One of my great pleasures is reading. I am in the midst of a fantastic biography about one of my personal heroes, James Baldwin. In the picture above he is approximately 24, when he first went to Paris. The book I am reading is by David Leeming, who served as Baldwin’s secretary for awhile and […]
Documenting the strategic plan is the sixth step in my 7-step framework for association strategy. How you record and deliver the strategic plan is up to your organization. Infographics, PowerPoint presentations, booklets, and one-sheets are all great ways to share your association’s vision and goals. The most critical part of the documentation is to be
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I am just getting around to watching The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension. It came out in 1984. It was a flop, but achieved cult status when it was released on video cassette. It may not seem like much to you, but as a fan of interdimensional science fiction, it was remiss
Regular communication with the board throughout the strategic planning process is important, particularly when ambiguous or contentious issues arise. There should be no surprises along the way. However, the board meeting that takes place near the end of the planning process could be the most important piece to the creation of your strategic plan. This
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My canine companion, Sita, was hurt in a conflict with an unknown animal in our backyard two weeks ago. She came into the house with deep lacerations on her front and back leg. She is okay now, after a trip to the emergency room, a ton of antibiotics and some time spent inside the infamous
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You’ve gathered member and market intelligence. The obstacles and opportunities facing your association have been identified? What’s next? Assessing your organization’s capabilities, step four in my 7-step framework to association strategy. Does your association have the skills and resources to tackle the opportunities and challenges facing it? Do you have what it takes? Assessing your
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Wu wei is a concept that comes from taoism, and literally translated it means action through non-action. This is often interpreted to mean doing by not doing anything. This interpretation reminds me of managing people, which I did for many years at the World Bank. When there was a minor issue, a manager’s first course
Gathering member and market intelligence – steps one and two in my 7-step framework for association strategy will yield candidates for the 3rd step: identifying opportunities and challenges. A challenge is any obstacle that your organization will face on its path to growth. An opportunity is a favorable condition or significant achievement in line with
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Writing today from up in the sky on my way to Orlando from Chicago. As fortune would have it I am in the midst of 15 days of back-to-back engagements, mostly at home in the DC area, but also in the two cities mentioned above plus Las Vegas. Consulting, as a colleague says, is lumpy.
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While gathering member intelligence is the second step in my 7-step Framework for Association Strategy, it should be a continuous process. Keeping your finger on the pulse of the most important people in your organization is integral to success. I have identified five groups of association members: Board of Directors Informal Influential Leaders Members at
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