September 2017

FOCUS

September 2017

NORTH

HELPING

Mapping Your 1st Year Member Journey pg 8

Give Yourself an HR Gut Check pg 12

Published by

www.associationsnorth.com

MINNESOTA’S PRINCIPALS BACK TO SCHOOL pg 5

The Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association Ensures the Highest Performance for School Leaders

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Focus North is published 10 times a year by Associations North, 1970 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 100, Roseville, MN 55113.

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.

The subscription rate for members is $25, which is included in membership dues. 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 for further advertising information.

Staff Angela Kisskeys, Co-Director VP of Operations & Communications Sarah Ruzek, Co-Director VP of Finance & Education

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CONTENTS September 2017

Chris Villeneuve Membership & Office Manager

FEATURES

Mission

To advance and serve the association management profession in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

DEPARTMENTS

5 Helping Minnesota’s

Leaders: 7 Advancing Fuel For Forward-

Principal Back to School

Vision

Thinking

Redefining Your Leadership Style

MESPA ensures the Highest Performance for School Leaders

Associations North, our members and their associations will thrive and grow.

Diversity & Inclusion

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.

For advertising information, call 651.647.6388.

Advertisements and listings in this publication are provided as a public service to readers. Associations North is not responsible for errors or omissions, and inclusion does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. All information is subject to change.

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Advancing Engagement + Recruitment: Moving Membership

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Moving Forward Together

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The Association Life

14 Conversations 15 Calendar of Events 16 Brain Power

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Advancing Meetings + Events: In The Details 10 AV Insider Tips Every Meeting Planner Should Know

Mapping Your 1st Year Member Journey

18 Signature Event 19 The North Experience 20 Et Cetera 21 Spotlight

Advancing 11 Advancing Communications: 12 The Essentials: Stay Connected

Invaluable Insights

Expecting a Difficult Conversation? It Will Be Easier if You Do This

Give Yourself an HR Gut Check

Board of Directors I have too many ______ in my closet?

Shoes Cassie Larson, CAE (Chair) MN Nursery & Landscape Association

Angela Kisskeys Associations North

Ann Kvaal, CAE (Past-Chair) AK Communications

Justin Bieganek Mercury Creative Group

Mark Salter, CAE, ABC (Chair-Elect) CFA Society Minnesota

Turtlenecks and swimsuits Shirts I don’t wear

Dave Renner, CAE Minnesota Medical Association

Pairs of underwear

Donnie Brown Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®

Tara Owens (Secretary/Treasurer) MN Academy of Family Physicians

Amanda Friedrich, CMP Visit Saint Paul

Sarah Ruzek Associations North

Cody Nuernberg Northwestern Lumber Association

Shoes

Dave Radziej, CAE Printing Industry Midwest

Shoes

Pairs of pants

Yoga pants

Clothes that are too small for me

Logoed t-shirts

David Siegel, CAE, IOM Builders Association of the Twin Cities Robbie Thompson Professional Liability Underwriting Society

Suits

Hooded sweatshirts

Way too many clothes

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Moving Forward Together: Associations North Partners

Featured Sponsor:

Roseville Visitors Association

Memorable moment with Associations North...

There have been so many! My newest memory to keep is hosting the golf tournament hole with Leslie Berry from the U of M Continuing Education and Conference Center and Samantha Miller with the Radisson.

Rain, thunder and lightning could not keep us from uncontrollable laughter and tight seating on the golf cart rides with Samantha in the driver’s seat! She’s crazy! It’s hard to hold on for dear life when you are laughing that hard!

Why we partner with Associations North…

Shannon Hirstein, Roseville Visitors Association

What better way to get to know the people that are our Associations in the Midwest! Associations North educational and networking events that are invaluable.

I have learned more from the members about what affects their associations and how myself and Roseville can help. Not only have I learned a lot, but I’ve made some great friendships!

PREMIER PARTNERS

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS 3

Global Experience Specialists | Fargo-Moorhead CVB | Visit Duluth | Visit Saint Paul

The Association Life

Featured Industry: Poultry Whoever you are, whatever you do, there is an association working on your behalf.

