This is the fifth in a series on Association culture, its role, how it is shaped, and how it can be changed.
by John M. Bernard
What creates a willingness for Association culture change? So much has been written about change management. However, during my 30+ years doing this work I have discovered the primary lever to successful change, especially cultural change. Understanding that lever doesn’t mean Association culture change comes easily, but it does significantly increase the chance of success.
The primary lever to successful Association culture change is that the change makes sense to people.
In my experience, the reason our Association management system drives culture change is not mysterious. In fact, the management system works because the underlying premise rings true in people’s heads and hearts.
What is is true about the Association management system are the following beliefs:
Every human being has gifts, interests, and passions
Every employee wants to be in service to some effort or cause bigger than themselves
Leaders must respect what people have to offer and effectively put it to work to create winning organizations
This set of beliefs — in the value of each and every human being — is what breathes energy and excitement into the Associations that choose to work with us.
Change They Believe In
As you look at Association culture change, understanding that people will embrace change they believe in, establishes the test for the success of any change effort.
Once people understand that their Association leaders authentically share in beliefs such as those mentioned above — and genuinely want to bring them to life — they cannot help but respond supportively.
Change is never easy, but it is much easier when it is good and when it is right.
What creates a willingness for Association culture change?
I’ll close with one thought, one that has become very clear to me as Mass Ingenuity grows. We as a company have to be diligent about preserving our foundational beliefs in the inherent good of people. As we grow, this is sacred ground for us, ground which we must protect because it is the foundation of our success.
Next week I’ll share some thinking on the ways on organization’s culture can hamper change.
On their first day,new Association CEO’s realize they are months away from making final decisions or presenting recommendations to their Board of Directors. Most of what they need to get their arms around is identified in a thorough Association wide assessment. It’s a challenging and critical task. Done well, the new Leader can establish firm footing with their stakeholders, and launch their Association on a path of satisfaction and unheralded revenue and membership growth.
CEO’s who worked through this experience understand this process can be either a game maker or a game breaker. There is ample evidence supporting the connection between record performance and a well executed Assessment process.
Know What You Don’t Know
In any transition the Board of Directors expects a complete review of the Association. Consequently the new CEO should be prepared to aggressively pursue a thorough Assessment as much as they did their job. Some call the process ripping the bark off the tree while others view this initiative as peeling back the layers of an onion.
Utilizing the three step process, Data Driven Strategies, Core Connections and Member Engagement process, new CEO’s can inventory key gaps and include these and recommendations in a board presentation. It’s important to engage the staff team as much as possible throughout the process. Transitions by nature are disruptive; involving staff does help maintain good morale.
1. Data Driven Strategies – Measure the actual impact the association has in real time, and take extra steps to obtain business intelligence. Soon enough it will help align the association’s strategies to member’s “pain point” issues.
Action Steps: Confirm veracity of the Association’s financial standing including cash flow and cash balances. Confer with the Auditors, review at least three years’ worth of audits. Conduct a market competitiveness assessment, define member pain points, review existing contracts, and confirm there are no pending or threatened or legal action against the Association. Become familiar with governance issues as quickly as possible.
2. Core Connections – Determine to what extent the Association is positioned to help member companies achieve their business objectives.
Action Steps: Review staffing structure, annual budget, advocacy agenda, products and services, website, social media strategy, position descriptions and performance objectives. These all must mirror “pain point” issues, those that don’t can be included in a board action plan.
3.Member Engagement – A new CEO must identify whether or not member company executives view participation as impactful. Why? Securing the member revenue base is critical, steps must be taken to understand if members feel engaged with their Association.
Action Steps: Review participation data at all programs and conferences from all member companies. Large Trade Associations should assess participation from their largest dues payingmembers. The data may reveal significant gaps that must be addressed.
Association Assessments: Critical for New CEO
With a completed Assessment, new CEO’s are prepared to share recommendations with their Board of Directors for feedback and approval. Board leaders appreciate the candor. A forward looking vision that engages members, achieves member satisfaction, and delivers durable revenue growth is a win for the new Chief Executive.
