September 2018

FOCUS

September 2018

NORTH

EMPOWERING WOMEN

LEADERS

5 Unique Ways to Improve Your New Member Engagement Program pg 8

Making The Common Conference Uncommon pg 10

Published by

www.associationsnorth.com

pg 5

MEA Energy Association’s Energetic Women Prepares Women for Non-Traditional Leadership Roles

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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.

Editorial contributors in any area of association management are welcome. Articles accepted for publication are subject to editing by Associations North.

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Advertising is accepted on a space availability basis.

Contact angela@associationsnorth.com or call 651-647-6388 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 2018

Amanda Aldrich Events Manager

FEATURES

Chris Villeneuve Membership & Office Manager

DEPARTMENTS

Leaders: 5 Keeping 7 Advancing Minnesota Healthy Fuel For Forward-

Mission

Thinking

MEA Energy Association’s Energetic Women Prepares Women for Non-Traditional Leadership Roles

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

Vision

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

5 Counterintuitive Leadership Skills to Embrace Now

+ Events: 10 Meetings In The Details Advancing

Recruitment: Moving Membership

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.

Moving Forward Together

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The Association Life

14 Conversations 15 Calendar of Events 16 Brain Power

8 Advancing Engagement +

Diversity & Inclusion

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5 Unique Ways to Improve Your New Member Engagement Program

Making The Common Conference Uncommon

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

Advancing 11 Advancing Communications: 12 The Essentials: Stay Connected

Invaluable Insights

How to Market and Promote Your Association Online

GDPR: What, Who and How?

Board of Directors What movie title best describes you?

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

It’s a Wonderful Life

Sarah Ruzek Associations North

Cassie Larson, CAE (Past - Chair) Parenthood MN Nursery & Landscape Association

Angela Kisskeys Associations North

Robbie Thompson (Chair-Elect) Professional Liability Underwriting Society

Justin Bieganek Mercury Creative Group

Clara DeRosier MN Electrical Association

It’s a Wonderful Life

David Siegel, CAE, IOM (Secretary / Treasurer) Builders Association of the Twin Cities

Goodfellas

Unbreakable

Just Go With It Airplane

Pursuit of Happiness

Janel Fick Global Management Partners LLC Amanda Friedrich, CMP Visit Saint Paul

Pursuit of Happiness

Dazed and Confused (I have a toddler and a newborn)

Cody Nuernberg Northwestern Lumber Association Dave Renner, CAE Minnesota Medical Association

As Good As It Gets

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Moving Forward Together: Associations North Partners

Featured Sponsor:

Creative Graphics

Why we partner with Associations North…

“We’re honored to help associations with development, design, production and execution of optimized digital and traditional marketing solutions. This provides them greater marketplace exposure and more leads, ultimately impacting membership and organizational growth.”

Being a premier partner of Associations North gives us an opportunity to not only support an amazing organization, but allows us to participate in advancing and serving associations in the great Midwest! Associations North has done a fantastic job of connecting us with their members, providing value, connections, and mutually beneficial relationships.

PREMIER PARTNERS

ADVANCER SPONSOR

INNOVATOR SPONSORS

ENGAGER SPONSORS

CONNECTOR SPONSORS 3

Fargo-Moorhead CVB | Visit Duluth | Visit Saint Paul

The Association Life

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

MN Asphalt & Pavement Association Minnesota Asphalt Pavement Association (MAPA) was first Incorporated in 1942.

International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) The ICRI is the only association in the concrete industry devoted solely to repair and restoration, publishes a bimonthly magazine and technical guidelines for concrete repair, and cosponsors the World of Concrete.

MAPA represents about 96 percent of Minnesota’s asphalt industry – approximately 23 asphalt producers along with 9 asphalt non-producers and 100+ associate members who supply materials to the asphalt pavement industry. The association represents members’ interests regarding items involving transportation, the environment, and legislation.

MN Concrete & Masonry Association The Minnesota Concrete & Masonry Contractors Association is a nonprofit trade association formed in 1964. It is comprised of around 100 concrete and masonry contractors and related companies doing construction business in Minnesota.

