Eric Lanke

OCTOBER 16, 2017

With a Board that was committed to maintaining a governance role for the organization, the message was designed to help them determine and decide the pertinent strategic questions that were to be addressed at this point in our annual strategy and execution cycle. In other words, are they action items? Image Source [link].

Strategy 113

Strategy Review Resources Report 113

Eric Lanke

SEPTEMBER 9, 2019

Since that time, I have managed to make a post appear here every Monday morning, a post almost always focused on some aspect of my professional experiences as an association executive. It feels like I've already said everything I can in subjects like Innovation, Leadership, or Strategy and Execution. So I'm making a change.

Library 100

Library Innovation Leadership Member Engagement 100

Eric Lanke

FEBRUARY 25, 2019

That's the path between the two positions of safety -- and it's my job as the staff executive to first chart that path and then lead others across it. That's my organization in the future, after successfully repositioning itself so that it is working with the winds and not trying to stand against them. And the wire? With me so far?

Leadership 140

Leadership Organization 140

Eric Lanke

DECEMBER 22, 2018

This comes near the end of Belford’s book, after he has walked the reader through numerous bugaboos of the association industry and the essential elements of being an effective staff executive. Well, there are two ways you can go-- --”Widgets, I’m in widgets,” or --”I’m an association executive.” You smile and nod. Could be huge.

Handbook 113

Handbook Leadership Conference Industry 113

Eric Lanke

JUNE 3, 2019

We typically classify our contacts based on the role that they play in their company -- for example, are they an Executive? For how many companies, for example, can we say we have a solid Executive, Marketing, Engineering, and Human Resource contact? In this spirit we recently did an inventory of the contacts in our member database.

Course 113

Course Examples Resources Marketing 113

Eric Lanke

MAY 27, 2019

Doing so risks creating a false level of success for the organization and, most damaging, a false understanding of the organization's execution capability. You can follow him on Twitter @ericlanke or contact him at eric.lanke@gmail.com. Image Source [link].

Innovation 113

Innovation Review Resources Process 113

Eric Lanke

DECEMBER 17, 2018

an executive might hear once this mindset has taken over. "We Substantial attention is paid and rewards begin to be offered, not to increasing conference attendance, but to publishing articles in the e-newsletter. What else do you expect us to do?" We published more articles in our e-newsletter than we ever have before!"

Marketing 113

Marketing Newsletter Conference Recruiting 113

Eric Lanke

APRIL 20, 2020

The chairman should not only be familiar with parliamentary usage, and set the example of strict conformity thereto, but he should be a man of executive ability, capable of controlling men; and it should never be forgotten, that, to control others, it is necessary to control one’s self.

Course 147

Course Examples 147

Eric Lanke

JANUARY 23, 2017

When discussed at our most recent Board meeting, it was determined that the program represented an ideal way of executing one of the association's key strategic objectives. The reason we applied for the federal grant was we didn't have the resources necessary to execute the program on our own. That's where me and my staff stepped in.

Resources 100

Resources Strategy Cost Proposal 100

Eric Lanke

JANUARY 21, 2019

For all the other Board meetings over that three-year span, the focus would remain on strategy deployment, on making sure we were executing our existing strategy as effectively as we could. Not once a year, but now once every three years, would we have the kind of deep dive, strategy changing event like the one I described.

Strategy 113

Strategy Proposal Resources Course 113

Eric Lanke

SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

The piece of the puzzle that I want to dig into more deeply here is how important it is, in my opinion, for the Board to have free reign in determining the success indicators, but how equally important it is for the staff executive to have free reign in setting the associated goals.

Examples 100

Examples Strategy Education Industry 100

Eric Lanke

OCTOBER 12, 2015

Each gives an on-the-ground understanding of the forces at work in your association, and holding your staff accountable for their execution is essential is you are to make accurate assessments. + + + This post was written by Eric Lanke, an association executive, blogger and author.

Examples 100

Examples Resources Strategy 100

Eric Lanke

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

But if you want better alignment between strategy and execution, giving in to that temptation is about the worst thing you can do. + + + This post first appeared on Eric Lanke's blog , an association executive and author. Remember I said the temptation only comes at the end of long fought battles. Image Source [link].