While the temptation to take more immediate action is tempting, a thorough assessment will help new Executives build growth focused Association (see blog post http://bit.ly/17838wi). The process may take three to six months to complete, CEO’s will not regret time and effort invested. It’s better to “identify the good, the bad and the ugly up front” says Paul T. Stalknecht, President and CEO, Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA).
Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (CREFC) CEO Steve Renna completed an exhaustive assessment process. Experiencing double digit revenue growth and growing conference attendance confirms how important it is for a new CEO to learn as much as possible before moving forward(see blog post http://bit.ly/117oxC3).
New CEO’s please note: In an era of ongoing uncertainty, top to bottom assessments of can position you and your Association for revenue and membership growth.
Association Executives can rely on their Strategic Plans to direct strategy, staffing and budget investment year over year. The document is developed on a foundation of data driven strategies, core connections and member engagement. Taken together these elements can assist Association’s achieve their mission, satisfy members and sponsors and attract non members to join. While there may be no certain way to success, the Strategic Plan is a likely starting point.
Governance
Based on recent history, CEO’s experience greater boardroom participation than ever. The great recession compelled Board members and leaders to play an increasing role as fiduciaries. For CEO’s this can be welcome news, after all Board Leaders want to solve problems and they’re willing to roll up their sleeves and do whatever possible to help their Associations achieve success.
It’s a perfect time to join forces, collaborate and achieve the win-win that makes an Association durable, relevant and successful.
Seeds of Association Growth
CEO’s can develop a performance dashboard, match it with the strategic plan and develop a priority list of possible solutions to engage the Board of Directors. This level of transparency will breed trust and display the level of leadership they expect in uncertain times.
Understandably Strategic Plans in a number of cases are out of date, this creates an even bigger opportunity:
Data Driven Strategies – Survey the membership, include non members and sponsors. Organize an internal marketing committee and conduct a competitive intelligence exercise. Develop themes and match them with current strategies and investments.
Core Connections – The updated dataset will help Associations reconnect or establish an even closer connection with their members business objectives.
Member Engagement – Data and participation metrics could either reassure Associations or cause them to transform their culture once again. Members want to know they are having impact on policy direction, otherwise they invest their time somewhere else.
Throughout this effort Associations are planting the seeds of growth, because data driven strategies, core connections and member engagement are key to member satisfaction and long term revenue growth.
Make Revenue Growth Possible
CEO’s can now deliver to their Board an action plan based on actionable data and member business concerns. They’ll know they had a hand in repositioning their Association. By all means suggest quarterly progress updates, reinforce the partnership achieved in the process to keep them engaged.
It’s now a good time to ask for their help, however the request should focus on Pain Point Initiatives identified in the Strategic Planning Process:
Deploy member recruitment campaigns – Your requests must reflect the Association’s policy agenda and require just a few minutes of the Board Member’s time. Show how the new revenue helps the Association achieve objectives outlined in the updated Strategic Plan.
Invite participation on at-risk member strategies – As Board participants they know the value provided to members and can be very helpful.
In these and other cases where you engage the Board, express appreciation and report the outcome. Tally the successes and then acknowledge the individuals who were helpful.
Seeds of Association Growth Inside Strategic Plan
One CEO utilized this approach to realize a new revenue stream and grow membership. In another case a CEO doubled sponsor sales. Planting the seeds of Association growth in ground fertilized with data driven strategies, core connections and member engagement works.
It’s useful to leverage every approach available to drive member and sponsor satisfaction while Association’s achieve revenue growth. While boards hold CEO’s accountable, Board and CEO success or failure are inextricably linked. In baseball terms we know this approach “as stepping into the pitch.” Today CEO’s should step up to the plate and swing away.
This is the fourth in a series on Association culture, its role, how it is shaped, and how it can be changed.
Can Association cultures change quickly?