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Empowering Women Leaders MEA Energy Association’s Energetic Women Prepares Women for Non-Traditional Leadership Roles

For women working in any non-traditional role, managing expectations and confronting gender stereotypes can be daunting. In the utility industry, MEA Energy Association (MEA) recognized that women – particularly in operations and engineering – could benefit from resources tailored to help prepare them for leadership roles in their organizations. This led to the birth of Energetic Women, a nationally recognized professional and leadership development resource, in 2007 to bridge the gap to preparing and empowering women to become strong, capable leaders.

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“Energetic Women, which just held its 11th annual conference this past June, is a place for women in the energy industry to obtain and practice leadership skills, cultivate camaraderie, and talk about issues they’re facing,” explained MEA’s Stacey Bonine, who is the staff member who manages the program. “We help prepare these women to take on leadership roles and be promoted.”

The hallmark of Energetic Women, the annual conference, has been held in various U.S. cities for the past decade.

What started with only a hundred attendees and no sponsors quickly expanded to almost 1,000 attendees and nearly 40 sponsors. Energy companies in 43 states have eagerly embraced the concept of supporting and developing women leaders. Several have waiting lists of hundreds of people who would like to attend the Energetic Women conference. Others have taken ideas and values they have learned from Energetic Women and started leadership programs for women at their own organizations.

Although Energetic Women targets women in the energy industry working in operations and engineering roles, where the greatest gender gap exists, the content of the conference is not technical. Instead, it focuses on soft skills, such as fostering integrity, purposeful leadership, mindfulness, and working with diverse people. These are topics that are valuable to any attendee, whether they are engineers, marketers, HR representatives, or legal counsel.

And despite its name, Energetic Women also welcomes men to its events.

“Sometimes there will be one man out of 400 women at our conference,” Bonine said. “That’s what women in operations and engineering experience at their jobs – being the only woman on a team comprised mostly of men.”

“Sometimes there will be one man out of 400 women at our conference,” Bonine said. “That’s usually what women in operations and engineering experience at their jobs – being the only woman on a team comprised mostly of men. We get frequent comments from male attendees who say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know what that felt like before.’

They are astounded at the passion and engagement at the conference.”

The conference is also an opportunity for Energetic Women to recognize exceptional advocacy for women in the energy industry by presenting two awards. The

Maverick Award, which has been given for 10 years, honors a person – man or woman – in the industry who is a champion of promoting and mentoring women.

Two years ago, the Excellence in Women’s Development Award was created for companies that actively recruit and employ women.

In addition to the annual conference, Energetic Women also hosts four hour-long leadership webinars a year that are free to any interested participants in the energy industry. Many companies use them as part of a lunch-and-learn, where 30-100 people may watch the webinar and then hold a discussion. The webinars are part of Energetic Women’s strategic plan to sustain the momentum of the conference.

Since at its core Energetic Women is about developing leaders, it is considered an honor to be selected by your company to attend as it is an investment for their high potential employees. Since everyone is a leader in some capacity regardless of their current role, members and other allied associations see how Energetic Women is fulfilling a need in the industry and why they should invest in it.

With the immense success of the Energetic Women Conference, the Energetic Women leadership team has been working to develop additional resources for women.

“We’d like to be a resource for other companies,” Bonine said. “If a utility were to hire a woman in operations or engineering, for example, we want to be able to present Energetic Women to them and show them how to find the tools they need to become capable leaders.”

MEA, which changed its name from Midwest Energy Association last year, empowers the energy industry through education, leadership development, and industry connections. It has been supporting natural gas and electric utilities for more than 100 years.

To learn more about MEA and Energetic Women, visit www.MEAenergy.org and www.energeticwomen.org.

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Advancing Leaders: Fuel for Forward-Thinking

5 Counterintuitive Leadership Skills to Embrace Now Catherine B. Iste, betterHR.org Helping people become better leaders is huge business. From articles and books to courses and degrees, there is no shortage of opportunity for us to add more tools to our proverbial toolbox. Instead of retreading old paths, here are five counterintuitive leadership skills to embrace with actions steps you can take right now.