Midwest Poultry Federation The Midwest Poultry Federation (MPF) was founded in 1971 and held its first convention in Minneapolis in 1972. MPF’s primary purpose is to host an annual regional convention emphasizing on-farm poultry production. The convention’s goal is to offer cutting-edge information to attendees through a balanced offering of exhibits and educational workshops.

Minnesota Turkey Research & Promotion Council The Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council is an organization of turkey farmers that was formed in 1965 through the creation of the Minnesota Commodities Promotion Act at the state legislature and MTRPC is the oldest commodity council in the state.

Chicken & Egg Association of MN Founded in 1994 as the Broiler and Egg Association of Minnesota (BEAM), our mission is “To unite, represent and promote the broiler and egg industries in Minnesota.” That mission is led by Minnesota farmers, who raise approximately 47 million chickens annually. Our farmers also care for approximately 10.4 million egg-laying hens, which produce about 2.9 billion

MN Turkey Growers Association The Minnesota Turkey Growers Association (MTGA) was formed in 1939 and has a long and rich history of representing the state’s turkey farmers.

eggs each year.

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Helping Minnesota’s Principals Back to School The Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association Ensures the Highest Performance for School Leaders

As the bell rings, the elementary school hallways fill with chattering children eager to explore and learn. Teachers prepare their classrooms for the start of another day, ready to instruct, support, and mentor. While teachers are usually more visible to parents and others when they bring their kids to school, behind the flurry of activity stands a principal who is responsible for pulling everything together and making sure the details of running a school are handled successfully.

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The Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association has been dedicated to supporting these individuals since 1950. They count approximately 1,000 public elementary and middle level principals as their members, along with some private and charter members.

“Our association has been around for a long time,” MESPA’s Executive Director Jon Millerhagen said. “The resources that we provide have been an important part of principals’ jobs, especially for smaller schools that don’t have access to as many tools.”

Out of all the eligible principals in Minnesota, 90-95% belong to MESPA. The association provides them with the means to calibrate their thinking, converse and share ideas, and build on experiences and ideas that the principals may have.

MESPA offers professional development that empowers principals to help others in their buildings to do their jobs well in a variety of areas, including literacy, pre-K, technology, equity and diversity, classroom management, school law, mental health, and managing the school office.

In addition to professional learning opportunities, MESPA members may receive coaching, legal, and legislative support as needed.

“Out of all the eligible principals in Minnesota, 90-95% belong to MESPA.”

“Sometimes principals have legal questions on things like human resources, supporting parents with legalities in school, or involvement with secondary schools, school boards, or superintendents,” Millerhagen said. “We work toward strong legislation for schools as well, such as bully prevention and teacher evaluation.”

Finally, MESPA helps principals develop evaluation skills that allow them to not only assess their own performance, but those of others in the school and various programs, such as budget, safety, curriculum, food service, and bussing. MESPA accomplishes all of these efforts with only three other staff members in the office aside from Millerhagen: Program Manager Rachel Dillon, Communications Manager Kelsey Gantzer, and Membership Manager Karoline Nauss. They also consult with legal and legislative counsel Roger Aronson as

needed. Throughout the year, MESPA hosts a variety of events for members to learn and network with each other.

“We had 50 days of professional development during the last school year alone, serving over 1,500 people, which was quite a bit for us,” Dillon said. “Most professional development is driven and led by our membership, with some partnering with the Minnesota Department of Education, the University of Minnesota, and the University of North Carolina.”

The partnership has resulted in the creation of new pre-K programs, with early learning being a relatively new area of focus. MESPA receives grants from McKnight to put on PreK-3 programs that have reached over 200 principals and 215 school districts throughout Minnesota.

“Our member needs change every year based on the new students coming in,” Millerhagen explained. “It’s our job to anticipate what they need before they communicate it.”

MESPA’s biggest event, billed as the highlight of the year, takes place every February at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bloomington. First held in 1954, the annual conference is a three-day event that is highly interactive. In addition to more standard keynote speakers and breakout sessions, members often decide for themselves what they’d like to learn and how best to learn it.

“We offer an Unconference and MESPA Speaks, similar to TED Talks, where members give short presentations on topics they’re passionate about,” Dillon said. “It’s amazing to hear their stories and see our association shifting to be led more by our members.”

