Blog
The “Roughly Right” Strategy
Humans love certainty. And we love to plan and decide and strategize when we are certain about the facts, the future and our assumptions. But what about decision making in times of uncertainty? The reality is there is no such thing as 100% certainty. In order to make...
Guest Blog: Don’t Burn the Furniture, Please.
by Dave Bergeson, Ph.D., CAE Vice President of Client Relations Association Management Center It would be cliché and perhaps too obvious to say that for nonprofits and associations, this year is unlike any other. And yet, here we are. Most of our in-person conferences...
Guest Blog: Strategic Resilience
by Dave Coffaro President Franklin Roosevelt is credited with saying a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. As optimistic as this tough times don’t last, but tough people do sentiment is, it doesn’t diminish the fact that many a sailor experiences acute queasiness...
Your North Star
What’s your North Star? It’s a question I’ve asked clients repeatedly over the last several months—and one I plan to continue asking. Polaris—the North Star—represents direction and purpose and finding one’s way. And finding a way is the work that so many association...
You Have a Choice
My friend, Joy Duling, Founder/CEO of The Joy of Membership, writes with clarity about the choices organizations have today as a result of COVID-19. Joy’s company helps membership-based organizations reach goals faster through membership experience design, process...
Your “Next Normal” – What I’m suggesting right now …
It’s day 64 of sheltering in place for me. During this time, I’ve talked to many association professionals, presented several webinars to help develop solid go-forward strategies, and collected a variety of resources (which is available here). As a result of this...
Let’s Talk About Grief
My first association job was working for an international organization of funeral homes. My job included producing materials that members could buy for the families they served. “After the Loss” was a booklet I wrote about grief. I found a copy recently when I was...
Collaboration is the New Currency
You’ve probably heard me say, "Collaboration is the new currency." It’s how associations go further, faster. It’s how they extend their reach and influence. And it’s how they can gain momentum for initiatives that would take longer as a solo effort. Recently, diverse...
Guest Blog: Fiduciary Duties Are Not Hats
by Dave Bergeson Ph.D., CAE One of the time-honored traditions in working with association Boards is that at some time, someone will say something like this: “Now, remember, today at this meeting I expect everyone will wear their [Association Acronym] hats.” More...