Strategy 100

Strategy Team Communications 100

Eric Lanke

NOVEMBER 27, 2017

We know our strategies are compelling and our volunteers are dedicated, and we think that if we simply bring the two in alignment with each other the execution will take care of itself. That person can be the association staff executive, but it doesn't have to be. Often, unfortunately, it doesn't. What resources are those?

Resources 100

Resources Project Leadership Strategy 100

Eric Lanke

MARCH 6, 2017

My report, as the chief staff executive, is focused on our strategy agenda and its supporting activities. It was a very good conference. + + + This post first appeared on Eric Lanke's blog , an association executive and author. It's simple and understandable, and it's largely the same thing we told you last year.

Strategy 100

Strategy Leadership Report Conference 100

Eric Lanke

JANUARY 30, 2017

After a tour of duty on the board of the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives (including one year as board chair), I've moved onto the board of the Council of Manufacturing Associations (CMA). Tell me that and I'm ready to dive in with both feet. + + + This post first appeared on Eric Lanke's blog , an association executive and author.

Wisconsin 100

Wisconsin Education Organization Leadership 100

Eric Lanke

MAY 11, 2015

If you need your Board to have a series of connected conversations that lead to coherent strategy and execution, you won't get it if all they do is show up and speak off the top of their heads. Do you? + + + This post was written by Eric Lanke, an association executive, blogger and author. But you have to do something to address this.

Strategy 100

Strategy Leadership Products 100

Eric Lanke

FEBRUARY 5, 2018

Expect one day someone -- a Board member, a staff member, the association executive -- will step back and wonder which is more work for the organization -- all this painting and squeezing of oranges so that they fit in an old apple crate, or simply building a new crate designed for oranges. Image Source [link].

System 100

System Conference Report Strategy 100

Eric Lanke

OCTOBER 24, 2016

As part of that adoption, they wrote their own Governance Policy, which attempted to spell out, as clearly as possible, the differing roles between the Board and the staff executive when it came to strategy and execution. Here are the actual clauses from that document: “Ends” determination is a pivotal duty of the Board.

Technology 100

Technology Strategy Examples Cost 100

Eric Lanke

JANUARY 1, 2018

The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling This one was originally posted in May 2014, and returns for a fourth placement on these year-end lists. It summarizes my takeaways from the book The 4 Disciplines of Execution. My thanks to everyone who has been reading what I've been putting up here.

Guidelines 100

Guidelines Course Team Process 100

Eric Lanke

MAY 9, 2016

That makes sense, since I serve as the staff executive of an association, and confronting the challenges inherent in that role comprise a significant portion of my mental life. Look at my last blog post , for example, where I (again) presented my case for program committees reporting not to the Board, but to the staff executive.

Committee 100

Committee Resources Report Examples 100

Eric Lanke

FEBRUARY 1, 2016

The Board defines strategic goals, it hires an executive, it approves annual budgets developed by that executive, it holds that hired executive accountable for achievement of those goals within the approved budget. Because holocracy is not compatible with how our Board and its current governance function works.

Resources 100

Resources Course Innovation Communications 100

Eric Lanke

MARCH 19, 2018

If you don't know who that is, he's one of the authors of The Four Disciplines of Execution , also know as 4DX. But if we could, it seems o me, focusing on 4DX's wildly important would probably be just that much easier. + + + This post first appeared on Eric Lanke's blog , an association executive and author. Image Source [link].

System 100

System Revenue Conference Organization 100

Eric Lanke

JANUARY 19, 2015

Last week I wrote about my experience as Board Chair for the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives (WSAE). Well, I guess primarily I''m talking about the right staff executive, because everything will succeed or fail based on the competence, vision, and energy of that individual.

Wisconsin 100

Wisconsin Recruiting Recruitment Leadership 100

Eric Lanke

MAY 2, 2016

One I've already written about (although I didn't call it a paradox at the time) is the idea that committees shouldn’t report to the Board, but to the staff executive. Here I'm talking about "program" committees, those formed to help the association conduct its programs. What are some other paradoxes of association management?

