SCD Group - Untitled Article
SCD Group
AUGUST 8, 2020
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SCD Group
AUGUST 8, 2020
FLASH MOVING SALE September 11-12-13 10564 Carena Circle Please wear masks. Household Items & Furniture including lanai furniture, pool furniture; Floridian wall art & miscellaneous items.
SCD Group
JUNE 28, 2019
Fifty years ago, The Associated Press bureau chief called me to his office in Columbus, Ohio. “I’m sending you – and Gene (photographer Gene Herrick) – to Wapakoneta. I want you to do an advance piece on Neil Armstrong’s hometown before he goes to the moon.” I was a young and inexperienced news reporter. I’d been on the job less than two years. Fortunately, Gene Herrick had 29 years of experience with much of that time on major news stories.
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SCD Group
MAY 9, 2017
A health episode left me in bed – two-thirds of the time in hospitals -- for 3+ weeks and left me pretty much "in the dark" in terms of news and information from my associations. And, it made me feel what it would be like for broad members who are left in the dark because of limited or non-existent communications from their association. My biases about association management.
SCD Group
APRIL 2, 2017
The other day, I made a 6:45 p.m. reservation at a busy restaurant. While I parked the car, my friends and my wife went inside and were told there was no reservation under my name. They were given a pager and told “they would work to get us in.” When I arrived and learned what happened, I was frustrated but not angry. I went to the front desk and said, “I called earlier today, was given a 6:45 reservation and the receptionist asked for my name and phone number.
SCD Group
MARCH 16, 2017
Last month (2/23), I shared a story about media bias and fake news. Now comes another story. this time in the USA Today edition within the Fort Myers News-Press. headlined College degrees elude charter students. [By the way, the online version at this link changed the headline that was in our local paper.] Why does this story illustrate media bias? Because, using the information contained in this story, I could write a news piece leading to a headline just the opposite.
SCD Group
DECEMBER 18, 2016
People often ask me, “What does SCD Group do?” As I look back on 2016, a recap might help while offering lessons for other associations and nonprofits. STRATEGIC PLANNING Using the strategic intent planning model, I guided five (5) national nonprofits in envisioning their futures and/or reviewing their existing strategic plans. In each assignment, I began with a survey of planning participants, association leaders and/or a random sample of members.
SCD Group
AUGUST 30, 2016
If retirement is on your horizon, when do you inform your association’s board of directors. Since Boomers represent a vast number of association CEOs, this is a major issue facing associations and nonprofits. I've been on all sides of this issue: as a volunteer when a CEO left; as a CEO who left; as a retiring Association Management Company (AMC) owner and most recently as a search consultant who helped a small, national association find a new executive team.
SCD Group
JULY 26, 2016
A Wall Street Journal story (7/23/16) about hidden fees inflating home price s got me to thinking about the hidden fees in the cost members pay to participate in your event. In many cases, cities and other government entities create these “add-on” fees/taxes to pay for “desired extras” (such as a new stadium) with the governmental body telling its citizens that “this won’t cost you anything; we’ll just charge our visitors.
SCD Group
JULY 21, 2016
NOTE: This is NOT a political statement nor political endorsement. Rather it is commentary on how political actions can showcase association issues. Last night and again today, Republican Senator Ted Cruz – in speech and followup meetings – illustrated association board members who fail to abide by the Duty of Loyalty. Background: Meeting in Cleveland, the Republic Party nominated Donald J.
SCD Group
MAY 9, 2016
The other day I heard an interview with Mark Cuban (entrepreneur & owner of the Dallas Mavericks). He was being asked about the 2016 Presidential campaign and specifically about the phenomenon of the Trump and Sanders’ campaigns. Cuban’s main point: Trump and Sanders are not running traditional political campaigns but rather exemplify the theory of tribes and the building of tribes.
SCD Group
APRIL 26, 2016
Guest Post by Laura Ward, Director, User Experience Design, PayPal [Editor's Note: Laura Ward is the daughter of my late friend/boyhood neighbor Dan Reuwee. When I read her leadership post on Facebook, it seemed to offer valuable advice for association and nonprofit leaders. She gave me permission to post her notes here.] I recently met a terrific young designer at a networking dinner.
