How to create a sense of ownership in your online community
Members need to trust that their community is a safe space to participate — whether they’re providing positive or negative feedback to their peers. Never allow members to attack someone for sharing their thoughts, and take time to consider whether or not to allow anonymity in posting or reporting content on your community. Ownership is […]
Seeking a freelance writer
Note: This posting is not longer active. We’re a site that is a hub for thought leadership within the association industry. We publish articles and eBooks. We host webinars and virtual conferences. Our articles teach, and inspire, and challenge people to think differently. Here’s a taste of our voice: https://asorg.wpengine.com/empower/how-can-we-harness-the-power-of-crowdsourcing/ https://asorg.wpengine.com/empower/standing-out-from-the-crowd-the-ai-edition/ https://asorg.wpengine.com/article/can-associations-facilitate-job-satisfaction We’re looking for […]
How to start getting things done
Nothing ever seems to get done. You tick one thing off your list, and immediately start to worry about something else. The number of things you have to do appears to be never-ending. This is so often the case, for so many of us. And the stress of an infinite to-do list can render us, ironically, […]
How to plan the perfect video shoot
Are you looking to harness the power of video content for your association’s marketing and outreach strategies? Would you like to shoot your own video? Are you intimidated by the task? If you are, I understand. Unfamiliar things are never easy. But video is an extremely effective communication tool — even if amassing the time, […]
How a for-profit subsidiary protected our association – and helped our members
What is your association’s reason for being? What is its mandate? Why do you continue to work, and what drives your decision-making? In the face of administrative, organizational and financial challenges, it is important to recall the answer to these questions. Especially when confronted with the persistent challenge of generating non-dues revenue, we must always […]
6 tips to networking for introverts
I’m an introvert. And yet I’ve learned to embrace networking. I used to be one of those people who was terrified of “networking”— those awkward happy hours in which you make stilted conversation with strangers while trying to balance your drink and a small plate of messy finger food. But when I went out on […]
Are you doing all you can to keep new members engaged?
It is a consistent and shared concern within our industry: How can associations best engage and retain new members? If you are troubled by low retention of new association members, you are not alone. The renewal rate among new members is substantially lower than that of the established membership base (every year, up to 30% […]
Solve problems by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes
Design Thinking is about a starting point. In the face of a problem, a challenge or a task to be completed, finding the most effective solution is not just a matter of choosing the route. It involves establishing the starting line. Design Thinking is a problem solving process that starts with adopting the position of […]
Are you keeping your ‘ski patroller voice’ in check?
My husband is a volunteer ski patroller at our local mountain. Most ski patrol work is providing first aid, responding when a skier is injured. They are also responsible for enforcing the rules, which is the part of the job none of them like very much. While the first aid work is rewarding, rule enforcement […]
Why we need to learn to say ‘no’
When our inboxes, to-do lists and brains are full to the brim, and we feel pulled in all directions, sometimes the most powerful weapon in our arsenal is the humble Post-It note. A sage piece of advice or an inspiring message stuck on the corner of your computer screen is more than just decorative: It […]