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Suppose you were an association executive with a medical need. You have identified the leading doctors who specialize in the field. The decision is important. Your health is at stake. So you take very seriously the process of deciding which doctor is the best fit to work with you to diagnose your problem and prescribe [.]. The Nature of Associations association profession role of associations MORE
Chances are that if you are reading this, you consider yourself an association professional and you appreciate the tremendous good that associations do for society. You are probably also concerned about some of the issues impacting associations, and maybe even support advocacy by groups like ASAE to address them. But do you ever involve the [.]. Association Advocacy association profession engagement leadership lobbying not-for-profit role of associations tax exempt organizations MORE
“It is extraordinary to notice how few people in the modern world can argue. That is why there are so many quarrels breaking out again and again, and never coming to any natural end.” How true. Just switch on any cable TV “news” show or go to any online forum. Or visit an association board [.]. Association Advocacy The Way We Are MORE
124 I didn’t exactly go through the five stages of grief when the public furor over the GAO Las Vegas retreat first erupted in the media. But I did go through something like that process. Stage one is denial: I am a “benefit of the doubt” kind of guy. If there is an innocent interpretation, I [.]. Association Advocacy Association Meetings Bad Publicity GAO Image Transparency MORE
Much of the public thinks of associations as “special interests” who do nothing but lobby the system to game advantage (even though U. government data shows that associations spend many times more on educational activities than on lobbying). In my opinion, “special interest” is a pejorative only when applied to a group whose interests [.]. Association Advocacy role of associations MORE
That was the common thread from the presentations and discussion at TREND’s Annual Communications Legal Update on October 26th. Among the high level takeaways was the need to remember that most of the arcane web of political communication, intellectual property, privacy, and commercial law that governs our digital world was written decades before digital was [.]. Social Media & Associations association law copyright Intellectual Property lotteries Social Media social media policies MORE
Association Trends data indicates a majority of associations do not include bonuses in staff compensation structures. Perhaps part of the resistance is simply a matter of language. ”Bonus” sounds gratuitous and unearned. But performance based compensation can be a critical element in achieving high staff performance. Read more in my commentary in the July 19th Trends. [.]. The Nature of Associations Association Management Bonus Compensation MORE
A member shared this video with me recently, which demonstrates that knowledge does not equal understanding and that it is very difficult to change biases. link] Watch the whole 8 minutes if you can … there is more here than the initial “hook” of the video: how changing one thing makes even a simple, customary task […]. The Nature of Associations The Way We Are Change Strategic Planning MORE
There is a generation gap between lobbyists and the lobbied that requires rethinking established GR tactics. Read my commentary from this week’s Association Trends. Association Advocacy MORE
108 At a recent conference, I was diligent in my efforts to use social media to not only capture my own notes, but share them with my colleagues and associates, present and absent. I got a decent amount of reaction and interaction for my efforts. Retweets, likes, comments and discussion. Nothing remotely viral, mind you, but my […]. Social Media & Associations associations impact twitter MORE
Give the Metropolitan Opera credit. When its leadership screws up, they do it on a truly operatic scale. The Met is a nonprofit, structured in a manner not unlike many associations. There is the parent organization, the opera company, that delivers the core value to its membership (audience). And there is its educational foundation, the [.]. Association Advocacy The Nature of Associations association journals censorship leadership Transparency MORE
The rich “are different than you and me,” F. Scott Fitzgerald famously observed. (“Yes, they have more money,” Ernest Hemingway is apocryphally reported to have cynically added.) In the same vein, non-profit boards are different from corporate boards. They have less latitude to lead. Even when they have the clear legal authority and are acting [.]. The Nature of Associations Association Governance Boards MORE
The following is adapted from remarks delivered at the National Society of Professional Engineer’s House of Delegates General Assembly, July 22, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. As NSPE ends one fiscal/program year and starts a new one, it would be typical to talk about the past year’s activity. That is worth doing: we have a good story to […]. The Nature of Associations business strategy culture membership models MORE
I was recently invited to share one piece of advice from what I have learned in my years as an association chief staff officer on effective partnership with volunteer leaders, for a book soon to be published by ASAE. After giving some thought to the matter, for me it came down to what Jim Collins calls Level […]. Uncategorized The Nature of Associations The Way We Are Association Governance leadership MORE
