The Power of Why

(In a fun cross-blogger collaboration with MemberViews, there is an ongoing series of posts with thoughts for emerging association professionals.  This is my contribution - enjoy!)

            I believe that the further we get in our careers, the more we discover that the questions we ask have the potential for learning and growth much more than the answers we receive.  Honing focus on our assignments, gaining organizational vision, insight into industry direction and determining our own personal career paths are each potential adventures of discovery – fueled by the question why.  Depending on how we utilize this three letter word, we can paint a self-portrait of an up and coming organizational leader, or a stubborn employee who isn’t a team player.  Here are five perspectives on the question why:

       1.  “Why are our resources aligned with these priorities?”  You have read the mission and the vision, you have reviewed the strategic plan.  The true value that an organization is trying to produce is often a deeper narrative than what resides in these pieces – and how an organization assigns its staff and finances can tell the backstory to how it is trying to achieve its goals.  Asking for better understanding into the formula behind organizational success can demonstrate that you are looking to be a key contributor to that success.  In addition, these insights can show opportunities for cross-silo collaboration and cooperation, building bridges and help you produce stronger results.

“      2. Why do I have to do this?”  When we know how the work that we have on our plate impacts the success of our organization we often find greater feelings of achievement/accomplishment.  With that said, there are also times that we have to do what logistically needs to get done.  This question can be a double edged sword – asked in the right context it shows intent to be a key organizational contributor, asked in another light it can be taken as petulant.  Navigating the delicate balance is essential to demonstrating that you can get the job done with the right attitude.

        3. “Why do I have this job?”  A question for personal reflection, it is important to take stock and align how your current position reflects that career path you are pursuing.  What are you looking to learn at this job?  What successes will be milestones that will show future employers what you bring to the table?  How is your current position not just a job, but an intentional step in your successful career path?

        4. “Why are certain topics trending in industry discussions/publications/conferences/online forums?”  Knowing the path you want to take in your career means knowing where your industry is going.  What publications do you read?  What blogs make you think, question and push your own pre-conceived concepts?  Keeping abreast of industry issues, problems and opportunities coming down the line will never be part of a job description, but should be part of our personal resolution.  Discovering our personal professional paths in an intentional fashion means also exploring the professional universe where we will have our journey – so start drawing your map!

       5.  “Why do I rock?”  What are your strengths?  How do you keep those strengths in your mind as a toolbox and intentionally bring them to the table with every assignment you have?  What tools do you want to develop to add to your repertoire?  We each need to know what we bring to the table, both so we can use those strengths for awesome results and so we can build teams around us to help balance our areas for growth with others strengths. 

Defining "Membership Growth"

In the past few weeks I have had a number of conversations with some good friends and colleagues where they used the phrase “membership growth” but in each case their definition differed.  Essential for any association, and almost always a key factor in their strategic plan, a clear understanding of what you mean by “membership growth” is needed to truly measure if the efforts you are making match the results you seek – so here are a few definitions that may apply to what you are trying to do:

Traditional Definitions

      New Member Count Increase – You have succeeded in attracting new members to your organization – congratulations!  Key to this growth is an understanding of WHY they joined – a particular product?  A connection with a component?  A fellow professional encouraging them to do so?  Their employer requiring membership?  Tracking the reason for joining will let you hone your recruitment techniques to connect with the right professionals in the right way.

        Specific Segment Count Increase – In my world this has recently been that our count of global members has grown as opposed to domestic.  Depending on the focus of your organization, these could be segmented by geography, experience in industry (student, young professional, retired, etc), investment in organization (prospect, customer, custom member, full member), etc. 

       Increase in Renewal Numbers – Your organization is retaining a higher percentage of members, resulting in month over month/year over year longer affiliation with your organization.   Particularly when calculating the lifetime value of a member, the longer their affiliation the bigger bottom line return your association will see.

