Strategic planning was the gold standard for associations pre-pandemic, helping to recalibrate and define the future goals, direction, and vision for the organization. 

Boards of directors face many challenges that compete for their time and strategic focus.

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.  

Conflict is part of communication and deliberation in many settings. For not-for-profit boards, conflict can present unique challenges, including:

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. 

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:

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.

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.