I can do this with my eyes closed Office cultures often support the idea that working late, arriving early and sacrificing sleep are badges of honor; as if less sleep meant a stronger work ethic. While most of us realize this is not the best long-term plan, letting go of that idea has been tough.

While we may not totally shake the idea of linking commitment to long hours and lack of sleep to dedication, as leaders, we can start setting the stage for a healthier outlook. To do so, we must look in the mirror.

Do we look haggard or have we been satisfying our sleep needs?

If it seems impossible because of children, spouses or other seemingly unmovable commitments, consider alternatives. Naps, massages or restorative activities like meditation can be just as rejuvenating.

Once we find a way to fill our tanks we can immediately start to take note of the benefits and it will be easier for us to set the example for our teams.

Get out!

Similarly, taking vacation and regular 7 breaks from the office positively affect

our leadership strengths by helping improve our perspective, patience and focus. In addition, short breaks like attending a seminar or taking a long weekend, also support leadership development.

Being unable to leave the office for even short periods is a signal of bigger problems. Conversely, if we get clear on the specific reasons we feel compelled to stay glued to the office, we can take steps to remedy the issues. Not having the staff to manage the office, being short staffed or just a general inability to let go are all problems we can solve: if we admit we have them. Take the time to figure out what it is that ties you down and get to work addressing it.

Backspacing, undoing and white-out The news and the #MeToo movement have provided us plenty of examples of apologies. Once blasted across the airways, it becomes very clear, very quickly which apologies are intended to acknowledge wrongdoing and which are placations without accountability.

The key lessons to take from all the examples are that apologies are important, even in business; and nonapologies can be just as detrimental as not apologizing. Thus, leaders should acknowledge the importance of genuinely admitting to mistakes.

Doing so not only restores (and often increases) respect from staff, it affords everyone the opportunity to start to move on.

Be More with Less Minimalism is making its way into the workplace. One of the reasons it is so tough to go from an individual contributor or manager to a leader is shedding duties and responsibilities.

Once we have control of something, it can be hard to let it go: after all, who can do it as well as us? Perhaps no one, but if that is the case, then as the leaders of the team it is our fault.

It’s so easy, why don’t we all try it?

We can all think of ways we could fail right now if we tried. It is easy for anyone to do. However, we act like we never do it and we set the same expectations for our teams. Not allowing for failure is one of the best ways to ensure we achieve it!

Start embracing the 3Ds: defer, delegate and delete by asking does it really need to be done right now? Am I really the only one that can do it?

Does it even really have to be done?

Find a way to answer those questions honestly. Doing so allows us to discover what is important and affords us the time to address it.

Instead, accept potential failure as a possibility and focus on methods to learn from it and move on. By simply acknowledging that any of us can fail, leaders give permission to their managers and staff to do the same. Once that happens, we can all focus on working together to address the impact and move on instead of spending time placing blame.

The bottom line is, being a better leader is no longer just about increasing productivity, working longer hours or adding new tech. Being better is about building sustainable practices that will help strengthen our stamina, increase our happiness and improve our overall satisfaction and wellbeing.

Advancing Engagement + Recruitment: Moving Membership

5 Unique Ways to Improve Your New Member Engagement Program Amanda Kaiser

New member engagement planning never really ends.

Furthermore, set-it-and-forget-it programs do not work.

The most successful program managers continually experiment, measure, and evolve their programs.

If you have an existing new member onboarding, orientation, or welcoming program and you have a feeling it is not performing to it’s potential, what should you do? Each one of these programs is like an intricate puzzle which gives us opportunities to play with and test many different variables. You might already be doing A/B testing, trialing alternate timing, or fiddling with the frequency. Additionally, here are some other variables that can significantly impact your new member’s experience.

Strategically Plan Your Tone Take a spin through your email inbox, and you will see significant variations in tone. Some emails are stuffy and institutional; some are fun and friendly. Some are welcoming, and some have a very administrative feel.