Many of the new creative ideas that principals are bringing into their buildings come from each other. Often one principal’s knowledge and experience can be used for the benefit of another school in the state. “That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from our members,” Dillon added.

In a job that can sometimes seem solitary, MESPA is an association that promotes collaboration and encourages members to come together and share their ideas. It’s something that benefits everyone involved from teachers to students and parents.

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Advancing Leaders: Fuel for Forward-Thinking

Redefine Your Leadership Style The strengths we need to grow membership are different than those we use to take our association through a challenging time.

To harness the skills we have developed leading our organizations through a variety of situations and channel them to what our stakeholders need right now requires candid and thorough reflection.

By taking stock and adjusting our perspective we can refine our leadership style to be exactly what our teams need most right now.

Study for the Test Preparing for an interview for an executive level position may be about as much fun as studying for a test.

However, it is a great and necessary exercise to help us determine whether the potential role is right for us and vice versa.

Similarly, when we are already in a leadership position, it can be incredibly helpful to step back and reevaluate the needs of the role against skills and expertise.

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Creating an accurate map of the space between our current style and the needs of our organization can be simple if we realize that our roles change all the time- sometimes on a micro level, other times on a macro level. And while the big changes may

be obvious, the little ones can slowly add up to significantly change our role.

To get a clear status report, it can be helpful to draft a job posting for our current role.

Start by answering the following questions: What is the current focus of the position? What are the highest priorities? What type of leader would excel in this kind of role? What set of experiences would be useful to help him/her hit the ground running?

Answer the questions from the perspective of both the organization conducting the interview and as the candidate trying to land the job.

By clarifying what the organization needs right now and then mining our experiences to find the unique ways we can address those needs, we can ensure our perspective is aligned with the organization.

Meaningful Work It is particularly important for leaders of associations to maintain a strong connection to their membership they are often the greatest source of inspiration and motivation for what we do. And to refine our leadership style to continue to serve all stakeholders, it helps to remember why we are where we are.

Dynamic leaders find a way to channel their individuality into a leadership advantage. To do so, it

helps to reflect on different aspects of our career path. For example: did we have an experience with an organization that positively impacted our life? Did we serve as a member of an organization and work on a project that inspired us to pursue this career?

By taking time to revisit our past and draw parallels between now and then, we can create a vivid story of our leadership path and further hone our perspective.

“It is particularly important for leaders of associations to maintain a strong connection to their membership- they are often the greatest source of inspiration and motivation for what we do.”

Thus, whether we are new to leadership or have been at it for decades, reflecting on our unique skills and experiences and understanding the dynamic relationship between our role and the organizations’ growth will help us continue to refine our leadership style and exceed our stakeholders’ expectations.

Catherine Iste, Catherine Iste loves to solve people-related work problems. She provides free, succinct HR advice to help leaders of small and micro organizations at betterHR.org. Catherine is also CEO of Humint Advisors, an operations consultancy that creates sustainable HR and technology systems. Connect with her via email at Catherine@betterHR.org.

Advancing Engagement + Recruitment: Moving Membership

Mapping the 1st Year Member Journey Are you tired of recruiting the “one and done” members?

These may be the ones that seemed so excited about joining and seemed to be the perfect prospects for getting value from what you offer. Or they could be those who were a little hesitant about becoming members, but you or convinced them to join. Either way, the excitement or anticipation of value fizzled out, and these same members are on the “drop list” and probably won’t renew.

Don’t they know about what you do to help drive a strong economy? Why haven’t they experienced the same outcomes as other members who engaged and developed new relationships, gained insights from a program, or have been able to contribute in a meaningful way?

There’s Your “Why” and Their “Why” Yes, your organization has a vision and a mission—those are all about you. These statements are organizationcentric and communicate why you exist. But it’s also important to realize that members have their own initiatives and expectations. Being member-centric requires you to recognize the “why” of joining and renewing, and delivering consistent experiences that develop long-term relationships.

Aside from supporting your vision and mission, it’s important that members feel a sense of belonging.