Association Culture is changed when expectations and roles are changed. This is especially applicable to the role decision-making plays in a culture.
For example, if a team is having problems meeting expected work output, and an employee has an idea for how to solve that problem, in a hierarchical culture the team would not be able to make any changes without discussing it with their manager first. And their manager may need to discuss it with her manager. This cultural norm significantly slows down decisions and hampers (if not prevents) solving the problem even when viable solutions exist.
When you slow down decision making an unintended consequence is that you reduce the number of decisions that are made.
If we want to better meet members’ unique needs, we need to alter processes, roles and routines and move decision-making down. In fact, to do this we must alter aspects of our Association’s management system. A management system is an Association’s underlying approach to setting priorities, communicating expectations, monitoring performance, and making adjustments to resources to achieve outcomes. The Association’s management system communicates beliefs and defines expected behaviors — and when we alter those two things we redefine important cultural dimensions.
Association Management System
Every Association has a management system, even if it does not call it that. So whether the system is loosely structured or completely unconscious, a management system communicates culture through the expectations it sets (or does not set) and the behaviors it expects (or does not expect).
Most experts agree that you cannot change culture by simply declaring a new set of behaviors or values as the new norm. Instead, my experience has been that the most effective way to change culture is to change the management system. When you do that you change the routines and the roles. That shift then creates a shift in what’s normal, and that begins shaping new cultural norms. All this, of course, takes time.
Now Management System
One of the best methods for changing expectations through the Now Management System® is created by effectively designed and well-run quarterly business reviews. For example, when measures are in place for a team, and those measures are in “red” or “yellow” at the time of the business review, the team is then expected to report on their progress in using our 7-Step Problem Solving process (or whatever process improvement methodology the Association has selected) to turn that measure to “green.” This quarterly business review routine communicates clear ownership of the problem, the expectation of transparent and focused action, and use of the organization’s methodology for improvement.
Bottom line is that these business reviews create a new pattern of behavior, and that behavior will alter cultural norms as it redefines processes, routines, and roles.
Can resetting expectations and changing culture be done quickly? Of course it takes time and focus to build the system, create sustainable new routines, and teach people their new roles and behaviors, especially regarding problem solving and decision-making. However, in our experience there are certain techniques and best practices that speed the process of cultural change and move decision-making down to the front line.
Can Association cultures change quickly?
“You can see the culture shifting from one quarterly review to the next,” is a sentiment we often hear from leaders. “Our people are learning it’s safe to show that there are problems.”
Coming Up Next: What creates a willingness for culture change at Associations? Next week I’ll share some thinking I have been doing on that topic.
While the road to success differs from one Association to another Data Driven Strategies, Core Connections and Member Engagement are critical to success. How these are applied are a different story. The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) led by Paul T. Stalknecht, President and CEO, www.acca.org, are entrepreneurs and a mirror image of their members. Member focus and risk taking swelled their membership ranks from 2,000 to almost 4,000. The story doesn’t end there either as ACCA revenues have growth by some 272% during Stalknecht’s twelve year tenure.
Building a Foundation
Similar to many new CEO’s, Stalknecht conducted an extensive due diligence process. Upon his arrival he actively and aggressively asked key questions to learn as much as possible, separating the information into three distinct categories: Administrative issues, Membership marketing and Governance. Over an intensive six month process, he spoke with staff, members and his board to gain a full understanding of all of the issues facing the Association.
Stalknecht assimilated all of the information into a power point document. The extensive report outlined areas of concern and clear action steps that ACCA should take in order to move the Association forward. Receiving Board support, he built a foundation which delivered almost 10 consecutive years of profitability.
Entrepreneurial Culture
Throughout the conversation, it’s easy for an observer to note Stalknecht’s self awareness. Openly he acknowledges his weaknesses before his strengths. However, he demonstrates how an effective leader leverages his skill gaps as opportunities to recruit high performing executives to help him build a high performing Association.
