Tired of Operational Surprises? Ask These Strategic Questions
Surprise parties can be fun. If the balloon tower featuring your age got cancelled—even better. Surprises in business aren’t so welcome. When the membership director springs a dashboard on you with every indicator trending south, it’s not a good day. Distraction is an invitation for the unexpected. If you’re playing Whack a Mole with details, […]
Stay the Course Through Changing Weather—Strategic Advice From Association CEOs
The association industry has a reputation for clinging to traditions as stubbornly as Linus hugs his trademark blanket. As the home of organizations that draw on decades of history, it’s not surprising that we love the security of time-honored strategies. But, our community doesn’t get the credit it deserves for invention. If you need proof […]
Lessons Learned from a Black Swan—Solutions Day Presenters Explore Pandemic Insights
Celebration isn’t a word I would typically use to describe a conference, but there was a festive feeling at .orgCommunity’s Solutions Day. Gathering with colleagues again was inspirational. Even online, the participants could sense the excitement. Presenter, Dean West, called the pandemic a black swan. The term comes from finance and is used to describe […]
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 […]
Empower Strategy by Incorporating Trends
Getting strategic planning right is challenging in the best of times. This season of disruption adds additional complexity and brings significant shifts in perspective that are important to recognize as associations prepare for the years ahead. I’ve been advising .orgSource clients to integrate strategy across organizational activities since long before the pandemic. If I ever […]
The Digital Marketplace is a Learning Machine—Keep Pace With 8 Simple Steps Toward Business Transformation
This message appeared on my phone the other day: Hi Kristina: I’ve been waiting for you. I’m Rose Resident Mischief-Maker at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. As your virtual hook-up, just text me for housekeeping requests, restaurant reservations, room service orders, guest services, and more. Just reply Rose and I’ll show you everything I can […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Eliminate Roadblocks to Planning—Integration Transforms Strategy into Action
Strategy Meltdown—The screen play INT. The corner office of the Association for Ad Hoc Planning – Afternoon The executive director and membership team are seated at a conference table. They are hunched over laptops. The executive director is frowning. The membership manager looks like a deer in the headlights. Executive Director These numbers are (pause) […]