141 That somewhat startling and counterintuitive piece of advice comes from futurist Dan Burrus. “No No matter what your angle for competing – whether you are competing on price, service, quality, time, design, or anything else – the unfortunate outcome is you’re making yourself too much like everyone else. So even when you are in the lead, [.]. The Nature of Associations MORE
At a GWSAE Speakers Series event a number of years ago, Margaret Thatcher described consensus as the opposite of leadership. She used words to the effect that consensus is an abdication of leadership obligations; true leaders take you somewhere the group otherwise would never go. Recently, on ASAE’s CEO network listserv, a rather energetic discussion [.]. The Nature of Associations Association Governance governance system leadership role of associations MORE
For a while there, Chris Anderson’s book, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More, seemed to dominate the association consulting/seminar/blogging space. Now that its currency has dimmed a little, I have a confession to make. I struggled for a long time trying to like this book1. But in the [.]. The Nature of Associations MORE
108 
To be real, innovation needs to be a habit, not a standalone project. And habits are learned through constant practice – doing something consistently and constantly until it becomes an ingrained feature of everyday activity. Something that is constantly happening, almost without conscious effort or thought. Part of that is systems and environment. Apple is [.]. The Nature of Associations MORE
When I ask association leaders (both volunteers and staff professionals) what their biggest long-term governance challenge is, the most frequent answer I hear back is the challenge of bringing the next generation of leaders on board. “Young people don’t volunteer the way we used to.” ” “They don’t have the time to devote to volunteering that [.]. The Nature of Associations Association Governance governance system leadership MORE
Closing the ASAE annual meeting in Dallas, author Dan Pink argued that, regardless of profession, we are all in sales. But the characteristics, skills and traits he described as essential for success sounded to my ears like precisely the attributes that distinguish effective association leaders, and differentiate us as a profession. Read more in my [.]. The Nature of Associations The Way We Are #asae12 Association Management association profession role of associations MORE
It is something of a commonplace to refer to associations as a kind of family or even to think of our mission-driven efforts as in some ways similar to a religion: an effort to organize like-minded individuals who share a common cause … a cause that is integral to both who they are as individuals [.]. The Way We Are associations mission purpose MORE
120 
The series had its ups and downs and wild swings in quality, but there is no question that Fox Television’s “House M.D.,” which came to an end after eight seasons this week, was consistently ambitious and compelling TV. Held together at its center by the bravura performance of Hugh Laurie in the title role, the [.]. The Way We Are market research member needs surveys MORE
The problem I have with most social networking is that you can’t ask follow up questions. Like a lot of people, I suppose, it took me a while to warm to Twitter and Facebook. I was initially put off by the sheer triviality of an overwhelming majority of the traffic. I mean really: I don’t [.]. Social Media & Associations Social Media MORE
151 
In the Sherlock Holmes mystery “Silver Blaze,” the solution turns on “the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.” ” Scotland Yard Detective Gregory can be forgiven for his confusion when he protests, “the dog did nothing in the night-time.” ” “That,” Holmes observes, “was the curious incident.” There are a number of dogs that didn’t [.]. Social Media & Associations Social Media trends MORE
141 I was always someone who recognized the critical value of diligently providing for personal solitude as an element of leadership effectiveness. There is a pretty good book on this subject if you are unconvinced: Lead Yourself First, by Raymond Kethledge and Michael Erwin). MORE
206 A lot of self-help books and personal development coaches advise taking a break from your area of professional focus every now and then to read things entirely outside your field. In today’s world of mass media, information overload, and 24-hour-a-day, day jobs, that is increasingly hard to do. But I have found this to be […]. The Nature of Associations context mission MORE
160 
Associations have garnered their share of attention from the Hill in the last year, but no one expected a thoroughly gridlocked Congress to actually get anything done about it … at least until after the election. And after that? Read my latest commentary in AssociationTRENDS to learn why I don’t think any of the association [.]. Association Advocacy not-for-profit tax exempt organizations tax reform MORE
108 
Seven years after the ASAE Foundation first published Seven Measures of Success it has become a whole lot easier to be a “data-driven” association. In 2006, the cost, systems and infrastructure needed to do what the remarkable 9 associations did with data was a major challenge. Less than a decade later, even the smallest association [.]. Social Media & Associations Data Driven Seven Measures Social Media MORE
