FOCUS NORTH 2022 | Issue 2
PLUS Places Bet on New Membership Model Association Grows Membership with Innovative Approach Pg. 5
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Focus North is published 4 times a year by Associations North 1970 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 100, Roseville, MN 55113
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Phone: 651.647.6388 Fax: 651.647.6416 Website: www.associationsnorth.com Email: info@associationsnorth.com The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of Associations North. Editorial contributors in any area of association management are welcome. Articles accepted for publication are subject to editing by Associations North. Advertising is accepted on a space availability basis. Contact angela@associationsnorth.com or call 651-647-6388 for further advertising information.
Staff
CONTENTS
Angela Kisskeys President
PLUS Places Bet on
Mission
Thinking
Association Grows Membership with Innovative Approach
To advance and serve the association management profession in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
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Vision
Associations North, our members, and their associations will thrive and grow.
Diversity & Inclusion
Leaders: 7 Advancing Fuel For Forward-
Membership 5 New Model
Steffanie Berg Project Coordinator
In principle and in practice, Associations North values and seeks diversity and inclusiveness within the association management industry. Associations North advocates for and promotes involvement, innovation, and expanded access to leadership opportunities that maximize engagement across underrepresented groups in the Associations North membership.
What Does Upstream Thinking Have to Do with Equity?
Advancing Engagement + Recruitment: Moving Membership Can Surveys Increase Membership Engagement?
11 Advancing Diversity & Inclusion: Journey Forward
Enacting Change Beyond the Rainbow
10 Advancing Meetings + Events: In The Details
10 Trends Impacting Association Events Right Now
15 Advancing Communications: Stay Connected
What Can a Website Redsign Do for Your Organization?
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Moving Forward Together
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What’s CO-ing On?
18 Conversations 19 Calendar of Events 20 Brain Power 24 Et Cetera 25 Spotlight: Member in Motion
16 Advancing The Essentials:
Invaluable Insights Understanding Young Professionals & Their Needs
Board of Directors Question: What is the best book you’ve read recently? Clara Albert, CAE (2022 Chair) Electrical Association Answer: “We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers”
Angela Kisskeys Associations North Answer: “Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis”
David Siegel, CAE, IOM (Past - Chair) Answer: ““Atomic Habits by James Clear”
Justin Bieganek Mercury Creative Group Answer: “Atomic Habits by James Clear”
Janel Fick (Chair Elect) Global Management Partners LLC Answer: “In the spirit of transparency, I haven’t read a book lately but hope to do so in the near future.” Matt Gruhn (Secretary/Treasurer) Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
Carrie Chang Minneapolis Area REALTORS® Answer: “My Life in Full by Indra Nooyi”
Mary Detloff, CAE Crescendo Consulting Solutions, LLC Answer: “I don’t read much anymore”
Christi Kokaisel, CAE, MBA American Academy of Neurology Answer: “The Rose Code by Kate Quinn”
Maria Huntley, CAE, MANM Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians
Shannon Thomasser Visit Roseville Answer: “Broadcasting Happiness by Michelle Gielan”
Karla Keller Torp Minnesota Shopping Center Association Answer: “Received so many great resources provided in CEOSync – just trying to get caught up – currently reading “7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don’t”
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Member Engagement Lab: Cultivating Connection
Facilitated by Amanada Kaiser, throughout three highly interactive discussions, discuss, explore, and experiment with dozens of methods for gently nudging members through the three stages of engagement: • Attention | September 29 Members can’t learn about all the great things your association offers if they are not reading/hearing/watching your messaging. Learn all about how to bust through the clutter. • Participation | October 13 Once you’ve got your member’s attention, likely they’ll feel the urge to participate, but participating can feel scary, so many members tune out at this stage. It is time to prime your members to participate! • Leadership | October 29 Members think about leadership even more broadly than board or committee service, and associations with many leaders thrive. Let’s dive into this final engagement stage to see how we can encourage more collaborators, contributors, and leaders within our association.
Program registration opening soon! | Space is limited associationsnorth.com/MemberEngagementLab
"Organizations with the desire to evolve, grow & take risks, view us as an asset."