That can come from recognition, interacting with likeminded individuals, or contributing to common causes.

Engagement is not about quantity and having members come to everything you offer, it’s much more about the quality of engagement and developing emotional connections with your organization.

1st Year Experiences Are the Start of a Journey This sense of belonging should develop during the firstyear of membership. In the book, Managing the Member Experience, Levine and Froggatt describe the phases that new members go through, possible expectations, and how this defines their first year experience.

Every new member embarks on a 1st year “journey” that either delivers on your “why” or theirs. Those who

experience a satisfying journey that delivers or exceeds their expectations will renew, while those that don’t may decide not to continue and will not develop a long-term relationship with your organization.

Developing a 1st Year Member Journey Map So, how do ensure that every new member has the best experience possible? Use onboarding activities to ensure that all new members experience success during the first year. Customer Journey Maps are developed from customers or prospects’ perspectives, and not yours. It requires you to use empathy to understand what it feels like to be in their “shoes” and then plan to develop successful interactions.

You can develop a 1st Year Member Journey Map by considering different reasons why prospects join and asking the questions below to get a sense of their expectations.

1. Who is on the journey?

2. What prompted the journey?

3. What are the expectations of the first year of this journey?

4. What do you want this member to experience?

5. Who should be involved to support this experience?

Your onboarding process should anticipate common questions or needs and how you should interact with new members throughout the first year.

Member Empathy Helps You Be Member-Centric Journey Maps help you to anticipate needs and see experiences through your members’ perspectives. You can validate first-year member expectations through interviews and focus groups. By practicing empathy, you will deliver consistent experiences that make renewals a no-brainer for your new members.

Cathi Hight helps organizations manage constant change, deliver benefits that members value and effectively communicate the value of membership.

She serves as the SVP of Growth Strategy and Investor Relations for the Greater Austin Chamber and the president of Hight Performance Group.

Cathi is the developer of The Member Retention Kit and A New Approach to Tiered Membership. Learn more at www.hightperformance.com.

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Advancing Meetings + Events: In The Details

10 AV Insider Tips Every Meeting Planner Should Know Talk to any group of meeting planners and they’ll tell you that one of the most frustrating elements of planning and executing any conference is the audio-visual. From planning to budgeting to on-site issues, A/V is what often keeps them up at night.

It’s mysterious and changing all the time. It’s expensive, and frankly, it can make or break an event.

The flip side is, A/V can add sizzle and create an emotional connection between your event and the audience.

It can take the overall impression of your conference from “met expectations” to “mind blown”.

But how do you harness the beast that is A/V? By incorporating a few simple steps through the AV process, you can save precious hours and thousands of dollars – freeing up time and money needed to bring your event to an entirely new level.

“Audio and visual elements can add sizzle and create an emotional connection between your event and the audience.”

1. Venue Considerations • Save thousands by avoiding rigging and ensure each room allows for ground-supported equipment.

• Always schedule sufficient time for

“approved vendor” to work inside the venue. This should be removed. Also, keep an eye out for verbiage that states you will be charged a service fee for any equipment being brought into the venue. This should be removed as well.

6. Contract - When negotiating with a venue, add verbiage to the contract that you will not be penalized in any way for using any type of outside vendor.

equipment set-up and strike. Avoid overnight/early morning set-ups.

• Avoid midday room changes wherever possible. If it’s required, provide sufficient time to do so.

• Does the venue manage their broadband account or does a third party manage it?

• Make sure there are no docking or elevator charges.

• Ensure all wall power is included complimentary.

7. Add “Wow” Without High Costs • Change your screen format from 4:3 to 16:9 (widescreen) format.

• Loop any PowerPoint. Create a PowerPoint with your sponsors logo’s and loop the video on LCD Monitors throughout the venue.

• LED Lighting of any kind creates a powerful presentation. They consume very low power and are easy to set up and move throughout your event.

2. Power - Power is not always included with an A/V equipment quote. Ensure the A/V company is providing you needed power, and that you communicate this need with your venue while establishing prices well in advance of your event.

8. Add A Speaker-Ready Room – They bring tremendous value and reduced stress for concurrent breakouts with multiple presenters. Provide one computer in this room, and network that computer to all presentation rooms. Any changes can easily be accessible from all rooms - instantly.

