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 […]
Faced With Challenge, ENA Delivers Value
To say that emergency nurses must be ready for anything is an understatement. This is a profession that routinely prepares for the unexpected. As CEO of the Emergency Nurses Association, Nancy MacRae knows how to be sure-footed in a volatile environment. She and her team keep their balance by adapting to change and delivering value. […]
Taking It Down to the Studs—Simplicity Streamlines AAHA’s Road to Excellence
“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry What do Spotify, Robinhood, and HelloFresh have in common? Here’s a clue. The word “easy” has pride of place throughout all their promotional materials. These companies save […]
Send Culture to the Door When Trouble Comes to Call
I frequently write the words digital and success in the same sentence. Technology is important. A weak infrastructure at the beginning of 2020 meant it was a very hard year. As much as I value electronic connectivity, culture or the human side of business will always be the imperative. We may never experience another global […]
Guarantee Your Success—Network Like Your Career Depends on It
What’s the single best thing you can do for your career? It doesn’t require special training, it’s never too late to get started, better still, it will return your investment of energy and effort many times over. With all those pluses, why isn’t building a strong network at the top of every leader’s list of […]
Sometimes It takes a Dachshund to Make People Consider Change
Why did I use this cute pup to illustrate my post? You know what they say about babies and dogs, they get people to pay attention, and this message is important. Several weeks ago, I wrote about the results of a survey .orgSource conducted. That’s another reason for the dog. Survey results tend to make […]
The Power to Change Begins With a Question
“Imagine a future where you have the information you need to answer your most critical business questions. A time when you have the confidence to address challenging problems and thrive. And, a culture where you can embrace change, and anticipate a positive result.” Sharon Rice, .orgSource’s Managing Director of Business Strategy, described that vision to […]
Association Innovators Share Five Strategies for Leading Through Challenge
COVID-19 has many lessons to teach, and like the legendary nun brandishing a ruler, they are often harsh. The value of effective leadership, in times of crisis, is one truth we are witnessing on a daily basis. In writing Association 4.0: Positioning for Success in an Era of Disruption, Kevin Ordonez and I had the […]
Digital Leaders Fly Ahead of Disruption
Technology is our silent partner in the challenging job of keeping the economy moving during COVID-19. This health crisis has taught us that the more we make the digital world our world, the better equipped we will be to manage both business and life in the face of disruption. Associations who were early adopters of […]
Scenario Planning Builds a Resilient Future
Should we cancel the conference? Are layoffs needed to keep the organization afloat? How much of the reserves can we safely spend? Responsibility for the decisions that make or break an organization is the tough side of leadership. Selling a solution to everyone who must agree can be even harder. But you don’t need nerves […]
Turn Panic into Purpose—Lead Through COVID-19 with Confidence
My email and phone are burning with questions and concerns from leaders facing the tough decisions that COVID-19 is forcing upon us. Choices that plunge a budget deep into the red and threaten member engagement are gut-wrenching, but the difficult decisions are easier when you have expert advice. We looked to our colleagues Adele Cehrs, […]
The Best Solution Begins With a Beautiful Question
What do you think these three questions have in common? “How might we survive and flourish amid tensions and contradictions?” “What is it about your business today that you can’t answer?” “What if competitors worked together?” In the eyes of author/journalist, Warren Berger, each of these questions is beautiful. Berger describes a beautiful question as […]
Fast Track Your Way to Innovation
Is your association innovative enough to survive in the roaring twenties? Before you answer, name three strategies you use to promote creative thinking. If they don’t roll off your tongue, consider this: Blockbuster— had a chance to buy Netflix and didn’t. Toys R Us—let a contract with Amazon derail their ecommerce opportunities. Xerox—never capitalized on […]
To Succeed in Industry 4.0 Become an Association 4.0™ Leader
Deploying a smart factory may not be in your future. But association CEOs who are looking for success must embrace attitudes that keep them in front of these, and other trends associated with Industry 4.0. By 2021, one quarter of the top 100 consumer goods companies will be using 3D printing to create custom products […]
10 Traits of an Innovation Mindset for Your Association
Associations can’t fulfill their missions without innovation. Innovation helps organizations create and improve processes, products, services, and experiences for their members, customers, staff, and audiences. Technology helps us turn innovative ideas into reality, but innovation is powered by organizational cultures that support and nurture an innovation mindset. 10 elements of the innovation mindset to nurture […]