Leadership & Peer Group Coaching Strategic Planning & Board Development Facilitation & Enviornmental Scanning marykay@inspiringsight.com | 612-750-0814 3
Strategist|Certified Facilitator|CertifiedCoach|Enneagram Coach |Enneagram Leadership Trainer www.inspiringsight.com
What’s Going On? Reflecting and Looking Ahead Not only are we in the midst of my favorite season, it marks a milestone: I am celebrating 15 years at Associations North. When I reflect on my journey, one word comes to mind - proud. I am proud of the continued evolution of this organization, the incredibly talented members we serve, the difference you all continue to make daily, the relationships and partners that support the mission of this organization and the innovations made to meet the changing needs of members. I am honored, humbled and very grateful to continue serving such an incredible community and profession. So how do I plan celebrate? By forging ahead! We’re on a mission to Move Professionals Forward and we’re not slowing down. Before I jump into what’s coming soon, I want to take a moment and say thank you. Recognizing the importance and support of the Associations North Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, sponsors, partners, and YOU, our members -- who make it all possible, thank you. Associations North is more than a list of benefits. We’re a place to belong, to be inspired, to broaden perspectives, to find solutions to your challenges you thought “no one” would understand, a community of like-minded professionals rooting for each other’s success, and a place to make connections that outlast the meeting you met at. This is Associations North. Recently at the NFusion Conference, a member said to me, “Today felt like a great big hug. It was so fun to be together.” I couldn’t agree more. The magic of belonging to an association comes through the moments, memories, and connections made. See highlights from NFusion on page 26. I’m grateful for your continued participation and enthusiasm. So what’s next? Lets keep the momentum going! You can expect even more engagement, education, and connections with: • Connections Cup at Topgolf on July 21 Make connections and have fun in an environment where the temperature is controlled for your comfort! Did we mention, no golf experience required? It’s not about being the best golfer, it’s about having the most fun. See more on page 1, and we sure hope to see you and your team for fun day! Don’t miss out on the injectable donuts! • New Knowledge Hub coming this Summer Take a dive into topics on every association watchlist via Knowledge Hub. As a member, gain access to this curated online library of downloadable educational content ranging from association management white
papers, topic-specific webinars, industry product guides, industry analysis and much more. Plus, get customized data through Associations North new data partner, Association Laboratory. Dive into the the Looking Forward Dashboard, the world’s leading environmental scan of the association strategy environment which provides the most recent, relevant and customizable data to inform your decisions is critical in a dynamic and uncertain environment. Details on page 24. • Member Engagement Lab: Cultivating Connection Coming this Fall a NEW three-part membership series facilitated by industry expert Amanda Kaiser, focusing on methods for gently nudging members through the three stages of engagement: Attention, Participation, and Leadership. Learn more on page 3. • In-Person Events + Engagement Fall Retreat (October), Meeting Planners Symposium (November), and Winter Celebration (December) still to come in 2022. Interested in volunteering? Let us know! As part of our strategic plan, we will be in touch to learn more about your individual and organizational needs. We are committed to keeping a keen focus on developing new opportunities for organizational success. Thank you again for your commitment and participation with Associations North. We know the passion and dedication it takes to make a difference every day, and we thank you. The future is ours to create and at Associations North, we’re motivated, excited and Cheers and Happy Summer!
Angela Kisskeys, President
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PLUS Places Bet on New Membership Model Association Grows Membership with Innovative Approach
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As the only association created by and for the professional liability industry, the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) knew that while it was financially strong, it needed to make a change to ensure it would be able to continue to be the primary source of education programs, seminars, networking events, and information regarding professional liability insurance. “The time to act is when you are strong; look into the future, and act progressively,” said PLUS Chief Executive Officer Robbie Thompson. After months of financial and predictive modeling, and many discussions, PLUS launched a new membership model in January 2021 that extended membership to everyone in the professional liability industry at no cost. Since then, the association’s membership has grown from 6,500 members to over 35,000. “PLUS is excited that our new membership model will allow all industry professionals to become PLUS members at no cost,” said Thompson. “Paying a membership fee shouldn’t be a barrier to building connections and making business relationships. And it means more expertise to further develop content and education, which strengthens the value of the PLUS community.” This greatly expanded PLUS community allows members to more easily share knowledge, enabling the entire industry to benefit from fresh perspectives and additional expertise. It also provides enhanced opportunities for the association to build new product offerings and sponsorship branding packages. PLUS acknowledged that it’s still early in the process and there’s more to learn about the differences in serving 35,000 members compared to 6,500. Moving to scale has required a greater focus on process, technology, and automation without losing personalization. Many membership models were reviewed and considered before the no-cost model was chosen. The decision process lasted over a year with input from a variety of sources. To help demonstrate the value of the expanded membership, PLUS launched a marketing campaign called “PLUS is More,” which shows how more members, business connections, knowledge, and expertise can provide powerful benefits for the whole community. The theme of “more” has translated into
“The time to act is when you are strong; look into the future, and act progressively.” additional new members experiencing the value of PLUS through event participation. At the recent national in-person Symposia, 43% of attendees had not attended a PLUS event in more than seven years. That compares to just 18% in 2019. “Many of these are professionals that we have been able to bring into the PLUS community, and they are seeing and participating in all the great things PLUS offers,” stated Thompson. “Without the expanded membership, this would have not been possible.” The expanded membership benefits the entire industry and its professionals by providing unmatched access to an extensive network of knowledge and ideas. PLUS will share that knowledge to further its mission of advancing industry professionals. During its lengthy decision process, lost revenue in dues was something that the association considered. Forecast modeling predicted that the association would recover the lost revenue from dues in three years. After the first four months of this year, however, PLUS is already on track to recover the lost dues in the first year through the growth in participation coming from new members and first-time purchases of other products. Every association is unique, and PLUS cautioned that this model is not a perfect fit for everyone. With only about 16% of revenue previously coming from dues – and a revenue diversification strategy already in place – dropping membership fees was impactful but recoverable. In some instances, individual dues were already so low that it was a nuisance for PLUS to administer them, or the amount was too small to be meaningful for employees from very large corporations to pay them. “The key takeaway for other associations looking to revamp their membership structure is to be willing to review and explore different membership models,” Thompson said. “There is a perfect solution out there for every association, but that also means the one you have today may not be perfect either.” To learn more about PLUS, visit www.plusweb.org. Check out a special video of Thompson introducing the new membership model here: https://vimeo. com/663491549/b0181d8cd8. 6
Advancing Leaders: Fuel for Forward-Thinking
What Does Upstream Thinking Have To Do With Equity? Mary Kay Delvo, INspiring SIGHT
Are you growing tired of investing time, energy and resources into challenges after they have become full-blown problems? This all too common approach is referred to as downstream thinking. There is another way, and it’s called Upstream Thinking. By heading upstream, we create the opportunity to identify gaps, causes, and early warning signs before they lead to crisis, inequities, and injustices. Upstream Thinking is defined as: the quest to solve problems before they happen and it sheds light on early warning signs which inform strategies, activities, and what and how you’ll measure progress. Its power is well documented by Dan Heath in his book, Upstream Thinking, which is chalk full of case studies which demonstrate results. Organizations and systems tend to get stuck in the tangible and tactical. After all, that’s what our task-oriented, instant gratification-type society rewards. Doing what we know and reporting on what will sound productive to the board has an element of comfort. But tangible and instant results often don’t translate to meaningful or long term change. Because tangible measurements often are reactive, they don’t allow the time and space for those affected by the problem to participate in solving the problem. This is where Upstream Thinking meets equity. An Upstream Thinking approach begins with the examination of three barriers to utilizing Upstream Thinking in the first place: 1. Problem Blindness - You don’t see the problem because you view it as inevitable 2. Lack of Ownership - People capable of addressing the problem think, “That’s not mine to fix” 3. Tunneling - see only what you are trained to see or are rewarded for. Not asking, “Why does this keep happening?” Once barriers to Upstream Thinking have been identified, key planning questions assist in determining how to bring the right people together to move action forward. I recently facilitated an Upstream Thinking process with a consortium of educators. Examining barriers to Upstream Thinking alone, opened their eyes to perspectives and warning signs they had never before considered, resulting in the identification of new gaps in the system, gaps in how and to whom information flowed, specific training needs for key groups of people, and specific messaging and communication tactics.
