The weekly list of free educational events and resources for the association community…
Professional development trends survey. Data about organizations serving adult lifelong learners is hard to find. Please take six minutes (or less) to complete this survey from Leading Learning/Tagoras. The resulting data will help associations understand the professional development landscape, plan learning strategy, and budget for learning programs.
AMS/CRM selection survey. 501Works invites association execs, consultants, and industry partners to participate in a survey about AMS/CRM selection. Your contributions will help identify common pitfalls, communication gaps, and processes that challenge the association community.
Association webinars. TopClass LMS shares lots of tips on increasing the value (and price) of your webinars. The post covers webinar program design, attendee experience, and pre- and post-program activities.
Mentoring programs. The Art of Mentoring’s guide on mentoring in professional associations describes the benefits of mentoring programs, potential pitfalls, and design issues. They touch on topics such as the association’s political structure, employers’ competitive sensitivities, funding, code of conduct, CE credits, matching, and success metrics.
Chapters. Finding members who want to take on the burden of managing a chapter is becoming more difficult. Cecilia Sepp was a chapter relations professional before becoming an association CEO and then founder of Rogue Tulips Consulting. She explains why she’s long advocated for associations moving away from the traditional chapter model.
Content strategy. Tim Stoddart at Copyblogger shares five strategies for creating cornerstone (or pillar) content that readers and Google will love.
Membership. Your AMS should be the utility player on your membership team. Nimble AMS explains how an AMS can help your association recruit, engage, and retain members by helping you better understand members, anticipate their needs, provide a better digital experience, and deliver personalized emails and content.
Free speech. The Hamas/Israel war has brought out the censors on all sides. Jacob Mchangama at Persuasion says free speech defenders must be consistent. “Freedom of expression serves its most important function at times of deep polarization, where the sense of righteous indignation tempts us to silence the viewpoints we hate with scant regard for the collateral damage to democracy, freedom, and tolerance that constitute the necessary precondition for social peace in diverse societies.” Censorship drives dangerous speech underground where it can’t be exposed to discussion or judgment. He asks, “Are we really safer when we know less about what motivates our neighbors?”
Hillary on Hamas. Listen to her experienced take on the ceasefire issue. She knows her stuff when it comes to that part of the world.
You never grow old at the table
I succumbed to the seducements of two packages of gnocchi languishing on my shelves. And, oh boy, did I ever tumble into the deep end with baked gnocchi with tomato vodka sauce and spicy Italian sausage. The sausage was my idea, as was onion instead of shallot, a 14 oz. can each of diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes, pre-cooking the gnocchi, and not adding pasta (or starchy) water. Wow. I’m about to dig into the leftovers for lunch. Yes, you should be envious, but I bet your waistline isn’t as challenged.
For our side, roasted broccoli, carrot, and red onion with garlic powder and salt.
On a healthier evening, I made Greek-style striped mullet. I found this recipe when I was trying to use up a bottle of Ouzo and it’s become a favorite. We’re finally out of Ouzo, so I use dry vermouth instead.
Another night, another favorite: creamy flounder piccata. On the side, a sauté of asparagus with orange and red bell pepper, onion, garlic, and lemon zest.
If you have a free webinar or event coming up, please send me the link by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled. I’m happy to feature it as long as it’s not too product-centric.
Fri 11/17 at 10 a.m.* – Association Pricing (Association Design Circle)
This month’s facilitator will be Dr. Michael Tatonetti, CPP, CAE, founder of Pricing for Association, an organization that specializes in designing pricing models for associations. More info/register.
Host: Product Community
*All events are online at Eastern Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
Fri 11/17 at 12 p.m. – Creating and Utilizing Effective Policies
Need to strengthen your association’s governance? Learn how to choose, write, and implement the best policies for your association. More info/register.
Host: Zzeem
Fri 11/17 at 12:30 p.m. – Ask Me Anything: Integration Platforms as a Service (iPaaS)
Warehouses, data lakes, and middleware OH MY! What is an iPaaS? Does my organization need one? Bring all your integration questions and join the AMA. More info/register.
Host: Association Women Technology Champions
Speaker: Gayathri Kher, CEO and Co-founder, fusionSpan
Fri 11/17 at 1 p.m. – Learning in the Age of AI: Unlocking the Power of Generative Content Creation
Learn how people are using AI to generate content. Explore generative AI tools. Delve into the benefits of utilizing AI for course creation. Compare external vs. native platform AI tools. Find out what to look for in terms of AI in your learning management system. 0.75 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: Blue Sky eLearn
Speakers:
- Rick Bawcum, CEO and Founder, Cimatri
- Jeremiah Kendall, Chief Technology Officer, Blue Sky eLearn
Fri 11/17 at 2 p.m. – Virtual Networking Event for the ASAE Consultant Community
Meet and greet your fellow Consultant Community members and share ideas for improving business and building relationships. More info/register.
