Association Subculture

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - Thoughts on Loss

2012-05-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

It struck me yesterday how many of us seem to be suffering losses of different sorts. Whether parents, siblings, pets, friends or colleagues each loss seems very immediate. We tend to feel a certain sense of melancholy when we lose celebrities we don't even know. Their passing represents the loss of a certain time in our lives - times which seem to be ever drifting into the grey mists of our increasingly faulty memories.

Maybe we are more aware of each other and our losses, big and small, because of social media. Maybe it's because we are all getting older and the people we know and are closest to are as well.

Whatever the reason, I just wanted to share one of my favorite columns that Erma Bombeck wrote. I had forgotten until today how much I love her work. I identify with her. "Nobody ever died from sleeping in an unmade bed." Indeed. We miss you Erma.

For all of my association counterparts - maybe we need to take a lesson from Ms. Erma. Please don't sweat the small stuff. I know that executive committee meeting seems like life and death - but it isn't. Cramming our days full of committee meetings, marketing brochures and busywork just isn't going to cut it anymore in the new, hyper-connected society we find ourselves in.

If social media causes us to be more aware of the emotional suffering of our family, friends and colleagues we are going to have to create some additional emotional capacity within ourselves to care for others. If we do not, we may find ourselves at best overwhelmed and discouraged or at worst, calloused and withdrawn.

If we don't stop this frenetic pace, we will have no time left or room left in our hearts to grieve, to support others who are and also to make sure we are taking care of ourselves. So shut off the email for a while, have a cookie and call someone you love. Think of the things you wish you were doing, and do them.

Time spent caring about others and living your life well won't kill you - but your to-do list might.

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck
(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love you's" More "I'm sorry's."
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it... live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!
Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.
Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with, and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally. I hope you have a blessed day.

What Do Benefit Corporations Have to do With Associations?

2012-05-09T14:20:00.002-07:00

Everything.

Those companies who are becoming benefit corporations are required to select and demonstrate compliance with a particular independent third-party standard that measures their commitment to good business practices, as well as social and environmental performance. The question for associations is - who should be setting those standards for those companies in your industry or profession who want to be benefit corporations?

The answer is - YOU.

Who else should be involved in setting standards for your members? Wouldn't you like to direct your members to standards you have helped develop, have faith in and have endorsed? It is true associations can't set the standards themselves and we believe the benefit corporation statutes are written that way to prevent actual or the appearance of conflicts of interest. But there is nothing saying we can't work together in a collaborative way to set meaningful, credible and transparent standards for benefit corporations and sustainable businesses to use.

We have put forward a submission in the Harvard Business Review/McKinsey MPrize competition explaining the relationship we see between our third sector and these newly created benefit corporations. It's called "Benefit Corporations and the Association Community." Please review and see the case we are making for association involvement in this new sphere. And if you are a member of the MIX (being a member is free and is very beneficial for association executives and staff who want to stay on the cutting edge of management practices) please rate, vote for and share our submission on Twitter and Facebook.

We believe in associations. We believe associations have a chance to bolster their own relevance to their members and become an important part of a new economic landscape. Setting these standards is one key way to do just that..

If your association would like to partner with us to set standards you believe your members should use - please contact us and we would be more than happy to explore that with you. You can visit our website at Benefit Corporation Standards Institute, call us at 916.372.8242 or email me directly at shelly@alcornassociates.com.

The Gift of Ignorance

2012-04-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

"I began asking for things which in my ignorance were impossible to do...."

Thanks to Brain Pickings for this wonderful clip of Orson Welles from 1960 discussing the filming of Citizen Kane.

In the clip, Orson tells a story about the first day of filming. His background was in theatre, not in film. So when he got on set for the first time, he took the initiative and began arranging the lights which theatre directors do but film directors typically did not. Apparently his cameraman, Tollen, told everyone to be quiet and not correct him. Five days into filming, someone finally cracked and told Orson he was doing things he wasn't "supposed to do." Tollen got angry at the people telling Orson he "shouldn't" do this or that. As filming progressed, Orson kept asking for things that weren't usually asked for and Tollen kept saying, "why not?" The innovations in the filming weren't intentional. They were the result of systematically exercising ignorance of normal processes and trying new things.

What happened wasn't by the book but what resulted was cinematic history.

If we are really searching for innovation in the association community, sometimes we need to purposefully strike out into areas that make us uncomfortable, or that we don't know much about. To "discover as we do" - which a great friend of mine phrased so beautifully in an email exchange we had this past weekend. How encouraging to look at ignorance as a strength, and not a weakness. To approach a new project or a new plan with a beginner's mind and simply find the courage to start.

Maybe it's okay to be working at the very edge of our competence, and sometimes fall over and fail. Maybe if we are too comfortable and too "smart" we will miss the opportunity to take the less beaten path. Maybe confusing people with sudden shifts in direction or intention is better than simply repeatedly living up to their expectations.

I don't have all of the answers, but I found this clip inspiring and really encouraging. We are not taught to embrace ignorance...we are standardized tested and quizzed into our "proper places" by a system that only wants us to regurgitate predetermined answers, not create something new. It makes me wonder about leadership succession plans in associations and whether or not all of the careful conditioning to minimize disruption, actually starves off the innovation we so desperately need. Maybe in our well meaning efforts to "orient" our board members so rigidly, we actually rob ourselves of the insights the beginners mind might provide.

Considering our own ignorance to be a gift may not be a message we get very often. But maybe if we embrace the idea we might actually radically change the trajectories of our associations...and maybe our lives.

Here is the link to the clip for those who can't see the embedded video.

Sometimes It's How You Say It.....

2012-04-19T17:15:00.001-07:00

My daughter has a close friend whose mother is an English teacher. The other day my daughter came home laughing over the following sentence game (emphasize a different word each time you read it):

I never said I stole your money.

I never said I stole your money.

I never said I stole your money.

I never said I stole your money.

I never said I stole your money.

I never said I stole your money.

I never said I stole your money.

Many of you know I happen to love language and playing with words. I find this game so fun because it so clearly illustrates the principles of tone and inflection and how incredibly important they are in our communications. I am a natural smart-aleck and the advent of email and instant messaging was really challenging for me at first. (I am quite certain the emoticons saved my bacon more than once.)

It bears repeating that in any online communications (facebook, twitter or otherwise) we need to be doubly aware that our audience cannot read our inflection. If you happen to be writing a sentence that depends on inflection for interpretation you will need to augment it with emoticons or other devices to demonstrate where the proper emphasis should be. Those of us who "write like we talk" run into this more often than we would care to admit.

If you are writing a message to fellow staff members, board members or volunteers, try to craft your words carefully and beware of leaving opportunities open for individuals to put their mental emphasis at a different place in the sentence than you intended them to. If they do, they might assign an entirely different meaning to words that you thought were as clear as a bell and you might end up creating more problems than you solve.

I never meant for you to think that. LOL.

Remember, as addicted as we are to communication via text, etc., the phone is still your best friend in terms of preventing misunderstandings due to tone and inflection. Video is also a critical competency we all need to develop.