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“Every new perspective uncovered inequity in the system. Inequities they didn’t see before. As a result, they are asking questions differently, and including people in the process that were formerly left out.” They are re-energized, see a new role for themselves within the system and there was a complete shift in their approach to activities, what they will measure, who they’ll invite to participate and how they will implement. Dan Heath’s Upstream Thinking work, has already uncovered that by rewarding every police officer for the ticket they didn’t have to write, we would be preventing a problem before it happened. That when employers and schools support employees or children who stay home when ill, we actually prevent or reduce the spread of disease. By addressing it as an early warning sign instead we can reduce its impact on a system and prevent other problems from happening. An Upstream Thinking approach is visionary, inclusive, addresses equity and is not for the faint of heart. It requires courage on the part of leaders to help their boards, publiclyelected officials, and community leaders to embrace it and commit. Upstream Thinking requires the move beyond data for compliance and task orientation to data for learning to ignite long term change. There are very few problems that don’t have early warning signs. Now imagine how Upstream Thinking and a little courage could help us put a dent in the many grand challenges facing our society. Does your organization have the courage to go upstream and search for them?
Advancing Engagement + Recruitment: Moving Membership
Can Surveys Increase Member Engagement? Celita Summa, Sidecar
Member engagement is the lifeblood of associations everywhere, but sometimes it can be challenging to identify your members’ pain points. When they aren’t engaged, they’re liable to let their memberships lapse. They’re also not likely to go out of their way to recommend association membership to friends, family, or colleagues. Fortunately, there are several tactics you can use to boost member engagement, one of which is distributing surveys. In this article, we’ll explain the importance of surveys, get you started with some member-oriented survey questions and discuss how to make the best use of survey results. Why are surveys important? Surveys give you an overall pulse on member engagement. In today’s dynamic business environment, it’s important your association clearly understands its members and their needs. Taking a datadriven approach toward membership engagement allows your association to collect feedback on satisfaction levels, the number of events attended, and general suggestions for improvement. There are plenty of surveying tools that allow you to easily collect and analyze survey results, meaning it’s never been easier to gather member feedback. Survey Questions to Ask When designing a survey, the questions are hands-down the most important part. It’s also a good idea to keep things brief, so as not to overwhelm your members. Here are some association-related survey question ideas to get you started: •
How long have you been a member of this association?
• • •
Why did you originally join? What goals do you have that our membership can help with? How likely are you to recommend our association to a friend or coworker?
From there, you can gain useful information that can help with planning out new content and planning events that resonate most with your members. • •
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Please mark all of the events you have attended. How would you rate the quality of each of the following activities? (e.g. newsletters, events, other benefits? What suggestions do you have for association improvement? Are there any areas of interest you’d like to see us cover?
Making Use of Survey Results Once your survey results are in, it’s time to use the data to make association membership as beneficial as possible. Also, by taking action in response to survey results, members know you listen to their suggestions. Survey Your Members Regularly For starters, don’t expect your first survey to be your last. Pulse surveys are quick, frequent check-ins that keep you in the loop on member engagement. Don’t spam your members with incessant emails, but do be sure to track engagement over time with regular surveys. Learn Member Communication Preferences You can even ask communications-related questions in your surveys, letting your members determine how often and via what channels they prefer to receive
association communications. Once you have that data, you can schedule surveys and other association communications accordingly. Use Data to Help with Event-Planning & Curriculum Surveys can help you gauge what exactly it is your members are looking for from association membership. This information helps you ensure your mission is in alignment with member needs. Surveys can also assist with event planning and coursework additions. What kind of speakers do your members want to hear? What topics do they want to be covered? Which dates work best to maximize attendance? Let your members do the deciding for you, so you’re not left guessing. Collect Useful Industry Data All of your association members are industry experts in their own right. In addition to association-related surveys, you can survey members on industry trends and convert that data into whitepapers and recruitment materials (with permission, of course). This practice can help you build authority both within your association and within your industry. Use Surveys to Maximize Member Engagement Today Nearly every touchpoint between associations and members can be tracked. For the things that can’t be, there are surveys. Showing you value and act on member suggestions can improve retention, increase referral rates and boost overall membership engagement — wins in every association’s playbook.
