KiKi L'Italien's Acronym Soup

Does Your Association Move Like Jagger?

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:44:00 +0000

It has become apparent to certain persons who did not previously recognize it - critics and the like - that Mick Jagger has perhaps the single greatest talent for putting a song across of anyone in the history of the performing arts. In his movements he has somehow combined the most dramatic qualities of James Brown, Rudolf Nureyev, and Marcel Marceau. He makes all previous movers - Elvis, Sammy Davis, Janis Joplin, and even (saints protect me from sacrilege) the great James B. himself - appear to be waist deep in the grimpenmire. This tradition (of movin' and groovin') had its most modest beginning with Cab Calloway at the Cotton Club in Harlem where he would occasionally strut or slink about in front of the bandstand by way of "illustrating" a number. After each, he would take his bow, mopping his forehead, beaming up his gratitude for the applause as he reverted to his "normal" self for the next downbeat (and invariably a change of pace). The phenomenal thing Jagger has accomplished is to have projected an image so overwhelmingly intense and so incredibly comprehensive that it embraces the totality of his work - so that there is virtually no distinction between the person and the song. This is all the more remarkable when it is realized that there is also virtually no connection between the public, midnight rambler image of Jagger and the man himself...

- Terry Southerner, writer, 1972

What can association executives take away from this?

Mick's job was to put a song across to people and he achieved it remarkably well in unconventional ways. Know the mission - yours and your association's mission - and do the best you can to achieve it looking to whatever innovative, improvisational, unique ways you can to own it.
Jagger the performer and Jagger the man were different. Be able to take time away from your job to "fill the well" and find inspiration to make your life fuller. Doing that will fuel you so you can bring more to your work and not burn out.
Jagger brought tight pants, big lips, and conviction to his performances with the Rolling Stones. Take a look at that list and see which one your association needs more of when communicating to members (hint: it's not the tight pants or big lips). Know what your members need from your association and be it, know it, own it. Work with your colleagues and board members to be audacious enough to be what your members need you to be.

Then you might get some Satisfaction.

Down with SOPA and PIPA - Do What You Can Today!

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:40:00 +0000

http://sopastrike.com/strike/

Finally! A Year With Some Balls

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:49:00 +0000

{EAV:d5be4453707ce396} There are some things about 2012 I already love.

"2012" takes fewer syllables to say than "2011"
I've been accidentally writing "2012" for most of 2011, so I'm ready for this
Whether it's a crock or not, the whole "end of the world" transition predictions from all kinds of prophets and calendars makes 2012 take on an air of "now or never" and I can't wait to see what that looks like for people

I have always looked forward to creating resolutions for a new year, but this year I have been hesitant. Even coming up with five words or terms for 2012 à la Shelly Alcorn's goal-setting exercise has been difficult. Partially because I'm afraid of tainting future goals with memories of past resolutions ignored and partially because I am no longer certain of what EXACTLY I want.

However, if 2012 has the balls to be the year when everything ends, what am I afraid of? Certainly not using the word "balls" in a blog post.

So here it goes...my list of three terms for 2012. Many thanks to Shelly, Lowell, and Jay who already wrote some great blog posts on their own words for 2012.

KiKi's Three Terms for 2012

1. Do the work.

I always scoffed when people said they were afraid of success. After all, who would be afraid of success? That's not only counter-productive, it's stupid.

However, I recognized some traits in myself this past year suggesting I might be guilty of this fear. I realized I wasn't putting as much focus into my efforts - any and all of them - as I knew I should be. I rationalized. I made excuses. I played the time-management card. But the truth is this:

I was afraid if I put the effort in, I would still be disappointed or come up short.

This sounds weak, I know. Condemning words all flood my mind: egotistical, melodramatic, pathetic, sad, self-important...there are more.

But getting hung up in what it sounds like or how it might appear to others is just another place to get caught and not accomplish what needs to be done to make any initiative or project the best it can be.

Do the work. Do the work. Do. The. Work.

Take the time to make each presentation the best it can be. Do the work.

Take the time to make each blog post the best it can be. Do the work.

Take the time to make each interaction, each meeting the best it can be. Do the work.

Take the time to make each report the best it can be. Do the work.

Enough with the "multi-tasking" excuses. Enough with the "time-management" excuses.

Screw Nike for saying it first...

Just do it.

2. Say "Yes" less.

When I asked on Facebook and Twitter for advice on how to be better in 2012 (essentially an attempt to crowdsource my resolutions), one piece of advice rose to the top: to say yes less.

I credit Jeff Hurt, Sandra Giarde and Jeffrey Cufaude for taking the time to post to my Facebook wall with this suggestion and why it is so important for me. In Jeffrey's words, "Remember you can't mean yes if you never say no."

This one is difficult for me as I tend to want to say "yes" all the time, but not always be able to really effectively do everything I say I will do. My career, family, friendships and health have suffered (probably more than I know) as a result of taking on too much.

Just like marinating steak can make a huge difference on the outcome and quality of the meat once prepared, so can taking time to think about how a speaking gig, meeting, or other project will impact my life so that when I say "yes" I can really mean "yes" and do what I do with gusto.