How do you want your new members to feel after they read an email from the association? Many respondents said of their programs overall, “it’s not just about the numbers, we want our members to be happy and excited about renewing.” Establishing the right tone in each message plays a big part in reaching this goal.

Refrain from Asking for More Money For many associations “early career members are extremely price-sensitive.” Price sensitive or not nearly everyone is attuned to fair value. Our new member just shelled out hundreds of dollars to join, and now we are asking them for more money? Members say this feels unfair and maybe even aggravating when they encounter an immediate ask for more money right after they join.

Members start to wonder if the only way to get any value from the association is to pay more, and if that is the case, when does it end? Many new member engagement programs focus on delivering high value first and refrain from upselling until the member is well established.

Protect Each Message from Complexity We have so much to tell new members, so it becomes

challenging to reduce each touch to just one key point.

However, lengthy emails do not get read because members do not have enough time. Complex looking emails do not make an impact because members find them confusing and ignore them.

Stop new members from ignoring your messaging by delivering just one piece of much-needed value into their hands. Focus on the thing new members, specifically, need most. Promoting six values in one message is far less effective than promoting one value in each of six messages.

Focus Only on The Value New Members Need Is networking the association’s top member value? Well, networking might not be new members’ biggest value.

Same with the conference. 3-7 year members and long-time members might love these things but, new members have different needs. They might be new professionals, new to the industry, new to the profession, new managers, or new business owners. Whatever the trigger is that prompted them to join may hold the key to the special solutions that they need us to provide. New members hardly know a thing about the association and they will only learn about the association when we show them we can solve their most pressing problems first.

Extend the Duration of Your Program How long should your program follow new members? Some programs last three months, some six months, some a year, some three years. According to the study results, programs that follow new members 7 or more months achieve the best results. So if you want to boost your program’s overall results and you have a 4-month program try extending it to 7 months. If you have a 9-month program, try extending it to a year.

New member engagement programs are malleable. They leave us with tons of opportunities for experimenting. If you are not happy with your program’s metrics, try playing with some of these variables.

Amanda Kaiser is a qualitative researcher for the association community. Learn more at SmoothThePath.net.

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Advancing Meetings + Events: In The Details uncommonality. They focus on offering higher-quality coffee beans, longer roasting styles, more intense flavors and unparalleled coffee experiences.

Making The Common Conference Uncommon Who wants to attend a common, ordinary, ho-hum, everyday, I’mjust-like-all-the-others traditional conference?

Even worse, who wants to pay to attend one? And who wants to plan or sell one?

Your conference growth and revenue depends upon repeat paying attendees year after year. Customer loyalty is the cornerstone for your event’s success. And your customer loyalty is built upon making your common conference uncommon.

Routine Been-There-Done-That Conferences How many people will go out of their way to purchase your conference registration when what you’re selling is nearly identical to all the other events in your field?

When your conference experience is no-frills run-of-the-mill…

And when your conference content can be found on the web for free…

Why would anyone purchase registration to attend it?

Registration discounts, tourist attraction locations, newly remodeled venues, the latest, greatest whizbang technology innovations and a jammed-packed schedule of speakers can quickly fade from one year to another. Planning and offering a mundane, mediocre event just won’t cut it. It actually repels loyalty.

Your attendees will even exclaim,

“Well, I’ve been there and done that.

Nothing new for me.”

Making The Common Conference Uncommon In making your common conference uncommon, you want to focus on doing the right things right as author Guy Kawasaki says. You’ve got to plan and execute the right programming.

You have to design the right experiences.

More than providing a conference experience that meets your customer needs and helps them solve their problems, you’ve got to satisfy their wants. More than meeting your customers’ expectations, you’ve got to be unremarkably remarkable.

To make your common conference uncommon, you need to focus on designing rich, indulgent, authentic, deep learning and networking experiences. You have to provide genuine, lavish-feeling event elements that your participants cannot find anywhere.

You can’t be satisfied planning, selling and executing a conference experience like everyone else. You’ve got to be the Starbucks of your industry conferences.

Using Starbucks As A Lens To Make Your Common Conference Uncommon Let’s consider Starbucks for a moment.