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Advancing Meetings + Events: In The Details
10 Trends Impacting Association Events Right Now Aaron Wolowiec, Event Garde
While COVID appears to be loosening its reins on the ability of associations to host in-person events again, the ripples have yet to be fully realized. Following are 10 trends we’ve found to be impacting association events right now, including both an overview of the challenges we’ve experienced first-hand and a recommended solution for you and your team to consider. 1. Limited Hotel & Venue Availability Challenge: Due to the volume of rebookings caused by the pandemic, hotel and venue availability is generally limited (and hotels/venues are being more choosy about the business they accept). Solution: Flexibility is key, particularly around dates, patterns, and function space. 2. Mutually Beneficial Hotel & Venue Contracting Challenge: It’s a seller’s market. Hotels and venues no longer have to (and in many cases can’t) meet your standard concession demands and preferred clauses. Solution: Sort out and communicate your must-haves vs. your nice-to-haves. Strive for a mutually beneficial relationship and outcome. 3. Staffing Changes & Shortages Challenge: Hotels, venues, and third-party service providers are short-staffed and/or have turned over staff during the pandemic. Solution: Communication is key. Seek understanding of the current staffing situation for each of your partners, along with anticipated impact on expectations, timelines, and the like. 4. Steeply Rising Costs Challenge: All costs are steeply rising at or ahead of the rate of inflation, including food and beverage, gas, flights, drapery, equipment, printing, signage, supplies, storage, etc. Solution: Have consultative conversations with your partners to discuss desired outcomes and lean on their expertise/ recommendations. Ensure selected destinations are economical for attendees (e.g., travel and housing). 5. Misunderstanding of Hybrid Options & Expectations Challenge: Many of our organizations are defaulting to some version of hybrid without an intentional strategy. Solution: Gather data about your audience and their needs to determine what programs should go in person, virtual, and
hybrid. Research the various hybrid options and choose the one that best fits your attendees, organization, and budget. 6. Consider Multiple Budget Scenarios Challenge: Last year’s budget (or the one from 2019) can’t simply be copied and pasted with a few minor tweaks if we’re going to accurately reflect changes to revenue/expenses. Solution: Consider budgeting for three different scenarios: low attendance, medium attendance, and high attendance. You may also need to rethink your expectations around profitability (e.g., individual events vs. the overall portfolio). 7. Changing Attendee Behaviors & Unreliable Event History Challenge: Attendees generally aren’t acting in alignment with past behaviors (e.g., registration, housing, and transportation timelines), rendering our event history useless. Solution: Use event history as a reference, combined with more real-time member polling, to predict counts. Maintain open communication with your event partners. 8. Supply-Chain Delays Challenge: In some instances, it remains difficult to purchase and timely receive necessary event supplies/promotional items, or the turnaround time for orders/production is longer. Solution: Assess your purchase needs for the next 6-12 months and try to place fewer orders as early as possible. Also, shop around to determine the best prices/turnaround times. 9. Speakers & Entertainment: Read The Fine Print Challenge: Many professional speakers and entertainers are adding challenging clauses to their contracts that give them onesided decision-making authority in light of COVID-19. Solution: Read the fine print, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to negotiate (or choose a new speaker/entertainer). Rely on speaker/entertainment agencies to help you. 10. Don’t Underestimate Employee Wellness Challenge: Our teams are navigating a lot right now: the ongoing effects of the pandemic, continued COVID exposure, work-life imbalance, stress/anxiety/sleeplessness, oppression (e.g., racism, sexism), and so much more. Solution: Establish an employee wellness program of some sort, even if you start extremely small. Utilize 1:1 and team meetings as an opportunity to check in on one another.
