INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
It's not always obvious. In fact, sometimes it feels like you're not making any progress at all. But then, something happens that allows you to see what you've accomplished from an outsider's perspective, and suddenly, you realize that you ARE actually making a difference. What am I talking about? MORE
Two weeks ago, in Step Three: Writing Snapshots for Each Scenario , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our most recently completed Board meeting. MORE
Here's a rare post on the subject of generations in the workplace. Recent readers of this blog may not be aware that I cut my blogging teeth on the subject when I hosted (with Jamie Notter ) The Hourglass Blog from 2009 to 2012. MORE
We had Chris McChesney speak at my association's Annual Conference a few weeks back. If you don't know who that is, he's one of the authors of The Four Disciplines of Execution , also know as 4DX. MORE
Measuring success is hard. Case in point this week was something we call the "up-market capture ratio" in my association's investment policy. Investopedia defines the up-market capture ratio as "the statistical measure of an investment manager's overall performance in up-markets. MORE
This week I reviewed the free e-book, Fueling Exceptional New Member Experiences , from Amanda Kaiser at Kaiser Insights and the Smooth the Path blog. My favorite part was the section that talked about the importance of making a positive first impression with new members. MORE
A few weeks ago, in Letting the Future Guide the Present , I provided some background for a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our upcoming Board meeting. MORE
It's been a while since I wrote about my association's on-going experiment with 4DX -- The Four Disciplines of Execution. MORE
Two weeks ago, in Step Two: Creating Scenarios Based on Megatrends , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our just completed Board meeting. MORE
I attended a trade show this past week. It's something I haven't done in a while, and I was surprised by how little things have changed. Aisle carpet, booth numbers, giant computer screens, shiny products on lucite display stands. And, of course, booth personnel. MORE
Another lesson for me this week that demonstrates how a strategy without the resources to support it is a recipe for failure. We sometimes deceive ourselves in the association business. MORE
I attended a conference last week where one of the sessions was on the Hermann Whole Brain Model. Not familiar with it? MORE
Not too long ago I wrote a post about Getting Out From Behind the Podium when giving a talk at my association's Annual Conference. MORE
Two weeks ago, in Step Four: Discussing the Strategic Implications , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our most recently completed Board meeting. MORE
Four weeks ago, in Step Four: Discussing the Strategic Implications, Part 2 , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our most recently completed Board meeting. MORE
I used to blog a lot about innovation in the association environment. I used to think a lot about the subject, I helped write a white paper on the subject, helped launch a regional conference focused on it, and have tried to move my association on to a more innovative footing. MORE
Kudos to Amanda Kaiser and her Smooth the Path blog for her post, " Our Point of View is Not Our Members’ Point of View." In it, she reminds all of us association staff that what we think about the value of our membership benefits is often not what our members think of it. MORE
A shout out this week to Jeffrey Cufaude at the Idea Architects blog , who recently offered this piece of wisdom regarding the growth goals set by many an association board in many a strategic planning session: Double our membership. Increase conference attendance by 50%. MORE
There is a clear and important reason that associations are organized as non-profit organizations, and it isn't so they can get out of paying taxes. My musings in this regard were inspired by this post by Anna Caraveli on The Demand Networks blog. MORE
I attended an educational conference last week and a wonderful thing happened to me there. I got a new idea. I don't know yet if it's a good idea or a bad idea. Maybe you can tell me. But that's not the point. MORE
Back in May 2018, I participated in a virtual conference session on co-creation. It was called SURGE Spring 2018, and the organizers just posted a blog summary of some of the points I made in the session. MORE
Last week I wrote about a message my Board chair and I had crafted to help frame the discussion at our recent Board meeting. MORE
I was talking to a friend last night about one of the newest education programs in my association. He's a friend, but he's not in the association business, and I often find his viewpoint as an outsider to my world refreshing. MORE
My association's Annual Conference was last week, and among the things that means for me is making a presentation to the assembled membership on what the association has been doing over the past year. It's not the first time I've done this. MORE
Two weeks ago, in Step One: Identifying the Megatrends , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our upcoming Board meeting. MORE
