Blog
Choose Hope
Quoting a good – and wise – friend: “I do not have hope because I believe that the world is good. I choose hope as an act of will to empower me to make the world…
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What Do You Reward?
Novelty or loyalty? We’ve all heard the come-ons: Switch your cable/cell/Internet/long distance provider and we’ll give you gifts, or better pricing, or premium services for free, or whatever. Everybody’s always looking for new customers, right?…
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Association Climate Action Coalition Launches Resource Library
The Association Climate Action Coalition, a Community of Practice of experienced association consultants, executives, and advisors who have convened to address one of the most pressing issues of our time, has just launched our new…
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Big Footprints: How Associations Are Becoming More Sustainable
In the latest episode of the “Engaging in the Next” podcast, I had the opportunity to chat with Colby Horton and Frank Humada about why it’s crucial for associations to take action on climate change and…
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Power With versus Power Over
There are (at least) two ways of thinking about power in interpersonal relationships: Power Over and Power With (sometimes recast as “Power To”). What’s the difference? Power OVER is about scarcity, rules, procedures, compliance, competition, rewards…
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Engaging Today’s Members
In one of the breakout rooms in yesterday’s monthly Prometheus Consortium First Tuesday Zoom, we focused on member engagement. Some of the usual topics came up – member-centric (versus association-centric) engagement, the unassailable math of…
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The “Family Friendly” Trap
In my nearly 30 years in the association industry, I’ve repeatedly watched talented friends of both genders (but more often women) get stuck in their careers because a workplace is “family friendly.” The current organization…
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Dream Big
In 2011, an Ignite presentation inspired me to write: Everything in our environment is whispering: “Protect your ass. Guard your turf. Trust no one. Rock no boats. Prepare for the worst.” In other words: “Think…
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Creating Balance
Summer’s drawing to a close, which means we’re all getting back into the swing of a busier season, with the EVEN busier holiday season and year-end just around the corner, which has me thinking about…
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Associations, Apprenticeships, and the “Toolbelt Generation”
Recently, I’ve noticed renewed attention to the role of non-collegiate post-secondary training in helping people find lucrative, productive, fulfilling work. The Washington Post has reported on the need for “millions” of apprentices in careers that don’t…
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