In my last post, I explained how I entered the association sphere after a career in newspaper journalism. I learned a lot with this career shift and have a few tips that can apply to anyone starting a new job or switching industries.
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How did I get here? It’s been a beautiful combination of hard work and sheer luck, to be honest.
As a senior content marketing and editorial manager in the Creative Media Services (CMS) department at AMC, I work with our association partners on a wide variety of projects, including managing the production of traditional print products, such as postcards and meeting brochures; writing feature articles and crafting marketing messaging; and assisting my colleagues with client-specific knowledge as they work on search engine optimization (SEO), analtyics, and others services that aren’t quite in my wheelhouse.
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We are honored to announce that two AMC staff are being recognized this year with an Association Forum’s Forty Under 40® award.
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2020 feels like a year filled with an excessive amount of hardship, loss, and grief.
When I heard about the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last Friday evening, I gasped and my heart sank. I knew her cancer had returned, but she always seemed to bounce back. Perhaps I was buoyed by the images of her morning workouts that are famously featured in the documentary The Notorious RBG and forever etched in my mind. She seemed eternally and unusually resilient.
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Highly functional committees and task forces are equally as important to organizations as a high-functioning board. Both depend on the other to govern well. And both can suffer if there is discord or lack of direction. Read this new article by AMC Senior Consultant Erin Volland for insights into why and how you can ensure your committees and task forces are functioning as effectively as possible so they can advance your organization’s strategy and serve your mission.
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Dropped Members. They can make even the most seasoned association membership professional shudder. Why would a member end their membership with your organization when you very clearly offer a ton of valuable benefits? Are they aware of the value you offer? Maybe not.
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2020 is not business as usual…2021 looks scary, too.
Members are the lifeblood of associations and AMC clients. As association professionals, we’re here to serve them, and our bottom lines depend on their support through dues payments, meeting registrations, and product sales. So, when a global pandemic and a recession challenge those goals, how can we keep up?
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In today’s environment, it’s critical that associations have an effective, responsive, and cohesive governance strategy that is committed to organizational success. In this special virtual edition of Exceptional Boards: Strengthening the Governance Team, Mark Engle and Mary Byers provide the tools and resources needed to create a high-performing, response-ready board.
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In her Conversations by Association podcast episode, Marilyn Jansen, AMC’s executive director of business development, discusses her mentoring relationship with former coworker Lindsey Nelson, CAE, and also recalls how finding female mentors was greatly different when she was just starting her career.
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Like many offices, AMC transitioned to a fully remote work environment back in March. I was happy about the change and envisioned sailing through my to-do list each day and checking off all of those lingering tasks I’d been meaning to finish. After all, I’d been very productive working from home 1 day a week for years.
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At AMC, our Creative Media Services (CMS) team includes 8 editors who take great pride in correct grammar, following style guides, and beautifully worded phrases. You may have seen earlier posts on grammar faux pas and misused words, but in this age of digital communication—which is especially augmented now that many offices will continue to work remotely and organizations are taking great care to communicate their plans, intent, and social justice stances—it remains even more critical to effectively communicate what we are trying to say. At best, you avoid embarrassment, and at worst, you avoid a public scandal.
We have gathered the CMS editorial team’s top grammar blunders. We’ll break it down for you, so stop! It’s grammar time.
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It would be cliché and perhaps too obvious to say that for nonprofits and associations, this year is unlike any other. And yet, here we are. Most of our in-person conferences have been cancelled. Many, if not most, of us are implementing virtual meetings and conferences. Our traditional forms of content delivery and revenue streams have been disrupted.
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I have loved books ever since I was a kid. It’s more than simply the act of reading—I enjoy the tangible feel of books, the cover design. I have way too many books at home, and it’s kind of a problem.
However, that love for books has translated into a passion for the act of publishing books. As a managing editor on AMC’s Creative Media Services (CMS) team, I have helped manage the publication of six healthcare-related books, and I’m currently managing two other book projects.
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The Metal Construction Association (MCA) hosts two in-person educational meetings each year that typically draw 110–125 people at each event. Seven weeks before the 2020 MCA Summer Meeting in June, with COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in the United States, the MCA board and staff made the decision to transition to a virtual event this year and move our hotel contract to a similar date at the same location in a future year. With months spent planning the in-person meeting, all parties knew we needed to act swiftly and smartly to smoothly transition to a virtual event.
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There is the line in everyone’s 2020 calendar where plane tickets and hotel reservations shift to virtual meeting appointments. For our personal calendars, the shift might look like cancelled vacations. For our professional calendars, it might be rescheduled annual conferences and house of delegates and board meetings: those events where consequential business still has to take place but no longer can in the traditional face-to-face format.
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Connecting with your staff is always important, but during uncertain times where your team is remote or social distancing, it’s even more crucial to keep your staff engaged, connected, and, in turn, happy. We have been working remotely for 3 months now and know it can be challenging to come up with creative ideas. Here are our 7 tips for keeping staff connected when you feel like you’ve used up your best ideas:
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With COVID-19 infection rates decreasing in some areas and increasing in others, the AMC Meetings team is busy planning client conferences with four different contingency options in place: a regular face-to-face (F2F) meeting, a hybrid meeting, an all-virtual meeting, and a potentially cancelled meeting. Adding a virtual component to an existing face-to-face (F2F) meeting or converting your F2F meeting to a completely virtual one has never been a hotter topic of conversation in the meetings and events industry. But before you rush off and start talking to digital platform vendors, take a moment to think about WHY you are adding that virtual component.
Such virtual components include hybrid meetings and virtual meetings:
We are pleased to announce that Amy Sherwood, CAE, has returned to the company as executive director of the Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses (APHON). In this role, Amy oversees all administrative and program responsibilities for APHON including its strategic plan, operations management, resource development, business planning, membership and marketing, and partnership with its board of directors.
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Members of AMC’s education special interest group (SIG) have been at the forefront of transitioning in-person educational conferences to virtual events for our clients in response to COVID-19. With so many unknowns around the ability to meet in person in the fall and beyond, many AMC clients are already looking ahead to 2021 and considering fully virtual events or hybrid in-person/virtual events. Before you make the leap into hosting a virtual educational event, there are a few aspects that you need to consider first. As we’ve gone through the process with several of our clients, we’ve identified five considerations to keep in mind to ensure a successful virtual educational event.
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We are pleased to announce that Joe Lindahl, MA CAE, has been appointed executive director of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM), an AMC client partner since 2019.
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As associations try to field the crisis created by the coronavirus, the teams that serve AMC’s client partners and execute their conferences have had to nimbly circumvent the cancellations while ensuring that members still receive the education they need and clients meet revenue goals. With client conferences being canceled in response to Shelter in Place orders in many states, AMC’s Professional Relations and Development (PRD) Team needed to rapidly change direction to create contingency plans for exhibit sales and corporate-sponsored events. With flexibility, collaboration, and an openness to any and all ideas, PRD created a strategy for exhibits and corporate sponsorships affected by current disrupted conferences and future events that may be impacted in the same way.
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Jerald Jacobs, practice leader at Pillsbury Nonprofit Organization, author of Association Law Handbook, and past general counsel of ASAE, and Mark Engle dive deeper into association bylaw processes during COVID-19. Listen to Jerald’s recommendations of the ways boards might change how they delegate responsibilities and the methods and frequencies of how they meet, especially given that multiple virtual meetings generate various levels of engagement.
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In this vlog, Mark Engle speaks with Jerald Jacobs, who is the Pillsbury Nonprofit Organization’s practice leader, author of the Association Law Handbook, and past general counsel of ASAE. Tune in for Jerald’s legal insights about the ability of nonprofit boards to delegate authority and amend bylaws, particularly during time of crisis, along with how well association have adapted to the new normal of operating remotely.
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COVID-19 threatens not just the health of individuals, but also the economy. For the 99.9% of businesses in the United States—the small businesses that employ nearly half of U.S. workers and are crucial to the economy’s success—the pandemic is a threat to their survival. The small businesses that make up the majority of the member companies in the Awards and Personalization Association are no exception. Therefore, providing timely, reliable information to members in the face of COVID-19 is of the utmost importance.
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In his latest vlog, Mark Engle talks with Arlene Pietranton, PhD CAE, CEO of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), about how being intentional about instilling a culture of trust between the ASHA board and staff from the beginning has been instrumental in helping them to make decisions quickly during this time of crisis.
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In times of crisis, such as the current global pandemic or other disruptive, large-scale phenomena, it’s absolutely essential that boards govern nimbly and ensure that they are not just reacting to the crisis in front of them—they also must be able to continue thinking ahead in the midst of it.
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We are pleased to announce season 2 of the “Conversations by Association” podcast, created in partnership with The Collaborative, a coaching, consulting, and education partner for associations. “Conversations by Association” offers guidance and best practices from successful association and nonprofit professionals about career pathways, career advancement, mentoring, and leadership tracks.