3. Find the white space.

When I imagine a tranquil place for rest, I automatically envision an almost adobe-like...maybe grecian...domain with a very minimalist interior with white everything inside and out...open windows with white filmy curtains in the middle of green, rolling fields...lots of space. I have imagined this place since I was in grade school and always imagined it as a healing kind of place. A place for reinvention and renewal.

I need to find the white space in my life to survive and thrive.

2011 brought with it many challenges, including health issues, that made me hyper-aware of a need to create breathing room in my life and establish some kind of pause practice, like meditation, in order to take better care of myself and my spirit lest I give way to the "ghost in the machine."

My hope for all of my family, friends, and readers is that we may all accomplish great things in 2012 in a "balls out" embrace of who we are and what we wildly need to do to be our best. To avoid conflagration and instead collaboratively rise from the ashes so when we celebrate 2013, we know we fully lived 2012 without regret.

Happy New Year!

Why Most Would-Be Super Executives Will Never Witness Their Greatest Success

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:36:00 +0000

Because they get distracted by emotions and their daily tasks.

[the following is reposted from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/jobs/to-avoid-distractions-at-work-hit-the-reset-button.html]

The part of the brain devoted to attention is connected to the brain’s emotional center, says Srini Pillay, author of “Your Brain and Business” and an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Any strong emotion — frustration with a colleague, problems at home — can disrupt your attention, he says.

Refocusing is hard for many people because they have trained their brains to work on a variety of things at the same time, Dr. Pillay says. He suggests visualizing a reset device in your brain and saying: “I need to press the reset button and get back on track.” This takes the spotlight off the distraction and puts it on the redirection. “You are rewiring your brain,” he says.

Robert Epstein, a research psychologist in San Diego and founder of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, suggests the following: “Stop and listen to music for a few minutes, go for a short walk or take a cleansing breath, where you breath in deeply, count to five slowly, hold it and breathe out very slowly.” This can “blow out all the tension and clutter in your mind, and that can restore your focus.”

But if you are having severe problems maintaining focus at work, you should consult a psychologist or physician, Dr. Komie says, as severe symptoms could be a sign of anxiety, depression or adult forms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.

Post Conference Depression

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 01:05:00 +0000

I never went to summer camp, but I can only imagine what it was like when it was time to go home. Saying goodbye to old and new friends and leaving an environment full of laughter, learning, and games... complete with mini-dramas and life transformative moments.

In my mind, the end of a conference is like that...it's the end of adult camp and we all go back to our businesses and lives as different people. Maybe a little different - maybe a lot different. And then there's the crash.

At least for me it's that way. Maybe it's a little extreme to say it, but I'd even call it a sort of Post Conference Depression.

Post Conference Depression Symptoms:

Obsession with reliving your session's glories and failures
Irritability, restlessness...a need to keep checking the conference hashtag for updatesFatigue and decreased energy
Feelings of guilt, envy, or a sense of lost opportunity
Feelings of overwhelm as you read through notes and business cards collected
Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
A sense of loneliness
Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and finding taxi receipts

Anyone else go through this? I'm already missing my friends from ASAE Tech 2011 and looking forward to next week's Association Forum Holiday Showcase in Chicago. I wonder if I'll get my conference badge this year ? (Or whatever it is you do in summer camp...)

Letter to My Readers: Noob Excitement

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:59:00 +0000

I'm truly excited.

So excited I should insert some exclamation points for authenticity [!!!!!] to properly reflect how I feel.

http://flic.kr/p/36jB2d

I joined NTEN recently. NTEN says it is "where the nonprofit and technology community meets" and tomorrow is a new member conference call. That's right...I'm a noob. It has been on my calendar for almost a month and I am looking forward to hearing about how I can make my membership really count. My plan is to learn the basics from the call, continue to explore the webinars and offerings on the NTEN website, continue to reach out to members of NTEN on Facebook and Twitter, and attend the Nonprofit Technology Conference in 2012.

If this sounds nerdy, so be it. I chose to join NTEN after almost two years of deliberation, so naturally I am excited. Word of mouth combined with online social media engagement is what finally convinced me to join. My good friend (and regular source of inspiration) Maddie Grant has much love and respect for NTEN and I already recognize the names of several NTEN members and staffers whom I've seen on Twitter - all of which has influenced me to not only join NTEN, but also to anticipate great things by joining NTEN.

Isn't this how most of us wish our newest members felt? When I worked for the Optical Society, I wanted our newest members to feel that same excitement for all of the benefits available to them. Awards, scholarships, recognition in the community; I had the ability to help all of them understand how to make the most of their memberships (as did all of my colleagues), but only a small fraction of members took the time to meet the staff and ask questions.

So now I am excited about joining this new organization and I am honestly looking forward to getting involved and learning what I can about how to make the most out of my involvement.

How can we help our prospective and newest members feel like this?

How can we keep this excitement going?

How can we keep our newest members engaged?