His passion about hiring the best people available would over time prove to be one of two game changing decisions for ACCA. Interestingly enough, the three Senior Vice President’s he hired from the beginning of his CEO service are still on staff at the Association.
Mickey Mantle Approach
Regardless of Baseball Team allegiance, what is compelling is how Stalknecht encourages risk taking. With margins of error narrow, he encourages his team to use a data driven strategies and feedback mechanisms to pursue new product or service ideas for the membership. The explosive revenue growth shows how taking a good hard swing at the pitch could pay off in the long run.
Core Connections
Core Connections means Associations position themselves as strategic partners helping member, prospect and sponsor companies achieve their business objectives. That is especially the case at ACCA. Their revenue streams, staff structure and capability are all connected to helping their market place achieve its business objectives. An integral part of this Association’s culture is listening.
Mapping to Core Connections
With annual revenues approaching $7 million, ACCA delivers income from three areas: Membership dues, Products and Training and their Meetings and Corporate Partner Program. Sitting atop of a diverse revenue streams is both necessary and advantageous. The membership, comprised of small company entrepreneurs, experienced considerable turnover which impacts the Association’s retention. Recognizing this early on, Stalknecht and his team made key adjustments.
Game Changers
Prior to his arrival at ACCA Stalknecht observed the lack of a full time research and engineering staff. Building a highly skilled team the Association delivers leading standards and certification in printed materials and online training programs for the entire HVAC industry. Approximately one third of revenues emanate from their educational training and products area.
A critical shift during the great recession turned out to the “grand slam” ACCA needed. A Sponsorship program was newly defined as a Corporate Partner program. Companies now had an opportunity to invest in ACCA’s groundbreaking education and training programs and it’s advocacy mission. Company ROI is now realized all year long and at the annual convention. What was once a revenue stream of $140,000 well surpasses $1 million.
Tracking and Accountability
Stalknecht emphasizes the importance of accountability and measuring progress. Each day he views a cash flow report and profit and loss performance to make sure bottom line performance is meeting or exceeding his high expectations.
CEO Doubles Association Membership
Data Driven Strategies, Core Connections and Member Engagement are all part of CEO Paul Stalknecht’s leadership toolbox. What matters most to Stalknecht and his team is delivering the best possible ROI to his members and the HVAC community. Few would question a Team of entrepreneurs whose Manager applauds his team as they circle the bases year after year.
Member Engagement and Culture Grow Association Revenues
The key to consistent retention and revenue growth performance is engagement. However the path to engagement is only achieved when Associations have the right culture. Taken together, member engagement and Association culture hold the key to revenue growth.
Yes, member engagement reassures CEO’s and Senior Managers that their value proposition is strong. At the same time, members need to see that their participation matters, that they will be heard and that their membership and sponsorship is more than an annual payment. Associations require the right culture, the best possible dynamic to consistently attract members and sponsors to policy committee meetings and annual conferences.
Unlocking the Path for Associations
Although Core Connections are crucial to Association growth, in and of themselves they are not enough. Maintaining member interest and attracting new members and sponsors has as much to do with engagement and culture as it does anything else.
As you’re reading this post, odds are this is likely one of hundreds of posts, tweets and e mail messages you view during a given workday. In a connected global economy racing to achieve quarterly and annual earnings objectives is the norm. Certainly executives are under stress yet they need solutions. What becomes most important is setting the stage so executives see Associations as the critical solution.
Associations as a Third place between Work and Home
Many consumers enjoy that large Venti Starbucks cup of coffee to start the day. How many other stores in the U.S. or overseas have we seen or heard have the same long lines? It’s not just the morning rush either; during the day the tables are full, people are working away on their computers and friends and neighbors are catching up on their lives. In the evening people will meet and wind down, recap their day, have a treat, prepare for tomorrow.
The key to success for Starbucks? Making their stores a third place between work and home remains Howard Schultz’s passion. As Chairman, CEO and Founder of a global enterprise he created a sense of community, a place where people could go to establish that human connection. The Starbucks enterprise, despite fierce competition, remains a mainstay because their stores are a third place between work and home.
