A Dig Through your Association’s History

Almost every association has some sort of archive system for their old files and records. This archive is probably filled with minutes leading back to the start or the organization and other files that someone in history thought would be important one day. Everything in that archive is something that someone saw value in. This is important to keep in mind when both choosing what to put in the archive and utilizing it.

If your association is at a crossroads on membership growth, comb through some of the old minutes and see what has been tried before. Did any of those attempts work? If so, apply them to today and give them a try. If not, you know not to waste your time on that option.

Historical records can also be a resource for your members. There could be useful tools or processes documented in the archive that your members might find value in. With that being said, the records need to be accessible for members. Create a tab under the members-only section on your website to store these documents. Once you have made them accessible, you also need to make sure that members know what all they have access to. They will never dig through there if they don’t know what they are looking for. Give them some information on what is in there and where to find it.

Digging through your organization’s history can teach you a lot about how everything came to be what it is today. Take the time to do so and you might be able to add some value you to the group.

Board Member On-Boarding

When your term comes to an end, you might be ready to fly out the door and never look back. This, however, can be a significant setback for your remaining and new board members.

Instead of leaving the person taking over your position to fend for themselves and spending their time digging for information, lay it out for them! As a board, you should work to develop a set process for the transition. We have provided some examples below but be sure to personalize it to your board.

One-on-One Meeting. Around 2-3 months before your transition takes place, invite the future board member to get coffee or lunch. Spend this time to touch on everything you do in your role, old business that is left undone, and future initiatives that the board has mentioned tackling at some point. Be candid and share what the dynamic of the board is like in order to help them better understand what they are walking into. Leave time for questions and let them know you will be available for any other questions over the next couple of months.

Blending of Old and New. Plan a time for the whole group to get together. We suggest hosting a “Board 101” session that explains the basics of the organization including bylaws, specifics of each role, and anything else specific to your board. After this, have the current and future board members attend either a board meeting and/or a social outing. Let them have time to get to know one another and who they will be working with. This will make them more comfortable throwing in suggestions and voicing their opinion when they are officially on the board.

Check-In. Once the new board member has taken on their position, check back in with them. See if they have any further questions or concerns. If there is anything that you forgot to mention to them before their transition, suggest that they add it to the notes for the next transition.

Having a system in place for board transitions will make everyone feel more comfortable about the roles they are taking on and giving up. It will keep the organization from hitting a bump every time the board transitions.

In Business Keynote and Expo Review

On October 16th, In Business held their 9th Annual Expo and Conference with a keynote provided by Dennis Snow, a customer service expert and veteran of Disney.

Dennis spoke at length about customer loyalty and what businesses can do to inspire this in their customers. Walking through examples that he had seen throughout his career, Dennis made the case that there are three things all businesses should be doing that will enable them to capture this elusive, but vital gift from their customers.

During a poignant portion of the keynote, Dennis asked the audience what those who had been to Disney remembered about their experience. Many attendees shouted out things like customer service or cleanliness of the parks, but no one said the rides, which is arguably why anyone would go to Disney in the first place! Dennis explained that the reason no one mentions the rides at Disney is because Disney has succeeded at providing an experience for their customers, where their visits to any Disney theme park is about so much more than the rides.

So how can businesses and associations encourage loyalty in their customers? Dennis believes that all businesses should:

Look at everything through the lens of the customer – when a business or association is evaluating their processes, instead of focusing on what the business is doing at any step in the process, they should really be asking themselves what does the customer see during this step in the process, and how can we move that experience from mediocre to exceptional.

Pay attention to the details, because everything speaks – businesses or associations should be looking at all the interactions with their customers and removing the distractors that would take away from the customer’s experience. Dennis gave an example of the trash at Disney and how a part of the Disney culture is that all cast members are responsible for keeping the parks clean, regardless of if they are a maintenance worker or VP for the company.

Create moments of wow – businesses or associations should be constantly thinking of little things that will make a customer say “wow.” It’s important to look at both big and small things, because it could be the combination of multiple small “wows” that inspire customer loyalty.

Breaking Old Habits: Keep your Association Evolving

Once a habit forms, it is often hard to break. This can be found true for associations as well. If something was done in the past, it might seem like something that should go on forever. This belief, however, could not be further from the truth.  

It is important to evaluate your strategies, monthly activities and member benefits regularly. When evaluating these components of the association, see which ones are actually making a difference in member engagement and growth. Just because something made an impact at one point in time, does not mean it always will. Times change and what members are looking for will always be evolving.

With this in mind, it is important to consider organizing your board’s thoughts by making a list of everything you are currently doing and then sorting it into piles. Include a pile for “keep doing” and “stop doing.” After stopping several of the items, revaluate what your members need and want. Now that you have taken some things off your plate, you will have time to start new initiatives and keep your association evolving.

Mid-Year Check In

At the start of a new year, we are always ambitious with ideas and goals. We assure ourselves we will have time and dedication to work towards those goals. Life, however, typically has other plans. There is always something more pressing especially when you are a volunteer!  This is something volunteer boards run into all the time. Whether it is a job or family life that comes in the way, something inevitably does and that’s okay.

At the start of your fiscal year, it is important to set those realistic but ambitious goals. They will motivate your work and give others something to strive for. When it comes to midway through the year, however, it is time to check back in with those goals and re-energize the group.

Plan to review your goals at the halfway point board meeting. Assess how the organization has achieved or fallen short on each goal. If your group is falling short on all of the goals, it may be time to revise and make a more realistic plan. If you are still determined to reach those goals, make a game plan. Determine steps that will be made in order to achieve the goal.

One method that many organizations use to achieve goals, is to implement a little competition. Whether it is among members or the board, competition can drive people in a different way. Give something away to those bring in the most members or to the board member that brings in the most sponsors. The money you pay for a reward will be worth it.

At the end of the day, you set the goals for a reason. Sometimes it just takes a reminder of the “why” to light a fire under people again. Having this mid-year check in and encouraging the board to become involved is the best way to assure goals are not swept under the rug.