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Advancing Diversity & Inclusion: Journey Forward
Enacting Change Beyond the Rainbow Katie Campbell, Professional Liability Underwriting Society
Happy Pride Month! June is the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. In the early hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn in New York City. The patrons of the club fought back in response to police violence, igniting six days of protests against police and government treatment of the LGBTQIA+ community1. This month has become a way to remember these pioneers of the gay rights movement as well as a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community in all its diversity and beauty. Today, Pride marches and protests coincide with connection, resources, and support for the community as a whole. But for all the queer joy and action this month encapsulates, it also unfortunately involves co-opting by businesses that decide to appeal to the LGBTQIA+ community without any meaningful support. “Rainbow capitalism” is rampant in June, with companies claiming to support the LGBTQIA+ community while only taking advantage of the month to earn profit and improve their appearance without any lasting change. Some companies change their logos to rainbow colors and make “Happy Pride” social media posts while failing to take care of their queer employees. Other companies donate to queer support organizations with one hand while funding antiLGBTQIA+ organizations, politicians, and policies with the other. Some corporations are listening, however. Target has a history of support for the LGBTQIA+ community, but was criticized by ACT UP New York for using the “Silence = Death” art on its pride
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merchandise this year. The slogan and accompanying design were created by activists in 1987 and became the symbol of the AIDS crisis, eventually being adopted by established AIDS activist group ACT UP2. The SILENCE = DEATH Project kept the image in the public domain, but as ACT UP New York said, “We have been fighting the commodification of AIDS for years and this is the latest edition.”3 Target listened and responded by pulling the shirts and looking into how it can better support the organizations that have been fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights for decades now4. Businesses may change their logos to rainbow colors, but it means nothing without actual action to back it up. It’s important to support LGBTQIA+ employees all year round, not just in June, and certainly not just with a rainbow logo. Below are some questions to ask yourself and your organization this Pride Month. Does your organization provide access to a comfortable working environment for employees and guests? Gender neutral restrooms can take pressure off trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, or other employees on the wide spectrum of gender. Nongendered language is easy to implement and can make people feel comfortable in the work environment. Normalizing sharing pronouns with introductions can make sure everyone is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. Does your organization have a diversity initiative? Equity, diversity, and inclusion programs
1. https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots 2. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/159258 3. https://www.advocate.com/business/2022/5/10/target-pulls-silence-death-tshirt-after-act-ny-calls-store-out
are a great way for employees to get involved with change in their industry. If you don’t have an EDI initiative, look into starting one. If you do, make sure that LGBTQIA+ voices are being heard without putting the weight of change solely on their shoulders. This is especially crucial when it comes to queer people of color. Do your organization have updated workplace harassment policies? LGBTQIA+ employees face a high level of discrimination in the workplace. According to a study by the Williams Institute at the California School of Law in late 2021, one in ten LBGTQIA+ employees report facing discrimination in their workplaces5. There should be a clear, easy way to report harassment, and these reports should be handled in a timely manner and with respect to the victim. Do you support LGBTQIA+ organizations with time and money? Many companies donate to charitable organizations throughout the year, or hold volunteer events for different organizations. For events in June, look to see what LGBTQIA+ organizations could use your support with volunteer time, monetary donation, or both. These are just a few of the questions you should ask this month. Corporate statements mean little without the internal and external action to back them up. The LGBTQIA+ community celebrates Pride in June, but we exist all year round, and it’s important to have support from our employers as well as each other.
4. https://corporate.target.com/article/2022/06/pride 5. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/lgbt-workplacediscrimination/
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SPONSORED CONTENT
Community Insights
4 Elements for Solid Membership Retention It can cost your association up to 10 times more to recruit new members than it does to retain current ones. Mitigate that with a solid retention plan. Engaged members are built through solid recruitment and retention plans that showcase their worth and make them feel valued. These associations have a few things in common: open and timeline communication, a view of member touchpoints from all angles, and content that supports needs. Here’s how you can build your strategy for membership retention. 1. Create an Open Community Always talking about yourself is a great way to turn members off. Create an engaging, open community where your members are comfortable and encouraged to talk about themselves and tell you what they want. Ask members what they need, what they’re going through, what they can use to boost their associations. Use tools such as: • • • •
Surveys Live Q&A events Encouraging responses to e-newsletters Creating a members-only online forum
2. Concentrate on Content Content is key and most of your members will want something different at various times in their memberships or career journey. Think omni-channel content development and use member personas to outline which channels and content types will be developed for which member types. Develop content that provides value, choice, and variety. Use a diverse mix to create content that: • • • • • •
Inspires Educates Informs Encourages participation Sparks new ideas Is shareable with others
3. Build Your Touchpoints First impressions matter. Onboarding matters. Develop solid touchpoints for all member types no matter where they are in their journey. Know the systems in place to welcome new members; do a lot of handholding in this stage to make them feel welcome, and follow-up to ensure they are taking advantage of (and know about) the services available to them. Think: how-to videos, welcome letters, onboarding checklists, and surveys. Members who have been with you for a while deserve strong touchpoints, too. Don’t assume they can figure it out themselves. Develop campaigns to make long-standing 13
members feel just as special as your new members. Provide opportunities for all members to get involved, serve on boards, be a part of contests, receive benefits to serve their specific needs—get to know your members in person and online. Show them how much you value their membership. 4. Emphasize Customer Service The care that you bring to the table can make or break membership renewals. And in an age of instant-gratification, digital communication, and higher customer services expectations than ever before, what your team does (or does not do) in response to your members is of utmost importance. Train your team and set expectations around the types of responses and time it takes to respond to your members. Over-communication is better than missed communication. Whose responsibility will it be to: • • • • •
Respond to private social media messages Respond to public social media messages Respond to emails that come in through your general membership channels Monitor website form fills Monitor mentions or tags on social media
It should not take days to respond to your members’ questions; digital channels especially warrant same-day or next-day responses. On average, it costs your association up to 10 times more to recruit new members than it does to retain current ones. Building a solid membership retention strategy will not only cost less in the long run, it will also build a community of brand ambassadors (your members) who will, by default, talk up the great things about your association. Need help? Allee Creative partners with associations to review membership onboarding and journey mapping; let’s work together to build a solid retention plan. -Melissa Harrison, CEO, Allee Creative melissa@alleecreative.com
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Advancing Communications: Stay Connected
What Can a Website Redesign Do for Your Organization? Brianna Martin, Mighty Citizen Redesigning your organization’s website can open new opportunities to improve your brand, audience engagement, and more! So, what exactly can a new website do for your organization? Redesigning your website can: 1. Improve Your User Experience We say it all the time: Everything you publish is content—and your website is your biggest piece of content! Most of your marketing and communications efforts are spent trying to get the right people to get eyes on your website. But what happens when they arrive? Do they want to stay and engage? Or, does cognitive strain send them running for the hills? Redesigning your website can present new opportunities to improve user experience. You may be stuck with a Content Management System (CMS) that limits your flexibility. Or, you may have been too afraid to peel back the layers of your website because there’s just so much content, and it’s overwhelming to think about auditing. At any rate, a redesign can be used to dissect your website, and distill it down to clear, purposeful content with the right call to action at every turn. It’s also likely that you’ll find yourself on the other side with an increased ability to customize and optimize your website content. 2. Refresh Your Brand Identity Ask yourself: How has your organization’s brand changed over time? More specifically, how has your organization’s brand changed since your last website redesign? If your website has been around for a while, it’s likely that the people who manage your website content have cycled and changed. Over time, messaging can become fractured, content can become outdated, and your website can become more of a time capsule than a resource. Any organization struggling with brand identity can benefit from a website redesign. It creates the rare opportunity to bulldoze through the existing structure, framework, look, and feel of your website and build something that is cohesive across every component.
