Interesting Place To Find Information

I always find it interesting where I find information that I can relate to associations.  I was recently skimming through the October 2011 issue of The Costco Connection when a headline caught my eye:  Five Trends Shaping the Future of Work.  Of course, my first thought was about my own work, but when I read the five major trends as outlined by Dr. Bob Nelson, president of Nelson Motivation Inc. (www.nelson-motivation.com), I began to think about their relevance to associations.

1.       The Growing Shortage of Skilled Workers.
The reference here was not to a labor shortage, but stressed that there will be (according to current demographic trends) a shortage of skilled workers. This will impact associations whose membership is based on skill or training.  Does this mean that associations should be promoting educational opportunities so that individuals can become skilled? How about more student chapters or scholarships to become a skilled worker? Are there opportunities for associations right now to address this issue before it leads to a decline in membership for these associations? Remember that this change affects staff as well (thanks to Valerie Fries Wade, MM, CAE for the reminder!) This might mean that we need to offer staff more frequent "smaller" promotions or recognitions.

 

2.       The Rise of the Millennials.Who are Millennials? Millennials are generally defined as those born between 1980 and 2000.  What makes them of particular interest to associations? Their size (90 million prospective workers) and how they are motivated.  Millennials are ethnically and racially diverse according to PEW RESEARCH, and they expect work to be a part of their life, but not the defining factor. Some studies also indicate that they will change jobs/professions more frequently. They expect meaning from their work, but are not necessarily willing to “pay their dues.” Associations need to find ways to engage them early and keep them engaged if they want them to remain members.  The 8 or 10 year track to become the President of the association might seem too long to them.

 

3.       The Rise of the Temp.With the uncertainty of the economy and the rising cost of employee benefits, companies are looking for alternative ways to meet work demands while keeping a watchful eye on the bottom line.  According to Dr. Nelson, there are “22 million companies that do not have a payroll.”  He also identifies a shift from “lifetime employment” to “lifetime employability.”  How will associations respond to this changing dynamic?  If a member is paying their own dues versus their employer paying the dues, the return on investment will have to be shown to the individual. Should an association offer a payment plan for dues or conference fees? Concerning professional development offered by an association or the association annual conference, what happens to attendance if the member has to take vacation or personal time to attend?

 

4.       The Evolving Role of Virtual Employees.Flex time, telecommuting, job sharing – we all have heard these terms, and some of us are even doing it right now.  Thanks to technology, there are many options that can be used in order to get the work done.  But when we are not around co-workers, do we become less connected, less invested in that company? And is that alright if we become connected in other ways, for instance, on a social network or with our association? This presents a challenge to the employer, but also an opportunity for associations to provide a place to connect with others in a profession or industry or involved with a cause.  How about offering a new membership type for the remote member so they can attend webinars and other professional offerings? Associations need to stay alert to the technology affecting their members and potential members, and to be ready to address those changes.

 

5.       The Globalization of the Labor Market.Companies are utilizing workers from around the globe.  For associations, this globalization presents many challenges. Among the first ones that come to mind: language differences, time zone differences, ability to get information to the member in a timely fashion (do we mail it, fax it, email it), differences in legal requirements, and many more.  Can one association offer enough to meet the needs of all the members around the world?

I definitely have raised more questions than answers – but isn’t it better to think of these issues before they become an issue for your association? Whether you are reading a magazine, watching a television news show, or listening to the radio, you can always learn something that can help make you a better association professional – just be alert to the opportunities around you!

Thanks for reading my blog – I appreciate any and all comments and suggestions. You can reach me at lchreno@marketinggeneral.com, @lindachreno, or 510.352.8197. Feel free to tweet, forward, or share this post.

YES - There IS a Membership Gene!

I read Tony Rosell's post Membership Marketing Blog: Is There a Membership Gene? and he shares several great quotes about membership.  I just wanted to provide a couple more and to provide a bit more information about associations and nonprofits.

Another quote from Alexis deToqueville in Democracy in America, 1835:

"Americans of all ages, conditions, and dispositions constantly form associations....not only commercial and manufacturing companies, but associations for 1000 others kinds...religious, serious, futile, general or restricted, enormous or diminutive...they use them to found seminaries, build inns, construct churches..."

President Herbert Hoover, considered the father of the modern trade association movement, said this in a 1927 report to the Department of Commerce:

"In the field of scientific and economic research, in statistics, in simplification and standardization of commodities, in the promotion of arbitration in commercial disputes, in development of foreign trade, and in scores of other directions, trade associations have made a valuable contribution to our economic process."

President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908:

"Every man owes a part of his time and money to the business or industry in which he is engaged.  No man has a moral right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere."

A bit more information worth considering:

• At the turn of the 20th century, there were only 100 national and regional associations in the US*;
• By 1920 the Commerce Department identified about 2,000 associations*;
• According to ASAE's website, in 2004, there were an estimated 86,054 trade and professional associations. These organizations include local, state, regional, national and international associations. A number of these are independently incorporated chapters or allied organizations of larger associations. Add to that an estimated 1,010,365 philanthropic or charitable organizations and you begin to get an idea of the scope of the non-profit community nationwide.
•  A study by Johns Hopkins University found that nonprofit organizations are a $1.1 trillion industry worldwide, employing more than 19 million full-time personnel.*

In America, 9 out of 10 belong to at least 1 association, with 4 out of 10 belonging to 4 or more associations.*  YES, I definitely believe the membership gene is in us!

*Information from Robert C. Harris, CAE, Tallahassee, Florida.

Back In California - Time Zone Readjustment in Progress

In my new position with Marketing General, Inc., I am going to be traveling more as well as trying to connect with colleagues in different time zones.  I totally understand the reason for time zones, but with the advent of all this social media and 24/7 availability, I have to determine the best way to handle time zones.  I scheduled several meetings while I was in DC last week, and my "calendar" did not always adjust to the time changes. This, of course, created a few hiccups in my meetings.  But everyone was understanding. So now, when I place a meeting on my calendar - I place in the title what time and time zone for the meeting.  And if I use my calendar program to invite someone, hopefully this will help them as well.


I began thinking about how this affects associations and their members.  Do we consider where the committee members are when we schedule a meeting? How about the staff - especially if there are remote staff members as part of the meeting. This can also be impacted by their travel since members also travel.  Using doodle.com or another scheduling program can help determine the best time for the meeting.


Beyond just the scheduling of the meetings, when we send materials to the attendees, do we consider when they will receive it? Does that matter?  If I am on a committee and there is something that I need to review for the meeting, and it comes into my inbox at 8 pm at night in my time zone  for a meeting at 9 am the next morning, I doubt that I will be able to review it. Do we give our meeting attendees sufficient time for review? I realize that there are issues that come up and that, sometimes, late delivery of material is inevitable - but if it becomes routine, aren't we sending a message to the volunteers that we don't care about them? Volunteers are a precious commodity for any association or nonprofit - we need to consider their needs and best interests as we engage them in the work of the association.


PS If you need a copy of the 2011 MGI Benchmarking Report, click here.  And let me know if you have any questions - or if you have questions you want included in future surveys! Just send them to me at Linda (lchreno@marketinggeneral.com)