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Any chance you’ve been thinking of sustainability recently? Given the variety of adjustments we've all needed to make recently, it's not surprising if whatever you initially considered to be sustainable has since gone out the window. That's OK—your primary focus should be on keeping yourself and others healthy. But if you're still interested in practicing a sustainable lifestyle, how can you do that safely during a global public health pandemic? Read the below tips to learn how you can keep practicing sustainability during these disrupted times.
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In this vlog, Mark talks with Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management, about current disruptions in the supply chain related to the pandemic and the importance of associations being agile and responsive to what their industries are now facing.
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In his new vlog, Mark Engle talks with association leaders about what they have learned during the pandemic, the changes they plan to make in their organizations to navigate it, and the guidance and support they can provide during these challenging times.
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During AMC’s very first all-remote, all-staff meeting on March 26, executive director Deb Woodall shared her reflections on how the world as we know it has changed and how she is responding to it. Hopefully, her reflections will inspire others, as it inspired our staff, to take a step back, look around, and see what we can do with what we have right now. Here are her thoughts:
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The Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) hosts their annual conference, HOPA Ahead, every spring. As an association of healthcare professionals, we were aware of the COVID-19 epidemic and threat it posed around the world. What we didn’t anticipate, however, was the sudden, powerful impact it would have on our conference.
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COVID-19 has affected every person and organization across the world, and the association community is no different. With the constantly developing news and sweeping measures being taken to address the coronavirus outbreak, it’s important for associations to respond quickly and thoughtfully when acting on behalf of their constituents.
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Virtual Governance: what does it look like and what does it do?
As many associations and organizations make the decision to transition to a virtual work environment, now more than ever has it become critical for Boards to navigate urgent decision making.
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As COVID-19 continues to spread, AMC, like many companies in our area, asked staff to begin working remotely this week. I know many people work from home on a regular basis, but doing so once a week is quite different from doing it every day, as many have quickly discovered. Given that we all might be working remotely for several weeks, I thought this might be a good time for me to share some thoughts and tips as someone who worked from home for more than 10 years straight before joining AMC. These are really just things I learned about myself over time that helped me be more productive and happier in my home office. They might be helpful for you as well.
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Do you have a team huddle, stand-up, or touch-base? If yes, this blog might be a good place to find ideas to spice up your current structure. Even if you already have a successful team meeting, keep reading to see more ways a quick, regularly occurring meeting could benefit your organization or team.
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Podcasts are more popular than ever and for good reason. They can bring value to your business or organization, give voice to your opinions or expertise, and educate members or prospects about the benefits your association or industry offers. They also provide a great opportunity for bringing in revenue through ads and sponsors. Luckily, with the proper equipment, a podcast content strategy, and a team well-versed in podcast recording, you can create a podcast that will benefit your association, too.
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2020 is here and a new generation is beginning to enter the workplace: the unique, independent, and savvy Generation Z. You might be familiar with the several articles debunking this generation on LinkedIn, Google, or whichever site you frequent. I will admit it is interesting to see how each generation is different when it comes to the workplace, and I’d like to share how I, as an early career professional, maintain a good work/life balance and am able to pursue my passions outside of work.
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Working in association management enables you to network and grow relationships with other association staff, see how many associations plan and deliver projects, and celebrate one another’s successes. One of the benefits of working at Association Management Center (AMC) is the opportunity to tap into a full range of expertise from a diverse set of professionals.
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AMC is excited to announce that Wendy-Jo Toyama, MBA CAE, will join AMC’s management team as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). Wendy will replace Steve R. Smith, MS CAE, who currently serves in the position, when he transitions to the role of CEO of AMC on April 1, 2020.
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Ask any association professional and they’ll likely all say the same thing: offering quality education to and increasing engagement with their members are foremost among their priorities. But if you’re not making the most of your written communications—whether those consist of regular email communications only or a suite of strategic sources—you’re missing a huge opportunity.
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We are pleased to announce that Erin Volland, MPA CAE, has been hired as a new senior consultant of AMC Consulting Services.
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We are pleased to announce our new partnership with the Psychonomic Society (PS). As of January 1, AMC began providing management services to PS.
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A few years after college, I began my career at AMC as an entry-level account administrator. Now, just 4 short years later, I was recently promoted to operations manager. During my time at AMC, I have held several different titles and roles, each one adding to the reputation I had built in the previous position. Although there is certainly no formula for guaranteed career success and growth, there are several things I’ve discovered you can do as a young professional (or a regular professional) to “level up” in your career.
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AMC is pleased to announce that Lance Mueller has been hired as the executive director of the Palliative Care Quality Collaborative (PCQC).
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We initiated movements to make our workplace more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable. Here’s how we did it.
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For the first 12 years of my life, my family lived just outside of Windsor in England. My dad was an American expat working for an international company in Europe and was able to leverage his unique personal brand. A former Marine, he wore square-toe cowboy boots with business suits and read 1–2 books a week. He was a sales road warrior in the paper industry with a forestry and engineering background and a U.S. patent under his belt. He was direct, had a bit of a temper, and was known for his specific knowledge. There really was nobody else like him. When we moved to the United States and his territory changed to North and South America, I remember him receiving a call to travel to France. A customer there had stated that they only wanted to work with him; his involvement was a deal-breaker. Based on a past project, he had left a lasting impression and exhibited memorable qualities that the customer relied on to accomplish their business goals. He had a strong and enduring personal brand.
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Our careers take shape around the priorities we set for life and work, life events (planned and unplanned), the evolution of our fields, and sometimes world events. Before I started at AMC in 2008, I didn’t know association management even existed.
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In August 2019, AMC and The Collaborative began releasing episodes of the “Conversations by Association” podcast, a professional development series for association and nonprofit professionals by experts in this niche, yet robust, industry.
Though we carefully researched and prepared before recording even began, we learned several best practices on the job that we could not have anticipated ahead of time. If you’re considering developing a podcast for your organization, we’re sharing 10 tips that can make podcast preparation, recording, and management easier.
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Marketing requires investment, and it can be scary to try new tactics and take risks. But, when the same old techniques aren’t bringing in the same old revenue, it’s time to change things up. Try using strategic, data-driven, and evergreen techniques that will reinforce your brand and give you measurable results to guide your next move.
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Is healthcare quality important to your members? If you work for a healthcare association, the answer is likely yes. Fierce debates are happening around the country about skyrocketing healthcare costs and attempts to streamline the system. Healthcare is arguably more essential to people than most other goods or services, and we have a strong collective interest in ensuring that the healthcare system works as well as it can. Quite simply, the consequences of poor quality can be deadly.
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Do you ever feel like you need help to douse the flames of declining membership? Stabilize seismic activity altering your organization’s strategic priorities? Ebb the flood of new projects? Resuscitate product sales? Calling 911 may be a bit dramatic, but wouldn’t it be nice to know that there is an objective responder out there who has the resources and expertise to work with you to develop solutions to help your association achieve healthy outcomes? Thankfully, AMC Consulting Services can help.
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It’s day 2 of your association’s annual conference—the conference you’ve been preparing for all year—and your energy is starting to lag. You need a quick boost to get through the afternoon, so you grab a caffeinated beverage and a sugary snack for some instant energy. You’re fine for the next hour, sailing through your to-do list or the next can’t-miss educational session, until the dreaded sugar crash hits.
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When is the last time you walked up to someone you haven’t seen in a while—let’s say a month or more—asked them how they were doing, and received the answer, “Busy”?
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When starting a new job or role, you seek to prove yourself in any way possible. By saying “yes,” you show you are willing, capable, and eager to become active in the organization. Of course you want to be a team player. Of course you want to show what you are capable of. We all hope to establish ourselves as intelligent, hard workers in those first few months and even years on a job. But when does saying “yes” become a problem?
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We all are busy. We all have too much to do. We all have limited time for additional commitments. So, why does it seem that some people have more hours in their day and can find the time to volunteer for their professional association? The answer: They prioritize it.
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In Recruit the Right Board: Proven Processes for Selecting Critical Competencies, authors Will Brown, PhD and Mark Engle, DM FASAE CAE, explore case studies of associations with high-functioning boards of directors, identify the competencies needed for highly effective board members, and provide a detailed framework for how to select the right board members to optimize performance.
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We are pleased to announce that Bruce Hammond has been promoted to executive director of the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board (HMDCB), an AMC client partner.
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Many young professionals face similar unique challenges in the workplace. As co-chairs of the Young Professionals Special Interest Group (YP SIG) at AMC, we strive to create a community for our members that empowers them to professionally evolve through their experiences, relationships, and successes in the workplace. By encouraging this journey for our members, the YP SIG is able to develop their careers, enhance company culture, and build on a foundation for the future of AMC.