The Starbucks example is powerful yet simple. It starts with a cup of coffee but it is the human connection and sense of community that can make an Association a third place between work and home.
Member Engagement and Culture Grow Association Revenues
Recent posts on the Potomac Core Blog reflect innovation and double digit revenue growth at several Associations. Interestingly enough, member engagement is off the charts but each culture has the human connection and community focus. Revenue growth never happens on its own. It especially requires a community element with a strong human connection.As we’re thinking through the right strategies, let’s begin member engagement and Association culture. In addition to the dramatic success examples from the Business and Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC) and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), there are others that also report similar success. Utilizing this approach, one Association saw annual conference attendance, revenue and sponsor growth double in a two year time frame.
The tactical focus on Pain Points and Core Connections are essential to execute sales and growth strategies. These alone won’t motivate member engagement; a sense of community in a hyper competitive world engages and attracts members, sponsors and prospects. The end results will be sustained and durable revenue growth for Associations.
This is the third in a series on organizational culture, its role, how it is shaped, and how it can be changed.
Why should Association CEO’s worry about their culture?
CEO’s are the primary individuals who can effectively alter culture, and that responsibility can loom large.
In the work we do with our customers, the most common driver of change is the reality that keeping up with today’s fast-paced world isn’t easy. Associations feel the enormous pressure of a now-oriented world. The members of our Associations that want good service and they want it now.
So, the reality of our fast-paced world demands that Associations continually adapt and improve everything they do every day. The key point is that in order to meet the unique needs of today’s members and to ensure a great member experience, Associations need to be much more responsive.
Association CEO’s Support Culture Change
In order to be more responsive to member needs, significantly more decisions need to be quickly made every day. CEO’s can see where this is going: to succeed we need a culture that supports more effective decision makers. This ambitious, yet worthy goal can only occur if CEO’s shape their culture to support the goal.
In practical reality this requires we move real decision-making authority into the hands of those who are doing the work – employees. Of course this does not mean all decisions. However, the decisions that directly impact the member experience need to be made by the people who are directly accountable for a great member experience.
Huge Association Culture Shift Required
Yet, many Associations, maybe even most, operate from a hierarchical management foundation. This requires that decisions travel up and then down the chain of command. That takes time, and in this day and age, it takes too much time to enable a great member experience. Therefore, for most Associations, the opportunity to adopt a responsive culture demands a huge shift.
Why should Association CEO’s worry about their culture?
Members’ demand for speed and great service is driving many CEO’s to realize that they must change their culture to prosper. For most Associations the change demanded by our now-oriented world challenges the rock upon which they were built – the shared assumptions about “who decides?”
What makes an Association’s culture shift quickly? Some thoughts on that next week.
3 Strategies CEO’s Use to Double Association Revenue
No surprises at end of the first quarter 2013.Political gridlock looms over Washington, DC, a tough and competitive environment for U.S. companies exists and Associations still face an uncertain environment. Regardless, some Associations formulate consistent paths to double digit growth. As remarkable as it sounds, these Associations are well ahead of the curve.
With 75% of the calendar year remaining, Association CEO’s can look to real time examples they can apply to quickly reverse their fortunes and deliver strong membership and revenue growth.
3 Strategies CEO’s Use to Double Association Revenue:
1. Data Driven Strategies
Association Strategy Consultant and Potomac Core Blog Contributor Steve Lane, Vertical Leap Consulting www.verticalleapconsulting.comidentifies these as “member up at night issues.” Rightly so, these are the issues that matter most to the companies paying dues to Associations. This focus also helps Associations measure the impact they have in real time. Relentless identification of key driver issues is a key characteristic of Associations who drive double digit growth.
