Innovators By Thomas C. Engblom, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, ARM, CPM
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arvard Business Review wrote, “Successful innovators care about solving interesting and important problems — innovation is merely a byproduct. If this distinction seems like hair-splitting, it isn’t. The two focuses create vastly different realities.” CAI-Minnesota has benefited from innovators and innovations that include individual people, technology, industries, and entire generations. PEOPLE – Many innovators have paved the way for us today in the community association industry. This list is just a sampling, as we certainly could publish an entire book of CAI-Minnesota innovators. The important message to recognize is that no matter the industry, no matter the year, we all continue to learn from each other and do best when we collaborate for the common good. TECHNOLOGY – The association industry in the last 30 years has seen exponential innovation with the creation of the Internet, broadband, browsers and HTML, PC/laptop computers, mobile phones, emails, microprocessors, fiber optics, office software (spreadsheets, word processors), open source software and services (e.g., Linux, Wikipedia), GPS, tablets, online meetings/voting, cybercrime, and instantaneous information. These innovations have helped develop community association industry administrative best practices. INDUSTRY – At the same time, professional credentials and the MCIOA have advanced professional standards in the industry. The award-winning Community Associations Institute Minnesota chapter strives to be an industry innovator to help business partners, community association managers, and community association volunteer leaders solve industry challenges through education. GENERATIONS – Baby Boomers and Generation Xers were meaningful components of innovation in the association industry, while Millennials have known no other path than evolving with innovation and technology. The next generation is determining its mantra as Digital Natives (or the Selfie Generation), emphasizing this generation’s deep connection to technology. Regardless of the generation, members continue to pursue innovation for the Minnesota chapter, solving important problems and learning from each other. William Pollard wrote, “Learning and arrogance go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” Here’s to CAI-Minnesota, innovating for better communities!
Industry News As of March 11, Thomas Engblom has attained Doctoral Candidacy status at Northcentral University in the School of Business and Technology Management.
May | June 2016
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