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What do you do as a medical association when you need to prepare your members for pending certification requirements that haven’t yet been defined? That was the challenge that the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) faced when we learned that new physician recertification requirements would take effect 2 years earlier than anticipated. How would these recertification changes impact the Review Course, our well-established and anticipated live and online prep course for initial and recertifying physicians that also happens to be an important revenue generator?
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“With great power comes great responsibility.”
These wise words made famous by Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben have become ingrained in my thought processes ever since I watched Spider-Man for the first time. It was a concept that became part of how I live my life and see the world: don’t take advantage of people who have less power or less of ANYTHING than you. Chose what’s right over what’s easy. Don’t do anything illegal. Little did I know that Uncle Ben’s adage is the best answer to why business ethics exist and why it is necessary in association management.
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At the 2019 Global Leadership Summit in August, Jo Saxton, an author, speaker, and leadership coach, asked us, “Who are your people?” when she presented on how to “Level Up your Leadership”. As a new mom getting back into my professional groove and getting acquainted with a new client, I realized I needed my people more than ever. It got me thinking about how connections are crucial to moving forward, helping you recognize your strengths and move you closer to success.
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AMC Principal Mark Engle, DM FASAE CAE, has released a new book titled Recruit the Right Board: Proven Processes for Selecting Critical Competencies. Written with researcher Will Brown, PhD, of Texas A&M University, from their ground-breaking ASAE Foundation governance research, Recruit the Right Board explores case studies of associations with high-functioning boards of directors, identifies the competencies needed for highly effective board members, and provides a detailed framework for how to select the right board members to optimize performance.
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“Be a writer,” they said. I didn’t listen.
At a time when all signs (and trusted confidants) pointed me toward journalism, I marched straight for technology, earning my degree in management of information systems. This chatty, reluctant extrovert emerged from the halls of higher learning fresh faced and writing, of all things, computer code.
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Are you thinking about sitting for the CAE exam this fall but don’t have a preparation strategy outlined yet? I previously wrote about 15 Reflections from Earning the CAE, and to continue helping you navigate the process, here is an overview of a few preparation options.
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Any company can benefit from clear, consistent communication with its staff. But when you have 40 client and service teams serving 30+ associations under the same roof, the need becomes even more pronounced. That’s why AMC endeavored to create an internal communications team that could unify the company’s messaging and bring staff together.
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AMC is pleased to announce the release of a new podcast focusing on career development in the association industry. Created in partnership with The Collaborative, a coaching, consulting, and education partner for associations. “Conversations by Association,” is a first-of-its-kind podcast that offers guidance and best practices from successful association and nonprofit professionals about career pathways, career advancement, mentoring, leadership, risk taking, job transitions, and leadership tracks. This professional development resource is ideal for anyone working in the association field who wants to advance their career or for those who just want to know more about the industry in general.
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Access to a community of like-minded professionals and subject matter experts is an expected and valued benefit of association membership. Here at AMC, nearly every client partner has some kind of solution in place to ensure that association leadership groups and members can connect to share best practices and solicit feedback, and the same goes for AMC employees themselves. More than a dozen AMC Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and User Groups (UGs) serve as the conduit for AMC staff members so they can collaborate, ask questions, share expertise, and ultimately solve problems for our clients and their own career development.
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Five months into my new job, I was ecstatic to help plan, execute, and MC at AMC’s Spring Connections, an annual meeting for all staff to have a chance to connect and hear from a speaker. Even though I was a first-timer and had one of the freshest perspectives on Connections, everyone can glean something from what we learned. Just like a good back-to-basics refresher course, a new perspective is something that everyone can take on a familiar event. That’s why we have Connections: it’s meant for everyone.
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Scott Engle, AMC CEO, will transition out of his role as CEO in April 2020 and assume a new role as chair of AMC’s Board of Directors. Scott, whose parents Art and Dagny Engle founded AMC in 1974, has been serving as CEO and leader of AMC’s Leadership Team since 2017. The Leadership Team, composed of 10 senior-level executives with decades of experience in association management, leads the strategic direction and growth of AMC and its client partners.
Welcome to AMCU! — Association Management Center (AMC) University. When you cross the threshold through the glass doors of AMC as an employee, you’ll dedicate time to helping AMC’s clients grow and thrive, but you’ll also have numerous opportunities to grow your career as well. Association management companies, such as AMC, provide a broad spectrum of expertise to clients and employees alike, just like a university with a mix of specialized departments. In addition to working within your major (i.e., your client or service team), you will also have an opportunity to learn from those in adjacent specialties at all levels. AMC even has a softball team if you want to go out for athletics!
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So, what is GDPR and what does it have to do with me and my association?
Perhaps you’ve heard of the Google and Facebook data breaches, which may have you questioning your (and your members’) data privacy. “Data protection” is a huge buzzword these days, and the European Union (EU) has pioneered a way to protect data: enter GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation, which replaces the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC. GDPR standardizes data protection law and imposes strict rules on controlling and processing personal information, not just for countries in the EU, but also for anyone who offers goods and services to or monitors the behavior of data subjects in the EU.
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Years ago, I began my professional life as a teacher, and the only association I was familiar with was the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher Learning Commission (NCA-HLC). Young and enthusiastic, I volunteered to serve on the committee of teachers that worked to review, prepare, and organize all of the required school documents that were provided to the NCA during our scheduled review. I was passionate about quality standards, learning best practices, and refining my understanding of policies that enhance the professionalism in the educational arena. I knew this association held my school and many others accountable to a set of quality standards for instruction and required policies. It is funny, because even years later, I am still passionate about quality standards and policies. These continued interests were key motivators in my decision to obtain the CAE certification.
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When it comes to conference guides, many associations are finding out that smaller is better. Foldable and easy to slip into a pocket or bag, a conference pocket guide is ideal for attendees who want to quickly navigate an event’s many offerings without having to pull out their phones or tablets. Here are 7 things to consider when creating your perfect petite conference guide.
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I started working in association management by chance, but my decision to keep working in association management has been very much by choice. Here are 4 steps of my association career thus far.
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I’m not really sure when I first heard the term “centralized grants management”. It’s an operational model that is often seen at an educational institution or government agency (eCivis, 2017; Ohio Department of Education, n.d.), yet the concept, especially understanding roles and responsibilities, can help any size organization effectively manage the life cycle of their grant awards by building capacity with existing staff. In general, a grant life cycle includes pre-award tasks (e.g., prospecting, proposal development, and submission) through post-award activities (e.g., acceptance, award set-up, monitoring, and final reporting and close out).
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We are pleased to announce that we have expanded our executive team with three new executive directors: Colleen Bagnasco, Gayle Irvin, and Joél Payne.
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While our day-to-day work with associations require a lot of time at a desk, there are also times when we spend a lot of time on our feet. Throughout the year, we attend conferences, exhibits, presentations, and board meetings. AMC staff plan and implement more than 50 conferences, exhibitions, and board meetings annually. As anyone who has done this work knows, that means long days on your feet walking the concrete floors of exhibit halls and rushing down hotel hallways to make sure meeting rooms are ready and the board’s needs are met.
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One of the time-honored traditions in working with association boards is that at some time someone will say something like this: “Now remember, at this meeting today I expect everyone will wear their [Association Acronym] hats.” More specifically, if a member of the board also serves on the board of another association, he or she will often be asked to “take off their [ABC Competing Association] Hat, and put on their [Association Acronym] hat.”
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One of the reasons I first moved to Chicago was to continue studying improvisational comedy (also known as improv). Having taken classes at The Second City and the iO Theater and performing in countless shows for families, late-night crowds, and everyone in between for more than 11 years, there are many lessons I have learned that become engrained in you as an improviser. These lessons are key to helping you (and your team) be successful on stage. But success isn’t only about making people laugh—it’s also about creating real, authentic moments that you, your fellow performers, and your audience share in. Moments that, by the very nature of improv, can’t be recreated.
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In last week’s post, we focused on the marketing efforts used to help the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) launch the Healthcare Ethics Consultant-Certified program in under 12 months. Now, see the results of the marketing strategy, research, and implementation and how success can be measured through statistics, conversion rates, and raising awareness.
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In 2018, the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities launched the Healthcare Ethics Consultant–Certified (HEC-C) program, a first-of-its-kind certification program for healthcare professionals providing specialized ethics consultations within their healthcare institutions. The story of how ASBH created and launched a certification program in less than 12 months is beyond the scope of this post and, thankfully, has been well-told by ASBH’s Executive Director, Mary Beth Benner.
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A few years ago, I sat for the Certified Association Executive exam. Thankfully, I lived to tell about it! Reflecting on the process, the exam, and the post-exam timeframe, here are 15 anecdotes/recommendations/ideas I want to share with anyone preparing for the CAE exam next week or the exam in December (which, if you haven’t started prepping yet, you’ll want to get on that ASAP).