I don't know all of the answers, but I have some good ideas and I know that as I walk the path of the new member with NTEN, I will have bigger and better ideas to share on this blog and elsewhere. I'll keep posting, if you keep listening and maybe we can all have new insights on how to make the member experience magical together.

All the best,

KiKi

Caption Contest

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Submit a caption in the comments for the drawing below for a chance to win the book, Get Seen. Captions will be voted on and determined by Acronym Soup readers. All submissions due by Friday, December 4 at 5 pm ET.

From the Amazon.com book description:

Get Seen by Steve Garfield, the "Paul Revere of video blogging," offers a quick and complete toolkit to get you up to speed on the latest that online video and related media have to offer.

Examines success stories of how companies have used online video
Presents a series of plans and tools that businesses can follow as they expand onto the social web
Provides clear step by step directions on how to record, edit, and export videos, where to post them, how to build a community around their content, and what to do to increase views

Association Pareidolia

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:30:00 +0000

The poet, the artist, the sleuth - whoever sharpens our perception tends to be antisocial... he cannot go along with currents and trends.

Alfred North Whitehead
English mathematician & philosopher (1861 - 1947)

"We need a Google+ Page for our association by the end of the day."

I think too many association folks are seeing the Virgin Mary in their toast.

That is to say some associations are jumping in with trends too quickly because they are convinced they have seen the "writing on the wall" and not taking the necessary steps in thinking things through all the way. I've seen this a lot lately with regard to mobile apps and Google+ pages.

It is human nature to see patterns. There are many reasons why this is part of our biological makeup. Our DNA is haunted by our need to recognize patters for our survival. But sometimes we make assumptions or move forward without pausing long enough to ask simple, clarifying questions and that can pose some problems for us in the long run. The problem isn't in seeing patterns - the problem is in how we interpret them and many times our primal instincts takes over for our more advanced problem solving skills. Those primal instincts can occasionally lead us down the wrong path.

Pareidolia ( /pærɨˈdoʊliə/ parr-i-doh-lee-ə) is a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon or the Moon rabbit, and hearing hidden messages on records played in reverse. Wikipedia

In addition, some association executives get so excited about the potential, that many of these trends can seem like the miracle technology that will transform the association overnight.

To be clear, I am not arguing for taking longer (or too long) to make decisions. Associations can be painfully slow when it comes to making things happen. I am suggesting association executives and staff make suggestions and changes based on thoughtful deliberation.

For example, before you proceed with creating a Google+ Page for your association, answer the following questions (and any others that seem appropriate) in your own mind:

Who is the audience? Who will monitor and update the site? Who needs to be a part of the project? Who needs to sign off on it?

What are you trying to achieve with the page? What are your goals for it? How will you reach them? How will you measure success?

When will it launch? How will it launch? How will you tell people about it?

What will you use to monitor it? Will you integrate it with other social media tools? What kind of measurements will you take from it and what will you use for benchmarking?

Once you have answered these questions you can feel better prepared to move forward on your initiative with deliberate steps in the right direction. Will you still make mistakes? Probably. But they will be a lot fewer than if you hadn't thought through your new technology project.

What do you think? What should association executives always think through before moving forward with new technology or projects?

Why It Hurts to Say Thank You

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:10:00 +0000

My cousin and I haven't always seen eye to eye. Our temperaments are on opposite ends of the spectrum and we've even had social media fueled disagreements that brought our family around into camps poised on each side ready for battle.

Aside from all that, we love each other.

But I bristle at the idea of saying "thank you" to him. Why? Because even if the "thank you" is heartfelt, it is bitter.

I like to think I'm above pettiness, but when I feel I've been wronged, there is a petulant child inside me that refuses to forget about it. [Read about how we're hard-wired not to forgive.]

Associations with their internal politics are like that. With organizations that have been built around personalities and the drive of key members, inevitably there are egos involved in an atmosphere that can seem familial in positive and negative ways.

For Thanksgiving this year, how about we look at the other side of gratitude and work on forgiveness. If you are waiting for an "I'm sorry," providing a "thank you" can seem like torture, but isn't it worth it? To be bountiful in all things enough to move past someone's misdeeds?

To the boss who fails to promote you: Thank you.

To the direct report who talk about you behind-your-back": Thank you

To the board president who undermines you when you are out of the room: Thank you.

To the IT director who puts all your projects at the bottom of their to do list: Thank you.

It may hurt to say, "thank you," but maybe we're stronger for it. That's what I'm going with this year. How about you?

The Sunday Routine

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:14:00 +0000

It's Sunday and I am under the gun to wrap up my expense reports and prepare for the meetings the next day. My day will also include taking my daughter to the playground, drinking much coffee, picking up grocery items, and cleaning in preparation for the cleaning ladies (I know cleaning before cleaning ladies come sounds OCD, but it's really all about removing the top layer of mess so they can reach the bottom layer - my daughter is about to turn four...this is the way of our life).

I abhor expense reports (and timesheets - this is a great blog post from an author who hates timesheets on a similar scale) and I am chronically late at submitting them. Even after a few weeks of submitting my timesheets on time, I was back wearing the dunce's hat this week for late expense reports. I hate this kind of thing.