3. Improve Accessibility Good web design is accessible web design. Your website should be able to be used by everyone—from both a moral and legal standpoint. With more than 100 million Americans who have some sort of disability, it’s simply common sense to design and build fully accessible websites. If your website has fallen into disrepair to the point that it becomes inaccessible, you’re ignoring the needs of millions of users. In turn, you’re also preventing millions of people from being able to perceive and understand your most public-facing content. 4. Improve Mobile Optimization and Performance In addition to accessibility, redesigning your website can give you the opportunity to optimize performance—both on mobile and desktop. If your organization’s website doesn’t function (or doesn’t function well) on mobile, you’re losing a large percentage of your audiences, and consequently, conversions on your website. That’s too many donations, volunteers, membership applicants, etc. lost! Your website should exist on mobile and be just as good, if not better, than your desktop site. A website redesign can also help you improve your site performance. If your website is noticeably slow, that issue will only compound on itself as time goes on. Your site performance could also be affecting the searchability of your content. In recent years, Google has started weighing site performance as a factor in search ranking. 5. Keep a Competitive Edge Your website isn’t only competing against the 8-second attention spans of your audience. It’s competing against every other mission-driven organization that exists in your space. For better or worse, humans are very visual. If your users can find what they’re looking to accomplish on your competitors’ websites in a cleaner, more dynamic, or more interactive way, you’ll lose nearly every time. If you forgo redesigning your website while all of your competitors are updating theirs, the standard for what is “current” or “modern” will shift—and you’ll be left in the dust.
What updates have improved your organization’s website? Continue the conversation in the SPARK Communications Group!
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Advancing The Essentials: Invaluable Insights
Understanding Young Professionals & Their Needs Ashley Neal, Sidecar Global To make a lasting impact on your industry, you have to keep up with the latest trends, topics, and ways of doing business. And one of the best ways of keeping track of those changes and getting an inside look at what is important to future generations is to hire young professionals in your organization.
2. Take them seriously. One of the biggest issues with younger professionals is being taken seriously by their colleagues and superiors. Just because someone is young or new to the workforce does not mean that their insight or ideas are any less important than others.
But how do you set your association up for success and give young professionals everything they need?
It can be easy to feel like you don’t belong, especially when you are years, if not decades, younger than some of your colleagues and peers. It is increasingly likely that younger professionals deal with this, and exacerbating the issue by dismissing them prematurely will do nothing but drive young professionals away from your organization.
What is a young professional? “Young professionals are the future of the professional workforce,” wrote the Department for Professional Employees. “They are more likely to be college graduates, work in fastgrowing occupations, and be racially and ethnically diverse.” For some, the first thing that comes to mind are interns, assistants, brand-new graduates, and Generation Z. However, the International Association for Energy Economics defines a young professional as “someone who, although he or she may be employed full-time, is within two years of graduation from a full-time Bachelors, Masters or PhD program and is under the age of 35.”
3. Loosen the reins. As you may already know, one of the most common themes within association industry chatter is “that’s the way it’s always been done.” Young professionals come to the table with bright ideas, passion, determination, and an ability to think outside the box and experiment at an unprecedented rate. Stifling that creativity by sticking to outdated or vague rules and regulations will just drive the younger generations away, and impede your association’s efforts at staying relevant.
A young professional could be a low-level intern, they could be a C-suite executive, or they could be like me — fresh out of college but hitting the ground running with an already established career.
4. Accept failures. With all the experimentation young professionals are eager and ready to do, there are bound to be a few missteps and failures along the road. But that’s just part of the process!
4 Strategies to attract young professionals While there are plenty of benefits to adding young professionals to your organization, including innovative ideas and diverse perspectives, your culture plays a critical role in attracting and retaining young professionals.
Don’t put too much focus on the failures when they do happen, and let your younger employees or members know that it is okay to not be perfect all the time. This will instill confidence in them to keep trying and will lead to bigger and better things for your association.
So, what can association leaders do to create a more welcoming environment?
Creating a supportive environment benefits everyone. While creating a welcoming environment for young professionals can help you attract diverse talent, it has benefits for everyone in your organization. By encouraging flexibility and allowing for experimentation and innovation, your organization can grow exponentially and succeed in its most important goal – serving members.
1. Be flexible. If there’s anything we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic — and the resulting shift in work/life balance — it’s that people prioritize flexibility. Whether that is the ability to work from home, setting your own schedule, unlimited PTO, part-time options or things like maternity/caregiving leave, being flexible and understanding will increase the likelihood that younger professionals will come work with you.
What is your organization doing to attract young professionals? Continue the conversation in the SPARK Open Forum!
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Conversations: In Focus | Different viewpoints. Different solutions.
Would you consider your job to be more art or science? Why?