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So, you read my last blog post about the impact that board orientation has on an organization and are now 100% convinced that an effective board orientation is important, impactful, and worth the time investment.
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Have you ever received one of those “What to Know Before You Go” e-mails that many associations send to conference attendees? It has a lot of great information to help first-time attendees have a great experience, but what about for staff working at their first conference? As a new employee in the association field who recently worked at my first conference, I discovered 7 tips that can make the experience easier for other first-time conference staff.
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How did I get to association management? Lucky coincidence, in all honesty. I was lucky enough to graduate with a journalism degree in 2008, the absolute pinnacle of rapidly declining journalism jobs and the greatest recession since the Great Depression.
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As AMC looks to the future, we have formed a Leadership Team to guide the strategic direction and growth of AMC and its client partners. Composed of senior-level executives with a diverse range of expertise in the field of association management, the Leadership Team will collaboratively lead AMC in achieving business goals while also ensuring our clients realize their missions and visions. We are pleased to formally introduce this team and how their new roles will support our clients and AMC in the years to come.
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At a time when associations face significant challenges in revenue generation, volunteer time, resource allocation, and member engagement, it is more important than ever that boards perform effectively. Unfortunately, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that underperforming boards are distressingly common and have significant consequences on the financial performance of associations, as well as staff and board morale.
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In the second part of this productivity series, I shared tips from AMC’s Caffeine and Productivity SIG for physical activities that can help you focus at work. From stepping away from your desk for lunch or a walk to protecting your sleep time and desk stretches, there are many ways you can trick your body into being productive.
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We’ve all heard the famous Maya Angelou quote, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” In fact, this sentiment is so popular that different versions of the quote have been attributed to a plethora of writers and speakers. Just like Maya and so many others, I believe in the power of experience to transform an event, or more importantly, a relationship—especially the one between an association and its members and customers.
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“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” --Paul J. Meyer, top-selling author of personal development materials in the world.
In the first part of this productivity series, I shared tips from AMC’s Caffeine and Productivity SIG for making technology work for you. From key board shortcuts, to different software you can use, there are countless tools at our disposal. But, how can you supplement technology to increase your productivity? I’ve got 5 more techniques you can try. They might seem a bit unorthodox, but the best way to discover what works for you is to experiment and try different tools. Not all productivity journeys looks the same, but the end results should be similar!
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In a world where print media is (sadly, but truly) dying, going digital is not just a trend—it’s more cost-effective, more accessible, and more likely to make an impact on your readers. Graphic designers don’t just say this to promote their own work, because there are a lot of benefits to going digital. Let’s take, for instance, a digital newsletter. Here are a few areas where a digital newsletter is a better option than a print newsletter, to start:
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Unavoidable conference disasters are every event planner’s worst nightmare. You try to do everything you can to avoid typical mishaps, but what happens when you are trying to run a conference and you are already in the stormy situation? After organizing and executing the AAHPM and APHON annual conferences through a snowstorm and a hurricane, two AMC senior meetings managers, Vanessa Mobley and Darlene Sommers, offer their top three tips for navigating through some of the most severe conference natural disasters.
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What value do online communities bring to associations and their members? As association professionals, we primarily think in terms of member value. But how do we define value, which is business-oriented, such as revenue growth? And how to we make sure our efforts as community managers are aligned with our organization’s strategic objectives?
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Growing up, I never said, “One day I’d like to work in association management.” What I did know is that I wanted to work for a mission that I could support, along with people whose passion was contagious, and somehow utilize my English degree. During my last year of college, right before the recession of 2008, I, like many of my classmates, was jumping at opportunities for internships. Yes, I really wanted the internship at WGN or Timeout Chicago--- those made the most sense as an English major concentrating in Cultural and Media Studies--- but somehow my path went a different way when I interviewed for a communications intern position at the Builders Association.
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We are excited to welcome the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) as a client partner. As of February 1, AMC began providing full-service management to ABM, and we look forward to helping them achieve what they believe.
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As an association Board member, you want to execute your control to make sure everything in your association goes smoothly, after all, the board has ultimate oversight duty. Why should you entrust anyone else with this responsibility?
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We are excited to announce that the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE) will be joining us as a client partner. Starting March 1, AMC will provide full-service management to CESSE, and we look forward to helping them achieve what they believe.
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We here at Association Management Center love the way a good inspirational quote can lift your spirits and jumpstart your motivation (“Achieve What You Believe,” anyone?).
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Full disclosure: AMC was my first job out of college. I had never worked in an office before, but I went to business school for my undergraduate degree and also worked two jobs on the side, so I was looking forward to having my own desk job, let alone my own desk. I already knew how to work hard and manage my time, so I thought, “How hard can it be?”
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Friendly? Helpful? Understanding?
The frontline of any association, member services representatives (MSRs) have the ability to positively or negatively affect how customers and members view an association. Though considered “soft skills,” being friendly, helpful, and understanding are in fact crucial for those who interact with an association’s membership. However, a truly successful member services representative also needs to have technical skills and association industry knowledge to truly serve its membership.
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In the past couple of years, thought leaders at AMC have written broadly on a number of resources for associations and the professionals who work with them. As we near and prepare for 2019, let’s take a look back on our 10 most popular posts and tips:
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I must confess: When I accepted the position of operations coordinator for the Metal Construction Association (MCA), I knew nothing about metal construction. I even mentioned in my interview that though I was interested in the opportunity, I was completely clueless about the industry. What I did know about is association management, which is why I got the position.
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Being environmentally conscious and creating a sustainable footprint is a global concern, but how easy is it really for organizations to adopt “greener” practices? Pretty easy as it turns out. Small, simple-to-implement habits can have a big impact and lead to a healthier and more sustainable workplace and Earth.
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“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
How many times have you heard this cool Ferris Bueller quote and actually stopped to look around? Can you do so right now? What do you see? What are you reflecting on?
As a proud working Mom who is trying to maintain a daily balance, I have made it my goal to stop, look around, reflect, and enjoy my life, family, and career. (I’m still trying to drink enough water, exercise, write more thoughtful handwritten thank you notes, and get 8 hours of sleep.)
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Setting performance metrics and understanding data are key to measuring the success of marketing efforts. If you consistently hit or exceed unit sales or revenue objectives campaign after campaign, you can stop reading now and treat yourself to ice cream for a job well done. On the other hand, if you have adapted messaging, tracked calls to action, and segmented audiences (see Part 1 of this series) but still aren’t seeing results, it’s time to take a deeper look into changing your overall marketing strategy.
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Once a week in a large conference room, something magical happens. We move the tables and chairs to the side, grab blankets and bolsters, and take off our shoes. Breathing slows, minds calm, and for the moment, thoughts of deadlines are set aside. Our weekly group meditation session has begun.
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My journey started—as my dad tells the story—at the age of 11 when I came home and announced, “I want to be a nurse when I grow up.” I don’t quite remember this, but I did focus my energy on becoming a nurse. It wasn’t an easy path, especially since I was on my own to figure out how to fund my pursuit. Challenge accepted! I applied for and won an Army Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship, which meant that not only was I going to college to become a nurse but also to prepare me to become an officer in the Army. While in college, I joined an all-girls team to train for and participate in an Army Ranger competition. I also went to jump school and became certified Airborne. All of this was done with the plan that my career path was set—I was going to graduate with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing and become an officer in the Army. My ultimate goal was to be assigned to a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit. My path was set.
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Let’s get this out of the way immediately: yes, I am one of those grammar people.
Every time I see a misplaced apostrophe on a restaurant menu (appetizer’s, entrée’s, etc.), I can’t help but joke (much to my companions’ delight, I’m sure), “Who is appetizer and what’s he got?”
An unnecessary comma in a novel forces me to pause my internal monologue dramatically, as must have been intended by the author (because why else the comma?).
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Change and the disruption it often creates is inevitable in the association world. But, how can associations harness the potential change brings and not get lost in the chaos it creates? The answer, according to Daniel Burrus, is by becoming an anticipatory organization (AO). A leading futurist on global trends and innovation, Burrus is the author of The Anticipatory Organization: Turn Disruption and Change into Opportunity and Advantage, which offers strategies for how organizations can transition from a reactionary to an anticipatory mindset so change creates opportunity and advancement, not chaos.
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If you’ve ever conducted an initiative to improve your organization, you know how important it is to track your results. Without data—whether it is quantitative, such as likes on a Facebook post, or qualitative, such as member testimonials—it’s impossible to know what is working and, perhaps more importantly, what is not.
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Creating a compelling story is part of the art and craft of a good grant proposal. We invite the reader in to share our story and our mission and hopefully, compel them to be part of our story.