Now, I am not sure that "tone and inflection" will always be as important as they are now in online communications. They seem to be very important for Boomers and Gen Xers but I will admit to being somewhat perplexed by the "toneless" communications my daughters seem to engage in with their peers on facebook and twitter. I'm not convinced that "tone" in online communications will be as nuanced as we have made it in the past as we go forward. But that is a topic for another post.

Have fun with your words this week....use them artistically but more importantly, genuinely......

What Monkeys Know About Membership

2012-04-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

The video below is from a fascinating TEDTalk about animals and morality. It discusses our previous views of animal behavior seen through a lens of aggression and competition and how our understanding of animal (and also human behavior) has evolved and now points to different outcomes in terms of how animals value each other, cooperate and also evince a basic sense of fairness.

I can't help but think there are messages in here that can relate to the concept of membership, citizenship or community. As members of an association, we sometimes get into conflict and then go through a reconciliation process. We have to cooperate on tasks and to encourage each other to stay in the game. We also have a basic sense of fairness when it seems some members are getting advantages that we are not, and a certain sense of cucumber throwing outrage when the membership system rewards become unbalanced (if you watch to the end, you'll understand that reference - it's worth it).

At around 4:20 into the video, I saw a typical committee at work. You will too.

The point is, we can learn wonderful lessons from our animal friends about our own behavior and this was a great way to spend 18 minutes of my day. They are far more sophisticated than we give them credit for. Focusing our efforts on the creation of membership communities that encourage reciprocity and are imbued with a sense of fairness will go far to solidifying the kind of productive relationships we would like to see among our colleagues and peers, members and volunteers. Those efforts will go a lot farther than shiny brochures and catchy slogans.

Here is the link for those of you who can't see the embedded video.

Benefit Corporation Standards Institute, Inc. Officially Launched

2012-04-09T10:52:00.001-07:00

I am pleased to announce the official launch of a new 501(c)(3) non-profit - the Benefit Corporation Standards Institute, Inc. (BCSI)

I don't know how many of us in the third sector association sphere have been paying close attention to the movement to establish a new corporate structure in the United States known as the benefit corporation. Although businesses of all types have been pursuing goals related to a triple-bottom-line for some time, and sustainability issues aren't new, what is new is the push to put the legal structures in place to foster, promote and protect the development of this "fourth sector" - the socially conscious corporation.

California was the seventh of eight states to see legislation passed and signed into law to support the creation of benefit corporations. I am no fan of the corporation run amok and I am a staunch supporter of our 501(c) community. Combine those two facts with a belief that associations do not need a race to relevance as much as they need a reason for relevance and that explains why I am serving as the first Board Chair of BCSI.

I'm going to cut to the chase here with this blog post. After all of the talking and explaining is over (which I will not be doing THAT much of here on the Association Subculture but will be doing a lot of on the BCSIBlog so please visit and subscribe for updates on this critical association issue) what follows is the most salient point you need to know, (and need to know NOW), as an association executive about the benefit corporation movement.

Benefit corporations are for-profit enterprises that are allowed to also pursue social and environmental improvement goals in addition to pure profit. They are not non-profits. As a condition of maintaining benefit corporation status, those businesses are required to select an independent third-party standard and then publish an annual report that details how they did or did not meet that standard. Associations cannot develop the standards on their own since the legislation prevents organizations with a substantial material and/or financial interest in the adoption of the standards from being the sole developer.

That is where we come in.

We are providing an independent, third-party platform for associations to use to connect with business leaders and stakeholders to participate in the development of next generation standards for those companies (members) who choose to become benefit corporations. Who better to be a player at the table and help develop those standards for this emerging market segment than the associations who have been engaged in standards development for years? Who better to give guidance on the development of standards that can be meaningful, yet practical and easily understood by investors and consumers? Who better to provide leadership, education and training for your member companies/professionals on this new, unique, and competitively advantageous corporate form? That would be you.

We are seeking the following:

Associations who would like to volunteer as a pilot project for standards development.
Associations who are interested in knowing more about this project.
Additional board members who do not have to be located in California, nor have an association background, but who do have a passionate interest in seeing business become more humane and pursue other goals than sheer profitability.

Here is a link to our Facebook Page, our Twitter account, our LinkedIn Group and our Google+ Page. Please like, follow, join and circle :D. Here is a link to our BCSI ScoopIt e-newsletter. Email me directly at shelly@alcornassociates.com for more information or to set up a time to talk. Visit our website, subscribe to the BCSIBlog and get ready to watch us attempt to do everything we can to see businesses and associations fully collaborating on the creation of a more sustainable world and supporting the new fourth-sector economy which we believe will be a key factor to health and economic growth in the 21st century.

So, Turd Blossom is Keynoting for ASAE

2012-04-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

I don't mind stealing bread from the mouths of decadence
But I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled
But it's on the table
The fire is cooking, and they're farming babies while the slaves are working
The blood is on the table and their mouths are choking
But I'm going hungry......Hunger Strike, Temple of the Dog

So, Gina Sutherland, CMP and her volunteer compatriots at CalSAE pulled off another spectacular Elevate conference this year. I want to speak specifically about the opening general session speaker - Larry Smith of Smith Magazine and the Six Word Memoir project. Not only was Larry inspiring and charming, each table got to participate in an exercise where we developed our own six word memoirs. There were two exercises. One a group exercise to develop a six word memoir for association management where we got to chat, get to know each other and create together (our table came up with "Strategic plan done. Still on shelf.") The other exercise provided time for us to reflect in solitude on our own individual six word memoirs (mine was "Blue collar girl. White collar world."). Volunteers collected the individual ones and (in a stroke of pure genius), created a presentation for the closing session where they related how we had created community throughout the previous days at conference through the lens of our six word memoirs which flashed by on the screens.

Cool beans.

That is only one example of how this group intentionally plans to use each general session speaker to inspire and contribute to the creation of community throughout their annual conference. They have been using this approach for years and based on attendance and anecdotal evidence, it's working.

I maintain that if you are booking speakers for a major conference you have two questions to ask yourself. 1) What is the quality of this speakers character/ethics and how will their appearance affect my own reputation? and 2) How does this speaker advance our mission and create community within our members?

And now we, as members of ASAE, are faced with the fact that Karl Rove will appear during the general session at the Annual Conference in Dallas in August 2012. How do we answer those two questions above when Karl Rove is the subject?

I could write for days about my personal feelings about that man and his particular brand of poisonous and dishonest rhetoric but that would be futile. And I'm sure the mother-ship was proud of what it thought was a coup and my vehement disagreement won't get any of us anywhere. Some attendees may be thrilled about it. It could be that I'm wrong, but I won't be in the audience. (And if I am, it probably means there is an Occupy ASAE movement underfoot and you should expect a mic check...consider yourselves warned.).

Before one more day goes by I'd like to point out that Jeff Hurt has done a great job of being mature and scientific with his analysis of the situation and how conflict reduces our ability to learn and connect. Jamie Notter wrote an excellent post about race and politics which asks us to be thoughtful about our political discussions in terms of race (ironic that Mr. Rove just compared his struggle with his super-Pac to the NAACP.). Elizabeth Weaver Engel asked us to put up or shut up with our criticism and I can respect that. (Maybe we hold our own general session about building community? Anybody with me? Bueller?) Joe Gerstandt has an excellent post about conflict and that has bearing in here as well. How we handle this particular discussion among colleagues and friends is important.