Amanda Kaiser at her Smooth the Path blog gave me a good reminder this week about association membership dues notices. The most interesting result from the member research on renewal notices is that these letters, emails, and phone calls do not serve to change most member’s minds about renewing. MORE
Four weeks ago, in Step Four: Discussing the Strategic Implications, Part 5 , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our two most recently completed Board meetings. MORE
Three weeks ago, in Step Four: Discussing the Strategic Implications, Part 4 , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our two most recently completed Board meetings. MORE
Two weeks ago, in Step Four: Discussing the Strategic Implications, Part 3 , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our most recently completed Board meeting. MORE
We focus a lot on membership sales in my association. This year perhaps more than at any time in recent memory because we have identified increasing our membership numbers as our Wildly Important Goal for the year. MORE
I participated in a SURGE Spring 2018 session on co-creation. Don't know what SURGE Spring 2018 is? It's an online, virtual conference put on by Association Success. Sessions have been recorded and are being posted this week (May 2-4, 2018). Mine will be posted on May 4. Go here for more info. MORE
I was recently interviewed by Joy Duling of The Joy of Membership blog, for The Movement Summit , an online event she is creating and hosting, which will be happening live next week, November 6-10, 2017. MORE
We're looking ahead to another calendar year in our association, and as part of that look forward we are setting a year-long course for some of our working committees. Working Committee is the term my association uses for what others might call Program Committees. MORE
I had an interesting conversation this week with a colleague on the subject of membership engagement tracking. It's not something that every association does, evidently, but it is something that my association does. MORE
Last week, in When Decisions Get Made , I talked about when a member's decision to renew or not to renew their membership in an association gets made. MORE
I don't know when was the last time I've written about performance evaluations on this blog -- or indeed if I have ever written about performance evaluations on this blog before -- but they've been on my mind this week. MORE
I had lunch with a colleague this week and our conversation turned to staff bonus plans. In prefacing my description of the bonus plan I've put in place for the staff at my association, I described it (with a bit of tongue in the cheek) as "needlessly complicated." MORE
I have to take issue with Amanda Kaiser of the Smooth the Path blog, who said in a recent post that trade associations don't really have organizational memberships. Your key contact member understands that some of their colleagues at their organization can be members. MORE
I had a good discussion with my Board chair this week. We're looking ahead to our next Board meeting and it's time to start framing an agenda for the discussions that will take place there. MORE
It worked. There's not much more to say than that. Last week, in Behaviors Are a Necessary Part of Values , I wrote about an upcoming discussion on values at my association's Board meeting. MORE
I was on the road again this past week. As has become my habit, whenever I find myself going somewhere, I check our database to see if there are any members in the area and, if so, I try to reserve some time to go visit them. That worked for one of our most engaged members this week, but on this particular trip there was another kind of opportunity that presented itself. MORE
I participated in a SURGE Spring 2018 session on co-creation. Don't know what SURGE Spring 2018 is? It's an online, virtual conference put on by Association Success. Sessions were recorded and were broadcast May 2-4, 2018. MORE
Last week I wrote about a presentation I would be giving at one of my association's major conferences -- a presentation on the work product of one of our technical committees. MORE
Eric Lanke
OCTOBER 15, 2018
It worked. There's not much more to say than that. Last week, in Behaviors Are a Necessary Part of Values , I wrote about an upcoming discussion on values at my association's Board meeting.
Eric Lanke
SEPTEMBER 17, 2018
I attended a trade show this past week. It's something I haven't done in a while, and I was surprised by how little things have changed. Aisle carpet, booth numbers, giant computer screens, shiny products on lucite display stands. And, of course, booth personnel.
Eric Lanke
OCTOBER 1, 2018
I had lunch with a colleague this week and our conversation turned to staff bonus plans. In prefacing my description of the bonus plan I've put in place for the staff at my association, I described it (with a bit of tongue in the cheek) as "needlessly complicated."
Eric Lanke
AUGUST 20, 2018
Back in May 2018, I participated in a virtual conference session on co-creation. It was called SURGE Spring 2018, and the organizers just posted a blog summary of some of the points I made in the session.