While I don't condone violence, can't deny this image made me laugh.

This is kind of my regular Sunday ritual, so when I saw the #SundayRoutine hashtag this morning, I thought about what my routine is and how many other people are doing the same things. Actually, I have often wondered what goes through association folks' minds when Monday looms. I imagine there are a lot of people like me who have things already waiting for them before Monday hits. But is that anxiety really necessary?

Does the anxiety make a difference in the outcome?
Will the stress make you more or less productive?
Are you putting pressure on someone else before Monday? Is it necessary?

I used to stress out a lot on Sundays. I had a project meeting waiting for me Monday morning that would sometimes run for two hours and could make or break my week. So many times I complained to my husband about my Monday morning meetings, but it took two years of them before I thought to suggest meeting a different day and time to my boss. Two years!

Many times we make our more negative routines what they are by either forcing ourselves into an uncomfortable schedule or by not suggesting a better way.

Today my professional Sunday routine is all about wrapping up time sheets and expense reports for work and I am happy to have a weekly report on a more manageable Tuesday at 10 am. But I still put off the tasks that I loathe. I'll even read blog posts about time management rather than actually attack the task I don't want to do. [For a great blog post on Time Management for Association Folks, take a look at Nikki Jeske's post for the Affiniscape blog.]

So what is your Sunday routine? What might you change so that your Monday is a little bit better? Is there a change that could be instituted association-wide to make the association run better? How would your association become more effective and productive?

Associations Must Listen to Kenny Rogers

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:20:00 +0000

You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
Know when to run

-"The Gambler" is the title of a song written by Don Schlitz and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers.

Last night my husband made dinner. This is not a common happening in our house, so when it happens there is much rejoicing. You might wonder what that has to do with associations or Kenny Rogers, but that's for later. Right now I'm talking about chicken.

Because that's what he made. My husband took marinated chicken breasts and baked them with some crushed garlicky tomatoes and the results were phenomenal...tender, delicious, perfect pieces of protein delivered to me on a plate with a smile.

We watched some hockey (my concession) and I decided to make some herbal tea. I ran upstairs and when I got to the kitchen, this is what I saw...

Do all husbands do this?

For those who need help figuring out what is happening in this picture, please note the controller on the oven indicating the oven is still on...baking chicken that was taken out two hours before.

I admit my priorities can be a bit skewed sometimes, but I would almost always rate "not burning the house down" above "delicious chicken."

Association executives can turn up the heat on themselves and staff to get a project done or to handle a looming crisis, but forget to dial it back when the crisis has passed. The results can be burnout for all involved.

As Kenny Rogers sang,

"the "secret to survivin' is knowing what to throw away, and knowing what to keep."

Is your organization holding on to old anxieties? Is your department keeping the ghosts of crisis around well past their release date?

Stress at work can wreak havoc on the most gifted of teams. To manage stress at work, check out these tips or just invite your team out to happy hour, sit back, and listen to some Kenny Rogers. There will be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done...or when the check comes. Either way.

KiKi's Husband's "Have Home Insurance" Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp mystery seasoning (basically anything he thinks is exotic found in the cabinet...paprika...)
1 spray olive oil cooking spray
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (potentially marinated in italian dressing overnight)
1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes with garlic (or garlic and basil)
** sometimes 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded or parmesan...however you feel that night

Directions:
First, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray an 8-inch square pan with light cooking spray.

Place the chicken in the pan and dump the tomatoes over it. Then put the cheese over the chicken and tomatoes.

Bake until chicken is cooked thoroughly and the cheese begins to bubble a bit (approximately 25 minutes).

Garnish with some fresh basil or oregano leaves. Or olives. (My husband doesn't usually "garnish," but a side of olives from the supermarket olive bar usually accompanies the chicken.)

News You Can Lose for Mobile Apps

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:53:00 +0000

If you hear any of the following statements, feel free to smack the person saying them in the head. Actually, don't do that. But feel free to imagine it in great detail.

"Our members don't use smart phones."
"No one uses apps but kids in school."
"We have so many irons in the fire, we don't have time to consider anything mobile."
"Aren't mobile apps just that Chubby Bird game everyone's talking about?"

Please do the right thing. Think about mobile apps and investigate how you might use them. Educate yourself on the time it would take to develop one should the time come. Educate yourself now.

Add mobile development to your budget. Thank me later.

Existing budget vs. Mobile app

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Association Horror Story

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

If you've watched the FX show, American Horror Story, you are familiar with the twists and turns of the narrative. Things are never what they seem.

I hate it when people read over my shoulder.

So it goes with associations. See if any of these mysterious occurrences appear in your workplace:

A project you thought was finally supported has been dropped without anyone's explanation - no one seems to remember it ever existed.
You begin digging into a seemingly innocuous request and find some skeletons in the association's closet.
You come across a "dead" program that is still on the website and in the budget, but it has been inactive for years.
A coordinator in one department equals a senior manager in another department and the titles and payscale is all over the place.

Where do you turn when these things happen? Do you call your ED? A consultant? An exorcist?

Better yet, what or whom do you blame?