But even after all of that good and very sound advice, I still don't feel like being reasonable about this yet. Not after all that is happened due to the direct or indirect involvement of that man in our political sphere.

So, no. I can't feed on the powerless and I'm going hungry and I don't know what else to do this afternoon except turn the stereo up to eleven...... (See Michigan)

Dallas will tell it's own story in August.....

Associations.....Meet Google Glasses

2012-04-05T13:50:00.001-07:00

Associations should take note of Google Glasses.

This is only one of a million examples as to why we feel like we are standing still. While we are still banging our heads on the wall explaining why members need to use social media (which reminds me of the fax machine vs email battle we had in the 1990s), the future is getting up, dusting itself off and running away.

I have no doubt the tech blogs will be roiling with "this is the greatest thing we've ever seen" and "this is the stupidest thing we've ever heard of" and anything and everything in between over the next few weeks.

But just for a moment imagine a member walking down a street and passing another members shop or place of business and immediately getting a member profile blip to make a connection. Or walking up and having the glasses check them into the conference and providing a map to each session room. Or occasionally shooting a fun fact about membership by them on their daily rounds. Or, or, or....!!!!!!

Ah....the future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.....

Here is a link to the video for those who can see the embedded one.

Be a Catalyst for Change - Play April 3 - 5, 2012!

2012-04-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

There is a massive online game starting tomorrow for people looking to generate ideas to end poverty on a global scale.

Learn more at http://www.iftf.org/Catalyze4Change

Register to play here

Is it any wonder that I love the Institute for the Future so much?

Psssst: Pass it on!

The Beauty of Complexity

2012-03-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

Recently I saw this video and could not help but marvel at the sheer, breathtakingly intricate coolness of it, while simultaneously gasping at the unneeded complexity of this machine. It makes me think of all of the things we do and create in our personal and professional lives because we humans get so easily caught up in the beauty of complexity. Complex systems can be gorgeous and the ones you help create and manage can make you feel impossibly smart and artistic.

The question is - how many times do we over-complicate things? What coolness could we devise both at work and at home if we knew how to to choose between simplicity for the sake of function and complexity for the sake of art? Can we use processes born out of simplification or complication to spark creative or innovative ideas?

I tend to default to simplicity having most of the best answers for coping with our contemporary world. But I have to recognize that both simplicity and complexity have the potential to add or detract from our quality of life. I guess the trick is knowing which is most appropriate in any given situation.

Here is the link to the video for those of you who can't see the embedded code.

The Raccoon Principle - Maybe It's You

2012-03-19T13:22:00.003-07:00

Mark and I happen to be fans of original artwork depicting various wildlife. This is a picture of a recent addition to our collection.

I met the artist and he told me the greatest story about a woman he met while he was drawing a similar raccoon picture. Apparently the woman came up to him and asked him why he would waste his artistic talents drawing pictures of such nasty animals. The artist asked why the woman had such a deep dislike of these clever creatures. The woman told him how one time she had found a raccoon in her shed, tried to chase it out and when that didn't work, tried to pick it up and carry it outside. To her dismay the raccoon repaid the favor by trying to bite her. "That," she quite confidently told him, "is why I am convinced they are horrible creatures." The artist thought for a moment, and then re-framed the situation. "So what you are telling me," he said, "is that you cornered a wild animal in a dark, confined space, chased it around for a while, tried to pick it up and then it tried to bite you." "Well," the woman huffed, "when you put it that way, you make it sound like it was my fault!"

I have not forgotten the story and every time I look at the picture, I can't help but bring to mind what I am now calling, The Raccoon Principle.

Our members are trying to bite us. And yes, it might be our fault.

So often we hear association executives and staff lamenting memberships that seem to be "turning on them." And why, why, why is this happening to us! We live for the members! All we do is help the members! Don't they know how much we do for them?!?! What is the problem THIS time!?!??!??!

Now, I am not talking about the steps we sometimes have to take in order to contain the occasional trouble-maker with a truly negative (not innovative) disruptive agenda. There are times when we have to take action and corral a director who has gone berserk, or a chapter that is engaging in activities that could damage the whole.

What I am talking about is the systematic marginalization of members that is happening on a more and more frequent basis. This "dismissal" of member involvement is often done in the name of efficiency, time and money savings or just sheer helpfulness - our best "here-let-the-staff-do-that-for-you" instincts. Who can argue against helpfulness or efficiency?

I agree that in many cases, staff experts can make areas like professional development and conference planning, publications, etc., run much more smoothly and efficiently. I am a big believer that a professional staff can bring a level of quality and polish a typical volunteer will never be able to achieve on their own. However, in our zeal to "help" the members sometimes we try to take on too much. In asserting our professional competence, we have forgotten to give members additional outlets to practice their leadership skills and to exercise their autonomy.

We prepare candidate slates with only one person per position and then wonder why nobody votes. We handpick committee chairs, make individuals feel like those decisions are foregone conclusions and then wonder why nobody serves. We create "collaborative" processes, but then exert a great deal of control over the outcomes leaving members feeling like the whole thing was rigged...(like they were accomplices instead of participants)...and then wonder why they aren't happy with the results.

Then members get bored. Or frustrated. Or worse, they feel trapped. Then they bite. And we claim we don't know what in the world could have brought that on.

It might be the Raccoon Principle. Sometimes, it might be us. Just sayin'.

In Defense of Stormy Leadership

2012-03-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

You are the sunshine, baby, whenever you smile
But I call you stormy, today
All of a sudden that ol' rain is fallin' down
And my world is cloudy and gray
You've gone away.....Stormy, Santana

I just finished reading a blog post on SmartBlog on Leadership called "What Kind of Weather Are You Making."

I have to say, this post tore me in two directions. One half of my brain agrees with the author. Yes, we do have a responsibility to create a positive work environment and to bring our best selves to each situation. As association leaders we know our attitude and the attitudes around us can affect a group in both positive and negative ways. After all, mirror neurons (highlighted in the TEDTalk below) are the roots of empathy and we all have a zillion of them up in our cerebral cortex. Moods are contagious. I get it.

However, the other half of my brain rejects the notion that in order to be an effective leader, you must have a "sunny" disposition. And if you don't have one naturally, then you have to either develop one or get good at "faking it." There is a tendency in this culture to put an emphasis on extroversion and a "positive outlook," as if those two personality traits in combination produce the best leaders.

I also can't help but perceive an unspoken gender bias in these "the best leaders are the sunny ones" lectures whether it is intentional or not. It's the same type of bias that underpins those "helpful hints" to women executives to "be less emotional" in the workplace, or that tries to reduce intelligent, assertive women to a "witchy-but-not-with-a-w" stereotype. (I'm not saying the author intended any gender bias AT ALL in their column, I'm just speaking in general about "leadership lessons" that have been bestowed upon myself and my female counterparts for years.)

Sometimes I think we could use some association leaders who are a bit more on the stormy side. Who are willing and able to shake the foundations. I've been known to bring a storm now and again. I believe there are times when a good storm is necessary and can be used to your advantage. When you decide you won't take something anymore, or draw a line in the sand. When the chips are down, when the situation is serious, a "sunny" leader (in my opinion) can seem patronizing at best, and out of touch at worst.

