#assnchat

Are sharks circling your member base, eyeing bites for their next meal? Even if your association is trapped in a sea of competition, you can change course and sail toward possibility. Sharon Rice, .orgSource Managing Director of Business Strategy, is our expert for guiding associations through tough markets. At .orgCommunity’s Innovation Summit, Sharon explored how Blue Ocean Strategy can help…

The associations that thrive will be the ones that stop asking what members should value and start understanding what they actually need.  For decades, associations had a fairly reliable value equation.  Members joined for access. Access to information. Access to professional networks. Access to credentials, conferences, publications, advocacy, and expertise they could not easily find…

By now, most association leaders know AI matters.  That is no longer the question.  The real question is this: what are you actually going to do about it?  Because right now, many organizations are stuck in one of two places.  They are either cautiously circling the topic, waiting for more clarity, more examples, more certainty. Or they are jumping into tools without a clear strategy, hoping…

Many leaders hesitate before bringing in outside support.  They worry it will look like weakness. They worry it will signal that the team is not capable. They worry it will raise questions about planning, priorities, or budget discipline.  That hesitation is real.  But here is the bigger risk.  Waiting too long to bring in support when your organization is already stretched thin can cost far…

Why your tech investments won’t matter if your mindset is stuck in 2009  You can buy every tool on the market. You can implement the best AMS, CRM, LMS, CMS—and throw in a chatbot, too. But if your culture is still operating like it’s 2009? None of it will matter.  Let’s be honest. Digital transformation isn’t failing in associations because of bad tech. It’s failing because we’ve made culture…

Reflections on digital transformation, leadership, and what comes next for associations  I’ve spent the last 25 years standing at the edge of what’s next. When many association executives were still wondering if the internet was a fad, I was already helping organizations rethink how digital tools could transform member relationships.   When cloud computing emerged, I was leading conversations…

Another board meeting. Another strategic planning session. Another list of 27 “must-win” initiatives.  Sound familiar?  You’re not alone.  In fact, one of the biggest barriers to progress in associations isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s too many priorities competing for limited attention, resources, and time.  When everything is a priority… nothing actually gets done.  Strategy Should Give You…

What worked five years ago isn’t broken. It’s just irrelevant.  Too many associations are still pouring energy into programs and engagement strategies that no longer resonate. Why? Because they’re basing decisions on assumptions—about what members want, how they engage, and what drives value.  But here’s the problem: Your members are changing faster than you are.  Are You…