    

        Total Member Count Increase – Most often the addition of numbers 1+3 above – and also most often the bottom line the Board wants to see.  This is an increase in the total count of members affiliated with your organization.

Less Traditional Definitions

       Member Engagement – Are more members taking advantage of the value engagement opportunities that you present?  Are they getting more involved?  Is there an increase in conference attendance, resource utilization and feedback on your current offerings?  Perhaps an increase in member engagement means greater dialogue – members commenting of private and public social media platforms, participating in surveys and research or achieving your certifications.  Any of these factors could be considered membership growth.

     Volunteer Participation – Though I have only heard it used this way once or twice, an increase in the number of volunteers and/or growth in the tasks they accomplish may indicate a growth in membership as well.  Particularly for organizations where there is a strong reliance on volunteer efforts for membership drives and localized value and programming, this may be a key factor in the expansion of the association.

If your organization has a definition of membership growth I have missed, please add it to the comments below.

At different moments, with varying stakeholders, the definition you intend for my ‘membership growth’ may not be the same one that others are picturing.  While in general ‘membership growth’ is a yay factor, it is key to know what you are celebrating!

Satisfaction vs. Happiness

Surveys fill and often overfill our lives.  As we look to improve the services and resources that we offer our members, and in turn increase their engagement with our organizations, we too turn to these tools to evaluate how we are doing and what changes we need to make.  Of any of these, few are as uniform as our member satisfaction surveys.  They can include the basic “Is your membership fitting your needs” to a long listing of individual products that are touched by member pricing and benefits and evaluation therein.  Thinking about these surveys I wonder…

Is satisfaction the same as happiness?

When we ask our members and customers about our products, satisfaction seems to be the right gauge.  They made a purchase, used one of our products – did it meet their expectations?  Would they recommend it?   What modification would they like to see?  Next to tracking purchase/usage this can be one of the most effective tools we have to measure how effective each product is.

Membership is an animal of a different color.  Though sold on a website, membership is not a product as much as it is a relationship between the member, the organization and the community.  I find it hard to believe when a member is thinking about renewing that their ultimate decision is based on whether or not they were ‘satisfied’ with their membership.  To me, that sounds like – did you have enough line items in your list of benefits?

The value of membership comes down to relationships and engagement.  Did they participate?  Did they take action?  In short, did they feel like they ‘belonged’ and grew from that belonging? 

Following this philosophy, the question of membership renewal becomes less cerebral and more emotional.  While a satisfied member may renew, a happy member will.

Generating happiness is harder in some ways – we essentially have to say, how is what we are creating AWESOME?  How do we ensure that our tools and resources evolve from independent silos to connected experiences that leave our members smiling?  That they walk away on such a high that they can’t wait for their next taste, and with their happiness they want to pay it forward and get others involved? 

If we incorporate easy and logical into access, interweave community sharing and connection into usage and recognition and reward into completion, everything from conferences to certifications will become happiness generators.  And if our members find a place where their money buys them both the knowledge and network access they need combined with an emotional high, the question of membership renewal will be much easier to answer with a positive response.

The Pluto of the Galaxy

I am on my way home from my association's spring conference where I had the chance to catch up with a number of dedicated volunteers.  In the midst of checking in and offering words of appreciation I came across one hard working volunteer who was not her usual happy self.   As we had a cup of coffee and she caught me up, she said one of those phrases that paints such a perfect picture of emotion and relationships that it had to be shared.

For some time she had been spearheading the committee to create education through webinars for her members.  Though an officer of the local board, she felt like there was an 'inside clique' among some of the other leaders.  It wasn't that she wanted to be part of the 'clique' - but she felt like her input on strategy and direction was not considered equally - that in trying to contribute to the organization she loved, despite her hard work, her voice was not being heard.  In short:

"I feel like I am the Pluto of the galaxy."

