We are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic; association leaders are undoubtedly going through challenging and unpredictable times. As an association leader, you are dealing with cancelled association events, a postponed AGM, new online platforms for board meetings, events, and webinars, and you are working harder than ever [...]
Annual General Meeting (AGM) season is underway for associations with a fiscal year end of December 31. The purpose of these mandatory meetings is for the board of directors and management to share reports, financials and updates and to allow members of the association to ask questions and share [...]
An association’s reputation comes from the work of the association board of directors and its various committees. These groups are mostly responsible for ongoing the policies of an association. But the unsung heroes of the behind-the-scenes progression of an association are its task forces. What is a Task Force? [...]
A lot of thought and energy goes into preparing the agenda for an association’s board of directors meeting. However, without proper planning and structure, a strong board can easily lose track of priorities throughout the meeting. Planning an agenda and ensuring that board members arrive prepared is equally about [...]
Delegating tasks to both association volunteers and staff is a primary role of association leaders. Considering that delegation is integral in the day-to-day work in associations, can we then assume that association leaders are good at it? The answer is, not necessarily. Delegation is not a skill that most [...]
We live in a fast-paced world where things change at a rate that our brains struggle to keep up with. Technology is the big driver behind the speed at which society is changing. How does your association deal with the rate of change and how do you incorporate innovative [...]
Whether you are the Chair of an association board of directors, or the chief staff officer (Executive Director), facilitating tough conversations at the board level isn’t always easy. The best way to handle tough conversations is through open and transparent dialogue and, whenever possible, by arranging face to face [...]
For many associations, board turnover is perpetual. This can be great for an association but can also be disruptive. It is important to be prepared for a new group of volunteers and to empower them to use their capabilities to perform to the best of their ability, ultimately resulting [...]
Every industry has trends that affect the future of the industry and its stakeholders. In association management it is very important to stay on top of trends and to implement change to the association while having little disruption. How do trends positively influence associations and why is it so [...]
We’ve all heard the expression “Jack or Jill of all trades”. When it comes to leadership in the association management world, this expression couldn’t be more relevant. Association leadership takes many forms. There are many traits that association leaders need to possess if they are going to succeed. Indeed, [...]