Starbucks has taken the common cup of coffee and elevated it to

Starbucks would have failed in the marketplace if they had offered coffee just like everyone else. They would have failed if they offered low-grade beans, common flavors and customary experiences. They would have failed if they didn’t interact and connect with their customers to foster a loyal, almost cult-like devotion.

Starbucks insists on quality over quantity. They spend more on providing this unique business service because they are unwilling to sacrifice the quality of a customer’s Starbucks experience.

Think about that for a moment: when was the last time you spent more on providing unique learning and networking opportunities because you were unwilling to sacrifice the quality of your conference customer’s experience?

Starbucks attention to each cup of coffee, espresso, cappuccino or latte has earned them loyalty as intense as their darkest roast. They have maintained a competitive advantage.

Starbucks customers have overcome their aversion to higher prices because the product, service and experience they purchase is well worth it.

Starbucks raised the bar. And by changing our expectations of coffee, they raised the entire industry.

You can raise your bar and maintain a competitive advantage by adopting and applying some of these Starbucks principles in your conference. Then you can make the common conference uncommon Jeff Hurt, Executive Vice President, Education and Engagement, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting Learn more at: https://velvetchainsaw.com or follow Jeff on Twitter: @JeffHurt.

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Advancing Communications: Stay Connected

How to Market and Promote Your Association Online Scott Steinberg Associations looking to connect with current or prospective members more effectively going forward face two key challenges. Specifically – finding ways to engage differing demographics that communicate in very different ways, and quickly helping audiences understand the value that they can offer them. Here are seven tips that can help your association quickly grab audiences’ attention, and paint a compelling picture of the benefits of membership in their minds.

1. Focus on solutions. You can give yourself an instant boost in credibility by helping others meet the business challenges they face on a day-to-day basis by continually offering answers to their most pressing problems.

Articles, videos, webinars, whitepapers, post-mortems, case studies and other results-focused content can quickly save audiences time, money and effort – and consistently remind them of the ROI you provide. The more you become a go-to resource, and faster you help audiences move from problem to solution, the easier you’ll find it to demonstrate your value and relevance.

2. Promote thought leadership. Don’t just be the leading source for industry news and happenings. Be the leading source for insight into them – and the first place members turn when they’re determining how to best adapt to current or evolving trends. Remember: Equally important as providing others a peek into where the future is headed is helping them chart a path from here to there. You’ll always be in-demand if you design education programs and events to go beyond simply providing snapshots of evolving business landscapes to provide the specific tools, technologies and resources members need to chart a path forward. The faster and more readily you can equip partners to greet change, the more easily comprehended the benefits that you provide will be.

3. Get members talking. Ask thought-provoking questions about topical issues and invite audiences to weigh in. Then use their feedback to craft more engaging programs and content going forward. Polls, surveys and questionnaires can also help you glean deeper insight

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into what moves current or prospective members – and simultaneously obtain original insights or data that your association can also share or as part of future programs.

4. Celebrate your community. Highlight your members: Shine the spotlight on colleagues and their ideas, and provide audiences with a platform to offer their own insights, takes and feedback on topical items of interest.

Get your public involved, and you can bring far more people and resources to bear to tackle any given problem or topic, boosting the results of these efforts exponentially.

5. Be a trusted guide. Social networks and online forums are like cocktail parties: While everyone’s got something to say, no one wants to hear someone hog the entire conversation. When engaging in online dialogue, Business Insider suggests that you follow the 60/20/20 rule. This means that 60% of the time should be spent proactively engaging your audience, 20% spent sharing content your audience will care about, and the remaining 20% should be spent talking about your organization.

6. Help others’ picture your benefits. Associations often have no shortage of data, while members go unawares, or struggle to understand this data’s upsides, let alone make use of it. The use of simple charts and graphics can help you bridge this gap. Infographics, video clips, diagrams,and other visual assets can help you communicate complex information faster – and in such a way that current or prospective members can instantly recognize the value of the information being provided.