Many people turn to the topic of transparency at this point. As in, "if our associations were more transparent, we wouldn't have this problem." But we can't blame all organization mysteries on an opaque culture. My guess is that ghosts are everywhere...even in the most transparent associations.

Actually, that makes me ask, is there an association that our industry would recognize as being "the most transparent" -- what is it? I digress. My guess is that even there you would find mystery line items or obscure programs that collect cobwebs each year.

How have your dealt with your own association horror stories? How did you handle a mystery and did it change the way your organization operated?

Progress U: Blogger Summit is Tomorrow as part of #DCWeek!

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:38:00 +0000

Do Not Go Blindly Into That Good App

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:42:00 +0000

There have been a lot of posts in the association world lately about apps, and with good reason. Everyone is buzzing about apps! If you can order groceries, turn on your car, video chat with a friend in another country, and do your banking all from apps on your phone, the next obvious step would be to have your association's app available to everyone, right?

I'm with you. I could go into details about how I think it is wise to include an element of game dynamics in your app to keep people invested and coming back. I could remind everyone of the ongoing debates on whether or not associations should spend money on app development.

But before we go too far, let me warn you this is not a post about native versus web apps or whether or not your organization should be considering an app. For that, you can check out this post, this post, or this post and get your fix for that kind of discussion. This is a post for associations hoping to create an app and concerned with time.

Just like the wrong way to build a social media plan is to start by saying, "We want a Facebook," it is the wrong idea to start out your quest for an association app by saying, "Everyone else has an app, so we need one, too." Organizations should always identify the audience, goals, strategy, and the technology they will use before making a decision on whether or not they need an app.

In the very least, you need time to execute your desires once you figure out what they are. I have one really good reason why your app deserves this time for planning: crappy apps breed unhappiness. Good apps create a positive experience and way to connect.

The typical development time for a "successful" app in my *completely unscientific poll* for association executives is about 6 months, but this can vary wildly based on what the app is supposed to do. An old post on iPhone app development features a timeline of 2.5 to 3 months. If you would like to share your own organization's experience and timeline, please post in the comments. I think there are many, many people out there who would love to learn from you!

The timeline for a well-executed app has a wide range dependent upon your organization's goals. So what are your goals? Do you want to keep people up-to-date by providing an app of your blog or events calendar? Do you want to build an app for your upcoming conference? Do you want to create a game within the app for students in your organization? Do you want your members to have their database information available to them?

I asked a few people on Twitter about their app-development process and their responses confirmed what I had witnessed in the association space. It takes much more time to discover the vision for the app, gather buy-in or arrange for the budget approval, and evaluate options for implementation (in house development vs. outsourced development) than they originally thought it would. Also, the details were beastly.

@kikilitalien we outsourced ours and spent a month + getting the data transfer together. #assnchat

shannonburke

18 hours ago

Reply Retweet
“

@kikilitalien we're now meeting to see what else it can do. #assnchat

shannonburke

18 hours ago

Reply Retweet
“

@shannonburke Thanks for sharing! What was the toughest part of the process for your crew? #assnchat

KiKi L'Italien

18 hours ago

Reply Retweet
“

@kikilitalien #assnchat Most Difficult - The level of precision data must retain. It really lives up to "you get back what you put in"

shannonburke

18 hours ago

Reply Retweet

Jeff De Cagna of Principled Innovation has a list of questions he suggests association executives look at while considering an app and Joshua Paul from Socious shares a helpful list, as well. You might just want to take a little more time to develop your app so you can make sure you do right by your members and be sure you've taken a look at the right questions before announcing you have a new app to the staff or members.

Deposite: 2 cents. ;-)

"Social Media Sweet Spot Notes: Episode 99" on Storify

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:40:00 +0000

Hate feeling like the last to know? Me too. Here are the links and topics we talked about (or meant to talk about) on the DelCor Social Media Sweet Spot, Episode 99.

URL: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/delcor-social-media-sweet-spot

Chats:

1.     #assnchat every Tuesday at 2 pm ET – this week’s chat was about professional development. Next week’s will be about performance reviews.

2.     #Eventprofs chat that takes place on Twitter every Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET (there is another that happens on Thursdays at 12 Noon ET).

3.     The next #measurePR chat will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 12-1 pm ET.

Podcasts:

·      YourMembership.com – Podcast #1: Storytelling for Associations with Christina Smith (http://www.yourmembership.com/blog/2011/10/association-podcast-episode-1/)

·      Next episode of Association Cocktail coming soon!

News:

·      Klout freaks everyone out on Wednesday, October 26th by changing its algorithm

·      OMG – Another social media snafu with Chapstick! Or, Why the Legal Dept Should Not Run Your Social Media Strategy (nod to Catharine P. Taylor for that one)

Upcoming Meetings & Speaking Gigs:

·      ProgressU: Blogger Summit – NOV 10, 2011 AWESOMENESS WILL REIGN SUPREME!!!