Were there times when I could have been a better leader and could have been sunnier than I was? Oh sure. There are lots of moments I could have handled better, and maybe "sunny" would have led to a better outcome. But there are also moments when being willing and able to wield a storm led to some of my finest moments, bravest actions and most enduring achievements. Leadership skills are all refined with practice and experience. Moderating, directing and channeling the storm is clearly more effective than letting it rage unchecked. That knowledge came with age and time. But to reduce "best leadership skills" to "being sunny" just doesn't cut it for me.

Sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to be angry, passionate and motivated. Sometimes we need to let ourselves laugh hilariously until we can't breathe. Sometimes we need to get wildly creative, jettison our assumptions, brainstorm new options and harness new winds. And sometimes we need to take a breath, count to ten and maybe keep our mouths shut.

The point is, I would much rather hear less about how we need leaders who are "sunnier" and more about how our leaders need to be more "human." I would much rather work with a grumpy, crackerjack person who gets the job done than a sunny, marshmallow-headed dope.

Of those two, who is likely to make the best leader? You tell me.

Links for those who can't see the videos - TEDTalk and Santana - Stormy (a little 1970's groove for us Gen Xers whose folks had this playing on that big cabinet stereo in the living room)

Associations, Nonprofits and Branding - A New Brand IDEA

2012-03-08T09:21:00.002-08:00

My mind is all abuzz at the moment. I just read the greatest article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review called, "The Role of Brand in the Nonprofit Sector." If you are serious about your association's brand, this is a must read article that includes new research from Harvard University's Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Their main point is, we have been stealing our branding ethos from the for-profit sector, when in fact nonprofits and associations have branding needs that are similar but that are different in some key ways. Our branding methodology needs to be couched in a framework that is familiar but serves our key constituencies. The framework is being called Brand IDEA and stands for brand integrity, brand democracy, brand ethics and brand affinity.

The briefest of explanations are below - please read the entire article to put these smaller bits into the larger context -

Brand INTEGRITY - They are not using the word "integrity" to refer to moral integrity, but structural integrity. The idea is your association brand should not be subject to "internal" and "external" differences but that your internal and external messaging and identity should be fully integrated with your mission. Brand assets should be professional looking and easily available in multiple formats.

Brand DEMOCRACY - Your association's brand should be easily communicable and spread by staff, volunteers, members, stakeholders, etc. In the age of social media, attempting to tightly "control your brand" is impossible. The brand itself should be built to withstand democratic creation of meaning, not dictated by a Communications Manager with a power complex.

Brand ETHICS - This is not "ethics" in a moral sense, but ethics in the sense that your brand should be used to further your mission in every way. This extends to the images you use, the companies you choose to affiliate with and any co-branding efforts you undertake need to be directly born out of your mission.

Brand AFFINITY - Your brand is not a "weapon" to be used in a competitive sense. Branding in the for-profit sector focuses on the "win" vis a vis Coke vs Pepsi. An associations or nonprofits brand is actually a community and coalition building device. Be a good player, be a good citizen. Your brand will speak for itself.

I encourage every association executive out there to read this article. It places association and nonprofit branding in it's own light and reframes some of the "for-profit" branding techniques we have co-opted for ourselves.

What a great brand IDEA. Kudos to the authors, the folks who conducted the studies and who came up with this framework.

I will never look at branding the same way again.

An Association Take on TrendHunters 2012 List

2012-02-15T13:24:00.000-08:00

Love, love, LOVE the TrendHunter.com Top Trends List every year and this year is no different.

We can always pull something relevant into our associations from the world around us. This years trends that I found most relevant for associations are:

Pop Culture Vacations - We all love meetings and events but people are looking for more. Obviously, we can't ask a hotel to redecorate every room for us, but what can we do to make our meetings and conferences more fun for our attendees?

Digital Decor - Oooooh....I have dreamed about hotels putting up digital wallpaper so we can create oceans or other scenes on the walls for maximum visual impact and minimal fuss and muss....and here it is.....Does your conference room in your office need a facelift? Yes, yes it does.

Plastic Rebellion - Yes, your members want authenticity and they are willing to go to great lengths to get it. Isn't it about time to give your dress codes a rest?

Unlabeling - Along with the new minimalism, there is a desire to unlabel. I blog about simplification pretty regularly (in fact, I blogged earlier this week about simplifying your vision statements) but take a look at your logos, websites, brochures and collateral. What can you strip down and make more visually arresting?

Social Business - This is the super-duper best trend. Socially conscious corporate behavior. Associations should be falling all over themselves to get in line to support this movement. It's coming and it's gonna be big.

Which of these trends do you think will most impact associations?

Sad Cat Not Sad - Visions That Matter

2012-02-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

(image from http://icanhascheezburger.com/)

I just got back from facilitating a board retreat with a client of mine in Florida.

One thing we focused on was the vision of the organization and what it should look and sound like.

Look at the above image. According to the internet gnomes who put this meme up, "sad cat is sad." (I think we can all agree, that is one sad cat.) Now think about the messaging from an animal rights organization. Do you think this fictional vision statement helps?

"Our vision is to craft solutions to comfort animals who are in distress, danger or otherwise live in compromised situations. We work together collaboratively with other groups and coalitions who also put the welfare of animals first. Our team focuses on the creation of appropriate goals and metrics that ensure we meet the needs of the animals we serve and achieve outcomes based objectives that will improve their lives. We treat animals with integrity, respect and care and those values will permeate our organization both internally and externally both in our dealings with and our communications to the public."

Instead, what about:

"We envision a world where every cat is happy."

Doesn't every other conceivable thing flow from there?

Admittedly, this is a ridiculous example that I used just to make a point. But on a more serious note, I truly believe association executives, staff and volunteer leaders need to take the time to simplify their reasons for being. It is actually harder to boil these huge vision statements down into one sentence. Nobody who works with this stuff says it is easy. But it is so worth it.

Sad cat not sad. Now THAT is a future worth fighting for......

Susan G. Komen was a Failure at the Board Level

2012-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

As Catherine the Great is credited with saying, "If you can't be a good example, you will just have to be a horrible warning."

That seems like the most appropriate quote for this Susan G. Komen vs Planned Parenthood debacle from this week. Other blogs (like Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog - "The Accidental Rebranding of Komen for the Cure".) have done a great job of documenting what happened and analyzing the ramifications of it.

Here at the Association Subculture, we believe there are important lessons for association executives and boards to learn from this ridiculous display of partisan politics disguised as "concerns about maximizing our funding outcomes."

Seasoned association professionals know this entire episode was a result of failed leadership at the highest levels within the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Here are a few of the takeaways for all executives and board members from the events this week:

Do not abandon your mission. Your donors and members are trusting you and counting on you to use your nonprofit and association resources to achieve a specific mission. Susan G. Komen's board failed to hold themselves and their staff accountable for this clear break from their core mission.

Do not staff a nonpartisan association with partisan hacks. Yes, the association executive is in charge of hiring staff. But the board has an interest in ensuring that if their mission is non-partisan, their staff members should be professional enough to leave their partisan issues behind in pursuit of the mission. Even then, you can't expect to hire a crusader with a clearly partisan record, put them in a position of power on staff and then feign surprise when something goes horribly wrong.