7. Find more ways to leverage every asset. Make content shorter: Break lengthy speeches, reports, or event recaps into brief articles, blog posts, social network posts, or newsletter updates. Make content longer: Anthologize blog posts and articles into eBooks, group video clips into online training programs, or build presentations based on the best tips and insights that members have shared on social networks. Finding myriad ways to repackage and represent material can help you find many ways to help and assist audiences in differing contexts while also using it to suit a variety of different purposes, creating a win-win scenario for both sides.

Advancing The Essentials: Invaluable Insights

GDPR: What, Who and How?

By Christa Y. Nicols & Katheryn A. Andresen, Nilan Johnson Lewis PA

What is the GDPR? The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) imposes obligations on public and private organizations that either control or process personal data of E.U. residents and creates various rights for the individuals whose data is being processed.

The GDPR has a broad scope in terms of who and what falls subject to the regulation. Unlike most privacy regulations in the United States, which generally limit regulation to certain types of sensitive personal information (e.g., health or financial data), the GDPR applies more generally to the processing of all “personal data” of “data subjects” as defined under the regulation (more on that below). That means organizations that process or control personal data about individuals in the E.U. may be subject to the GDPR regardless of whether or not the organization maintains a physical presence within the E.U. Professional associations based in the United States that maintain databases of personal data or target individuals residing in the E.U. will likely need to comply with the GDPR. What do all of these terms mean?

The GDPR uses many terms of art that illustrate the scope of the regulation.

• Data subject. A data subject is an individual granted rights or protections under the GDPR. The term data subject has been broadly interpreted to include any natural individual residing within E.U. borders

at the time of data processing.

• Personal data. Personal data is any information that identifies or could be used to directly or indirectly identify a data subject. The definition includes information relating to the personal, professional, or public life of an individual – which can range from authenticating information (e.g., a username or identification number) to educational or professional history, social connections, and personal preferences. Personal data does not include fully anonymized data (i.e. deidentified data).

• Sensitive personal data. Sensitive personal data, which is subject to additional protections, includes information that reveals racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade-union membership, data concerning health or sex life, and genetic or biometric data.

• Data processing. Anything that is done to, or with, personal data.

This includes collecting, retrieving, consulting, storing, recording, altering, transmitting, disseminating, combining, or deleting data.

• Data controller. A data controller is the person or entity that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data. The data controller has the primary compliance obligations under the GDPR. • Data processor. A data processor is any entity that processes personal data under the direction or instruction of a data controller.

Who has to comply with the GDPR? All organizations established in the E.U. Organizations outside of the E.U. may also be required to comply with the GDPR if the organization: a) offers goods or services in the E.U. (i.e. data controller) or b) processes personal data of a data subject (i.e. resident) of the E.U. (i.e. data processor).

How do we meet our compliance obligations under the GDPR? Compliance requires organizations to either have a lawful reason to process personal data or the organization must obtain express consent from the data subject prior to processing such personal data.

GDPR compliant privacy notices should be • Concise, transparent, and easily accessible; • Written in clear and plain language; • Free of charge Privacy notices should include relevant information regarding: • The information being collected, the legal basis for collecting it, and the entity collecting the information; • How the information will be collected and how it will be used and/ or shared (and to whom); • Why the information is being collected (i.e. the purpose); • How the information collection may impact or affect the data subject; and • Any intended uses that may cause an individual to be concerned or to object to its use.

For full article visit associationsnorth.com and search GDPR.

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Reason #25:

Now booking holiday parties. rivercentre.org | 651.265.4800 13

Conversations: In Focus

Different view points. Different solutions.

What is your best tip to welcome a new member?

Michelle Dreier Member Engagement & Government Affairs Manager

New members are to be celebrated and given the information they need to quickly use association benefits. A welcome e-mail goes out immediately including log-on information. Within the first week, they receive a new member packet filled with information and a few product service member freebies. The Executive Director gives them a personal phone call to welcome them. We send a monthly “New Connections� e-mail that provides a detailed explanation of a member benefit for the first 6 months after the member joins.

MN Electrical Association

Nikki Duffney Member Development Manager Marine Retailers Association of the Americas

To provide the most impact when welcoming new members, we call them as soon as we can after they join to thank them, learn about why they joined, and find a path to deliver early value, so we can start earning loyalty.