Eric Lanke
AUGUST 27, 2018
Amanda Kaiser at her Smooth the Path blog gave me a good reminder this week about association membership dues notices. The most interesting result from the member research on renewal notices is that these letters, emails, and phone calls do not serve to change most member’s minds about renewing.
Eric Lanke
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
A shout out this week to Jeffrey Cufaude at the Idea Architects blog , who recently offered this piece of wisdom regarding the growth goals set by many an association board in many a strategic planning session: Double our membership. Increase conference attendance by 50%.
Eric Lanke
SEPTEMBER 3, 2018
Last week, in When Decisions Get Made , I talked about when a member's decision to renew or not to renew their membership in an association gets made.
Eric Lanke
JUNE 11, 2018
Not too long ago I wrote a post about Getting Out From Behind the Podium when giving a talk at my association's Annual Conference.
Eric Lanke
JUNE 18, 2018
I don't know when was the last time I've written about performance evaluations on this blog -- or indeed if I have ever written about performance evaluations on this blog before -- but they've been on my mind this week.
Eric Lanke
AUGUST 13, 2018
I attended a conference last week where one of the sessions was on the Hermann Whole Brain Model. Not familiar with it?
Eric Lanke
JULY 2, 2018
I have to take issue with Amanda Kaiser of the Smooth the Path blog, who said in a recent post that trade associations don't really have organizational memberships. Your key contact member understands that some of their colleagues at their organization can be members.
Eric Lanke
AUGUST 6, 2018
It's not always obvious. In fact, sometimes it feels like you're not making any progress at all. But then, something happens that allows you to see what you've accomplished from an outsider's perspective, and suddenly, you realize that you ARE actually making a difference. What am I talking about?
Eric Lanke
FEBRUARY 19, 2018
This week I reviewed the free e-book, Fueling Exceptional New Member Experiences , from Amanda Kaiser at Kaiser Insights and the Smooth the Path blog. My favorite part was the section that talked about the importance of making a positive first impression with new members.
Eric Lanke
JULY 23, 2018
Four weeks ago, in Step Four: Discussing the Strategic Implications, Part 5 , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our two most recently completed Board meetings.
Eric Lanke
JUNE 4, 2018
Two weeks ago, in Step Four: Discussing the Strategic Implications, Part 3 , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our most recently completed Board meeting.
Eric Lanke
JUNE 25, 2018
Three weeks ago, in Step Four: Discussing the Strategic Implications, Part 4 , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our two most recently completed Board meetings.
Eric Lanke
MAY 28, 2018
Here's a rare post on the subject of generations in the workplace. Recent readers of this blog may not be aware that I cut my blogging teeth on the subject when I hosted (with Jamie Notter ) The Hourglass Blog from 2009 to 2012.
Eric Lanke
MAY 21, 2018
Four weeks ago, in Step Four: Discussing the Strategic Implications, Part 2 , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our most recently completed Board meeting.
Eric Lanke
MAY 14, 2018
Kudos to Amanda Kaiser and her Smooth the Path blog for her post, " Our Point of View is Not Our Members’ Point of View." In it, she reminds all of us association staff that what we think about the value of our membership benefits is often not what our members think of it.
Eric Lanke
MAY 7, 2018
I participated in a SURGE Spring 2018 session on co-creation. Don't know what SURGE Spring 2018 is? It's an online, virtual conference put on by Association Success. Sessions were recorded and were broadcast May 2-4, 2018.
Eric Lanke
AUGUST 21, 2017
Last week I wrote about a presentation I would be giving at one of my association's major conferences -- a presentation on the work product of one of our technical committees.
Eric Lanke
APRIL 30, 2018
I participated in a SURGE Spring 2018 session on co-creation. Don't know what SURGE Spring 2018 is? It's an online, virtual conference put on by Association Success. Sessions have been recorded and are being posted this week (May 2-4, 2018). Mine will be posted on May 4. Go here for more info.
Eric Lanke
APRIL 23, 2018
Two weeks ago, in Step Four: Discussing the Strategic Implications , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our most recently completed Board meeting.