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You put a lot of work into marketing your association’s conference, products, and membership benefits. But do you know if anyone is receiving your message? Or more importantly, do you know if anyone is taking action because of your marketing pieces? No matter what your campaign is focused on, you must first identify your goals and the metrics you will track to gauge your success. Before you think about a rebrand or new product strategy, you can make some quick, helpful changes to your marketing efforts that don’t require a ton of staff resources.
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Editor’s note: We’re thrilled to introduce a new series on the AMC blog, How did I get here? Navigating a Career in the Association World. In the coming months, we’ll feature career articles from AMC staff sharing their personal career stories and providing insight to those considering or just starting out in the field. This week, Bruce Hammond, CAE shares lessons learned from his 17-year career.
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What makes a happy and healthy team? I could tell you what I think, but maybe it makes more sense to go directly to an actual team that fits the description. I asked members of our creative team to share their thoughts, expecting to hear about a “hardworking yet fun atmosphere” and buzzwords like “accountability,” “flexibility,” and “recognition.”
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Before we go any further, I want you to ask yourself one important question: When and how do you and your president engage association board members in direct, proactive dialogue? If you answered only during new board member orientation or regular in-person board meetings, then you’re missing out on valuable opportunities to engage with, and get ideas from, some of your most involved members. Luckily, capitalizing on their knowledge, boosting their levels of engagement, and providing them with personal support can be as easy as picking up the phone.
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Almost a year ago, we had a series of meetings with clients in preparation for an enterprise project. The goal of the meeting was for the IT team to walk away with an idea of client values, pain points, and drivers for success. The client representatives in the meetings came from various functional areas of our association client teams and each brought a different perspective to the discussions.
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Increasingly, associations hear members express the desire to connect with colleagues outside annual meetings and CME events. When one of our physician members at the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) responded to an engagement survey by saying, “In my rural practice I literally have no one to ask for clinical advice in this field,” we knew that development of a virtual or online community sharing platform had to begin.
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So you’ve read about the importance of style guides, talked to your colleagues, and gotten all of the organization’s stakeholders on board—you’re ready to write a style guide. But where do you begin?
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The time spent leading up to your next onsite meeting is always hectic. Between last-minute projects and fielding questions from staff and attendees alike, planning for the unexpected can easily fall off the to-do list. Believe me, I have been there.
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What a member wants, what a member needs, whatever makes them happy sets you free… Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you there. Please forgive my singing. I was just thinking about how members shape the goals of our organizations and guide them into the future. Wouldn’t it be great to know what they want from their membership? Wouldn’t you like to know what they like about you?
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High-performing boards are selfish with their time. According to BoardSource, most directors spend about 40 hours per year engaged in board work, so their time together is extremely precious.
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Sequels are rarely as good as the original, but someone thought it was worth it to have a part two. Darn, not very compelling. Let me try again. Following my first AMC blog post on Kanban, I’m picking up where I left you, still curious about Kanban, perhaps seeking encouragement to take the first step into having a board of your own one day.
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As a new member of the team, I was anxious to get my hands on some member and customer information. However, creating a survey that asked the right questions, collected the right data, and implementing an action plan afterward was overwhelming; where was the best place to start?
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I am not much of a cook and the biggest challenge for me is getting the entrees and side dishes done at the same time, plated and served. I’m in awe of chefs who, through craft and precision, can serve beautifully presented plates of food (often customized) to hundreds of people each night.
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Let’s do an experiment.
Take a moment. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and think about your favorite brand. Really think about it.
What popped into your head? Was it the feeling of buying your preferred product from that company? The sound of their familiar jingle? Or did you imagine the company’s logo, a graphic you likely could recognize anywhere?
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As associations, we plan annual meetings and events years in advance. And while it would be great to have a crystal ball informing us of the weather our attendees will experience while traveling or when they arrive onsite, that kind of foresight just isn’t a reality. At the Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care, presented by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, a major Nor’easter storm descended upon Boston and threatened travel plans for more than 3,500 attendees, exhibitors, faculty and staff members – many of whom were scheduled to arrive on the day Logan International Airport closed.
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I started as the Director of Governance & Operations for AMC client the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) in late April 2016. Coming onto the staff at the time I did, I was able to be here right as our current president began her two-year term. On May 5 at the conclusion of our conference, that term will conclude.
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When meeting new people at work, I am often introduced as the grant writer. I like being called a grant writer. When I first transitioned into this area of work, I imagined sitting undisturbed in a cubicle spending my days writing and putting together well thought out, neat and tidy proposal packets. It was a great fantasy.
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When the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) first launched their Industry Relations Council (IRC) in 2011, only four companies saw the potential of joining as supporters. But under the direction of Association Management Center and Julie Ichiba, director, professional relations, for HOPA, the IRC quickly became profitable, productive, and very popular.
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In last week’s Wall Street Journal front-page article How Jeffrey Immelt’s ‘Success Theater’ Masked the Rot at GE, it seems that GE’s Chairman and CEO wouldn’t surround himself with anyone willing to say that the emperor has no clothes.
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What you say actually does matter, but that’s a topic for another day. I’d venture to guess most of you have your organization’s subject matter down pat. Today we’re focusing on the how.
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When you think of the average conference, what comes to mind? For most of us, it’s spending our days in educational sessions and our evenings sharing stories (and perhaps a few cocktails) with fellow professionals.
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I recently had the honor of being selected as an ASAE’s NextGen Summit participant, where I had the chance to attend a retreat for emerging leaders to come together and discuss association trends and topics along with personal and professional development. Enough knowledge was passed along to make my head hurt, but in an invigorating and energizing way. I can’t share everything – I probably wouldn’t do it justice and I also can’t write a novel (though I could) – so below are my three favorite takeaways.
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There are 2 Tuesdays until Mardi Gras.
My favorite New Orleans local to follow on Instagram and Twitter, @nolamaven, has been filling followers’ feeds with visions of glitter in preparation. The 2018 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival lineup was just released and it’s dynamite. The Saints…oh, the Saints…what a heartbreaking end to a hard fought football season. Bon Appetit magazine named the New Orleans sandwich shop Turkey and the Wolf the #1 Best New Restaurant in America! A sandwich shop! I could go on and on.
Are you looking for answers to questions such as
On Tuesday, November 7, 2017 The American Marketing Association (AMA) Chicago chapter partnered with Association Forumto host an event called, “Get Noticed on Social media (without breaking the bank)!” AMC’s own Allison Lundberg was one of two speakers on a panel that discussed how an organization can find its voice, get noticed on social media, and take it to the next level with social advertising. A handful of members from AMC’s Professional Relations and Development (PRD) team, including Joey Maginot, Maddie Liesz, Dana D’Onofrio, and Zack Smith, attended this session at the AMA office in Chicago. The team shares key take-a-ways from the event, why they found them important and creative ways they’ve incorporated them into their work for PRD.
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Education. Networking. Publications. Advocacy. The benefits associations provide their members are numerous and invaluable—and the rewards members gain from them are equally incalculable.
But what do you do when one of your top-rated member benefits starts having problems that overshadow the many solutions it offers? If you’re PRISM International, you start to think outside the (paper) box.
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Some people follow all the latest nutrition and diet trends like cleanses, South Beach diet, cabbage soup diet, paleo, raw foods and clean eating. What do I follow? Productivity trends. Go ahead and laugh, I’ve come to terms with it. One of the tools I have discovered that seems to hold the most promise for increasing productivity is Kanban. Kanban literally translates to “board”, but often you’ll hear or read “Kanban Board”, which is redundant. We’ll forgive the repetitiveness and just focus on what Kanban entails and how it might increase your productivity. Curious yet? Let’s jump right in.
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We’ve all been there before. You’re discussing an important issue for your association, but instead of concentrating on your organization’s agenda, someone is trying to further their own. These hidden agendas can derail important conversations, complicate decision-making, and result in poor solutions for your association.
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Ok, since you’re twisting my virtual arm, I’ll admit it… I’ve always wanted to be Jeopardy host Alex Trebek. He’s just so darn cool. He has the best job in the world, probably drives a Ferrari or some other cool car, and has the power to create categories in his show like Potpourri where he just throws together a bunch of things that don’t really relate all that much to one another.
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For all organizations and businesses, not just associations, it’s the ultimate catch-22—you need more leads to make money, and you need money to get more leads. To thrive, associations need members and customers to continue running, but it can be difficult to find room in the budget for marketing and lead generation. Never fear though, there are easy and affordable methods to draw more potential members and purchasers to your organization right at your fingertips.
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Do you spend way too much time reading posts about interview questions? If that’s the case, please take my virtual hand so we can walk away from that darkness.