·      EventCamp Vancouver - #ecv11

·      EventCamp East Coast

·      ASAE Tech

·      Call for proposals for ASAE Annual, etc

Blogs of Note:

1.     Eric Lanke Blog: Why Innovation Is Hard (http://ericlanke.blogspot.com/2011/10/why-innovation-is-hard.html?spref=tw)

2.     The Wall Street Journal Online: Put on a Happy Face. Seriously. (http://on.wsj.com/pBpyq0)

3.     Ragan’s PR Daily: (From Oct 17) Nearly 100 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds use social media (http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/9778.aspx)

4.     Joe Gerstandt’s Blog: Talent Is Irrelevant (http://www.joegerstandt.com/2011/10/talent-is-irrelevant/)

5.     Both Sides of the Table: Lead, Follow or Get the Fuck Out of the Way (http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2011/10/22/lead-follow-or-get-the-fuck-out-of-the-way/)

6.     Danny Brown Blog: A Letter to Joe Fernandez of Klout (http://dannybrown.me/2011/10/25/a-letter-to-joe-fernandez-of-klout/)

7.     The Online Community Guide (by Feverbee): The One Essential Task For Newly Hired Community Managers (http://www.feverbee.com/2011/10/oneessentialtalk.html)

8.     SocialFish: It’s a Personnel Issue! – NLRB and Social Media by Leslie White (http://www.socialfish.org/2011/10/it’s-a-personnel-issue-nlrb-and-social-media.html)

9.     Social Media Influence: Social Media News & Intelligence (by Bernhard Warner): The amazingly gratifying angry customer service Tweet (http://socialmediainfluence.com/2011/10/26/the-amazingly-gratifying-angry-customer-service-tweet/)

10. David Armano’s Blog: Klout, Kred and the Ugly Truth About Social Influence Measurement (written by Jennifer Leggio, a Forbes social media blogger and raconteur.) (http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2011/10/klout-kred-and-the-ugly-truth-about-social-influence-measurement.html)

11.  Social Media Insider blog: Read My Lips: This Chapstick Social Media Controversy Is Really Stupid (http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/161295/read-my-lips-this-chapstick-social-media-controve.html)

Cool Tools and Websites:

Watchittoo (used by TechSoup for “Nonprofits Live!) http://watchitoo.com/

Watchitoo’s collaboration platform allows up to 25 meeting participants to collaborate in a virtual video conference environment, around nearly any form of rich media (like PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, documents, photos and Hi-Definition video clips), from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. The platform allows this rich media and video collaboration to be viewed by audiences of thousands of people.

Workshifting.com http://www.workshifting.com/ If you work out of coffee shops, hotels, airports and your home every bit as much as the office, workshifting.com is for you. We share resources on telecommuting, online tools, travel, technology, business & virtual offices to help you shift when, where & how you work. Workshifting.com is powered by Citrix Online. Learn more about workshifting and how workshifting is saving employees, employers and the environment while improving business performance and employee satisfaction. Learn more about the easy-to-use online collaboration tools that Citrix Online provides.

iLife: How Technology Brings Us Closer

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:18:00 +0000

With the announcement of Steve Jobs' passing yesterday, I looked immediately to Twitter with a cynical eye. I knew my Twitter stream would be throttled with news, links to blogs, tribute messages, and most likely spam following Jobs' death. All of these suspicions were confirmed to be true and yet, I smiled.

My cynicism turned on its head and I felt joyful so many people were touched by one man's efforts. Everyone knows it took a wildly creative team to create what Apple did. But Steve Jobs represented something special for people all around the world and it was inspiring to see so many tributes being shared.

Today's death notices, as morbid as it sounds, supply a way to share with others no matter what your connection with the deceased. Because one of my dearest friends died before the age of Twitter, Facebook, and smartphones; I remember him in my mind's eye. I have no pictures, no posts, nothing to remember Jim by outside of my memories. He had no online memorial and I have no way to share with others who loved him, too. Today that makes me feel like he was buried without a tombstone. I have no virtual place to visit and feel connected.

Here in the world of the living, I've witnessed the healing power of community via technology on my own. For a little while I've been living through my own personal Mystery Diagnosis episode and because of my communication online, I've been able to keep up with my friends in spite of having to miss lovely events and conferences that I'd prefer to have attended. Facebook messages, Beluga messages, tweets, and all manner of online notes greet me almost daily with positive thinking and messages to get better. What would I do without today's technology, social media to be exact?

I've been able to learn from community sites with people going through similar medical issues and they have helped me to hone the questions I ask doctors to save time. I've read up on studies and research to help me with symptoms in the meantime.

Ironically, Steve Jobs enabled us to better grieve his passing with his guiding hand on communication's tools. He's enabled me to "be there" faster (faster than I could be physically) as my family has experienced deaths, disaster, and illnesses this year.

Blog posts that assume technology makes us colder make me angry. My connections through Twitter and Facebook have allowed me to heal old wounds with friends, connect with relatives I'd lost track of, and lead members of my home town (Joplin, Missouri) to areas of safety after an EF-5 tornado when calls weren't going through.

I posit technology brings us closer together, helping us to unite in ways never seen before. Pollyanna viewpoint? Perhaps. But I'll stick with it and run. How about you?