3. In-House Liaison Fees – These should never be charged when using an outside A/V company. Have liaison charges removed from your contract.

4. Broadband • Use a bandwidth estimator to determine your broadband needs. One example is eventscouncil.org.

• A contract should list additional rates you will be charged if allotted broadband usage is surpassed. Agree to fair rates before signing.

• Your broadband should be dedicated to your event only and without additional charge.

• State that Wi-Fi will be accessible in any and all meeting space.

5. Outside A/V Vendor Clause Some in-house AV companies require your outside AV company to be an

9. Establish Speaker Needs If video is used, ask if it embedded in presentation or is Internet needed.

Will a computer, tablet or other device be used for the presentation?

Is a special adaptor needed? Inform speakers if the screen format is 16:9 or 4:3 format.

10. Union Labor Considerations When selecting venues, remember union labor may double or triple costs.

Union requirements vary from city to city and venue to venue. Work with an AV company that already has contracts and relationships established with required unions.

Stephen O’Connor, Owner/CEO, O’Design Productions and Consulting. Learn more from Stephen at odesignpc.com or email him at soconnor@odesignpc.com.

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Advancing Communications: Stay Connected

Expecting a Difficult Conversation? It Will Be Easier If You Do This By: Jeff Havens

Working with others is occasionally challenging.

Sometimes people think they deserve a raise when no one else agrees with them, while others seem to be surprised when you tell them that shouting profanities at customers or showing up several hours late actually is grounds for termination. By virtue of choosing to work with others, you have guaranteed that you will periodically endure more than your fair share of challenging, difficult, and grueling conversations.

You’re probably never going to emerge from a difficult conversation saying, “Golly, that was awesome – can’t wait to do another!” But there are ways to make them less painful.

Frame The Conversation As An Effort to Help When you’re going to tell someone they’re doing something wrong, you’ve got two options. You can frame the conversation as a reprimand for failing to meet expectations, or as an opportunity to improve whatever the deficiency is. One of those approaches has the potential to turn into a constructive back-and-forth, while the other will almost certainly devolve into an endless game of attack and defend.

Don’t Apologize For Anyone Else’s Mistakes Most of us have a tendency to apologize for bringing up a delicate or difficult topic. However, that initial apology often makes the issue at hand seem less important than it really is. As best as possible, avoid saying you’re sorry for discussing something you felt compelled to bring up.

Do It Sooner Than Later I fly a decent amount, and every so often I look out the window of the plane and think, “If I had a parachute on me right now, I’d totally jump.” But I’ve never gone

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“Difficult conversations will always be difficult, but they don’t have to be crippling.” skydiving because the idea of preparing for it has always stopped me – there’s too much time during all those safety lessons for me to realize how dumb it is to willingly jump out of a perfectly functional airplane. The point I’m trying to make (other than highlighting my own cowardice) is that the less time you spend thinking about a conversation you know you have to have, the easier that conversation will be.

That’s not to say it’s going to be a cakewalk, but stewing over it for hours or days on end is only going to make things even more difficult.

Find Someone Nice To Talk To Immediately Afterwards Difficult conversations can be enormously draining.

However, since it’s probably against company policy to skip out at 11 am to drown your frustrations at a nearby bar, consider stopping in to a colleague’s office to unload a little. Not only can talking it out be helpful psychologically, but the person you choose to talk to might also have a few good suggestions about how to make your next difficult conversation easier than this one was.

Again, difficult conversations will always be difficult, but they don’t have to be crippling. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go tell someone that they smell bad. Not quite sure how they don’t know it themselves, but I’m thinking that maybe walking into their office wearing a gas mask might at least give them a hint about why I’m there.

Jeff Havens is a professional development expert who addresses leadership, generational issues, and other areas of professional development through a unique blend of content and entertainment. He has been a regular guest on Fox Business News and featured in CNBC, BusinessWeek, and Bloomberg News. To learn more about Jeff’s keynote presentations and corporate training, visit www.JeffHavens.com.