Do not strain the limits of credulity. Susan G. Komen is blaming a policy they have to "not give money to organizations currently under investigation." Plausible? Perhaps. But Planned Parenthood wasn't "under investigation." Planned Parenthood has been the victim of a specific partisan attacks from ideologues with an axe to grind. Don't spin your decisions. If you have an explanation for an action, you have a responsibility to make sure it can pass a smell test. (And if you purposefully craft a policy so that it's vagueness can be used to further your agenda and then try to use that policy as cover, expect that to backfire too.)

Do not lose control of your message. You, as the Susan G. Komen board, may have gotten caught up in a political move that you did not understand. (Quite frankly, you look bad either way - either you did it on purpose or you were unwittingly used as pawns in a larger game.) However, after the story broke you had a responsibility to get your staff to respond appropriately. Instead, they responded like a bunch of ham-handed hacks. You have an executive to fire.

Do not expect a "retraction" to restore trust. Any board can blow it. Much in the same way a 20 year marriage can be utterly derailed by a single sentence, so can the relationship with a long-time member or a donor. You don't get to say, "Sorry..." and expect this to go away. Now people suspect the money they give you is being used to pursue other agendas. You may maintain the marriage, but they won't ever completely trust you again. You have some work to do and a good place to start is clearing out the volunteer leaders and personnel who presided over this fiasco.

One last thought that I have no evidence of but a deep suspicion about -

Do not make deals with the devil. I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I do know how this works. I suspect if we looked closer, we would see funding promises that have been made by partisan interests in return for this attack on Planned Parenthood.

My wish is for boards, volunteers and staff to work together to avoid becoming the next Susan G. Komen.

Catherine the Great had it right....horrible warning indeed.

It Gets Better....Sometimes

2012-01-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

ALL YOU'LL EVER BE IS THE FADING MEMORY OF A BULLY...Shinedown - New Single "Bully" off their upcoming album

Two rants in one week. Not normal for the Subculture but hey, sometimes things must be said.

Yesterday I read how another one of our Sacramento community's beautiful gay teenagers committed suicide over New Years. He had been a victim of bullying during high school and apparently college was proving difficult as well. Today, I went downtown to have lunch with a colleague and discovered three things - 1) there was a huge MLK day rally downtown, 2) the police presence (in a state Capital where rallies are routine) was very unusual in terms of both size and show of force, and 3) ALL of the upscale restaurants were closed for lunch in honor of MLK day.

Notice, I said "lunch." They all had signs in them reminding everyone they would be open for dinner. At 5:00. Door after door. Same signs. Same message. No soup for you.

Coincidence? Am I reading too much into this?

I am aware there is controversy between linking issues regarding gay rights to issues of race. I have some African-American colleagues who tell me the struggle between civil rights based on race and civil rights based on sexual orientation are not the same thing at all. Fine. I don't have all the answers. I don't always get it right. I struggle just like everyone else to understand and try to get around my own biases.

But can we ask ourselves what kind of society still allows persecution based on who people are no matter what the reason? And can we ask ourselves as association professionals what role our association is willing to play in legislative battles on behalf of marginalized populations? How about the medical associations lobbying against bills to try to deny visitation rights? How about teachers associations lobbying to increase penalties or their latitude to deal with bullies on campus? How about getting in the dirt with these "grown up" bullies with their smarmy smiles and parliamentary tricks?

How about making sure your association is highly attuned to issues within the membership? Zero tolerance for jokes around the bar at the reception? Stopping campaign contributions or PAC funds being used to support hateful people even if those people support your issues? Setting up LGBTQ councils or committees? Treating members with respect?

God bless Dan Savage and the It Gets Better campaign. But let's be clear. Young bullies operate with impunity as long as old bullies are still writing the rules and setting horrible examples. The bullying doesn't necessarily stop when you turn 18. Not as long as adult candidates running for major office get to use stripping currently, legally married couples of their marital status as an applause line. Not as long as adult presidential candidates are able to vote against the commemoration of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and still be taken seriously. Not as long as audiences of "grown ups" boo a gay soldier when he questions candidates about their position on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Not as long as adults in public and private institutions declare they should have a right to discriminate against whoever they choose and seek legal remedy to do so. Not as long as a single hospital administrator denies visitation to a partner. Not as long as women are denied reproductive rights because someone else decides to be in charge of a woman's actual, physical body. Not as long as one child is tortured by their idiotic, putridly disgusting classmates for being gay, being of another culture or ethnicity, for being poor, for listening to the "wrong kind of music," for dressing "weird," going to the "wrong" church or whatever the hell else happens to be the reason a bully latches onto.

Not as long as upscale restaurants in a desperately bad recession close their doors to thousands of hungry citizens who may have wanted to stop and have a meal to ostensibly "honor MLK day"...and then turn around and open back up at 5:00 for dinner after downtown clears out.

Stand up. Enough is enough. Do more. Right the wrongs.

No one's gonna cry on the very day you die...you're a bully!

If you like Shinedown here is the link to the video.

When Customer Service Isn't

2012-01-12T09:54:00.000-08:00

"Help me help you!"..... Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire

Sometimes great customer service isn't.

A few days before Christmas, I suddenly remembered that on one of our many shopping trips to Barnes and Noble, one of our daughters had shown the other one a book about a particular TV show and mentioned she thought it was cool. I wish I had remembered this a few weeks before Christmas, but at least I was still within the shopping red zone.

I didn't remember exactly what it was called and I don't watch the show, but I ran over to my computer and found it on Amazon within 30 seconds. I remembered what the book cover looked like and the description sounded right. Then I made a critical decision. Do I buy it right then and there and pay the $15.00 for next day delivery, or do I go to Barnes and Noble because I know I've seen it there and I might be able to put my mitts on it right then and there?

Stupidly, I chose option B.

I rush to the store and begin to search. I'm coming up empty. Every section I try, books are out of order and I'm beginning to get frustrated. I walk over to the customer service area intending to locate the computer kiosk to run a search in the store to locate the book. And then I remember, this is not Borders. They went out of business. The helpful little kiosk I was looking for has never existed at Barnes and Noble. They have chosen to subject the customers to helpful little clerks instead.

I patiently wait in line and approach the desk. The clerk asks me if they can help me. I say, "Yes. I'm looking for a specific title for a Christmas gift and I found it on Amazon earlier today so I know it exists. I know you carry it because I've seen it here before - I just can't find it." With hands poised at the ready, she smiles and says, "No problem, let me look it up for you. What is the title?"

That's when the trouble starts.

You see, twenty years ago I would have written the title and author down and brought it with me. But this isn't twenty years ago. Now, I am immersed in a digital environment and very accustomed to highly intuitive search processes. It occurs to me that I have no idea how to tell the clerk how to help me.

I begin spluttering search terms trying to recreate the search path I had used to get to the book on Amazon not sixty minutes ago. She comes up empty. I mention the name of the television show, the topics the book covered, the one or two words I do remember from the title. Nothing. We are getting nowhere. She cannot help me, because I cannot tell her what I actually need. Finally, in frustration I say, "I know how to find it on Amazon." She loads up Amazon on her computer screen and fingers poised over the keyboard again, asks me what she should search on. At this point, I say, "Please stop helping me. Let me find it." She hands me the keyboard with a look that says, "You are a pain and I wish you would go away."