SCD Group
MARCH 27, 2016
Gig economy (some call it sharing economy) is growing rapidly. According to a story in The Wall Street Journal , the number of workers in “alternative arrangements” has climbed to 16% of the U.S. workforce (from less than 10% in 2005). WSJ’s reports that the Department of Labor has four categories of “alternative work”. independent contractors, on-call workers, temporary workers and workers employed via contract firms.
SCD Group
FEBRUARY 8, 2016
I don’t know about you but I didn’t find any “great” commercials in Super Bowl 50. And, from a marketing/ROI standpoint, that concerns me. Companies were paying upwards of $50 million to woo viewers and sell their products. Unaided, I can’t remember many other than the NFL’s “Super Bowl Babies.” But, perhaps I was not the target? According to today’s XYZ University blog pos t, “out of 63 product ads we viewed during Super Bowl 50, only two were tailored towards Baby Boomers, six were focused on
SCD Group
JANUARY 31, 2016
Last week, our local newspaper ran a front page story “exposing” a local foundation’s questionable spending practices. Here are some of the details I pulled from the foundation’s 2013 990 report: Total assets of $8.99 million. Total grants (to other groups) of $235,352 (that’s 2.6% of assets). Total compensation (to board, CEO and staff) of $296,402.
SCD Group
JANUARY 17, 2016
All association professionals need to remember this mantra: “It’s their organization not yours!” Last week, the National Football League’s Board of Governors voted to authorize the (Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis) Rams to move (again) to Los Angeles. The decision upset fans in St. Louis. along with San Diego and Oakland (other franchises seeking to move.
SCD Group
DECEMBER 8, 2015
If your association’s CEO (or any other staffer) showed up “slightly drunk” at a member meeting or a board meeting, how would your association react? What steps would the association board take? Even if not a football fan, association professionals should be following the case of a football coach fired from the University of Southern California (USC) over his alleged public intoxication.
SCD Group
DECEMBER 6, 2015
I received an early Christmas gift: a signed copy of Urban Meyer’s (Ohio State football coach) new book: Above The Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Season This is a must read for association professionals and nonprofit executives. Here are some quick excerpts: Above the Line: Intentional. On Purpose. Skillful. __ Below the Line: Impulsive.
SCD Group
NOVEMBER 1, 2015
Ok, I admit it: I like sports and I recognize the lessons from sports can positively guide association executives. Three cliches can guide association professionals: 1. You rarely win when you are trying not to lose. Some teams get a lead and then change how they play as a strategy not to lose. It rarely works. It sometimes leads teams to keep doing the same thing. even though the other team has made adjustments.
SCD Group
OCTOBER 12, 2015
I was looking for local attorneys for my mother-in-law (who is moving here next month) and came across a firm that included a blog on its website. I clicked on the blog tab and was surprised (even disappointed) when the last post was dated in mid-2014. The firm started its blog and was posting once a month. but, then abruptly stopped. Why? Does your association blog?
SCD Group
SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
The other night some couples were discussing their favorite “old” television programs. You know: Seinfield, Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, etc. Associations can benefit from using some “oldies but goodies”. especially with older members and/or with great content that could be refreshed. With that spirit, here are some of my “old posts” that are worth revisiting: Should associations use faux research to advocate a cause?
SCD Group
SEPTEMBER 6, 2015
The 2015 College football season has begun. The Ohio State football team (yes, I’m biased) and its defense of its national championship offers lessons for association professionals. I once served an association that became known as “the best in the profession.” As we grew – more members, more money, more prestige – the “grind” became keeping up and continuously improving.
SCD Group
AUGUST 10, 2015
A long-time colleague who is executive director of a statewide association called me the other day asking for advice: “Two former board members and a current board member have joined forces to start a new association that competes with our organization. What do I do?” His question stumped me. In all my years as an association professional, I have not had to deal with this situation or anything similar.
