We Have Always Done It That Way
One of the highlights of the Boston meeting (ASAE and the Center for Association Leadership) for me was picking up my copy of We Have Always Done It That Way: 101 Things About Associations We Must Change. This is a must read for all association professionals. It was written by five association bloggers who I very much respect, even when I don't always agree with them. Jeff De Cagna, David Gammel, Jamie Notter, Mickie Rops and Amy Smith bill themselves as "Five Independent Thinkers" and I don't know anyone who could argue that point.
They collectively take on almost every sacred cow in the association community and challenge us to reconsider our conventional thinking. From strategic planning to budgeting to performance evaluations, they ask us to examine how and why we go about these annual tasks and what we get from them at the end of the day.
The other good book to emerge from the Boston conference is 7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don't. Based on the research techniques of Jim Collins and under his mentorship, a task force of volunteers at ASAE and the Center compared matched pairs of good and great associations to reach these seven measures that separate the two groups:
- A Customer Service Culture
- Alignment of Products and Services with Mission
- Data-Driven Strategies
- Dialogue and Engagement (with Constituents/Members)
- CEO as a Broker of Ideas
- Organizational Adaptability
- Alliance Building
While the 7 Measures book has the data to back up its claims, I feel that the WHADITW book has more value for most association staff members (and volunteers for that matter). Plus, 7 Measures versus 101 Things...it's a "no brainer."
Ben Martin and I recorded a podcast about both books and other impressions of the meeting earlier this week. I will produce a link as soon as it comes out of post-production.
Tags: We Have Always Done It That Way 7 Measures of Success ASAE Jim Collins Jeff De Cagna Jamie Notter David Gammel Mickie Rops Amy Smith
Comments