Sure enough, fifteen seconds later I find what I am looking for. She cuts and pastes the title into her Barnes and Noble system and WA LA - I hear the following sentences, "Oh, yes we do carry that title. (whew) It's in the xyz section. (relief.) But we are out of stock. (grrrr). And the piece de resistance - I can order it for you and it can be available for pick up in a few days." (forehead slap). I weakly smile and say thank you, drive home and order it from Amazon where it shows up on my doorstep 24 hours later.

So let's recap.

A self-sufficient, digitally immersed customer arrives in Barnes and Noble two days before Christmas. They are obviously on the hunt for a gift. They wander through a poorly organized store and paw through shelf after shelf of books. Various sections seem to be organized alphabetically by title, some by author, in what the customer can only assume is an attempt to recreate an "intuitive search process" in a bricks and mortar store. They know for a fact that this title exists on Amazon and it will take them three clicks of a mouse to have it dropped on their doorstep in time to meet their deadline but they are hoping to just buy the damn book today to make sure there are no hiccups in shipping.

A somewhat harried clerk has been trained to provide "better customer service" than a computer kiosk. They welcome the customer warmly and then valiantly and repeatedly attempt to translate the customers relatively unintelligible clues about what they need. They fail. They use a creative and innovative tactic to find the title on a competitors website. Then they STILL can't solve the problem because they don't have the book in stock. Then they offer a helpful, alternative solution meant to solve the problem, with a vague assertion that the book can be in the store, "in a few days."

Fail.

The point is...sometimes great customer service - help me, help you - leads to frustration on both sides. Great customer service doesn't necessarily solve problems, sometimes it actually makes it harder to provide solutions. Your members may not be able to exactly articulate what they need and you may think it's your job to "intuitively help them" figure it out. But these days, there is a line that is only getting bigger between customer service that is helpful, and customer service that is actually an obstacle. Sometimes you have to take your helpful self out of the equation and give your members the tools they need to solve their issues themselves.

And Barnes and Noble? Install some freaking computer kiosks for your customers who are losing the ability to clearly articulate what they are searching for but can find it themselves in 30 seconds or less. Either that, or risk becoming the latest casualty in the booksellers market. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Here is the link to the movie clip for those of you who can't see the embedded code - Help me, help you....

DIY - "Makes Me Think Of" Creativity Exercise

2012-01-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, you DIYers out there....One thing we know we need to do and we don't do enough are simple creativity exercises.

Here's one I've picked up along the way and it's really simple. I didn't invent it and I'm not sure who did. This can be used when you are stuck, when you feel like consciously daydreaming, or as an ice-breaker exercise with boards, committees or staff....

Pick a word. Any word. It could be something simple like any noun "cloud" or "car" or something like "membership" or "workshops." Put three to five minutes on a timer. I tend to like three minutes but five minutes can give you some extra depths to examine.

Then write the word and "makes me think of" and then quickly write whatever comes next to your mind. It can be another word, a term or a short story about something in your past or present. Then write "makes me think of" and do it again. For example, "Clouds" which makes me think of "sky" which makes me think of "planes" which makes me think about "visiting my grandparents in Arkansas," which makes me think of.......well, you get the picture...

When the timer buzzes, finish your last thought and then look at the last thought as compared to the first one....how close are they? How far away are they? What can you learn about yourself from the way your brain works? Did you see something new you can use? Did something surprise you? Does the word/term chain show you something you had forgotten? Something that bears reexamining?

Have some fun being creative this week.....let your words lead you to places you didn't know you could go...or back to places maybe you wish you hadn't left.....

Times Like These - My 5 Terms for 2012

2012-01-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

it's times like these you learn to live again
it's times like these you give and give again
it's times like these you learn to love again
it's times like these time and time again.....Foo Fighters, Times Like These

So my year end ritual is complete. Even though today is still technically a holiday, I feel like 2012 is officially underway and now it's time to reveal the 5 Terms for 2012 that will be front and center at Alcorn Associates Management Consulting this year. (By the way - I was so happy to see 5 Terms for 2012 posts from Lowell Aplebaum, Kiki L'Italien, Nikki Jeske and Jay Daughtry, etc. You all rock!)

Appreciative Inquiry - This is a holdover from 2011 and really constitutes one of the cornerstones of the consulting I do with associations. So, it stays. There is nothing better than helping associations make key decisions and take concrete action from a strengths based perspective. (I am getting ready to release the results and the commentary from the AI project I did last year so stay tuned.....)

DIY - In 2011, I used "Edupunk" but edupunk is really a subset of a bigger trend which is DIY (do it yourself). I've been a DIY enthusiast, supporter and co-conspirator for much of my life. Remember when we were younger? Making cassette tapes to sell at gigs on a four-track in the garage? Haunting Kinkos after work to crank out 'zines? Hammering friends who worked at public access cable so you could do a show a'la Wayne's World? Well, yeah. There are tons of DIYers out here just dying to create stuff. Now we have more tools than ever with YouTube, podcasts, self-publishing, education and the like. Really, associations have always been about DIY. Let's name it and claim it and capitalize on the DIY theme running through our culture. Your members actually WANT to create stuff, not just consume stuff.

Democracy - I continue to be personally and professionally disturbed by the assaults on democracy coming from both within and without. I blogged about my significant distress over the United States Supreme Court decision in Citizens United and why associations should care about it last year. I'm livid over voter suppression efforts and again, think associations should actively engage in voter registration efforts now more than ever. I was shocked and dismayed to read a leading book coming out of ASAE promoting the idea of severely limiting boards (with participants who may not even be members) and the notion of stripping committee chairs away from volunteers and handing them to staff. Yes, democracy is messy. Yes, democracy takes time. Yes, democracy requires compromise. But associations serve as an important training ground for the citizenry of the United States. I'm not saying we wouldn't benefit from more training, more streamlined and flexible policies and more sophisticated governing techniques. But if given the choice, I will opt for a messy democracy over an efficient dictatorship every time.

Superstructure - I believe it's time for associations to begin to collaborate on a massive scale. We have the technology now to build a superstructure over the association community that will, for the first time, make us scalable. We should all continually be on the lookout for and a part of creating opportunities for small associations to leverage their power in a more cohesive environment. As a community we should search for more opportunities for associations to develop a clear social identity in the larger global context.

Zeitgeist - I had a lot of luck last year with this concept and so now it will take a seat as one of the official 5 in 2012. I continue to believe that in an interconnected world, we no longer have the luxury of sitting back and naval gazing about membership and non-dues revenue. I'm sick of WIFM and I believe we can change mindsets to WIFU instead. I believe there are key themes running through the cultural zeitgest that we can't afford to ignore. If it's pop culture to technology to gamification to economics to workforce development to globalization to new corporate structures we have to actively get in the game.

So, those are the five drivers for me this year and they are now up on my wall over my computer screen and on my whiteboard. I will use them as guideposts to help me sift through content, curate and create content and streamline my messaging. I will seek out books, professional development opportunities and the like to help me hone in on the tools and techniques I need to have at my disposal to effectively implement some of my plans. And I will also use those terms to inspire my projects and other things I choose to engage in over the year.