Emma Radtke
Membership, Continuing Education & Marketing Assistant Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association
It is the perfect combination of the two! The processes and procedures of day to day work and event planning are very methodical, almost like when you had to do a lab in science class, there are steps to be followed for every event being put on. On the other hand, it takes a whole lot of creativity to get the finished product! From the brainstorming with members, to the quick thinking/problem solving that goes hand in hand with event planning.
I consider my job to be a balance of both. The science of my job allows me to understand what emotions a person feels and how they react to different colors, video styles, or how they engage with a website. The art side of my job allows me to use creative skill to put that knowledge into action and bring those emotions to life.
Luke Fleck
Director of Digital Engagement Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS®
2022 Calendar Of Events For more details and to register for events, visit: www.associationsnorth.com/calendar
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Presented by Jeff Hurt
Aug 10 | Mitigating Burnout & Preventing Attrition: Bypass the Great Resignation Aug 31 | Competing for Quality Strategies to Become a Top Talent Magnet Cohort Groups Aug 2 | LeadershipSync
Webinars Sep 27 | 5 Steps to Find Your Value Proposition Sep 27 | Hybrid is Here to Stay: Optimizing Your Workforce
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Cohort Groups
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Sep 8 | LeadershipSync
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Sep 29 | Member Engagement Lab: Cultivating Connection
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Webinars Aug 9 | Ordinary People, Extraordinary Leadership -
Aug 25 | CEOSync (large + small)
SEPTEMBER MON
Special Events Jul 21 | Connections Cup at Topgolf
Aug 3 | CAE Informational Meeting
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Cohort Groups Jul 13 | MeetingsSync Jul 14 | LeadershipSync Jul 27 | CEOSync (large) Jul 28 | CEOSync (small)
Professional Development
AUGUST SUN
Jul 13 | How to Validate Your Market For Educational Products Jul 27 | Negotiations - Is it different in a Pandemic?
Sep 14 | MeetingSync Sep 30 | CEOSync (large + small)
How to Operationalize DEI: FIVE BIG IDEAS Earl Ross, CultureBrokers Our clients often ask as their initial question: How do we understand diversity, inclusion and equity in a way to assure we not just talk the talk, but walk the walk? Regardless of where an organization is in their journey toward understanding DEI and obtaining measurable results, overcoming what can seem like a mysterious and daunting effort requires intentional focus to achieve measurable and sustained results. Because organizations are systems that act according to a set of rules that its stakeholders’ function under, it’s critical to interrogate the interrelated and interacting elements that form the constructs of the organization. Unpacking, discarding, reimagining, and repacking these elements to create a DEIcentered organization forms the building blocks that fosters an equitable and inclusive environment. What must you do to put your organization on the path toward being DEI-centered? We offer five BIG ideas. 1. MAKE a Public Commitment. It seems so simple. Many companies launch their DEI efforts by establishing a series of activities such as book clubs and affinity groups. Those companies that go a step further make commitments to DEI to their staff and board through their HR department with training programs and individual assessments. Others demonstrate their commitment by incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into their strategic plans. While these efforts go a long way toward instigating movement in the right direction by staff and specific departments of the organization, they can limit the degree of engagement to internal parties. To be effective and accountable to organizational decisions that support DEI, companies should not just commit to these efforts internally, but make the commitment public to its vendors, partners and most especially customers. By making a public commitment to this important work, companies enlist all of its stakeholders to hold staff,
BRAINPOWER
managers and leaders accountable for achieving results. Organizations, like individuals, recognize that one’s word, or put differently, one’s public statements is its bond and seal. Consider those organizations that integrate inclusion and diversity statements into its core values and reflect their commitment through acknowledgements posted on their websites or in their marketing. Customers and stakeholders, especially those from BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized groups not just notice these commitments, but often are more willing to partner with organizations to ensure results. 2. INVOLVE Everyone. Organizations will often rely on a single department or group to push for change and manage DEI efforts. Ensuring fairness, equitable results and inclusive decisionmaking must be the responsibility of all stakeholders if an organization is to be successful. The onus of achieving results – real results – cannot rest on the proverbial shoulders of just a few folks. Doing so, creates a siloed understanding of the challenges an organization may have, and diminishes the “brain power” that an organization can and should bring to bare on these issues. Too often organizations either directly or indirectly rely on its BIPOC staff and stakeholders to do the heavy lifting. This misstep can create a sense that the work falls on a single group to fix. One way to ensure universal involvement is to develop benchmarks and tie staff reviews and/or bonuses to DEI goals. What we measure and assess are the things we prioritize. 3. LEVERAGE Structure. When organizations struggle with getting to measurable results related to their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, it is typically because they have not enlisted the power of “structural influences”. Change moves cyclically with multiple levels of influence deployed. There are three primary influences that affect organizational culture change: 1) Individual Influences; 2) Social Influences; 3) Structural Influences.