We reach out again within the first 3 months of membership to help connect them with the tools, resources and education available to members. In those initial calls, we avoid bringing up resources or programs that come with an additional cost in order to highlight the value on investment they just made with their membership dues.

A welcome email and packets are important tools and an excellent way to engage a new member right out of the gate. However, I believe a personal phone call from a board member or a local chapter/regional leader has a greater impact when it comes to long-term engagement.

Jason Acord Director of Membership Ewald Consulting

Karoline Nauss Membership Manager MN Elementary School Principals’ Association

Foster connections and reduce barriers so new members are recognized, engaged, and feel valued throughout their first year of membership. Our initial welcome email briefly explains how to use member resources and includes a professional development discount to make our offerings even more accessible. We make personal contact through events, site visits, phone calls, and handwritten notes from our executive director and members of our national, statewide, and regional leadership. And we try to reduce big conference intimidation by offering a first-time attendee orientation; using a small sticker on name tags so staff, volunteers, and board members can easily identify and welcome first-time attendees; and assigning randomized seating for a general session to encourage everyone to meet new people.

W

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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 OCTOBER

Webinar: Association Health Plans: What’s the Buzz?

Understanding the New DOL Rules At Your Desk 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm This program will shed light on association health plans (AHPs) and how they can benefit organizations who offer them to their members as part of their affinity program.

7-9

SUN-TUES OCTOBER

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WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER

Meeting Planners Symposium Graduate Minneapolis 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Leadership Conference Grand View Lodge Nisswa, MN Expand your thinking and connect with some of the most influential leaders in the association industry at this year’s Leadership Conference.

New! Allied lounge, cabin crawl, comedian John Bush and over 11 educational sessions to choose from. Learn, engage and build new relationships.

Discover unique venues and unique experiences. Learn how to host your own hackathon, get first-hand experience “hacking” a complex problem and uncover fresh, unconventional approaches to do your job better. Plus, surprise sessions and more!

Upcoming Events October

15

November

2

Webinar: Association Health Plans: What’s the Buzz?

7

Meeting Planners Symposium

Understanding the New DOL Rules

8

Conversations That Count - Creating a Culture of Coaching

7-9

Leadership Conference, Grand View Lodge

in Your Organization

17

Meetings Meetup Group

9

CEO Meetup Group

23

Webinar: Building a Winning Entrepreneurial Culture

13

Membership Meetup Group

25

Communications Meetup Group

27

Advocacy Meetup Group

December

January

7

9

CAE Informational Meeting

16

ANDI Kickoff

23

CEO Mastermind Groups

Jingle & Mingle Celebration w/ Silent Auction

15

Brain Power

Me First Doesn’t Work

maximize our contribution to the organization we work for and the people we serve. If we seek rich relationships, we look to how we can contribute to enriching the lives of our loved ones, our friends, and our colleagues.

By: David McNally One of the great ironies of life is that lasting success in any endeavor requires that we put ourselves, our own wants and needs, second in line. There is only one exception and that is giving priority to, and paying attention to, our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Much has been written, both in support and critical of, the “Law of Attraction.” I have no argument with its intent, however I have learned that there is a principal that supersedes any other when it comes to “attracting” success.

It is called--The Principle of Contribution.

In a world that is being transformed at breakneck speed, The Principle of Contribution has never changed—it’s truth is timeless. Contribution is the invisible thread woven into the very fabric of the universe. Without the sun, life would not be possible, whilst the moon, with its gravitational pull, controls our tides.

Contribution, however, is also the magic word for understanding how to achieve what we want for our lives.

If we want a successful career, we must discover ways to

Minnesota’s Largest Four-Season Resort

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Irma’s Kitchen

Consider your own career and why you were hired for your current position. Your resumé may have been the catalyst for an interview. Your performance in the interview landed you the job, and the job has a description of what you are supposed to do. Now here is the challenge—job descriptions define tasks and responsibilities. They do not define contribution and yet that is what you are ultimately measured by.