Advancing The Essentials: Invaluable Insights

Give Yourself an HR Gut Check You have probably heard about the recent discussions on mandatory sick pay and provisions for minimum hourly wages, but did you catch the news that the I-9 form — the one every new U.S. employee completes — is being revised for the second time in 2017, and can now be completed electronically?

Entities such as the IRS, DOL, EEOC, and OSHA make the human resource area a highly regulated area of your business, making it easy to stumble into undue pain points, or miss opportunities to make the function more efficient and better aligned to your organization’s strategy. Here are the biggest issues to watch out for with every association.

Keeping up with changing labor law at the federal, state, and municipal levels Every president, Congress and state and local government puts their policy stamps on laws that affect human resources. Today’s political landscape, with its focus on immigration, health care reform, and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), could severely alter your hiring approach, benefit offerings, and recruitment efforts.

There will be significant milestones and due dates that continue to arise along the way.

In Washington right now what is top of mind is what will happen with the FLSA injunction relating to overtime. If you are an employer in Minneapolis or St. Paul, you have new sick leave policies to comply with. In

addition, Minneapolis recently passed a minimum wage ordinance increasing minimum wage from the state required $9.50 to $15 over the next five to seven years. Many associations have limited personnel and no dedicated human resource function and the dangers are that if you don’t have a point person with knowledge of these issues, you will be reactive rather than proactive.

Documentation and compliance Having the right benefits documentation is generally not a difficult compliance area. The challenge is the documentation requires detailed attention. Take the plan document requirements under ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) as an example. Most employers think their benefit carrier or broker is supplying this information, but there’s still an employer portion that needs to be supplied as well. This is an easy compliance practice that can be corrected quickly, and it can often be taken care of electronically. But you have to know the requirements first.

When have you last done a compensation study for your staff, especially your highly paid staff?

As it relates to your compensation policies as a nonprofit, you have certain requirements relating to ensuring compensation (including benefits) is reasonable. Unlike forprofit businesses, compensation and benefits for officers and key employees is disclosed to the public on Form 990 which makes transparency critical.

Policies and procedures that don’t match your culture, strategy, or mission Once those two areas are addressed, you have an opportunity to start seeing the department as more than just payroll, staffing, and compliance, but as a strategic partner that can help move your business agenda forward.

As an example, we see associations who talk about being innovative, but then we open their handbook and it says, “You can’t do this, and you can’t do that.” These hiccups can squelch innovation and the language tends to seep into marketing materials or web pages designed to attract new talent.

Think of the handbook as another opportunity to carry your message forward, and then take a deeper look to ensure that the rest of your people, programs, and practices are culturally relevant to your workforce and aligned with the bigger picture.

Proactive approach It’s much better to uncover compliance concerns during a routine “friendly” assessment than from a regulatory agency or in reaction to litigation. An assessment is a checkup to see if your HR function is in compliance with applicable laws and aligned with your organizational strategy. Once you have a diagnosis and understand the risks, then you can confidently decide where to prioritize your resources and how to best develop a plan to resolve.

Monica Murdo, Human Resource Consultant, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. Connect with Monica via email, monica.murdo@CLAconnect.com.

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MOVE FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE Give your management and board a clear vision and no surprises with a team of experienced advisors.

05-0197 | ©2016 CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

ADVISORY OUTSOURCING AUDIT AND TAX

John J. Tauer 612-397-3068 | CLAconnect.com

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Conversations: In Focus

Different view points. Different solutions.

As a new Associations North board member, what are you most excited for?

Building upon the rebrand to explore and deliver opportunities to advance all our professionals and keep Associations North leading our industry.

Justin Bieganek Creative Director/Founder Mercury Creative Group

Serving on the Associations North board of directors is truly a great honor for me. We are on the verge of taking Associations North to a new level and I can wait to see what happens in the next three years and be apart of it. I hope in the next thee years to redevelop the young professional program and engage more fellow peers to participate!

Amanda Friedrich, CMP National Account Executive Visit Saint Paul

Donnie Brown

As a new board member, I am excited to work on Associations North strategic plan and develop a roadmap for the future. Personally, I look forward to helping grow our partnerships within the association community and beyond. It’s an exciting time for new collaborations, giving back and making connections as we continue serving the Associations North membership.