We are a product of history. None of the inequities, whether trivial or profound, at work in our lives came about overnight. Small injustices compounded over time and became institutionalized and even sublimated into our unconscious collective and individual biases MORE
My picks for the three biggest technology trends affecting associations for 2013: 1. It’s not just social … or even primarily social … it’s all about mobile access now 2. If you are a control freak … get over it. If you still think IT is somebody else’s responsibility, you’re wrong Read more in [.]. Social Media & Associations associations Social Media tech technology trends MORE
On November 6th, I was invited to present a TED-style talk on the “Future of Membership” at the first Association Chief Executives (ACE) Symposium. My thesis: volunteerism not membership is what makes our organizations unique; membership is a means to an end; the metrics we use to judge membership success are all wrong; and the […]. The Nature of Associations MORE
115 
A few years ago I moderated a workshop on Chris Anderson’s book, Free and its implications for associations at the Digital Now conference. That presentation can be found here.) Anderson’s thesis was based largely on the concept of a “freemium” – give something away that creates a demand for future purchases. You know, give away [.]. Social Media & Associations free freemium membership models the end of membership as we know it MORE
Paradigms are the frames of reference that filter our view of the world. They govern how we see things … and can blind you to realties that don’t fit your governing paradigm. Take professional licensure. It’s a no-brainer, right? Some form of professional licensure has existed in America for lawyers since 1763, for physicians and dentists […]. Uncategorized engineering licensure PE MORE
The mission of NSPE is too important to put on hold for a virus. The Nature of Associations The Way We Are COVID19 MORE
196 
Golden's Rules for Association
APRIL 5, 2020
I was always someone who recognized the critical value of diligently providing for personal solitude as an element of leadership effectiveness. There is a pretty good book on this subject if you are unconvinced: Lead Yourself First, by Raymond Kethledge and Michael Erwin).
Golden's Rules for Association
APRIL 7, 2020
The mission of NSPE is too important to put on hold for a virus. The Nature of Associations The Way We Are COVID19
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Golden's Rules for Association
JANUARY 6, 2020
We are a product of history. None of the inequities, whether trivial or profound, at work in our lives came about overnight. Small injustices compounded over time and became institutionalized and even sublimated into our unconscious collective and individual biases
Golden's Rules for Association
AUGUST 9, 2018
Paradigms are the frames of reference that filter our view of the world. They govern how we see things … and can blind you to realties that don’t fit your governing paradigm. Take professional licensure. It’s a no-brainer, right? Some form of professional licensure has existed in America for lawyers since 1763, for physicians and dentists […]. Uncategorized engineering licensure PE
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Golden's Rules for Association
MARCH 3, 2015
A lot of self-help books and personal development coaches advise taking a break from your area of professional focus every now and then to read things entirely outside your field. In today’s world of mass media, information overload, and 24-hour-a-day, day jobs, that is increasingly hard to do. But I have found this to be […]. The Nature of Associations context mission
Golden's Rules for Association
MAY 16, 2015
A member shared this video with me recently, which demonstrates that knowledge does not equal understanding and that it is very difficult to change biases. link] Watch the whole 8 minutes if you can … there is more here than the initial “hook” of the video: how changing one thing makes even a simple, customary task […]. The Nature of Associations The Way We Are Change Strategic Planning
Golden's Rules for Association
JULY 28, 2017
The following is adapted from remarks delivered at the National Society of Professional Engineer’s House of Delegates General Assembly, July 22, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. As NSPE ends one fiscal/program year and starts a new one, it would be typical to talk about the past year’s activity. That is worth doing: we have a good story to […]. The Nature of Associations business strategy culture membership models
Golden's Rules for Association
APRIL 24, 2016
At a recent conference, I was diligent in my efforts to use social media to not only capture my own notes, but share them with my colleagues and associates, present and absent. I got a decent amount of reaction and interaction for my efforts. Retweets, likes, comments and discussion. Nothing remotely viral, mind you, but my […]. Social Media & Associations associations impact twitter
Golden's Rules for Association
APRIL 16, 2012
The problem I have with most social networking is that you can’t ask follow up questions. Like a lot of people, I suppose, it took me a while to warm to Twitter and Facebook. I was initially put off by the sheer triviality of an overwhelming majority of the traffic. I mean really: I don’t [.]. Social Media & Associations Social Media
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Golden's Rules for Association
OCTOBER 24, 2012