New Ideas in Texas and Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:21:00 +0000

I am sitting at the Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport with about two hours left of my three-hour layover on my way to the Texas Society of Association Executives' (TSAE) New Ideas 2011 Conference in Houston (September 11-13) and I'm excited.

The words, "I have a great idea," are among some of my favorite in this world. My friend, Adele Cehrs of Epic Media, said these to me recently and my heart felt a little more charged. Same feelings occur whenever I think about the conference I am about to attend. I hope New Ideas 2011 is ready for me, because I am super excited.

[I'll be there to do a live DelCor Social Media Sweet Spot from Houston with a debriefing later courtesy of the fantastically talented Jeff Hurt to cover the ins and outs of doing a live weekly web show. Please tune in to the show on UStream on Tuesday 8:15 AM ET and be a part of this special episode!]

Shouldn't we all feel this way regularly? I know it can seem useless to have ideas when your organization does not appear have the basic mechanisms in place to make them effective, but without the ideas in the first place, an organization will grow stagnant and lose its relevance in time.

As association professionals (and as human beings who are, in essence, designed to find joy in problem solving), we should seek out every opportunity we can to expand our knowledge and create or improve ourselves and our organizations as we progress through our careers.

In the next few days/weeks/months look for the following:

TSAE New Ideas Conference

WSAE Innovation Summit for Associations

ASAE Innovation Talks

Planner Tech

ASAE Great Ideas Conference

Event Camp Vancouver

What are your thoughts on creativity and innovation in associations? Are there more events or meetings I should add to this list? Do you see things another way? How have you supported innovation in your own organizations or professional life?

Galatea 2.2: A Short Review

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

In 1999 I cracked open the book Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers, wrote my name and the year in the upper righthand corner of the book and then never read another page. For years the book has followed me through moves, a marriage, a baby, the demolition of my hometown courtesy of a monster tornado, and here I am in 2011 - the year it finally felt right to start reading the book suggested to me by my favorite college professor, now deceased.

The story mixes science, computers, and the frailty and imagination of the human spirit with masterful language that reminds one of the power writers have over us in their possession of words and how to use them. Galatea 2.2 haunts, inspires, and mourns with us... or even through us.

Galatea 2.2 is perfect for me right now - a tale of a man broken down to the point of existential nihilism who finds stirrings of emotion and meaning within the AI and circuitry of a companion in the ether. The irony - that the intelligence in the computer might finally be more human that the protagonist - is not lost on me when I find myself struggling with spending more time with the people in my life than all my devices and gadgets.

Read this book if:

You love language
You are immersed in computers all day
You occasionally feel unnecessary in life
You really, really, really need a non-working vacation

RATING: 5 out of 5

Blog Controversy? Honey Badger Don't Care

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 23:07:00 +0000

ASAE Annual Meeting Hits a Home Run

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 01:50:00 +0000

Every year that I attend the American Society of Association Executives' Annual Meeting it takes me a little while to let the experience settle into my pores before I can write up something about it. It's like writing a diary entry about camp when you know someone may read it...it is critical to prioritize the biggest, most important pieces of the experience lest anyone get the wrong idea.

That said, abandon all hope ye who enter here. I'm still trying to pull my thoughts together, but I didn't want to wait any longer to start sharing some of the lessons I took away from the meeting.

Attending ASAE Annual is a big deal for me. ASAE is my professional home and I have made many wonderful friends through ASAE, many friends whom I meet up with at Annual. Sure, sure...now that I work as a consultant for DelCor, there is some awareness of meeting potential clients at Annual, but let's be clear. I attended Annual before I "went to the dark side" and the meeting is always going to be more like a summer camp for association folks like me.

This year it was an even bigger deal because we were in my home state of Missouri for Annual. My hometown of Joplin, Missouri was destroyed by an EF-5 Tornado earlier this year, so all of the work that various CVBs, vendors, ASAE, and especially YAP did for Joplin meant a lot to me.

This year I approached Annual with some goals based on previous experiences with the conference:

1. To work out every morning of the meeting, no matter what - past experiences with post-reception hangovers and walking pneumonia have made this goal especially important

Workout Day #1

2. To eat healthier foods during the meeting - not only does it fuel my brain, but it keeps me from post-conference regrets

3. To focus more on my own presentations and less on attending others - this is not my preference, but a necessary requirement because I stress out over any criticism I receive from speaking evaluations

4. To identify new ideas I can use for my work with associations

YAPstars UNITE for the YAP Party raising funds for Joplin!