VP of Community Affairs & Foundation Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORSÂŽ

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For more details and to register, visit: www.associationsnorth.com/calendar

Calendar Of Events: Mark It + Make It

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TUESDAY

SEPTEMBER

From Insight to Action: 6 New Ways to Think, Lead and Achieve Crowne Plaza AiRE 8:00 am - 1:00 pm Take a fresh look at leadership with Gabriel Eckert, FASAE, CAE, and ASAE best-selling author.

Explore emerging leadership competencies that are essential for creating and sustaining success.

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26

FRIDAY

SEPTEMBER

Young Professionals Meetup Associations North 11:30 am - 1:00 PM Need to be more efficient at work? Do you have enough time to get it all done? Do you skip your lunch break so you can get more done? These things could be making you have a less productive day. If you are struggling to find the time to fit it all in, join us!

TUESDAY

SEPTEMBER

Webinar: Getting Beyond “We’ve Always Done It This Way!” At Your Desk 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm It’s no secret we live in disruptive times. One of the biggest challenges to nimbly securing the future of your association is the common battle cry of your members, “But we’ve always done it this way!” Their commitment to the past can be a kiss of death for your association.

Upcoming Events September 12

From Insight to Action: 6 New Ways to Think, Lead

8-10

Leadership Conference, Duluth

and Achieve

12

Webinar: New Member On-Boarding Strategies and Services

12

Webinar: Inside Out Marketing for Your Association

26

Communications Meetup Group

13

Meeting Management Meetup Group

15

Young Professionals Meetup Group

26

Webinar: Getting Beyond “We’ve Always Done It This Way!”

November

December

7

CEO Meetup Group

8

7

Membership Meetup Group

7

Webinar: Measuring Your Online Performance with Google

Analytics

15

October

14

Webinar: Conducting a Business Meeting

15

Meeting Planners Symposium

Holiday Celebration & Silent Auction

Brain Power

Surviving Anything By: Jill Johnson, Johnson Consulting Services Disaster response organizations like the American Red Cross will tell you most people don’t prepare for disasters because they think nothing will ever happen to them. And even if a disaster does strike, most people believe someone else will take care of them. These assumptions wind up getting people into big trouble, especially when help is hours or days away.

During our hectic days in business, the last thing we’re thinking about is preparing for and recovering from a disaster. We’re watching the bottom line, planning for succession, recruiting new members, responding to legislative cycles and buying office supplies. At the same time we are leading and motivating our teams.

But disasters do happen. Sometimes they are the fire and flood kind. Other times they are bombshells like September 11 and the 35-W bridge collapse. They can be the revelation of a betrayal of trust or an unexpected

death. They can even be finally acknowledging something that is fundamentally altering your member’s need for your association.

In every instance, the initial focus of the disaster response was initially on addressing the immediate situation and ensuring everyone’s safety. Then the focus shifted to dealing with the aftereffects of the disaster.

Why not take a more proactive approach? Engage in a disaster preparedness assessment for your association.

It won’t eliminate the aftereffects, but you can minimize their potential to devastate your enterprise.

Brainstorm with your team all the possible major situations that could threaten your operational survival.

Consider how external pressures are altering how your member’s do their work or generate their revenue. What are their vulnerabilities. Then brainstorm what you can do beyond setting up off-site storage and having a team roster with designated back-ups. Can you mitigate any of the situations before they become a nightmare?

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h t u l Du

With breathtaking beauty

at every turn, Duluth has a flexible selection of meeting spaces, like the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC).

Our experienced convention services team is here to assist you every step of the way.

Visit Duluth: Stacy Oltmanns | (218) 722-4011 DECC: Sue Ellen Moore | 218.623.1204

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Signature Event

WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR?

Get Ideas from Keynote Speaker Terry Watson!

• Experience Duluth and Canal Park area • Focus on membership data, succession planning, culture, balance, relevance, change management and more!

• Participate in a walking meeting and give back to Second Harvest in 3 ways • A surprise speaker…

• Plus, much more!

Education, team-building and making connections, all while having FUN!