In the Sherlock Holmes mystery “Silver Blaze,” the solution turns on “the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.” ” Scotland Yard Detective Gregory can be forgiven for his confusion when he protests, “the dog did nothing in the night-time.” ” “That,” Holmes observes, “was the curious incident.” There are a number of dogs that didn’t [.]. Social Media & Associations Social Media trends
Golden's Rules for Association
MARCH 28, 2012
When I ask association leaders (both volunteers and staff professionals) what their biggest long-term governance challenge is, the most frequent answer I hear back is the challenge of bringing the next generation of leaders on board. “Young people don’t volunteer the way we used to.” ” “They don’t have the time to devote to volunteering that [.]. The Nature of Associations Association Governance governance system leadership
Golden's Rules for Association
DECEMBER 14, 2012
Chances are that if you are reading this, you consider yourself an association professional and you appreciate the tremendous good that associations do for society. You are probably also concerned about some of the issues impacting associations, and maybe even support advocacy by groups like ASAE to address them. But do you ever involve the [.]. Association Advocacy association profession engagement leadership lobbying not-for-profit role of associations tax exempt organizations
Golden's Rules for Association
NOVEMBER 19, 2013
On November 6th, I was invited to present a TED-style talk on the “Future of Membership” at the first Association Chief Executives (ACE) Symposium. My thesis: volunteerism not membership is what makes our organizations unique; membership is a means to an end; the metrics we use to judge membership success are all wrong; and the […]. The Nature of Associations
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Golden's Rules for Association
JUNE 27, 2012
The rich “are different than you and me,” F. Scott Fitzgerald famously observed. (“Yes, they have more money,” Ernest Hemingway is apocryphally reported to have cynically added.) In the same vein, non-profit boards are different from corporate boards. They have less latitude to lead. Even when they have the clear legal authority and are acting [.]. The Nature of Associations Association Governance Boards
Golden's Rules for Association
MAY 6, 2013
It is something of a commonplace to refer to associations as a kind of family or even to think of our mission-driven efforts as in some ways similar to a religion: an effort to organize like-minded individuals who share a common cause … a cause that is integral to both who they are as individuals [.]. The Way We Are associations mission purpose
Golden's Rules for Association
APRIL 8, 2013
A few years ago I moderated a workshop on Chris Anderson’s book, Free and its implications for associations at the Digital Now conference. That presentation can be found here.) Anderson’s thesis was based largely on the concept of a “freemium” – give something away that creates a demand for future purchases. You know, give away [.]. Social Media & Associations free freemium membership models the end of membership as we know it
Golden's Rules for Association
OCTOBER 12, 2012
Much of the public thinks of associations as “special interests” who do nothing but lobby the system to game advantage (even though U. government data shows that associations spend many times more on educational activities than on lobbying). In my opinion, “special interest” is a pejorative only when applied to a group whose interests [.]. Association Advocacy role of associations
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Golden's Rules for Association
MAY 22, 2012
The series had its ups and downs and wild swings in quality, but there is no question that Fox Television’s “House M.D.,” which came to an end after eight seasons this week, was consistently ambitious and compelling TV. Held together at its center by the bravura performance of Hugh Laurie in the title role, the [.]. The Way We Are market research member needs surveys
Golden's Rules for Association
OCTOBER 13, 2011
That somewhat startling and counterintuitive piece of advice comes from futurist Dan Burrus. “No No matter what your angle for competing – whether you are competing on price, service, quality, time, design, or anything else – the unfortunate outcome is you’re making yourself too much like everyone else. So even when you are in the lead, [.]. The Nature of Associations
Golden's Rules for Association
FEBRUARY 23, 2013
Seven years after the ASAE Foundation first published Seven Measures of Success it has become a whole lot easier to be a “data-driven” association. In 2006, the cost, systems and infrastructure needed to do what the remarkable 9 associations did with data was a major challenge. Less than a decade later, even the smallest association [.]. Social Media & Associations Data Driven Seven Measures Social Media
Golden's Rules for Association
JANUARY 31, 2013
My picks for the three biggest technology trends affecting associations for 2013: 1. It’s not just social … or even primarily social … it’s all about mobile access now 2. If you are a control freak … get over it. If you still think IT is somebody else’s responsibility, you’re wrong Read more in [.]. Social Media & Associations associations Social Media tech technology trends
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Golden's Rules for Association
SEPTEMBER 27, 2012
Associations have garnered their share of attention from the Hill in the last year, but no one expected a thoroughly gridlocked Congress to actually get anything done about it … at least until after the election. And after that? Read my latest commentary in AssociationTRENDS to learn why I don’t think any of the association [.]. Association Advocacy not-for-profit tax exempt organizations tax reform