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There I was, on a bright, sunny Saturday in September with a hammer and work gloves in hand, trying to look the part at the Park Ridge Presbyterian Church parking lot. I was there with Solid Rock Carpenters to build wall sections for 3 homes to be donated to those in need in Johnson City, Tennessee. Those of you who know me are probably thinking “Dude, what do you know about building houses?” Believe me, I asked myself the same question several times and when I saw the 85+ volunteers going at it, I seriously considered getting back in my car and heading home.
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Two weeks after the unthinkable happened in Las Vegas, my colleague and I touched down in the city for the METALCON trade show. Unsure of the environment that would greet us, I found we were met with the very definition of strength, and given a daily reminder of the message resonating throughout the city. The city is #VegasStrong. In fact, I feel it is stronger than ever.
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Member associations en masse are finally recognizing that revenue diversification is the key to sustainability in the current economic and cultural climate. Focusing on developing key revenue generating sources outside of membership are job one. Concurrent with grandiose strategic plans forming around major non-dues revenue initiatives, organizations should start immediately with the low hanging fruit that can bring in small profits today leading to much larger profitability and revenue gains tomorrow.
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A common conversation among grant professionals is about how to set expectations and measure success of grant programs. Many stakeholders (the boss, the board, the committees) often want to talk about revenue as a measure of success and usually focus on increasing revenue. While a meaningful metric, increasing revenue is not always the most reflective of success or impact of the program. Over-the-years, I have come up with a few rules-of-thumb that help frame the conversation in a better way.
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As the staff of any association can tell you, onboarding new leadership is an important process that can reap many rewards. However, the process for when those leaders eventually leave may not be as well defined. Ensuring a smooth exit for your former president or board member not only make a difference to them but also your association.
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Millennials, Millennials, Millennials….We may all feel like this topic has been beaten to death, and yet we just can’t stop ourselves from asking, “What makes them tick?” As co-chairs of AMC’s Young Professionals SIG and because we are both Millennials (although on slightly opposite ends of the age spectrum) we have a unique perspective on how our generation functions as a product of our surroundings. We sat down to answer some burning questions and provide insight into the largest generation in the workforce today:
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Conflict is part of communication and deliberation in many settings. For not-for-profit boards, conflict can present unique challenges, including:
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In the coming months, Mark Engle, DM FASAE CAE, along with author and association consultant, Mary Byers, CAE, will lead sessions of ASAE’s Exceptional Boards: Strengthening the Governance Team.
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Several times throughout my college career, I thought, “This is it! I’ve found what I want to do!” Some of those career plans included museum curator, archeologist, communications director of a sports team, professor of physics, and professor of economics. Considering every “add” or “drop” of a major or minor in college, I think I made at least 11 changes to reflect the latest “This is it!” phase. I graduated with a marketing degree - very different from the previously listed jobs!
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The creative team at AMC revealed why they work so well together in a recent post. As it turned out, the magic formula for teamwork required more than strange grapes, oddly flavored potato chips, cupcakes, and the rest of the carbs we cram onto a file cabinet that’s conveniently buffet height.
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It is not uncommon for analogies to be drawn between business strategy and military strategy. One of my favorite examples is a 2016 article Australian consultant Graham Kenny wrote for Harvard Business Review. In it, he compares strategic planning in business and the military, citing an approach promoted by Moltke the Elder, Dwight Eisenhower, and Winston Churchill
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In the late 90s, Harvard Business Review noted that “The Experience Economy” is demonstrated when “a company intentionally uses services as the stage, and goods as props, to engage individual customers in a way that creates a memorable event.” Likening the Experience Economy to a performance is as effective a metaphor today as it was then because it reminds us that we need to create connection to our products and services to engage our customers.
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For association professionals, the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential is a mark of professional development. Earning your CAE can make a positive impact on your career path and showcase your commitment to the association profession. Several AMC executives use the knowledge they gained earning their CAE certification to guide and support our association partners.
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Ad campaigns about customer service are all the rage right now. Who doesn’t love “Jake from State Farm”, the khaki-wearing night shift worker turned meme? Or what about Discover and their commercials about how they treat you like you treat you. Because “I don’t have time for machines,” according to one Discover customer.
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As leader of the organization and chair of the board of directors, an association’s president has a unique responsibility to guide the actions of numerous volunteers to ensure they make decisions based on the association’s best interests. Most often, this person is well-prepared to act as an advocate for members following many successful years of service. Most often, this person also has extensive experience acting as a leader within his or her field, experience that proves invaluable to their role as president.
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In 2015, Association Management Center (AMC) was faced with upgrading Personify, its association management software, and realized there was a problem: The upgrade would not solve a number of challenges; however, the organization expected the new version to magically do exactly that! There was a misalignment of business goals and project goals, and the project, as initially planned, would have left us with many of the same usability issues, such as:
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Your cab drops you off in the middle of a changing Chicago neighborhood…Fulton Market; once a gritty meatpacking district, is being transformed into a tech and foodie hot spot. The glimpse of the Google office and the new Ace Hotel flash past your window and you are delivered into the urban Morgan Manufacturing space – the location of Association Forum’s June 28, 2017 Forum Forward conference event. With one step in the door, you’re already excited about what’s ahead…
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How should association leaders respond to member requests for more openness, communication, and accountability from their board of directors? This is the question AMC governance and strategy consultant Anne Cordes and AMC principal Mark Engle, along with Jed R. Mandel, Esq, discussed in their 2016 article on the role of transparency in association governance. While there are several benefits from the policies and practices called for in the name of transparency, it can also do harm when applied without regard for board privacy.
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The American Pain Society’s (APS) beloved educational program Fundamentals of Pain was initially developed to educate and engage early career practitioners and researchers in the field of pain medicine in order to meet the growing need for research and practitioner support for those in pain. The Fundamentals program was held annually as a preconference to the association’s Annual Scientific Meeting and included education, mentoring, and networking components. In the beginning, it was 100% funded by a singular corporate funder. However, after nearly a decade, the sponsor’s funding initiatives changed, and they decreased funding for the program. At the same time Fundamentals attendance slowly began to shrink.
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Being onsite for conference is the best, isn’t it? Sure, the hours are long, your legs are tired from schlepping your bags across a convention center, and you’re breathing recycled air for about a week, but it is nearly unrivaled in building connection to our work and members.
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An inclusive environment promotes continual reflection, opportunities for growth, and helps individuals feel welcomed. Most importantly, participants are able to be themselves. Do your members feel a sense of inclusion within your association?
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There I was, standing face to face with a large, bemused group of boys about eight years old. I had just emerged from an idling bus along with seven other members of our board of directors. These kids were staring at us like we were aliens emerging from a space craft. Why the stares? Because our board of directors – composed of nurses in their 30s 40s 50s and 60s - had just converged at a laser tag facility and this horde of eight year olds was no doubt not accustomed to being booted out by a group of people the age of their parents or grandparents.
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My wife and I are in the market for a new patio on the back of our house. It’s our one big purchase for the year and it’s important to us that it’s done right. Like most people in this situation, we want to get some quotes and determine who can do the job best. We reached out to three local companies to come out and give us a quote, providing each with the same request and specs for the job.
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Expectations of board members in the association world are high. Upon election to the board, members are expected to have a solid understanding of the association’s mission, strategic plan goals and objectives, financial status, programs and services, and governance structure. In addition, board members bear a legal and fiduciary responsibility for the health and future of the association. These expectations can be daunting. As a member of the governance team at the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) it is our job to ensure board members are informed and prepared for their roles so that they can participate fully on day one.
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Old news: Membership retention in the current millennium is a key challenge for organizations, especially for those not connected with mandated licensures or certifications.
Bad news: There is no magic bullet to overcome this challenge quickly. You need a loooong term strategy.
Good news: There are a few short term tools that may help slow the rate of loss and stem some of the decline.
Let’s focus on the good news.
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In the past, Nominating Committees started their work a few months before elections began by identifying those who were next in line for the open positions. This process assumed that the most qualified candidates for the governing board were those who had worked their way up through the ranks of committees and participated in other volunteer opportunities.
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Social media has taken over our lives. It seems as though a new social network pops up each month, giving us one more thing to check up on each day. Associations are digging through social networks to study our members, find where their interests lie, and determine where our organization should target our efforts.
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If you’re one of the millions of Americans who read USA Today, you probably noticed an extra-special source featured in the March 31–April 2 weekend edition: Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing (APHON) President Kathleen Ruccione, PhD. Her piece, “Nurses Create a New Paradigm of Cancer Care,” detailed the role of nurses in health care—and of oncology nurses specifically in the treatment of patients with cancer, helping readers understand the impact of these integral members of the medical team and the future of cancer care.
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Regardless of political affiliation, the 2016 election played on the heartstrings of the American people. These emotions have given rise to several grassroots political movements, such as the Women’s March on Washington and those surrounding immigration and healthcare issues. With thousands of people participating in these movements across the country, as associations we must at least ask ourselves the question of whether or not our association should be involved with those movements that impact our members.