5. To keep a better record of my expenses and receipts

The conference was amazing for many reasons:

Kylee Coffman, my sister and RILA social media hottie, showing her ASAE Classic pose

The city of St. Louis put on a fabulous show of hospitality city-wide for us
The content of the sessions seemed to ring people's bells - mine included
The network of people in the association world is more like a family than some families I know
The ASAE staff were smart, fun, and helpful
The layout of the conference hall, events, and hotels made it easy to network nonstop
Twitter coverage of the conference was robust
The backchannels on G+ and Beluga that many of us were using for coordinating meeting areas and making inside jokes made for a fun way to stay involved while not cluttering up the conference Twitter feed
I was able to hang out with my sister, Kylee Coffman, a social media rockstar working for RILA more than I had in the previous 6 months

Workout - Day #3

If I had to quibble about anything, it would be about these things:

There was no room at the stable when a group of us tried to find any seats at the closing keynote lunch - too bad, too...I heard it was really good.
The mobile app needed help - working across platforms, including other important agenda events, etc...
Any small kind of - even free - effort to reach out to an audience virtually would have been great...something to help those who couldn't be there to see what they were missing

All-in-all, I thought ASAE showed they had listened to comments made by bloggers and attendees in the past. They did a phenomenal job and I enthusiastically approve of the way they handled things on site.

Many thanks to everyone who made this ASAE Annual Meeting phenomenal. I will definitely see all of you next year!

Workout - Day #2

Someone graffiti'd our session sign - cool, no? ;-)

Social Media Sweet Spot Recap

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:22:00 +0000

Every week I host the DelCor Social Media Sweet Spot where I like to share my favorite blog posts, articles, and news about upcoming association events. Interviews and my Follow Friday choices for association types.

This week I had a few technical difficulties, although I finally managed to record using my iPhone. Because everything was thrown off schedule I wanted to recap some key blog posts, thoughts, and fun stuff from the show.

Meeting "Del Corian"

Maybe you are friends with Del on Facebook. Maybe you've seen his photos on one of our promotions for social media or witnessed his slick moves at Trans Am shows around the world. I finally had the chance to catch up with this international playboy about his thoughts on social media and he answered questions we received from his many fans.

You can watch the interview here:

Even MeetMeme staff were excited with Del

Conferences and Events

Recap of Florida Society of Associations Annual Meeting

Presented at FSAE for the 1st time ever!

American Society of Association Executives Annual - August 6-9, 2011 (#ASAE11)

The YAP Party is always a blast...this year is no different. Dress (or accessorize) in red and meet the phenomenal Young Association Professionals in their natural habitat...the club. ;-)

EventCamp Twin Cities - August 25-26, 2011

Event Camp Twin Cities is where I first saw the power of the hybrid meeting when it really works. Last year I attended virtually. This year I will be there in person to learn how they do it behind-the-scenes with my own eyes. I'll be speaking there and I am looking forward to meeting with other members of the #eventprofs community. Follow #ECTC11 for more details.

National Summit on Innovation for Associations (WSAE)

The work that Eric Lanke and his colleagues involved with the innovation team for the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives not only inspires me, but also intrigues. Eric and his cohorts have been working on this project for a couple years now and this innovation summit is bound to stir the pot. We can follow along

Texas Society of Association Executives New Ideas Conference

Dancing with a minimally dressed person in Miami for FSAE

Call for Session Proposals

Blogs and Stuff

Jeffrey Cufaude discusses the value of the conference
John Ricco discusses stepping away from technology to prioritize

Betsy Boyd Flynn shares her most difficult year in associations with us

Shonali Burke tells us about the amazing Facebook Post app

Checking out the ASAE Collaborate Beta Site looks good

Jeff Hurt 's motivational post on Facebook

Check out how you can Twitterize yourself...fun infographics we can all use!

Twitter gives us new ways we can expect spam in our Twitter feeds

Maddie shares a nifty social media job on Twitter

Follow Friday for the Week: @socialmediabutt

Looking Forward to ASAE Annual Meeting: Creative Collage, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 11:26:00 +0000

Culture eats strategy and processes for lunch - My interview with Avinash Chandarana - The DelCor Connection Blog

noreply@blogger.com (KiKi L'Italien) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:33:00 +0000

This post goes along nicely with my recent video interview with the same speaker!

Culture eats strategy and processes for lunch - My interview with Avinash Chandarana - The DelCor Connection Blog

KiKi L'Italien's Acronym Soup

Does Your Association Move Like Jagger?

Down with SOPA and PIPA - Do What You Can Today!

Finally! A Year With Some Balls

Why Most Would-Be Super Executives Will Never Witness Their Greatest Success

Post Conference Depression

Letter to My Readers: Noob Excitement

Caption Contest

Association Pareidolia

Why It Hurts to Say Thank You

Top 10 Reasons List Posts Annoy Me [Warning: Snarkathon]

The Sunday Routine

Associations Must Listen to Kenny Rogers

News You Can Lose for Mobile Apps

Association Horror Story

Progress U: Blogger Summit is Tomorrow as part of #DCWeek!

Do Not Go Blindly Into That Good App

"Social Media Sweet Spot Notes: Episode 99" on Storify

iLife: How Technology Brings Us Closer

New Ideas in Texas and Beyond

Galatea 2.2: A Short Review

Blog Controversy? Honey Badger Don't Care

ASAE Annual Meeting Hits a Home Run

Social Media Sweet Spot Recap

Looking Forward to ASAE Annual Meeting: Creative Collage, Part 1

Culture eats strategy and processes for lunch - My interview with Avinash Chandarana - The DelCor Connection Blog