Association Management 100

Association Management Committee Report Industry 100

Eric Lanke

JULY 15, 2019

Getting it right is often far less important than getting everyone on board. + + + This post first appeared on Eric Lanke's blog , an association executive and author. Remember that the next time you're in a group that seems to be arguing over the right way to do things. Image Source [link].

Project 113

Project System Organization Strategy 113

Eric Lanke

AUGUST 1, 2016

I've written a few times here about my experiment with The Four Disciplines of Execution, or 4DX, as it is often abbreviated. The last time I wrote about it, I was dissecting the experiment I've run to date, and offered up the three factors that caused us the most difficulty. If you're interested, go here for the full blog post.

Proposal 100

Proposal Products System Team 100

Eric Lanke

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Got into a friendly argument with a colleague about last week's post , where I revisited an idea that I've discussed before : that program committees should report to an association's Chief Staff Executive, or CEO, and not its Board of Directors. But committees that are needed to assist the association execute its programs?

Committee 100

Committee Report Course Leadership 100

Eric Lanke

DECEMBER 31, 2018

The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling This one was originally posted in May 2014, and returns for a fifth placement on these year-end lists. It summarizes my takeaways from the book The 4 Disciplines of Execution. My thanks to everyone who has been reading what I've been putting up here.

Guidelines 100

Guidelines Course Team System 100

Eric Lanke

DECEMBER 26, 2016

The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling This one was originally posted in May 2014, and returns for a third placement on these year-end lists. It summarizes my takeaways from the book The 4 Disciplines of Execution. My thanks to everyone who has been reading what I've been putting up here.

Guidelines 100

Guidelines Team Process Video 100

Eric Lanke

JULY 22, 2019

Whenever I'm comparing notes with other association executives about how big our boards are, I usually joke that I like having eighteen people on my Board because it guarantees that I can get at least twelve to show up at my Board meetings. My association's Board of Directors has eighteen people on it. I'm only half joking.

Industry 113

Industry Examples Communications Member Engagement 113

Eric Lanke

JANUARY 7, 2019

Why do company executives decide to have their companies join our association? In essence, I didn't put the cart before the horse. + + + This post first appeared on Eric Lanke's blog , an association executive and author. I could now ask. You can follow him on Twitter @ericlanke or contact him at eric.lanke@gmail.com.

Marketing 113

Marketing Cost Team Education 113

Eric Lanke

JULY 10, 2017

He's been on the Board for several years, the last few in various positions on our Executive Committee. My framework, I could now see with his framework placed next to it as a kind of foil, was built around how I would execute functions within our staff organization. He wasn't a total stranger. But importantly, they were not the same.

Committee 100

Committee Strategy Leadership Course 100

Eric Lanke

AUGUST 22, 2016

In all my years in association management--including my formative ones as the meeting planner putting events just like last week's conference together--there is still nothing quite like the high that comes at the close of a successful and well-executed conference. The speakers were top-notch. The members were energized.

Conference 100

Conference Course Leadership Association Management 100

Eric Lanke

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

They can turn your SWOT from a simple team-building exercise to an essential part of your strategy and execution function. You can follow him on Twitter @ericlanke or contact him at eric.lanke@gmail.com.

Analysis 100

Analysis Strategy Industry Tools 100

Eric Lanke

MAY 18, 2015

But instead of admitting this, lots of Boards and lots of staff executives silently agree to pretend it isn't true. I've found myself in this situation more than once, both as the Board member and as the staff executive, and I've tried to speak up, but in both situations I was treated like I had done something socially inappropriate.

Resources 100

Resources Course Process Organization 100

Eric Lanke

JUNE 22, 2019

There’s a long subtitle here: “Strategy Deployment and Execution Process for Breakthrough Business Performance.” We know what our Annual Improvement Priorities are, but how are we going to execute them and measure their success? Next comes the “HOW MUCH AND WHEN?” These are Targets to Improve.

Examples 113

Examples Discount Process Analysis 113