Golden's Rules for Association
JULY 18, 2011
“It is extraordinary to notice how few people in the modern world can argue. That is why there are so many quarrels breaking out again and again, and never coming to any natural end.” How true. Just switch on any cable TV “news” show or go to any online forum. Or visit an association board [.]. Association Advocacy The Way We Are
Golden's Rules for Association
AUGUST 19, 2012
Closing the ASAE annual meeting in Dallas, author Dan Pink argued that, regardless of profession, we are all in sales. But the characteristics, skills and traits he described as essential for success sounded to my ears like precisely the attributes that distinguish effective association leaders, and differentiate us as a profession. Read more in my [.]. The Nature of Associations The Way We Are #asae12 Association Management association profession role of associations
Golden's Rules for Association
AUGUST 1, 2012
I didn’t exactly go through the five stages of grief when the public furor over the GAO Las Vegas retreat first erupted in the media. But I did go through something like that process. Stage one is denial: I am a “benefit of the doubt” kind of guy. If there is an innocent interpretation, I [.]. Association Advocacy Association Meetings Bad Publicity GAO Image Transparency
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BUDGET. When it comes to picking your next LMS that six-letter word is probably the most important part of the decision-making process. So, what are your options to get the best possible eLearning solution without breaking the bank? Build it or buy it. This guide from Lambda’s eLearning experts details absolutely everything you need to consider so you can pick the perfect eLearning solution for your organization and budget.
Golden's Rules for Association
JULY 27, 2012
Association Trends data indicates a majority of associations do not include bonuses in staff compensation structures. Perhaps part of the resistance is simply a matter of language. ”Bonus” sounds gratuitous and unearned. But performance based compensation can be a critical element in achieving high staff performance. Read more in my commentary in the July 19th Trends. [.]. The Nature of Associations Association Management Bonus Compensation
Golden's Rules for Association
JANUARY 10, 2012
At a GWSAE Speakers Series event a number of years ago, Margaret Thatcher described consensus as the opposite of leadership. She used words to the effect that consensus is an abdication of leadership obligations; true leaders take you somewhere the group otherwise would never go. Recently, on ASAE’s CEO network listserv, a rather energetic discussion [.]. The Nature of Associations Association Governance governance system leadership role of associations
Golden's Rules for Association
JUNE 22, 2012
There is a generation gap between lobbyists and the lobbied that requires rethinking established GR tactics. Read my commentary from this week’s Association Trends. Association Advocacy
Golden's Rules for Association
MAY 28, 2012
Give the Metropolitan Opera credit. When its leadership screws up, they do it on a truly operatic scale. The Met is a nonprofit, structured in a manner not unlike many associations. There is the parent organization, the opera company, that delivers the core value to its membership (audience). And there is its educational foundation, the [.]. Association Advocacy The Nature of Associations association journals censorship leadership Transparency
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Golden's Rules for Association
APRIL 2, 2012
To be real, innovation needs to be a habit, not a standalone project. And habits are learned through constant practice – doing something consistently and constantly until it becomes an ingrained feature of everyday activity. Something that is constantly happening, almost without conscious effort or thought. Part of that is systems and environment. Apple is [.]. The Nature of Associations
Golden's Rules for Association
NOVEMBER 25, 2012
That was the common thread from the presentations and discussion at TREND’s Annual Communications Legal Update on October 26th. Among the high level takeaways was the need to remember that most of the arcane web of political communication, intellectual property, privacy, and commercial law that governs our digital world was written decades before digital was [.]. Social Media & Associations association law copyright Intellectual Property lotteries Social Media social media policies
Golden's Rules for Association
JANUARY 4, 2012
For a while there, Chris Anderson’s book, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More, seemed to dominate the association consulting/seminar/blogging space. Now that its currency has dimmed a little, I have a confession to make. I struggled for a long time trying to like this book1. But in the [.]. The Nature of Associations
Golden's Rules for Association
MAY 31, 2011
Suppose you were an association executive with a medical need. You have identified the leading doctors who specialize in the field. The decision is important. Your health is at stake. So you take very seriously the process of deciding which doctor is the best fit to work with you to diagnose your problem and prescribe [.]. The Nature of Associations association profession role of associations
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