Now whether she meant that she was the smallest planet, furthest from the sun and often forgotten, or that she was even no longer considered a planet (which still just seems wrong to me) - either way, it is a feeling of isolation and lack of importance.  Not every volunteer can be President - not every one should be - but every volunteer should feel valued.  Every volunteer should be a strategic partner.  Every volunteer should have a voice that is part of the conversation - after all, it is by their hands that the work gets done.

As for my volunteer above - I am sure that if another group came along that made her feel less like Pluto and more like the Sun that she would shift her own focus to where her input was valued.  It would be a loss to the board, the membership and the organization.  As we look at how we help advise our volunteer leadership, how we work on volunteer recognition, we have to remember that if we don't make our volunteers feel out of this world, someone else will.

What a Year Can Do

Though I did not realize it at the time, ASAE Annual Conference 2011 in St. Louis  was a turning point in my career.  I went in literally knowing no one.  One year later and life is very different.  I am a CAE.  I am an active volunteer.  I have found friends and colleagues in the association world.  And I can not wait for the conference in Dallas.

There have been some really great posts lately on how to get the most out of the ASAE Annual Conference – so I don’t really feel the need to repeat those key insights.  Instead, I found that Annual Conference was a beginning to a number of paths that I did not realize I was going to walk this year – and that is what I would like to share:

1.   Path to Learning – So I knew before I went to Annual last year that I wanted to get my CAE, and had been accepted to take the test.  I had NO idea how to exactly get there.  At conference I learned about review courses (I ended up taking the one with MSAE – never guessed I would be studying flashcards again!), study time lines, test taking strategies and met others also attempting the exam this past year.  It was at annual that I ended up meeting my eventual study buddy, and sure enough – 9 months later we both passed. 

2.     Path to Sharing – ASAE ’11 was where I first learned about the process of session proposals for additional conferences throughout the year.  With the encouragement of some new peers I submitted proposals that ended up with me in a Dr. Seuss hat at Great Ideas ’12.  Yes, my whole office has seen that ignite.  Yes, I am still referred to as ‘the rhyming association guy.’  And yes, it was SO much fun to do.   Annual definitely provides a chance to learn about presentation tips, techniques and opportunities during the year.

3.   Path to Volunteering – As association professionals, we know 6 words we can hear from members that can make a huge difference – “What can I do to help?”  Turning that around, and asking that of the ASAE staff has let me meet some amazing people, have thought provoking conversations, and most of all be able to give back to the profession that is my chosen career path and livelihood.  ASAE ’11 was where I first got the chance to start asking, and still do.

4.   Path to Giving – Having seen how much my professional life has been enriched by ASAE, it only felt right to start giving back to the organization that is giving me so much.  Over the past year I have become an ASAE Foundation donor, and though of course I would like to give more, I know that the contributions I have been able to make are going to great causes, research and initiatives.  If we don’t invest in our own profession, how can we hope to see more opportunities for professional recognition and success?

5.   Path to Community – Of everything I have gained, it is the colleagues – many of whom I am honored to call friends – that have made this past year amazing.  At events and meetings, or over meals and drinks, I have been able to learn so much from each of them, meet so many more from their connections – and feel like I have a community where if I have a question, I can ask and not only receive a dozen answers, but two dozen offers to help.  Starting these friendships at ASAE '11 truly was my biggest gain.

So I come back to ASAE Annual Conference this year from a different place.  This time I come feeling already part of the community.  I have times where I am going to be able to volunteer.  I know both what formal learning opportunities I want to engage in, and how to keep my eyes open for those moments of insight that can pass you by.  I get to walk the stage at an obscenely early hour to be recognized for my CAE.  Having gotten so much, I signed up this year to be a mentor/buddy/new friend to a first time attendee.  Though I am only going on my second year, I hope that I am able to share with them that, with an open mindset to learn, connect and get involved, ASAE Annual Conference can be a career and life changer.