Tino Mantella, President and CEO, Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) www.tagonline.orgutilizes an annual Decision Maker Study (see blog post http://bit.ly/1n1RP0Z) . The Data confirms value delivered and uncovers new opportunities to address members concerns. It provides actionable intelligence helping to shape programs and activities throughout the year. Success seems to breed more success for TAG. At a time when Associations struggle to clear the 5% growth threshold, Mantella and his high performing team delivered 600% growth from $500,000 in 2004 to $3.4 million in 2012.
2. Core Connections
Data Driven Strategies builds out a data dashboard of member, prospect and even sponsor “pain points,” including the impact Associations have in real time. Associations apply the pain point data to link programs, products and service execution to member business objectives. Core Connections means Associations position themselves as strategic partners helping member, prospect and sponsor companies achieve their business objectives.
As Associations reinforce Core Connections, they provide the necessary level of impetus to engage and satisfy members, and recruit new members and sponsors. These are the connections that help Associations reflect and effectively serve their communities.
For NIRI President and CEO Jeff Morgan, www.niri.org,Core Connections were key as they helped his Association establish uniqueness and enhance its competitive position (see blog post http://bit.ly/10prZJo). Morgan’s strong 17% non U.S. membership growth performance (over three years) confirms that the connection to member business objectives has impact.
3. Member Engagement
Member engagement is a crucial ingredient, Associations who have doubled growth are effective because they have cultures that link their members, staff and board. They transformed their cultures from “we/they” to “We.” For Gregory Casey, President and CEO, BIPACwww.bipac.net/bipac, almost every day is an act of engagement (see blog post http://bit.ly/ZFU6jx). At his organization, helping his members achieve their policy objectives is a passion as much as it is the mission. For ten years, Casey’s relentless member engagement and execution of customized policy solutions has distinguished BIPAC. Over the last ten years Casey’s BIPAC achieved double digit growth.
3 Strategies CEO’s Use to Double Association Revenue
Data Driven Strategies, Core Connections and Member Engagement. Associations that utilize these strategies to connect to their members, prospects and sponsors do deliver ROI and achieve double digit growth, which isn’t an easy task in today’s rough and tumble environment. Portrayed in the movie “Without Limits, Steve “Pre” Prefontaine, (an American middle and long-distance runner who competed in the 1972 Olympics) quipped to his Coach Bill Bowerman “…when you set the pace you control the race.” Setting an impressive pace, Associations too can control the race and achieve double digit growth.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz once said “Vision is what you call it when others can’t see what you see.” It’s just the opposite at the Global Cold Chain Alliance, www.gcca.orgwhere, incoming CEO Corey Rosenbusch is building a team of believers. From the Board of Directors to members and staff, Rosenbusch is developing a compelling game plan to satisfy members and double revenues.
Focused Global Alliance
The Global Cold Chain Alliance was originally founded by current President and CEO Bill Hudson. Building a unique, and aligned focus, Hudson has constructed a global powerhouse to serve the food storage and transportation industry. Services expanded from its origin of Research and Science to include: training, business development and Advocacy today.
Under the GCCA umbrella sits a group of three Associations and a Foundation: International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses, International Association of Refrigerated Transportation, International Association of Cold Storage Construction and the World Food Logistics Organization.
Financially solid, the $5.8 million entity with retention nearing 90% is poised for international expansion and revenue growth. When Corey Rosenbusch assumes the helm in 2014, his sights are on GCCA achieving double its current revenue in a five year window.
Mission Focus to Double Revenue
Rosenbusch brings leadership management, with a food industry and agricultural and international background to GCCA. His disciplined and determined focus however is on leveraging the focus of the Association’s mission to double revenue. Whether its opening new markets for his industry, developing new training products, or enhancing issue or regulatory capacity, Rosenbusch has a Core Focus.
Like many successful Associations, GCCA and its incoming CEO maintain a laser focus on maintaining or accelerating connections to the core. In each aspect of his plan, Rosenbusch links current, planned or future offerings to how his industry grows revenues and achieves its business objectives.
A critical part of the Association’s Core is relationships and knowing what really impacts their members’ bottom line.
