The sheer volume, complexity and diversity of issues association directors and executives must understand and address today is dizzying. In our current uncertain and complex environment, where should associations focus their time, effort and resources in order to...
What will the world look like in six months? Twelve months? Two Years? Scenario planning helps associations, nonprofits and other organizations strategize in an environment shaped by uncertainty and where different outcomes are possible.
How will history remember this past decade? Never in our lifetime (or some may argue in human history) has so much changed in such as short period of time. For many associations, three and five-year strategic planning cycles are no longer practical given the volatility facing their organization and their members. New approaches to strategy focus on adapting, innovating and experimenting an organization’s way to success. To be effective, today’s strategic plans need to be living documents that evolve continuously over time.
Leading Your Association Over Uncharted Territory Association executives and directors have been hearing for years now that change is coming. Membership apathy and decline. Decreasing revenues. Industry consolidation. Competition for education, other programs and...
The Associations 2025 Summit is coming up next week! http://bit.ly/1MnbCmG It is a collaboration between The Portage Group, CSAE and a group of inspiring leaders from associations and businesses across Canada. Together in a fun and interactive format, we will explore...
While attending a board meeting recently, I heard the President of an association Board of Directors comment, ”remember, I won’t be here after June.” It struck me that there must be so much time spent not only training and integrating new board members, but also a...
I think associations of the future will be markedly different from today. A number of changes are coming (or have already started happening), but here are three of the bigger shifts I think we will see over the course of the next several years:
By Alan Ward We don’t know our limits until we push past them.
Is this true? It sounds like it could be true. If you asked me, though, if I knew my limits my automatic thinking answer would be “Yeah, pretty well.” I more or less know what I can and cannot do. Ergo, I probably know my limits.
My deeper thinking process, however, would question that conclusion. All I really know is what I have done, what I have done well or not so well, and what I stay away from doing. I know my experience, but not my limits.
As leaders and contributors, we want to make things happen. We need to make things happen. On our watch revenues should be ramping, membership should be growing, and our organization’s influence should be expanding. We develop strategy, equip the ship, and set sail. And things go well… until perhaps they don’t. Then, it seems, we have more questions than answers…
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