 

Life After CAE

Only now, over two weeks after taking the CAE, as I sit outside a café in Amsterdam on a layover, do I finally feel like life is returning to some sense of normalcy.  For someone who reluctantly started a blog in the first place, there has been a small something missing inside of me as the weeks have rolled by and I have not posted.  As I started my CAE journey in January my friends who had just taken it assured me that my life would be very different in the coming months.  While they were right, I am not sure they knew just how encompassing that statement would be.

First, the obvious.  For the last 2-3 months before the CAE, I had no life.  No, really - between work, CAE studying and family time there were no empty slots in my schedule.  Past times such as reading for pleasure, blog writing, and….oh, I don’t know – spending time with friends were shelved.  There was so much to read, so much to discuss.  There were times where my experience served me well in preparing me for CAE scenarios.  And then there were those domains that the more I learned, the more I found out I did not know.  By the time the day of the test arrived, I at least felt like there really was no more I could have done to prepare myself for the exam.  Three hours (and 5 minutes) later, I walked out – slightly numb, definitely in a daze and in a state of disbelief that it was over.

Did I pass?  I have heard of people who have walked out of the exam confident they passed with flying colors who fail, and others who walk out lamenting that they got the most basic questions wrong who pass.  Me?  I think I did ok, came up short and will have to retake it.  6 more weeks upon writing to find out – and also not the point of this post.

So what have the two weeks, reentry into life period been like you ask?  I had a book waiting on my nightstand that took me under a day to devour (a bookworm, I am usually reading 2-3 books at a time – to only read CAE books was probably one of the greatest challenges).  Slowly I have been able to find the time to call and reconnect with old friends.  In my four and a half months of studying I missed new babies and jobs, a wedding and a separation, a lot of birthdays (just wasn’t on facebook everyday to remind me) and who knows what else.  I have yet to tackle my Google Reader, which haunts me with the number of well over 1,000 posts waiting to be read that  I know I should just hit “Mark all as read” but am pre-remorseful over the missed insights.  Exercise, better eating, sleep – they are all leveling back out.

So if it is all returning to the way it was, what has changed?  In short, me.  I am confident that I would like to become a CEO of an association someday.  While there are many paths that people take to achieve this position, I can not imagine aspiring to this goal without the knowledge that I have gained.  My studies for the CAE have given me insight into aspects of the association world that, simply, never crossed my mind before.  Now when I hear about an affinity program I think UBIT.  When before I saw exclusivity agreements in discussion I never realized the possible connect to anti-trust risks.  Though I may not be an expert in every area, I feel as though I have a working knowledge of most and am clear on where I need to really continue to concentrate my educational development.

But here’s the thing – even if I don’t pass the CAE (in which case I hope I will the second time), I am a better association professional for the experience.  This is not something that should only be for those aspiring to C-level positions.  In my review there were a number of times that I said – if I had known this, then the actions I took as a specialist/manager/director would have been different.  CAE preparation is not about a test – it is about knowing your profession so you can act from a knowledgeable and reliable standpoint.

I no longer look at our association world, or the nonprofit world in general, the same.  I have a greater appreciation for the complexities that must be constantly balanced for fairness, legality and success.  Though it has only been a few months, I feel older (or maybe the CAE just gave me more grey hair) – but in a good way.  And all of that is tempered with an excitement for how much more there is to discover and know.  I know that this has just been one step in my journey….but it has been

a defining one.

It feels good to be back.  It feels good to write again (never thought I would say that).  Sorry I was gone so long – but I hope my time away will lead to a greater level of insight in my posts.

Challenge Accepted: Make the World a Better Place

Though I have been playing blog catch-up lately, when I came across Maddie Grant's great post/challenge on what steps each of us plan to take in 2012 to make the world a better place I could not resist responding. 

1. For the association world: Collaborate.  No, I am not talking about the ASAE social network platform (though it is a great place to connect with colleagues and get involved).  I am talking about associations working together to work together.  There are so many of us out there, and each association has the things it is REALLY good at, and those areas where we are constantly struggling (and pouring resources) to just tread water.  In 2012 I am going to identify those models I have that are the top 10% of what I see out there, and find corresponding associations that excel in other areas for the potential of collaboration.  If my association can help them with our model of success, and they can help us with theirs perhaps neither would waste so much time or resources in reinventing the wheel.