SCD Group
AUGUST 2, 2015
Another request from an association professional: “We’re looking for a company that helps organizations re-brand themselves and even guide them towards a new name.” As a former AMC owner and association consultant, I’ve been through three association logo changes, three name changes and more. 3 Reasons to Consider Change: Because your market has changed and current name does not reflect your members/prospects Because your image is “old and stale” Because your name/design does not reflect your ne
SCD Group
JULY 26, 2015
That was the question facing The Ohio State University Alumni Association board during my last year as a director back in 2003. At the time, our board was in the process of replacing a CEO who had been in the role for about 30 years. How do you replace a legend. or long term CEO? Well, we started by hiring an executive search firm. And, we concluded by replacing a legend with a legend.
SCD Group
JULY 14, 2015
#1 (l) focuses on home; #2 (r) focuses on prospects When you are searching for a product, service or other “thing,” you often end up on the organization’s website, right? If you are like me, you quickly realize that not all websites are created equally! Some focus on telling prospects how wonderful they are. Others focus on answering prospects questions.
SCD Group
JUNE 29, 2015
Editor’s Note: Last Wednesday, I was inducted into the Ag Public Relations Hall of Fame. What follows are the tips from my career that I shared during the induction ceremony. Providing background for each tip makes this post extra long. but what the heck, how often do you get inducted into a Hall of Fame?! I’m going to share a few stories that I hope provide useful tips for your professional career.
SCD Group
JUNE 23, 2015
Yesterday I shared the case of the St. Louis Cardinals and protecting your brand. I closed saying: Who at your association “manages” its brand? Who monitors activities to ensure your brand is not tarnished? Who watches events and activities within your environment so your association’s brand benefits? Having a great brand does not guarantee continued success.
SCD Group
JUNE 22, 2015
Brands – whether companies, products or associations – are difficult to create, hard to nurture and easy to destroy. Recently, the St. Louis Cardinals brand – one of the icons of professional baseball – took a hit when the FBI announced it was investigating whether the Cardinals hacked into the computer system of the Houston Astros baseball club. For background, read Brand Tarnished, Cardinals Likely to Avoid Economic Damage.
SCD Group
MAY 28, 2015
Local Chapters are Building Blocks for Association Engagement I was going to write today about declining church memberships and closing colleges and suggest they could be a forerunner of trends impacting associations too. But then, my son, brothers, cousins and nephew attended the Memorial Day services at Dorton United Methodist Church in Crossville, Tennessee.
SCD Group
MAY 25, 2015
Typical associations spend two-thirds of their annual budgets on personnel costs. Over the years, I’ve watched some “budget funding battles” that demonstrated the boards didn’t really know what their association staff was doing on behalf of the organization. During these debates, I discovered that it is hard to explain WHAT you do but even more difficult to share HOW you do it.
SCD Group
MAY 11, 2015
Britain’s election shocked the country (and much of the world) not because Prime Minister David Cameron and his Conservative Party won but because of the size of their victory. Last week’s election results once again demonstrates to associations the dangers of over-reliance of polls and surveys. So what happened in Britain’s elections? And, what does it mean for associations?
SCD Group
MAY 4, 2015
The other night my wife and I joined another couple at the Southwest Florida Symphony’s performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in D Minor Ode to Joy. I enjoyed the music but found myself studying the different musicians and sections. Beethoven scored the symphony for 11 units: piccolo, flutes, oboes, horns, strings, trumpets, trombones, kettledrum bass drum, cymbals and triangle.
SCD Group
APRIL 6, 2015
'In their book When Millennials Take Over , Jamie Notter and Maddie Grant devote a chapter on the importance of organizations to have a digital mindset. While presenting at the Reinders Green Industry Conference, I discovered that Reinders – a regional distributor to landscapers, irrigation companies and golf courses – is rolling out a new digital ordering platform that will help customers as well as the company.
SCD Group
MARCH 15, 2015
'I gave three presentations last week at a Green Industry Conference near Milwaukee. It involved a lot of airline and rental car travel which offered time to ponder. First, I LOVE giving presentations on generational tendencies and social media! I love engaging with the audiences and watching them have “light bulb” moments about the topics. I posted all three presentations -- all topics valid for most association members -- on Slide Share.