I have been a member of Associations North since 1985 and this was one of the BEST programs I have attended, over the top in learning.

- 2016 Attendee I am new to Associations North and this conference and I loved the experience!

I can't wait for next year!

- 2016 Attendee

Earn 7.5 CAE credits towards your application or renewal

Details at: associationsnorth.com/leadership

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CEO Session

Featuring Gabriel Eckert, FASAE, CAE best-selling ASAE author!

FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION

6 NEW WAYS TO THINK, LEAD AND ACHIEVE Tuesday, September 12 8:00 am - 1:00 pm Crowne Plaza AiRE, Bloomington Explore leadership competencies that are essential for creating and sustaining success. Challenge your thinking, enhance your leadership skills, and learn how to lead your organization to success in a rapidly changing environment.

Details at: associationsnorth.com/ceo 19 19

Et Cetera: Association Extras

NEW MEMBERS Tina Campbell

Millennium Hotel Minneapolis

Libbie Chapuran

LeadingAge Minnesota

Jackie Darsow

Minneapolis Northwest CVB

Sadie Hagen

Printing Industry Midwest

Amanda Hauschildt

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Derek Hazeltine

The Improve Group

Greg McCurry

Independent Community Bankers of MN

Elisabeth Ostrander

Rosedale Center

Erin Reyes

Association Development Services, Inc.

Regan Schmidt

The Harrington Company

Pam Siebert

Consultant

Jessica Spaeth

MN Buffalo Assn

MEETING PLANNERS SYMPOSIUM IS NOVEMBER 15th!

This one-day symposium is back! Learn tips to engage your attendees, shake up status quo mentality and generate ideas that impact the bottom line. You’ll discover new meeting formats, layouts, technology and see top-notch speakers in action! Full details: associationsnorth.com/calendar.

WHAT’S A MEETUP GROUP? Meetup Groups (formerly Networking Groups) are small, informal meetings comprised of Associations North members who have shared interests. Meetup Groups discuss issues, ideas and trends on many areas of association management. Stay informed, learn new skills, meet Associations North members. Find the next Meetup group on our new website (Events Tab -> Meetup Groups} or visit: associationsnorth.com/meetups.

HOLIDAY CELEBRATION & SILENT AUCTION First, save the date for December 8! Then, start thinking of that donation. As you know, it’s never too early to start thinking of that perfect silent auction donation for Associations North Annual Holiday Celebration & Silent Auction. Over 150 items are needed and your support helps raise funds for Associations North education and scholarships. Details at: associationsnorth.com/holiday.

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Spotlight: Member In Motion

Jonathan Curry, MPA

Get to know industry movers and shakers.

Division Supervisor, Geosynthetic Materials Industrial Fabrics Association International

My dream car is...

1998 Mercedes Benz SL 600 (silver), modified to include a flux capacitor.

My personality in one word: Practical.

An amenity you would add to the workplace...

One place I’d like to max out my credit cards is:

Popcorn maker!

Golf Galaxy.

What’s the 1 dish you will never, ever eat?

My first live concert was...

I have 2 “coleslaw and potato salad” ….

I would rather have an allergic reaction to shrimp.

Nothing else mattered after I saw Paul McCartney Live at Target Field!

Live by the ocean, mountains or in the woods?

Words to live by...

The Rocky Mountains – nothing beats fresh air and cup of coffee in the morning.

Bruce Wayne: I wanted to save Gotham. I failed.

I recharge by: What keeps you awake at night?

My 2.5-year-old daughter Amzie.

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Going to the driving range.

One short-term goal of mine Increase the size of the Geosynthetic Materials Association membership by the end of FY18 and double member participation in our federal government relations program.

Alfred Pennyworth: Why do we fall sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.

WE FOUND YOUR

NEW MEMBERS It was pretty easy, too. We just used search engine optimization and digital marketing the same way we handle your printing and direct mail — effectively and affordably.

We’ve been helping other associations with their marketing for years, and we can help yours, too.

Want to find new members?

Call us to start.

PRINT

DIGITAL

cgpl.com

MARKETING

PROMOTIONAL

info@cgpl.com

952.447.5044

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