Life is at its very best when people are contributing to each other. We love to work in a team where our gifts are appreciated, and our contribution is valued. We love to be with friends who accept, encourage and listen to us. We love to dine in restaurants where not only the food is delicious, but where staff contributes to an exceptional experience.

Wherever you look, the evidence is clear--great leaders, great parents, great partners, great friends, and great organizations all have one thing in common—they are contributors and a better world is created because of their existence.

Bayview Villas

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Call 1-855-489-0880 for your personal tour of our newest additions!

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EXPAND YOUR THINKING

and connect with some of the most influential leaders in the association community!

2018 Leadership Conference October 7-9

Grand View Lodge • Recognize the barriers to change and learn strategies to overcome them • Understand the most common legal issues facing associations • Identify the Four animals you’re managing daily, starting with your own • Identify the key elements of an education strategy that will more effectively leverage your portfolio of programs • Give back to United Way of Crow Wing and Cass Counties • Earn 7.5 CAE Credit

Register & Details associationsnorth.com/leadership 19

Et Cetera: Association Extras

WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS! Abby Andvik

North Central Electrical League Inc.

Teresa Blythe

Kahler Hospitality Group

Karmit Bulman

Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration

Becky Cantellano

US Tennis Association/Northern Section

Jan Clare

MN Electrical Association

Lauren Hoffman

Millennium Minneapolis

Linda Hurtley

Linwood Group Meetings LLC

Renee Lawler

MN Bankers Association

David Mallette

DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington - Minneapolis South

Marcia Milliken

Minnesota Children’s Alliance

Kirsten Peterson

International Association of Business Communicators

Amy Rau

Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers Assn

Veronica Voelker

InterContinental Minneapolis - St. Paul Airport

EXCITING THINGS ARE HAPPENING!

ASSOCIATION HEALTH PLANS As Associations North explores the option of a member Health Plan, we will be sending out a short interest survey to gather initial data. Associations North will evaluate the outcome to determine if additional steps are necessary. Watch for details. Have a question? Email angela@associationsnorth.com.

JINGLE & MINGLE | DECEMBER 7TH First, save the date for December 7! 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 Jingle & Mingle 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.

CEO MASTERMIND GROUPS - COMING EARLY 2019!

A 3-part series designed with the chief staff executives in mind. This valuable cohort opportunity will provide protected time, practical tools, valuable concepts and personal coaching to help participants identify the steps necessary to create a vibrant, healthy and relevant association. Facilitated by Mary Byers, co-author of Race for Relevance, Road to Relevance and highly sought-after association speaker.

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Spotlight: Member In Motion

Kevin Lewis

Get to know industry movers and shakers.

Executive Director BOMA Greater Minneapolis

Who did you see at your first live concert?

Believe it or not, Chuck Berry and Bo Didley when I was in Junior High.

My personality in one word: Entertaining.

My dream car...

Words to live by...

Sure wish I still had my ’69 Camaro.

Family comes first.

Always!

All-time best Halloween costume

What keeps me awake at night...

Tie between Groucho Marx and the Nutty Professor.

Other than my wife’s snoring? Elected officials concocting bills that are onerous to business.

I have too many...

One dish you will not eat?

Ties.

Beets. No matter how they are prepared.

I like to recharge by...

Sitting in front of the fireplace sipping on a glass of 18-year old Macallan scotch.

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One word to describe yourself as a child...

According to my Mother, “busy”.

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*BARCODE ENDORSEMENTLINE FIRSTNAME LASTNAME BUSINESS ADDRESSLINE 1 ADDRESSLINE 2 CITY, STATE ZIP

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MORE CHOICES TO STAY. MORE SPACE FOR ASSOCIATION GROUPS.

With over 42 hotels, six new properties, and 9,200 guest rooms, Bloomington is home to the largest concentration of hotels in Minnesota. That means there’s always room for groups to stay, meet and work. And the Mall of America® serves as a dynamic backdrop and instant entertainment complex for evening outings that everyone can enjoy.

Explore Bloomington and book your association group at tcook@bloomingtonmn.org