Eric Lanke
SEPTEMBER 24, 2018
Measuring success is hard. Case in point this week was something we call the "up-market capture ratio" in my association's investment policy. Investopedia defines the up-market capture ratio as "the statistical measure of an investment manager's overall performance in up-markets.
Eric Lanke
APRIL 2, 2018
We focus a lot on membership sales in my association. This year perhaps more than at any time in recent memory because we have identified increasing our membership numbers as our Wildly Important Goal for the year.
Eric Lanke
MARCH 26, 2018
Two weeks ago, in Step Three: Writing Snapshots for Each Scenario , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our most recently completed Board meeting.
Eric Lanke
MARCH 19, 2018
We had Chris McChesney speak at my association's Annual Conference a few weeks back. If you don't know who that is, he's one of the authors of The Four Disciplines of Execution , also know as 4DX.
Eric Lanke
MARCH 5, 2018
My association's Annual Conference was last week, and among the things that means for me is making a presentation to the assembled membership on what the association has been doing over the past year. It's not the first time I've done this.
Eric Lanke
FEBRUARY 26, 2018
Two weeks ago, in Step Two: Creating Scenarios Based on Megatrends , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our just completed Board meeting.
Eric Lanke
JULY 30, 2018
I was on the road again this past week. As has become my habit, whenever I find myself going somewhere, I check our database to see if there are any members in the area and, if so, I try to reserve some time to go visit them. That worked for one of our most engaged members this week, but on this particular trip there was another kind of opportunity that presented itself.
Eric Lanke
NOVEMBER 20, 2017
I used to blog a lot about innovation in the association environment. I used to think a lot about the subject, I helped write a white paper on the subject, helped launch a regional conference focused on it, and have tried to move my association on to a more innovative footing.
Eric Lanke
FEBRUARY 12, 2018
Two weeks ago, in Step One: Identifying the Megatrends , I continued a description of a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our upcoming Board meeting.
Eric Lanke
FEBRUARY 5, 2018
Lately, I've been spending more time than usual on my association's financial operations.
Eric Lanke
JANUARY 29, 2018
A few weeks ago, in Letting the Future Guide the Present , I provided some background for a Scenario Planning exercise my Board chair and I decided to conduct at our upcoming Board meeting.
Eric Lanke
OCTOBER 30, 2017
I was recently interviewed by Joy Duling of The Joy of Membership blog, for The Movement Summit , an online event she is creating and hosting, which will be happening live next week, November 6-10, 2017.
Eric Lanke
OCTOBER 16, 2017
Last week I wrote about a message my Board chair and I had crafted to help frame the discussion at our recent Board meeting.
Eric Lanke
JANUARY 8, 2018
It's been a while since I wrote about my association's on-going experiment with 4DX -- The Four Disciplines of Execution.
Eric Lanke
DECEMBER 18, 2017
I had a good discussion with my Board chair this week. We're looking ahead to our next Board meeting and it's time to start framing an agenda for the discussions that will take place there.
Eric Lanke
DECEMBER 11, 2017
We're looking ahead to another calendar year in our association, and as part of that look forward we are setting a year-long course for some of our working committees. Working Committee is the term my association uses for what others might call Program Committees.
Eric Lanke
MAY 16, 2016
There is a clear and important reason that associations are organized as non-profit organizations, and it isn't so they can get out of paying taxes. My musings in this regard were inspired by this post by Anna Caraveli on The Demand Networks blog.
Eric Lanke
DECEMBER 4, 2017
I was talking to a friend last night about one of the newest education programs in my association. He's a friend, but he's not in the association business, and I often find his viewpoint as an outsider to my world refreshing.
Eric Lanke
NOVEMBER 27, 2017
Another lesson for me this week that demonstrates how a strategy without the resources to support it is a recipe for failure. We sometimes deceive ourselves in the association business.
Eric Lanke
NOVEMBER 13, 2017
I had an interesting conversation this week with a colleague on the subject of membership engagement tracking. It's not something that every association does, evidently, but it is something that my association does.
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