So yeah, it's times like these that make us learn to live again....let's see what 2012 has in store.....

Here's the link to the Foo Fighters - Times Like These for those who can see the embedded video.

Five Terms for 2012

2011-12-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

I am Santa Claus!!!! Santa Iron Man Parody

I am pretty sure this is the final post for this year. (I'm leaving myself a little room to maneuver there. You never know when inspiration might strike.)

I'd like to sincerely thank all of our clients, colleagues and friends who made this such a successful year for Alcorn Associates. Mark and I are really so very appreciative for your business, referrals and support.

As we close out this year, I 'd like to share an exercise with you that I did last year and am planning to do again because I found it really effective. Maybe you will too.

At the end of 2010, I found myself very overwhelmed with the barrage of content I was swimming in and the sheer volume of strategic objectives that I was trying to sort through for my portion of our consulting practice. Just like most of us in the association sphere I suffer from two syndromes - routinely underestimating how much I can really do while simultaneously suffering from my own charming (?!?!) brand of ADD (forever defined by Sandra Giarde, CAE as Squirrel!). While sometimes these qualities can be strengths in terms of finding initiative and/or passion, the combination of the two can be deadly to forward momentum without some consistent, conscious reining in.

I used the time between Christmas and January 1 to focus on where I wanted to concentrate my efforts in 2011. Beyond the "one word" or "three word" themes that I've tried in the past (which seemed kind of limiting), I laid out five words/terms that I wanted to concentrate in on 2011 - appreciative inquiry, change, edupunk, systems thinking and promotion.

I put these five words on the wall over my computer desk and repeated them like a mantra. I used them to guide project work, to select which professional development opportunities I would sign up for and to guide my content curation efforts. Best of all, those words sparked the "Association Executives: Provocative Proposals for Change" interview project, and were the underpinnings for the successful bid to be included in the "Edupunks Guide to a DIY Credential." They were also quite useful in terms of forcing me to reallocate my online time. I was able to develop a much better balance between being a content consumer/broadcaster and a producer.

So, I will spend my time between now and New Years figuring out my "5 Terms for 2012." I'm feeling the need for some updating. I'd love it if some of you would join me in this effort. Maybe our words will overlap and complement each other and maybe there will be opportunities for us to help each other in our journeys. Let me know what your five words are and I will share what I came up with in my first post in 2012.

Take care and celebrate the holiday season in whatever fashion suits you best!

Here is the link to the Iron Man parody - I am Santa Claus for those who can't see the embedded video. I can't believe this has been out here for four years already and I've just seen it. Ah, the Internet has such comedic treasures buried within it.

Book Review - Humanize by Maddie Grant and Jamie Notter

2011-12-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the desert of the real. Morpheus - The Matrix
(This is a book review of Humanize - How People-Centric Organizations Succeed in a Social World. Just so you know, I wasn't asked to write it and received no type of compensation for doing so. The Association Subculture Blog does not accept author pitches and only writes about books we dig.)

The Short of It

Buy this book.

The Long of It

Authors Maddie Grant and Jamie Notter have hit upon what is becoming the central question of our age - how can we be more human in the workplace. (And please - lacing it with Matrix references is catnip for nerds like myself. Finding the clips for this post wasted my entire morning and I'm heading to my DVD shelf after this post to get at the real deal.)

Frankly, I consume a lot of books during the year. I've read some great books this year, some mediocre ones and thrown a few turkeys on the scrap heap. Humanize is one of only three books that has earned a spot on my "re-read" list (and three is more "re-reads" than usual). The author's combined talents take us out of the out of the realm of the "is social media something we should do" (baffling to still hear that question) and pushes us into a new organizational world where trust, openness, generative action and courageous disposition reign. They offer hope to those of us who believed the cubicle-haunting manage-o-bots of the past had won.

The best part? They are clearly a part of our association management world but this book breaks away from the "association-centric" language we are all used to and is applicable to any organization - for-profit, non-profit or governmental. Kudos to them for breaking out of our orbit and spanning the gap to our other structural cousins. Hopefully they will still remember us when they hit the big time.

There are plenty of great, detailed reviews already out there so here are the top five sentences that resonated here at the Association Subculture the most.

"Each of us is part of several networks, and while the individual relationships are important, there is a quality of our relationship with the network as a whole that also requires attention and its own set of knowledge and skills."

Well said. In this section on Generative Behavior: Relationship Building Maddie and Jamie draw a distinction between interpersonal relationships and network relationships. Most of us are aware of the challenges inherent in navigating interpersonal relationships but it is important to realize the networks we are in are now interactive as well. Associations are beginning to realize this siloed, exclusively member focused ice floe they are stranded themselves on is drifting out to sea.

"Being courageous starts by admitting you don't know and is completed by taking bold and confident action."

What an insightful point. We have a false narrative in this country that courage is reserved for the few and is not accessible to the many. The minute you admit you don't know or you aren't sure, and you decide to act anyway - that is courage. It starts with one word, "Yes."

"Answers (and data) should be the beginning of the conversation, not the end."

Hear, hear! Yes, good data is important. Yes, big data is the next frontier. Yes, quantitative and qualitative data is critical to creating understanding. I regularly pursue appreciative inquiry research projects with associations because the data we get is so powerful. However, we have become data obsessed and in some cases outright paralyzed over the past few years. For the association community, I put some of the blame squarely on the "7 Measures of Success" book. I really don't believe Jim Collins would be thrilled with the "data-driven-strategies" monsters that were created in the wake of that book. We routinely misuse the medium.

"Freeing your mind means you are not willing to be constrained by the conventional wisdom, best practices and dogma of current organizational life."

Jamie and Maddie aren't being idealistic with this statement. They freely admit they are not talking about extreme freedom that is unconstrained by realities such as legal requirements, financial obligations and the like. They are talking about putting everything else that is not "essential and required" on the table. It takes skill and discipline to continually reinvent your world. To make smart choices about what to keep and what to discard. To mold and shape versus plan and execute. As humans, status quo is still a powerful drive. However, preserving the status quo has become the heroin of the corporate structure and it's time to break the cycle of addiction.

"We choose to move forward into a truly human way of organizations - not back to simpler times before technology."

Wow. This statement challenges the most primitive impulse we have - to yearn for the idealized yesteryear that never really existed. Humans have raised nostalgia to an art form. The problem with the "good old days" is they were never that good to begin with. The industrialized age treated human beings like cogs in the big wheel machine. People were interchangeable, like parts. Our entire language around management is mechanized. Why yearn for those good-old-days-that-weren't when right in front of you we have the ability to create something better than we've ever had before?

So, I tip my hat to Jamie and Maddie. You two have really hit on something here and I am a believer. I can't wait to see what's next.

Ah, yes Neo. You made the right choice. The red pill was the only way to go. Here is the scene where Morpheus offers Neo the choice....and here is an explanation about what the Matrix is.

Is Facebook Stealing Something Important From Us?

2011-12-13T10:39:00.000-08:00

she says, leave me alone
tonight i just wanna stay home
she fills the pot with water and she drops in the bone
she says, i've got a darkness that i have to feed
i got a sadness that grows up around like a weed and
i'm not hurting anyone
i'm just spiraling in and then
she closes her eyes and hears the song begin again....Ani DiFranco, Jukebox

I am really not trying to be a bummer here, but I think we need to ask ourselves a question. Is Facebook stealing an important question from us? Is Facebook stealing the phrase, "How are you?" from our vocabulary?