SCD Group
MARCH 10, 2015
'In their new book, When Millennials Take Over , Jamie Notter and Maddie Grant outline four key capacities that organizations must develop to fully embrace the impending revolution in business: Digital Clear Fluid Fast I must admit that I struggled with their selection of the phrase “Fast.” This is partly because I relate to John Wooden’s Be Quick But Don’t Hurry philosophy shared by Andrew Hill in his 2001 book on the great basketball coach.
SCD Group
FEBRUARY 22, 2015
'Dissent is good and dangerous. I’ve watched as board members and/or chapters – frustrated with the parent group – lash out and/or pull out when they don’t get their way from the parent organization. Such abuse of power often splits the organization. Sometimes this form of dissent is a power grab. During such dissent, I often wonder who is looking out for members.
SCD Group
FEBRUARY 3, 2015
'As an association executive, I’m used to organizing and staffing association membership meetings. So, it is always a learning experience when I participate in an annual meeting of members as a member not a staff professional. This happened last week when our “residents alliance” held its annual membership meeting. We have about 950 members and no staff.
SCD Group
FEBRUARY 1, 2015
'Today is Groundhog Day. You know, if the groundhog sees its shadow, we’re supposed to have six more weeks of winter weather. But, for this blog, I’m thinking of the 1993 movie Groundhog Day. the one where Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) ends up in a time loop, living the same day over and over again. Groundhog Day doesn’t just affect associations, corporations face the same issues.
SCD Group
JANUARY 29, 2015
'Approaching Super Bowl Sunday, the media has been focused on “deflate-gate”. the unfolding story about how 11 of 12 New England Patriot footballs had air pressure below the league rules. The Patriots quickly held news conferences from their head coach and then from their future Hall of Fame quarterback. Both claimed no knowledge of the deflated balls or how it might have happened.
SCD Group
JANUARY 27, 2015
'In an article headlined What Skymall Teaches about Captive Audiences , AssociationsNow wrote about the implications the death of SkyMall has on association publications. Does the news about SkyMall hurt the case for publishing an association magazine? It’s not clear, but it’s nonetheless worth considering Association Media and Publishing’s recent reader survey that delved into how challenging it is to make the case for maintaining an association magazine.
SCD Group
JANUARY 8, 2015
'In a radio interview several years ago, football broadcaster and NFL Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf was asked why Ohio State, Michigan and other Big 10 teams were not winning football games on the national stage. I found Dierdorf’s response interesting and as I recall, was this: “Michigan recruits and builds its team to beat Ohio State. And, Ohio State recruits and builds its team to beat Michigan.
SCD Group
JANUARY 1, 2015
'Happy New Year! This is the time of the year that prognosticators love to tell us what is likely to happen in 2015. Here are four lists that apply to associations and nonprofits. Five Bad Marketing Habits To Give Up In 2015 By Rachel Balik via MarketingLand Don’t Drown In Data Don’t Talk About Yourself Don’t Put Advertising On The Back Burner Don’t Take It Slow Don’t Guess 60 Content Marketing Predictions for 2015 By Joe Pulizzi via Content Marketing Institute In total, we have compiled 60 cont
SCD Group
DECEMBER 30, 2014
'As a year-end post, I reviewed SCDdaily’s 141 blogs posted in 2014. Here are the top nine – based on readership; #1 6 Ways to Engage Xers and Millenials on Your Board 2/11/14 #2 5 Ideas About Information Overload for Association Members/Donors 2/18/14 #3 How Will Association Boards Recruit New Leaders? 2/9/14 #4 Association Boa s That Fai l 5/6/14 #5 The Long Tail of Association Content and Social Media 4/19/14 #6 Unwritten Rules of Association Board and Staff Determine Its Culture 2/27/14 #7 A
SCD Group
DECEMBER 7, 2014
'Ken Williams, the singer greeter at The Home Depot in Fort Myers Walking in to Home Depot this weekend, we were welcomed by Ken Williams. a singing greeter! It shouldn’t surprise you that such a warm and friendly greeting lifts your spirits as you start your shopping experience. Nor that you leave this Home Depot with a really positive outlook on the store and company.
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