A discussion guide for association professionals on key issues facing association management. The audience selected topics for discussion

1. Topic of Your Choice
Steve Drake, Facilitator

2.  Focus on Board Development
 Content based on your choices
 Select from my list or add your own topic

3. Kodak Manage 2 Key Com- Adventure
Moment vs Lead Questions mittees Window
Narrow Socks on Big Curate Don’t eat
Minded Octopus Boards Content Toner

4. Associations’ Kodak Moment
 From “great photo op” to …
◦ Great organization fails.
 Kodak: failed to see emerging markets
correctly.
 Fujifilm: diversified more successfully.
 Perfect vs Make it. Launch it. Fix it.
 What’s your culture for adaption?

5. Associations’ Kodak Moment
Key questions for associations:
 What will it take to thrive?
 How build future share rather than
attempt to protect current?
 What capabilities needed to thrive?
 How learn from our failures?
 Recognize the tidal wave of change is
already here; discover how to disrupt
the status quo.

6. Strategic Intent
Planning Model
DESIRED
CONDITION
INTERIM
INTERIM CONDITION
CONDITION
CURRENT
CONDITION
2012 2013 2014 2015
Target Audience: ____________________________

7. 6 Key Questions for Associations
1. What is the purpose of the
organization?
2. Who do we serve? (define personas)
3. Who do we want to serve?
4. What are we trying to accomplish?
5. What path will we use to accomplish
those things?
6. How will we know if it’s working?

8. The Problem with Committees
 Committees = miniature boards
 Create fractures within board
 Committees that work beyond scope
 Continue after purpose has passed
 “Challenge” for Board: rubber stamp or
rehash
 Cost $ to “manage”
 Become ingrained; keep on long after
the need expired

9. The Problem with Committees
Suggestions from Race for Relevance:
 Staff should chair committees
 Determine # of committees needed
 Define role & skills of chair
 Define committee’s work
 Identify potential road blocks

10. Volunteers: manage vs lead?
1. How serious is the “challenge?”
2. Do you do “board orientation”
annually?
3. Coaching from a past president?
4. Bring in consultant (Bob Harris,
Glenn Tecker) to guide board
5. Other???

12. Him
What Behaviors Frustrate?
Us
1) Negative attitude re new ideas
2) Absenteeism
3) Lack of active participation
4) “Handling” opposing views
5) Don’t do homework
6) Don’t give feedback
7) Little trust: they are competitors
8) Fail to engage non-members

13. “Solution” depends on “Problem”
• Poor “board skills”?
• Poor “people skills”?
Him • “Misfit”?
In General:
• Governance is board’s job (staff can support)
• Create board job descriptions
• Recruit, orient, intervene
• Review & revise governance & policies

14. Boards Past Adventure Window
NOTE: 1 person turns 65 every 8 secs!
 Willingness to try new things
◦ Diminishes with age.
 How can “old” board create “new”
ideas for millenials?
 What about “old” staff?

15.  “Blue-ribbon” leaders
 Meet at least twice a year
 Ask two questions:
1) Where is changed coming from?
2) What are the pressures or
opportunities that need our
response?

16. Narrow-minded Board Members
 Why are so many smart people
ineffective?
 Unwilling to make changes.
 Failure to look at issues from member
P.O.V.
 Lack of diversity on board.
 Fail to understand Curse of Knowledge.
 Don’t let what you know limit what
you can imagine.

17. Putting Socks on an Octopus
 Ensuring adequate debate
 Yet, making decisions
 Finding harmony
 Managing dissent … after a vote
 Overcoming Curse of Knowledge

18. Boards Too Big?
 Coever/Byers say 5; others say 15.
 How big is your board?
 How effective is big board?
 What is cost of a big board (staff
time!)?
 How can we change size?

19. Curating Content to Add Value
 Save member time to add value
 Create and find great content
 Curate it
 Share it

20. Don’t Eat the Toner
 On ink cartridge: don’t eat the toner
 On blanket: not to be used to protect
from a tornado
 On contractor’s electric drill: not
intended for us as a dental drill
 On a hair dryer: do not use in the shower
 What “gobbledygook” are we using?
 What we say vs what they hear

21. Don’t Eat the Toner – 7 Tips
1. Start with your audience
2. Have a purpose for your writing
3. Write from your readers’ viewpoint:
WII-FM (What’s In It For Me?)
4. Consider getting outside opinions
5. Make your writing “short, sweet and
easy to repeat”
6. Tell a compelling story
7. Review and edit (when in doubt, cut it
out)