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Finding new and exciting ways to engage members and inspire loyalty is the secret sauce for successful associations. Getting creative about the types of engagement opportunities—everything from leadership roles on the board to a few minutes of social networking on behalf of the association—allows organizations to reach members willing able to help despite limited availability. Associations everywhere are embracing microvolunteering as a means to engaging folks with the least amount of time to give, but a desire to contribute. And the concept is taking off! So much so that this Saturday, April 15, the U.S. celebrates National Mircovolunteering Day for the 4th year in a row.
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If you’re like most people, you likely didn’t learn about the association industry in undergrad. In fact, you may not know much about it today. But the truth is there’s a whole world of rewarding work in the nonprofit space, focused on helping organizations work toward the greater good.
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As of this year, experts report as much as 74% of online traffic consists of video content. In our daily lives, we see countless videos on Facebook, in emails, and even on websites. According to a study done by Insivia, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to only 10% when reading it in text. In the association industry specifically, video communication is still considered a growing trend helping more organizations connect with members and prospective members like never before.
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My guess is you’re asking one of two questions right now… “What were you thinking when agreeing to coach kindergarten basketball?” or “What could that experience possibly teach you about associations?” Believe me, as this post formed in my mind, I asked myself the same two questions and what I’ve found is, kindergarten basketball coaching and association membership are definitely related.
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One of an association’s most important responsibilities is to act as an advocate for its field. That’s why finding new and innovative ways to engage membership and communicate the needs of the industry to lawmakers and regulators is an integral part of operations for our clients.
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The quote that best defines the current state of the healthcare debate came in a meeting with the nation’s governors at which President Trump exclaimed, “Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated." Earlier this month, the president delivered his remarks to a joint session of Congress where many were anxiously awaiting directives on how to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
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The Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) is headquartered in Chicago, a major hub for nationally-recognized hospitals and health systems. That makes us, the HOPA staff, lucky! Lucky to have so many of our members nearby and easily accessible.
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The mentorship program for members of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) began in early 2013 as an effort by the society’s professional development committee to engage members and provide a resource to early-career members on a variety of issues. Because of the complexity of the pediatric hematology/oncology profession, the committee created a mentoring system to customize the experience and serve member needs.
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One of the biggest challenges in the association space can be that, as staff, our business goals and daily tasks mirror those of the corporate world, only without the corporate-sized budgets and resource pools to help us get them accomplished.
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Picture this: There are 3 weeks until you leave for your annual meeting. Your schedule is finalized, the keynotes and speakers are accounted for, your marketing campaigns are starting to wrap up, and your staff is now shifting into the “hosting” phase of conference. But then you receive a phone call from a game-changing potential speaker.
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Throughout 2017, Mark Engle, DM FASAE CAE, along with author and association consultant, Mary Byers, CAE, will lead several sessions of ASAE’s Exceptional Boards: Strengthening the Governance Team.
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Regardless of the size or focus of your association, you’ve likely experienced a situation in which you didn’t have the expertise required to tackle a goal in the most effective way. Eventually, most of us encounter situations that could benefit from professional consulting expertise. But how do you know when your association has reached that point? Here are six signs to look for that indicate bringing in external consulting expertise might be right for you:
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It’s no secret that social media has taken over the lives of millions—and our many association members are no exception! That’s why AMC clients use this low-cost, high-impact advertising and engagement tool to its fullest with innovative initiatives that truly are worth Tweeting about.
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As the season of holiday gatherings winds down, I am sure that on more than one occasion a dinner was interrupted by unsolicited political banter. Around the association table, I would like to offer my gift of five reasons to be optimistic for the 115th Congress and the new presidential administration.
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It’s that time of year again – time to light the menorah, decorate the tree, and celebrate the end of what was hopefully a fantastic year! It’s also the time when many people make resolutions for the coming year and plan how they’re going to do things differently to make it even better than the one before.
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We all fall into the same trap. “This is what we’ve always done,” we say. These are dangerous words for associations. They lead us to complacency and we risk losing our ability to feel fresh to attendees. The National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) recently ran into the same issue – and decided to approach it head on.
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Jennifer GoodSmith wasn’t always a “tree person,” but over the course of a branding campaign for the Morton Aboretum in Lisle, IL, she’s come to know more about trees—especially the arboretum’s trademark oaks—than she ever thought she would.
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600,000 to 1,000,000.
That’s how many business books are published each year in the U.S. alone, according to a recent Forbes article. How in the world do you know which ones are worth your time?
Queue AMC’s Management Team members, who took the time to share their favorite leadership and business books and articles. If you’re looking for career-impacting reads, you’re in the right place! AMC asked:
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So you’ve planned out your video, and everything seems to be in place, but now you need to make it happen.
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I’ll be honest. Conferences cause me great anxiety. Working for an association management company has provided me with an “out” in that I’m typically working at the there is a collection of coworkers, familiar faces with whom I’ve some sort of established relationship.
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A group of staff from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) recently participated in Association Forum’s Centennial Day of Service at The Fred Matthews Senior Housing Center, a 60-unit affordable housing unit for seniors. They had a great afternoon visiting and playing bingo with residents, while spending time with other members of the association community.
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Healthy board relations are a critical component of successful board performance and require cultivation and nurturing. AMC principal, Mark Engle, DM FASAE, regularly consults on board development and governance topics, so when we asked him to sit down and discuss these topics in front of the camera, he jumped at the opportunity.
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All good content marketers – corporate and nonprofit alike—dream of elusive viral posts and skyrocketing social growth. But how do you get there? How do you find and engage your audience and better yet, elicit likes, shares, and retweets beyond your wildest dreams?
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Remember that year you didn’t attend the Annual Conference? The food looked perfect on Instagram. The hashtag blew up Twitter. Your favorite conference buddy was tagged endlessly on Facebook during the new learning labs which were located OUTSIDE in Palm Springs. And…you’ve always wanted to go to Palm Springs…And, the sky was perfectly blue. Nobody was wearing a coat. Everyone was smiling; and earning millions of CE credits while smiling. This feeling that’s welling up inside you? This, my friend, is the fear that you’re missing out or, more commonly referred to as FOMO.
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The association world is constantly changing and it’s key to make sure each segment of your association continues to expand and adjust with the current market climate. Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are an important part of any association, and it is essential to revitalize SIG meetings that have become stale over time. The Administrator/Coordinator SIG at Association Management Center recently went through this process and, by using the steps below, had amazing results. The SIG boosted attendance by 30 percent, had increased member engagement, received tons of positive feedback, and had much happier members overall. Consider the following to revamp your SIG today:
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As mentioned in the first article in this series, there are a variety of ways to complete a task on the Web, but some solutions are better than others. Below is a continuation of the list of common Web problems you may encounter in your website updates and some more-optimal ways to solve them.
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There are a variety of ways to complete a task on the Web, but some solutions are better than others. While looking at items that are part of a typical Web update routine, I listed below some common web problems, possible solutions, and then much better solutions. Because there are so many ways to address items on a website, these certainly aren’t all the possible solutions, nor are all of the “poor solutions” always incorrect. The goal for any website is to keep things clean, consistent, and engaging. The “better solutions” listed below are recommendations with this intent in mind.
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Creating value is often about embracing change. It’s about exploring options in relation to an organization’s overarching business goals. Here are a concrete example and a number of considerations about how change permeates all of what we do in associations.
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When reading Seth Godin’s blog post from back in January, Who Is Us?, I got excited. In only four sentences, he spoke volumes about numerous issues associations have had for what seems like forever without ever mentioning our industry.
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Now that you’ve figured out what you have to make videos and what you want to do with it, it’s time to start planning. Using your established purpose, goals, message, and resources, now you can begin writing a script, setting a timeline, and creating a distribution plan.
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Join us at the second session of AMC’s three-part Governance series for nonprofit staff executives, where two key strategists will share corporate lessons learned and how their experience translates into organizational performance in the association community. Panelists from the corporate and association worlds will contribute to a robust and engaging discussion.
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You’ve made the decision to start making videos, and now comes the scary part: where do you start?
Right now, the world looks like your oyster. You could go so many ways and do so many things in your new medium. The sheer number of possibilities can make beginning this process seem very daunting. Done properly, video marketing can add personality to your marketing strategy and grow a valuable connection to your audience, as you read in our previous post on video marketing. Before you begin, it’s necessary to narrow your focus by answering a few questions.
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You can’t fulfill your mission if your business is failing. Your business cannot succeed unless you have a growing base of satisfied customers. In my experience, these two statements are often underappreciated by associations. In fact, as I’ll share, they are sometimes just ignored.
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It’s time for the next installment of Associational Management Center’s Ask the Management Team question series. This quarter, we reached out with a question about something everyone can relate to: BUDGET! But instead of focusing on the challenges related to limited budget, we wondered what our executives would do if they had more money to spend. We asked AMC leaders to answer the following question:
If your budget increased by $200,000 for the year, with the expectation all of it must be spent in 2016, where would you invest to make the biggest impact? Why?
