Resolve to Welcome Change
The new year has arrived. We popped the champagne and wished 2020 goodbye and good riddance. There is a vaccine, so an end to our year of living separately is somewhere just over the horizon. On the other hand, the Low Touch Economy is here to stay. I’m struck by 2020 as a defining moment. […]
Invite Risk To the Party and Still Play It Safe
As an entrepreneur who works in the association community, I’m always aware of the differences in these two worlds and the circumstances that influence their distinct perspectives. Associations are cautious diplomats. They try so hard to avoid a misstep that sometimes they don’t see the edge and fall off the cliff despite themselves. On the […]
For a Wow Customer Experience, Begin With a Wow Culture
I was browsing the Zappos website today. Yes, it’s that time of year, but I wasn’t shopping. My mind was on culture. Culture is a critical component of digital transformation, and issues in this area frequently surface during my consulting engagements. Research from McKinsey found that culture was the most significant self-reported barrier to digital […]
Did You Haul Analog Baggage Into the Digital Marketplace?
Did your organization leap or crawl into the virtual realm? The pandemic’s challenging circumstances demanded a quick transition that left many associations carrying unnecessary baggage to the other side. Trying to manage an analog culture in the digital marketplace requires heavy lifting. The new year brings an opportunity to lighten that load. You may have […]
Are You Listening?
It’s one thing when you choose to do your job at the kitchen table; It’s another to be stuck there without an alternative. By choice, the kitchen seems cozy. When it’s the only space available—not so much. I make that distinction because remote work shouldn’t take all the fall for the perfectly understandable cultural stress […]
Make Data Your Competitive Advantage
Can you guess the answer to this question? Virginia (Ginni) Rometty, Executive Chairman of IBM, recommended making these critical marketing shifts within the next 18 months or risk being left in the dust: Move the focus from market segmentation to the individual customer. “Create systems of engagement” that go beyond reaching out to tracking brand […]
Happy Endings Brighten a Challenging Season
Most of us won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving as usual. Gatherings will be a slimmer version of the traditional mega feast. There’s no need to hunt down the extra table leaf and chairs. The good news is maybe Uncle Harry, who you love to hate, won’t be there. The bad news is that you’ll probably miss […]
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 […]
Keep Scary Surprises Out of Your Virtual Event
Bugs and ghostly echoes are fun on Halloween. But don’t let unanticipated hauntings turn your virtual conference into a scare-fest instead of a success. On October 28, my business partner, Kevin Ordonez, and I will host a webinar to tell you how to stop the vampires and ghouls from invading your online event space. Our […]
Put the Power of .orgCommunity to Work for Your Success
Is your association: Offering education that’s in sync with the digital marketplace? Increasing ROI and engagement with video platforms? Using pandemic-proof technology to keep the connection with members strong? Following critical industry trends? Join innovators, problem-solvers, and opinion makers to discuss these and other compelling questions at .orgCommunity’s 2020 Solutions Day. Planning the Solutions […]
Leave Silos in the Dust and Move Toward Business Integration
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . .” (at least that’s how March 2020 now feels), eyes tended to glaze over when I talked about business integration. Although the challenges of a global pandemic have made people listen more closely, I’m still not sure that everyone understands what this term means […]
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 […]
.orgSource Helps the Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education Achieve Online Excellence with New Website
Projects that can wait, do wait. It’s an adage we’ve all lived. In busy organizations, a website overhaul may fall into that category. But if you ask the staff of the Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education (CBDCE), they will tell you that a sleek new site that reflects a name change for […]
A Positive Culture and an Innovative Approach Sidestep Disruption—How PCI Successfully Moved During the Pandemic
Designing a new office space and making the move is no small venture. When the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) planned to move from downtown Chicago to Chicago’s Triangle Plaza near O’Hare International Airport they knew that they would need outside support to manage the project. .orgSource Senior Consultant, Kevin Martlage, had recently been working with […]
Begin with the Minimum, Finish with the Ideal—Build a Better Product with an MVP
A start-up is a human institution designed to deliver a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty—Eric Ries Associations can be as steeped in tradition as a Japanese tea ceremony. What can they learn from business start-ups? Entrepreneurs take uncertainty as a given, and I’m convinced that they have plenty to teach us. […]