Organizer: Cecilia Sepp, founder, Rogue Tulips Consulting
Fri 11/17 at 4 p.m. – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (Book Discussion)
We’ll be discussing the book, The Five Dysfunction of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni and exploring why teams fail to thrive and, conversely, what they need to do to move forward and succeed. Dysfunctions such as absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results are brought to life through Lencioni’s storytelling, a fable about a floundering tech start up and the new, unlikely CEO, Kathryn, trying to build an effective team. More info/register.
Host: Fridays@4
Facilitator: David Falchek, CAE, IOM, CMP, executive director of Serving Seniors Inc.
Mon 11/20 at 5:30 p.m. – The Future Is Now: AI and Automation in Association Software
Explore how artificial intelligence and automation are changing the way association professionals work, strengthening engagement, and enhancing member experience. Learn how to think of and work with generative AI tools like ChatGPT, and how big data and predictive analytics move needles. More info/register.
Host: Higher Logic
Speaker: Rob Wenger, co-founder and CEO, Higher Logic
Tue 11/21 at 12 p.m. – Volunteer vs. Organization ROI (ASAE CRVM Crunch and Munch)
What does “the bottom line” look like for your volunteers? You already know how your association needs and thinks about their contributions, but how do they measure the ROI of their contributions? Hear insights from many interviews with volunteer leaders and volunteer surveys conducted among 150,000 members for the ASAE Research Foundation. Discuss the types of volunteers and how they measure the value of their experience, and what it should mean to your own volunteer system. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Component Relations and Volunteer Management Council
Facilitators:
- Jessica Irizarry, Director of Chapter Strategy at ASID
- Kevin Whorton, President of Whorton Research
Thu 11/21 at 12 p.m. – Top 10 Membership Strategies for 2024
Learn ten new strategies for recruiting sustainable new members, strengthening engagement, and increasing retention. More info/register.
Host: GrowthZone
Speaker: membership expert Shari Pash
Tue 11/28 at 4 p.m. – What Were You Thinking? Ethics in Association Management
How do you recognize when a decision is ethics-based? What do you do once you realize that’s the decision you are making? How do you talk with those around you about it? In this session, we’ll use a series of scenarios to talk about how to recognize an ethical issue, understand how to apply ASAE’s Ethical Decision Making Model in your organization, and work through the ethical issues in the workplace. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: ASAE Reston-Loudoun Idea Swap
Speaker: Rhea M. Steele, CAE, ODCP, Chief of Staff, School Nutrition Association
Wed 11/29 at 9 a.m. – PAR Member Meet-Up: Help Me Solve
PAR members share the most challenging situation they are managing at the moment. Need help with your 2024 plans? Have a proposal due, but no new ideas? Is your Board ready for innovation? Solve together with other association teams. PAR Member Meet-Ups are 30-minute sessions for industry professionals to collaborate on the ideas, skills and solutions our association teams need to move forward. What to bring: current work challenges and ideas to share with our PAR community. More info/register.
Host: Professionals for Association Revenue
Thu 11/30 at 11 a.m. – Why Futures-Thinking Helps Leaders Make Better Decisions Today
How can you and your volunteer leaders best prepare for ongoing environmental ambiguity and unexpected developments? By constantly scanning for weak signals and adopting a future-oriented mindset. Hear from four experienced association executives who have benefited from embracing and integrating futures-thinking throughout their associations. Learn how to proactively lead your board and staff colleagues toward a futures mindset, create a future-focused organizational culture, and overcome resistance to change. 1 CAE credit. More info/register.
Host: UST Education
Speakers:
- Lindsay Currie, CAE, Executive Officer, Council on Undergraduate Research
- Melody Jordan-Carr, Vice President, Membership Operations, American Trucking Associations
- Kristine Metter, CAE, President at Crystal Lake Partners LLC
- Donté P. Shannon, FASAE, CAE, Non-profit Exec., Strategist, Public Speaker, Author, PMA Nonprofit Leadership and Vista Cova
Association Brain Food Weekly is published Friday mornings. If your organization offers free professional development for the association community, please send me the link via email by Wednesday afternoon the week before it’s scheduled.
Creative Commons licensed photo by Matthew Schwartz via Unsplash
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