How does your association troubleshoot and solve problems? If it’s like most organizations, it probably takes a reactive approach rather than a proactive one, says Shelby-lyn Miller from the Wicket blog. Instead, teams should be prototyping problems.

“Prototyping your problem allows your team to gain insights into ways your association can improve that may identify larger overarching challenges built in and around the initial problem you’re trying to solve,” Miller says. “Developing a prototype will help your association to think through your problem, mapping out a potential structured approach to your solution.”

To successfully prototype issues, start with looking at the data. If your problem is membership-based, what can current member data tell you about the services members are or aren’t using? Who renewed and who didn’t? All of this information helps paint the full picture of the issue.

From there, Miller says teams must contextualize the problem and their mission. “When you’re making self-improvements, you need to look inward to identify what your ethics are, where you stand on your values, and what you want and need to become a better person,” she says. “Take the same approach with your team when prototyping your problem.”

Based on these two steps, Miller says teams will have the correct information and understanding to guide potential solutions.

The Move to Social Customer Service

Here are 5 reasons attention is shifting away from social media marketing and toward the provision of #custserv via social: https://t.co/zRW65eDFPv pic.twitter.com/UszwSd7c5T

— Jay Baer (@jaybaer) June 11, 2019

Social media is all about being, well, social. But for businesses, there’s also been a big shift toward social customer service, where brands are providing direct customer support through their social channels.

“This shift toward social customer service has many implications, including new ways to measure the success of overall social efforts,” writes Jay Baer on Convince and Convert. “For example, if customer loyalty and advocacy are the core objectives, does measuring ‘engagement’ still matter? Also, does the social media team report to a different part of the organization once social customer service becomes a priority?”

How social customer service unfolds in associations will differ depending on an organization’s goals, but to Baer’s point, current social strategies might require revising.

Other Links of Note

Establishing your organization often requires setting boundaries. Entrepreneur explains how to teach others how to treat your brand.

Provide a stellar attendee experience without blowing up your budget with these tips from Smart Meetings.

Need swag bag inspiration? The Event Manager Blog offers 30 ideas for desirable meeting mementos.

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