Data Driven Strategies
For an Association with members doing business in 67 countries, Rosenbusch focuses his organization with data and metrics. The GCCA dashboard includes a concentrated member focus on their key interests and business priorities as well as their participation and engagement. Satisfaction is a high priority, so much so they plan to score member activity in the Association Management Database.
Benchmarking and profitability of his members and GCCA will also be part of the incoming CEO’s dataset.
Alignment to Double Revenue
For Rosenbusch, the Core Focus is in the strategic plan. In order to double revenue, his plan includes a performance management strategy connecting the strategic plan, GCCA’s values and specific objectives.
Challenges and Consolidation
Being prospective in his outlook, Rosenbusch recognizes the shifts within his industry. Once dominated by family owned companies, the once stable sector, experienced a wave of acquisitions. Private Equity Groups recognized the sectors asset strength and now own a considerable percentage of the food storage and transportation industry. As a result, GCCA divides its member service focus 2 ways to satisfy the needs of both segments of membership.
Strong relationships with the industry matter, but for the Private Equity owner ROI must remain visible. Implementing a nimble approach, products and services address needs for both segments of the membership.
The current dues structure is under review, as it’s a concern for Rosenbusch. As companies increase food storage space, member dues decrease. The Association derives almost 60% of its revenues from dues and an internal team is developing a solution.
Unique Opportunities
Despite challenges, Rosenbusch envisions opportunities for GCCA to grow revenues and extend its global reach.
One area of opportunity rests in the Association’s Core Focus, helping the members secure international grants from, among others, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Grants totaling $1million help the industry establish a beachhead in emerging and developing markets. Once companies are operational, GCCA is in place to provide support. According to Rosenbusch he and his team will monetize the success of these efforts.
“Let’s Double Association Revenue in 5 Years”
Successful Associations innovate as quickly as the global business cycle changes. For the Global Cold Chain Alliance’s Corey Rosenbusch, the road ahead contains both challenges and opportunities. Regardless, GCCA’s incoming CEO and his team are embracing the future as they reach for the stars.
Change Culture, Deliver Value and Grow Associations
Every Association needs to add more member value, and, they want to grow revenues. However, they first need to change their culture. Why? Culture is the predominant determining factor that sets the stage for Association growth. If the Association’s culture doesn’t buy the change in focus, it won’t happen.
Culture is the Leverage Point at an Association
If a CEO want to shake things up and make some changes, success will be governed by the Association’s culture. In other words, culture is a shared set of beliefs, values, and assumptions that drive how people in organizations behave – because the people in the Association have come to believe that is what works.
Over the years, I have witnessed or participated in many attempts to change Association cultures. The only approach I have seen that works consistently is when the senior management team changes the underlying system of management, and then supports that action by modeling a new set of behaviors.
Implement a Management System at Associations
“Management system” is a new idea, and it is not something often taught to leaders or even a term many use. A change in the management system is enabled by a conscious shift in behaviors by senior management.
An Association’s management system includes all the processes, routines and roles associated with:
Setting direction
Defining accountability
Getting work done
Checking in on progress and results
Adjusting resources and actions in response to results
Solving problems
Acknowledging success
Make It An Association Growth Management System
An effective Association growth management system makes clear how things work, what is expected of people, and what actions are taken when things get off track.
Accountability and transparency are the foundations of great management, but these values come to life when surrounded with functional expectations rather than lofty ideals.
Change Culture, Deliver Value and Grow Associations
If Associations want to make significant shifts in culture, they must first change their management system. And CEO’s and Senior Managers have to model the way to an Association where delivering value and driving growth define the culture.
About the Author: John M. Bernard. Passionate about employee engagement and the elimination of fear. Author of BUSINESS AT THE SPEED OF NOW and Contributor at Potomac Core Consulting’s Blog www.potomaccore.com.
As you look at Association culture change, understanding that people will embrace change they believe in, establishes the test for the success of any change effort.
