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 […]

Small Associations—Cut Through the Clutter to Find the Right AMS

There’s low-fat, chipotle-spiked, lime-laced, dairy-free, and enriched with avocado. Mayonnaise isn’t alone in its overwhelming diversity. An explosion of products can make selection, especially something as significant as a new association management system, a black hole that drains organizational resources. For small associations (10 employees or less) that don’t have the bandwidth or the budget […]

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 […]

Survey Reveals Disconnect Between Current Strategies and Market Realities

Is it déjà vu? Back in 2018, my business partner, Kevin Ordonez, and I wrote a book. It was the result of months of thinking about how associations would need to change in the digital age. When we named our work, Association 4.0: Positioning for Success in an Era of Disruption, little did we suspect, […]

Slay the Dragons Threatening Your Association’s Success

“Your financial metrics can be great, but if dragons are all over your organization, eventually the village will burn.” Jon Wolske, former Culture Evangelist at Zappos, Zappos Tours Lead, and international speaker I think, talk, and write a lot about organizational transformation. But I’m not always sure that the people who need to hear my […]

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 […]

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 […]