2. For the world world: Be polite.  It may sound very kindergarten, but I really believe that the power of 'please' and 'thank you' can win against a rude imperative any day.  It may not always be easy to accomplish this one in a frustrating situation, but if it was easy I guess it would not be something that takes an extra effort to do.  We want the world to be a more peaceful place?  The answer starts with the words I choose to use. 

3. For me: Pick Up Trash.  Ok, so the back story to this one is that I grew up in NJ near Six Flags Great Adventure.  I worked there for a summer or two (take it from me - you never want to run the Guess Your Age/Weight Booth) and Six Flags would give the staff 'bugs bucks' to spend on food/merchandise if they saw you setting an example.  One of the primary ways to earn bugs bucks - pick up trash instead of walking by it.  It has stuck to this day, and if I am about to walk over a piece of trash an internal pull tries to get me to pick it up and throw it away.  I guess I am going to start carrying hand sanitizer wherever I go, because in 2012 I am going to do my part.  The Earth doesn't need to wait for someone else to pick up the litter I walk over - I will make this world better by making it cleaner.

Not sure if these are really the deep, insightful ways that others have pledged to help the world in 2012 - but I think they at least have the right intention.

Happy New Year to all!

Job Transition: A Bittersweet Symphony

Every end may be a beginning, but when you are in the end part it still feels odd.

Today is my last day of work at my current association.  I am lucky enough to have found a new opportunity for professional growth at another association, and have worked over the past three weeks to tie up loose ends, and set things in place where hopefully everything will be smooth in the transition to finding a new Director.  I leave behind colleagues that have become friends, a solid plan for the year to come, and hopefully new avenues for growth that did not exist before I was here.  I could not picture a more positive departure....

...but it still feels weird.

There is something that gnaws at you that you have laid out great plans and potential, but will not be present to execute and evaluate.  As much as you can try to transition all responsibilities, leaving behind a strong team is still a feeling of loss.  You become an outsider to the insiders. 

Of course, there will be a new team and new projects.  From what you leave behind, someone will step in and take up the mantle of continued growth and improvement.  In between those two moments - of leaving and starting - there is this moment of bittersweet finality.  Reflecting on what you were able to do, what obstacles you could not overcome and the legacy you leave behind.

I know many blog posts ask provocative questions, give a top # list of things to implement or consider, or describe upcoming trends.  Though this post does none of those, I wanted to capture this feeling of in-between since, in truth, how many of these days do we have in our life? 

Tomorrow will bring a new start - new mentors and partners, new strategy and possibility, new community and commitment.

For today, I will simply be open to feeling the loss of my team and the end of my efforts here.  I will take my name plate down, turn off the light in my office, and, as I leave, look back one more time at what was another great stage in my professional life.

Here's to a wonderful new year and new beginnings, and to the endings that have brought us here today.

Working in the Association World - Love It.

High unemployment rates, graduating from school with way too much debt - it is not easy to enter the workforce right now, that's for sure.  Most graduates want more than a paycheck - they are looking for a job that is fulfilling, and serves a higher purpose (in truth, aren't we all??).  My answer?  Check out the Association World!

Anyone who is working for an association is contributing to making the world a better place by making professionals better in their profession.  Providing opportunities for engineers to meet to work on new green initiatives, continuing education so that regulators produce safer pharmaceuticals, certification so that companies know their new employees have the knowledge to do their job safely and well - association help with all of this and more.

These is just one of the reasons why I think working for an association is a great professional decision - for more thought check out my guest post on the millenial chat blog!

Want to find out more for yourself?  ASAE is running a free Introduction to Association Careers Day in Washington, DC on December 14, 2011 if you are in town - check it out!  You may just find that you love the association world too!