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She may not have the name recognition of Beyonce or Dave Grohl, but in the content marketing world, Amanda Todorovich is a real rockstar. She is a regular presenter at Content Marketing World and other large industry conferences, and was named a Direct Marketing News 40 Under 40 recipient in 2015. And that’s in addition to her day job – leading the content marketing efforts for the Cleveland Clinic, one of the world’s leading health systems.
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It’s easy to feel lost when it comes to video marketing, especially when what first comes to mind is big-budget commercials produced by large companies. At first glance it looks daunting, but video is more accessible than ever and can be done on a budget.
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Rebranding has been a hot topic in the association community for years, and 2015 is no exception. Associations regularly have been seeking to better understand tips and tricks for effectively rebranding their organizations. Here at AMC, our client, the Awards and Personalization Association recently went through the process and we thought we’d share our experiences with you.
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Earlier this year, three AMC staff members took part in an educational session at the Association Forum led by Dean West, FASAE and President of Association Laboratory in Chicago. Dean’s session focused on Association Laboratory’s latest whitepaper, an environmental scan of the association industry entitled Looking Forward 2016.
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Have you been in a conversation with someone when they say “Chipotle is bae” or texted with a friend who replies “The Bears are so bad this year…SMH”? If your answer is no, chances are you’re not a millennial, the next boom of people now in the workforce.
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So you just finished a board meeting and amidst all the generative conversation and decision making, chances are, you have a few action items before the next meeting. It is hopeful that these action items correspond to the strategic plan and will fit nicely into a work plan that already exists. However, this is not always the case and you are now not only tasked with completing the action item, but creating a work plan that links it with the strategic plan to track your work and ensure you reach the board’s requested goal.
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In 2015, more than 142,000 users visited the career centers of AMC’s client organizations. Of those 142,000 impressions, how many could potentially have been new visitors to the career center, thus providing an opportunity to build your brand during a professional’s first exposure to your organization?
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AMC principal Mark Engle, DM FASAE, regularly consults on Board development and governance topics, so when we asked him to sit down and talk about one of these topics in front of the camera, he jumped at the opportunity.
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On a monthly basis, AMC’s Management Team holds a meeting that includes a generative discussion on a topic of importance to association leaders. This month, the topic focused on competition to the association industry, and the discussion jumped from innovation to risk to Board composition to the speed at which associations make decisions.
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Sometimes associations take the wrong path, whether it’s in their membership strategy, their marketing strategy, or their advocacy efforts. Whether it happens with leaders fully understanding the situation or by mistake, going down the wrong path obviously isn’t ideal.
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Just as it is important for association leaders to hear from established leaders on topics of importance to our industry, we feel that it is also important to hear from up-and-coming professionals on topics important to them. Thus, we've created our Ask the Young Professionals series here on the blog. Here’s our second question, as well as answers from 10 of AMC's young professionals.
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On a quarterly basis, we ask our executive level leaders (our Management Team) to provide their insights on a pressing question for the association industry. Here's the next question and answers from a subset of our leadership.
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Association Management Center is excited to announce the hiring of Vish Kalambur as the company’s new Chief Information Officer. Prior to joining AMC, Kalambur served for 12 years as the Senior Director of Application Development at the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
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Kenyans and Ethiopians have dominated the sport of distance running for many years. What sets them apart from the rest of the field is their technique of pack running. They run in a large group (or pack) and use each other to set the pace, fend off the wind, and conserve energy. Even though they are working together, and the goal of each individual is to try and win the race, they realize that in order to do so they need the help of their teammates.
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We hear often about organizations working to “eliminate silos” and encourage collaboration and shared ownership. When it comes to content strategy, this process also can mean increased opportunities for inconsistency, disjointedness, and maybe even conflict.
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From January 10-13, five of AMC’s meeting professionals descended upon Vancouver for Convening Leaders, the large annual event put on by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). When they returned, we asked them to tell us about their top takeaways.
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To me, marketing is like detective work. It takes a lot of trial, error, and data to answer your burning questions, but once you put together pieces of the puzzle, it becomes an extremely effective tool.
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The year 2015 was a good one for a number of reasons – not the least of which here at AMC is that we launched our blog and began developing and publishing our own unique content on our own website. With more than 220 staff members, there is a lot of leaders within our walls, and we are now better able to share their expertise more consistently with the association community.
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In the vast majority of cases, especially in the association industry, the answer is no. While we may not always hit our goals, the overwhelming likelihood is that we haven’t completely (and absolutely) failed.
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Several AMC staff members attended the Association Forum of Chicagoland Holiday Showcase this past Tuesday, and we asked them to share their biggest takeaways from the event.
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Content marketing—let’s start with this one. HubSpot defines content marketing like this:
“a marketing program that centers on creating, publishing, and distributing content for your target audience—usually online—the goal of which is to attract new customers.”
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At the Annual 2015 Fall Summit of the Nursing Organizations Alliance (also known as NOA or The Alliance), Joan Kram, FACHE, CAE was elected to serve on the NOA Coordinating Team for a three year term.
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As we have done with our Management Team, we have plans to develop questions for our young professionals to answer on a quarterly basis. Here’s our first question, as well as answers from 10 AMC young professionals.
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It's that time of year again – time to eat some turkey and pumpkin pie while watching the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions play in their annual Thanksgiving Day games. But Thanksgiving is also a time where we should do as the holiday’s name instructs – give thanks – to our friends and family, to people who have helped us, and for those of us in the association community, to our volunteers and members.
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From our previous discussions on membership forms and a new customer’s first experience with our organizations, we learned that less is more. The form and online experience both need to be as inviting and user friendly as possible. However, cumbersome forms and processes are larger than just membership forms; it impacts conference and event registration forms as well.
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I attended the 2015 ASAE Annual Meeting in Detroit and there was one topic that really grabbed me, probably because I heard it over and over again; that topic was “Grit!”
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On a quarterly basis, we will ask our more than 20 executive level leaders (our Management Team) to provide their insights on a pressing question for the association industry. Here's our first question and answers from a subset of our leadership.
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In the age of e-learning, webinars, and podcasts, there still are occasions when an in-person experience is irreplaceable. I had one such experience recently in Vancouver at the Call To Action Conference (CTA Conf), which focuses on conversion rate optimization (CRO).
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Join us, in conjunction with our partners the Association Forum of Chicagoland, MB Financial Bank, and the governance section of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), for an exciting educational session on November 18.
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We didn’t realize the magnitude of the AMC Challenge we posed in our September 15th post: Send us your ideas of how to turn your membership application into a delightful experience for a new member’s first encounter with your organization. When the inbox remained a hollow chamber for almost two months, we decided to take up the challenge internally.
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Rebranding has been a hot topic in the association community for years, and 2015 is no exception. Associations regularly have been seeking to better understand tips and tricks for effectively rebranding their organizations. Here at AMC, our client, the Awards and Personalization Association recently went through the process and we thought we’d share our experiences with you.
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Mysteries have their place—in movies, books, and plays. The amount of traffic directed to a website from an e-blast or a Facebook post should not be a mystery.
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A number of AMC staff members recently sat in on the Association Trends webinar titled Meeting Membership Recruitment Benchmarks: Strategies to Turbo-Charge Your Recruitment. We asked four of our participants for their biggest takeaway, which are each included here.
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An impressive FIVE Association Management Center staff members were named to the association industry’s 2015 Forty Under 40 list, sponsored by Association Forum of Chicagoland and USAE News.
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When an association recently transformed its brand and name, it decided to also update its forms, including its membership application. The membership manager, thrilled at the prospect of collecting loads of great data at a time when fresh members are most enthusiastic to provide it, packed the form with so many items it would be good for only one thing for the new member -- a good snooze. Sound familiar?
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"If you build it, they will come." If associations build an innovative, meaningful, networking-rich event that their audience members can take key messages from and implement in their place of work, they will be successful.
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The American Academy of Home Care Medicine (AAHCM) has selected AMC to provide full-service management. The management arrangement begins September 1.
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If you are planning exit interviews for volunteer leaders ending their board service, consider one or more of the following ideas to help ease the transition, gather feedback, and identify engagement opportunities going forward.
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Three AMC staff members have earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).
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As we worked through our website redesign, I took a look at our site’s Google Analytics to get a wide ranging understanding of our site’s traffic.
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For the 3rd consecutive year, an AMC staff member was honored with the John C. Thiel Distinguished Service Award from the Association Forum of Chicagoland. The award is presented for exceptional, long-term, volunteer service to the Association Forum, primarily through committee service or similar contributions.
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For the fourth time since 2010, AMC has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Illinois.
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