too? It’s […]
Marketers, Promote Yourselves! Get the Buy-In You Need for a Successful Content Strategy
We’ve all experienced the meeting from hell. The chair lost control. People were frantic to have their say, and nobody got heard. The same kind of communications nightmare happens when you don’t impose order on your content. A thoughtful content strategy ensures that the message you deliver will be one that makes people listen. It’s […]
Arrested Development? A Strategic Approach to Technology Reboots Association Growth
Somewhere back in the Dark Ages of IT- say two years ago, because that’s how fast the electronic world moves now ¬- we thought about technology as a tool to do business. There has been a profound shift in that concept. Technology has made the leap out of the toolbox. It is become integral to […]
Association Disruption: What’s your Educational Moonshot?
How grand is your association’s vision for your educational programs? With all the disruption going on around us and in your industry, will incremental change bring your vision for professional development closer to realization? Thinking small isn’t going to turn your association into a market leader and innovator, but an educational moonshot will. A moonshot […]
At CHEST Innovation Is Called Business as Usual
The opportunity to participate in my clients’ stories is one of the reasons I love being a consultant. To write our book, Association 4.0—Positioning for Success in an Era of Disruption, we interviewed leaders who strive to stay a step ahead of the future. CHEST is one association that doesn’t shy away from bold moves, […]
Hiring a Consultant Can Be a Make or Break Relationship—Here’s How to Court Success
When you sign a consulting contract on the dotted line, the stakes are high. You’ve called in the experts to guide a project that will have a significant impact on your association’s future. It’s almost always a highly visible, big-ticket item. People across the organization are invested in a positive outcome. None more so than […]
Don’t Nickel-and-Dime Members: Ideas to Increase Non-Dues Revenue
Associations have traditionally used membership “as an excuse to sell more stuff at discounted prices to members,” said Garth Jordan, senior vice president of corporate strategy at the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). But, HFMA has cast that old non-dues revenue practice aside. Their new membership model includes unlimited access to certifications, online education, newsletters, industry […]
Give Your Team Something to Shout About—Move Strategy to Execution
Watching the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team beat England, it occurred to me that the game was a perfect example of strategy in action. A great team was testing their skills and tactics on the pitch, fully prepared to meet unexpected challenges. Granted, business will never have the flash of World Cup soccer. But strategic planning […]
How to Meet the Membership & Education Expectations of Millennials and Gen Z
Generation Z and young Millennials are different. New research shows they have much greater price sensitivity and much lower brand loyalty than older generations. Their price sensitivity isn’t a surprise considering their: • Student loan debt • Weakened job prospects • Low earnings • Lack of employer support for membership and professional development Young professionals […]
Liftoff or Crash Landing? Prepare to Launch a Successful Digital Transformation
The Digital Transformation Series, Part Two Reading your monthly membership report is like getting a bad diagnosis—over and over again. The meeting registration is no bowl of cherries either. But there is a bright spot. The board has agreed that it’s time for action. That tired, old AMS that’s been limping through its paces is […]
The Human Face of Digital Transformation
You installed a new LMS, CMS and AMS; redesigned the website; migrated to the cloud; and purchased the latest computers, printers and tablets for your staff. Was it a digital transformation? Sorry, you’re only about halfway there—maybe not even. You’ve got the technology covered. It’s the transformation process that’s trickier to understand. Googling digital […]
From Beast to BFF – Getting the Media to Eat Out of Your Hand
Is snagging an article in the Wall Street Journal a superpower? Do you need a genetic mutation to catch a reporter’s eye? If the media keeps turning up its nose at your association’s newsworthy accomplishments, it might seem that way. Getting your organization in print (in a good way) doesn’t require magic. During her recent […]
Let the Light in—Creating an Organizational Culture Around Passion and Partnership
Closed office doors, break room gossip and a CEO who gives Tony Soprano a run for the money—culture gone wrong is easy to spot. Where work moves forward and employees treat each other civilly, culture may be the caboose on a long train of priorities. Hiding somewhere in the cloud’s dark recesses is a values […]