Individual influences are the most common change dynamics used to shape DEI efforts through individual assessments and trainings that seek to help the individual understand more about her biases. Being aware of one’s blind spots, it is believed, can shape how one responds to others. Social Influences comprise those things like DEI book clubs and discussion groups. Sometimes affinity groups are developed too. All of which make up the body of activities that connect stakeholders through mediated spaces of social dialogue and engagement. We recommend that organizations leverage the structural influences to obtain immediate results that are more easily sustainable. To what extent do your policies and procedures reflect and promote DEI? How is your organization organized to foster inclusion at all levels? Although invisible and fairly mundane to staff and other stakeholders, structural influences operate as an organization’s scaffolding. 4. BE Disciplined. Set priorities for your DEI efforts and be specific about how you will measure the impact of your changes. DEI requires rigorous and consistent mining to surface the essential strategies that will create different and more universally fair outcomes and opportunities for all. To get to equitable outcomes, organizations must combine a (public) commitment to diversity and inclusion with sustained discipline that is reflected in behaviors demonstrated by all stakeholders. 5. SHOW Results. Finally…. When you have identified your organization’s indicators of success, report on your progress. And when we say report on your progress, show good and bad results. Transparency in this work fosters trust. DEI progress does not move in a straight line. But If you deploy these five big ideas, you are more likely to see and SHOW measurable results that will set you apart from those organizations that just want to check a box.
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Et Cetera: Association Extras
WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS! Steve Agrimson
Elevate Management Company
Leah Korkowski
Ewald Consulting
Kristin Bendixen
Insperity
Amy Lohse
Explore Alexandria Tourism
Jake Bennett
Ewald Consulting
Bruno Lozano
ACA International
Shelia Bourgoyne
Professional Liability Underwriting Society
Andrew Malcolm
Ewald Consulting
Rachel Brodt
Ewald Consulting
Anna Mowry
LeadingAge Minnesota
Susan Brose
Ewald Consulting
Kalli Olsen
Ewald Consulting
Brianna Burns
MN Nursery & Landscape Assn
Liliana Pierce
Minneapolis Area REALTORS®
Hallie Chasensky
MN Nursery & Landscape Assn
Erin Potts
Veterinary Hospital Assn
Stevie Cook
Marine Retailers Assn of the Americas
Erikka Ryan
MN State Bar Association
Dana Croatt
Marine Retailers Assn of the Americas
Glenda Smith
Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce
Stephanie DeCarolis Hilton Minneapolis
Beth Stovall
Independent Community Bankers of MN
Anna Eaton
Marine Retailers Assn of the Americas
Stephanie Teig
Minnesota Realtors
Tom Ende
Ewald Consulting
Soua Vang
Marine Retailers Assn of the Americas
Savannah Fargen
Meet Minneapolis
Amy Vannurden
Minnesota Realtors
Heather Harmer
Minnesota Hospital Association
Tara Van Thomme
North Central Electrical League
Kane Harris
G. L. Berg Entertainment
Ashley Virnig
Association Development Services, Inc.
Sara Hynes
ARN
Amy Wenstrom
Professional Liability Underwriting Society
Casey Jones
CE21
Mary Jo Wiita
ACA International
Joshua King
Professional Insurance Agents of MN
Molina Xiong
Ewald Consulting
New Association Laboratory + Associations North Partnership Associations North has begun a new partnership with Association Laboratory Inc. Association Laboratory helps association leaders make better strategic business decisions through collaborative engagements led by experienced association and business executives and informed by state of the art research. In Spring 2022, we invited you to participate in the Looking ForwardTM survey. Associations North members can now access a complimentary, customizable dashboard that allows you to view the data and download a unique report to guide you, your staff, and volunteer leadership on possible solutions to the issues facing you as an association executive. Access the Dashboard at: www.associationsnorth.com/AssociationLaboratoryPartnership
Happy Anniversary, Steffanie! Happy one-year anniversary to Associations North Project Coordinator, Steffanie Berg! Associations North is lucky to have such a rockstar on our team. Cheers to many more! Who doesn’t love a little ice cream celebration?! To connect with Steffanie, send her an email her at steffanie@associationsnorth.com or call 651-647-6388.
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SPOTLIGHT: MEMBER IN MOTION
Clara Albert
Executive Director Electrical Association Associations North Board Chair
Get to know industry movers and shakers.
What is on your bucket list? Go on a silent retreat
What’s an essential part of your daily routine? Time for myself in the morning. I have to wake up earlier than my family in order to set my own intentions for the day without all of the chaos.
What was the last book you read? The Culture Solution by Matthew Kelly. The next book on my list is Fans First by Jesse Cole.
What podcast do you listen to most? What skill would you most like to learn? So many things! I have learner in my top strengths so I can’t get enough of it. I would have to say a second language or how to play the piano are both on my list.
Do you prefer working remotely or in the office? Both! I need office and remote time for different purposes. The ability to create space for both in our weeks is key for me and my team.
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Up First – NPR (3 biggest news stories to start your day, 14 minutes, quick to digest) What is your proudest accomplishment? My kids. Helping them learn and grow to be kind humans makes me smile every day.
What career advice would you give to your younger self? Take a minute to stop and look back at all you’ve achieved, celebrate before moving on to the next thing.
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING
NFusion Conference was held May 18th at the Minneapolis Event Centers with over 100 attendees. It was wonderful to bring members back together and host our reimagined conference. All the elements: the energy, welcoming environment, and new format, along with many of the enhancements of the conference: Connector Groups, keynote Regina Carey, content focus areas (wellness, member engagement, forward thinking, and thought leadership), community building, and perfect weather all came together to make for an incredible day. Here’s what participants had to say!
“I enjoyed the Connector Groups and opportunities to interact with peers, and the content was provocative.” “Wonderful venue, great speakers, lots of time to connect in a welcoming environment.” “Honestly, everything was top notch. Great ways to interact, great speakers, great content. Loved the [Connector] Groups at the begining and end.”
Photos courtesy of Korey McDermott Photography
Additional event photos can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/NFusion2022
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