I have been wrestling with this one for a few weeks now. Like all of us, I have just as many personal dramas as the next person. Illness, death, accidents, disappointments, etc. I tend to vacillate wildly between intensely private and ridiculously open. I have both clients and friends liberally mixed together in all my social media sites and no matter how many lists and circles I deal with, there is always some overlap that I can't get past.

Most of the time, I don't post exactly what is happening with me. I notice you all do the same. Chipper notices about travel or recipes, dogs and cats and kids is certainly more socially palatable than, "I cried my way through decorating my Christmas tree this year."

My fear is, social media gives us the illusion that we know what is going on in someone else's life. We really have gotten good at promoting the professional personas we have adopted, and we know what the rules used to be for "appropriate for the workplace." But social media is changing the equation. We are getting the idea that social media can actually give us emotional support. But getting that emotional support back from the system requires a radical transparency and openness that some of us aren't comfortable with yet. I'm not comfortable with it in my face to face personal life - some people have the whole story, some have half the story and others have none. What I wonder about is how we have created this expectation that Facebook is a window into our personal lives, when really it's only a window into what we choose to share. Maybe Facebook isn't telling us the whole story. But we think it is. And so, we stop asking, "How are you," because we think we already know the answer.

The past few months have been particularly challenging for me personally. But I find myself posting things on Facebook and Twitter just like normal. Links to articles, blogs, stuff you would normally see. One day, I kind of lost it a little bit and posted on Twitter that I needed a minute because I was having a bad week. That was my way of saying, "Things are not okay here." Stephanie Reeves, God love her, reached out and gave me a little encouragement. And when I got that Tweet, I realized it was what I had been desperately needing and had been unable to ask for. Support.

A few days later, I was looking at my Facebook feed. Nobody would ever know what is really happening with me by reading it. It seemed so false, even to me. Like I didn't even recognize myself. I seemed like a stranger. So I decided to post on Facebook that we had lost a friend of ours in a house fire. That was what my "needing a minute" Tweet was all about - I had just heard the news. But I wrestled with that Facebook post. Will people think I am looking for sympathy? Will people think I'm just being dramatic? Isn't this harsh to see in the middle of dogs dressed as Santa and hey-can't-wait-to-see-my-family-over-the-holidays messages?

Finally, I decided there was really no way around it. It seems like it's up to us to tell because nobody seems to ask anymore. I almost felt compelled to post just so people would stop laboring under the false impression that everything is fine with me. I am still unconvinced that everyone needs to know all the details of my personal life or my moods but I have rededicated myself to making sure I keep asking the question, "How are you?" to my friends and colleagues. I might not get the full answer, but at least I've given someone the opportunity to say, "Not good....I wish things were better...." I will be watching more carefully for people who post frequently yet suddenly disappear. I will be watching more carefully for subtle hints and clues that might indicate someone is reaching out for support, but isn't comfortable with telling the entire story yet.

I imagine I will continue to wrestle with the line between public and private. I am no closer to the answer now than I was three weeks ago. I haven't embraced the idea that everyone needs to know everything all of the time. However, I did feel less lonely when I was able to share. And that felt good.

All I know for sure we just can't assume everyone is fine based on what we see in social media. We have to remember to genuinely ask, "How are you?" and listen to the answer. I believe our friends, business associates and members will appreciate us for it.

Here is the link to Ani DiFranco and a live version of Jukebox for those of you who can't see the embedded

video code.

Trampoline Strategy

2011-12-05T14:01:00.001-08:00

In all seriousness folks, I needed a laugh today and of course, YouTube had one ready for me.

Doesn't this feel familiar? This video just seems to sum up the process of innovation for me. Tussling. Discovery. Experimentation. Naysayers. Dismissal. But....let's face it, sometimes you just have to keep jumping no matter who doesn't want you to.....

Here's hoping you find a way to be inspired by a new discovery this week.....

Here's the link for those of you who can't see the embedded video - Foxes Jumping on Trampoline

Big Vision in a Big Country

2011-11-29T09:12:00.001-08:00

So take that look out of here, it doesn't fit you
Because it's happened doesn't mean you've been discarded
Pull your head off the floor, come up screaming
Cry out for everything you think you may have wanted
I thought pain and truth were things that really mattered
But you can't stay here when every single hope you had shattered....In A Big Country, Big Country

I had the best talk with Midori Connolly a week ago or so. She's one to follow if you don't already. She has big visions for the future of associations as well as meetings and events. Refreshing and fun and a joy to talk to. Also, loved Elizabeth Engel's guest post - Dare to Think Big on Affiniscape's blog.

Later, I ran across a comment questioning whether thinking big was even appropriate any more. After all, we can't plan for longer than 2 years at a time so isn't 20 year vision irrelevant? It feels very smart and edgy to claim no allegiance to big vision. Vision is so old-fashioned. The cool kids believe in "real time adjustment," quick, nimble, opportunistic, entrepreneurial action. To them, big vision is a waste of time - all the smart people don't believe in it anymore.

I reject that line of thinking.

It seems that all we talk about anymore is "strategic planning." Yes, planning cycles are shorter - no doubt. I believe the most effective strategic plans don't look farther than 18 to 24 month cycles. And all of those things I mentioned - quick, nimble, entrepreneurial, etc., are excellent strategies and tactics to use - but only when in pursuit of big vision. I believe a strategic plan, linked to nothing but short term revenues, is a ticket to irrelevance.

We should be talking about "big vision," not as something we "can't see because we can't see the future" but as a "future we can play a role in creating." Why are we allowing others to create our futures for us? Somehow we are allowing ourselves to be convinced that big vision doesn't matter any more. That fighting for big ideas is an impractical waste of time. That creating big vision is irrelevant with the rate of change that is upon us. I make no apologies for continually pursuing big vision and for wanting to work with associations who believe in it too.

I submit to you that in a world that is subsumed with small thinking, with moving from crisis to crisis, with shock doctrine ethos, with making short term bets instead of investments in a longer term future that associations have an obligation, a duty and a right to substitute this addiction to the short term with devotion to the long term instead. Something people can rally around. Something that makes you gulp a little bit. Something that makes people in your industry or profession stop in wonder at your audacity and your daring. Something that actually makes the world better for all of us, not just our members and their narrow interests.

It's time to get beyond the balance sheet, pull your head up off the floor and come up screaming. Screaming for something just and fair. For something inspirational and hopeful. Something that will fill your souls and not just your reserves. Stop the mindless pursuit of money and start talking about why your existence makes the world a better place for everyone. Why everyone in your industry or profession should get out of bed and be proud of what they do, whether members of yours or not. How you make a real difference in people's lives and, more importantly, how you intend to keep making a difference in the years to come.

It's not arrogant to believe in big vision. It isn't a sign of hubris, or denial or stupidity. It's a sign of a deeply held belief that this can't possibly be all there is. In the final analysis, our dreams of a better, more equitable, more just future are the only things that stand between us and cultural suicide.

In a big country, dreams stay with you...like a lover's voice fires the mountainside.....

Stay alive.....