I read with keen interest a recent study published in the McKinsey newsletter entitled, “The State of Organizations 2023: Ten Shifts Transforming Organizations” by Patrick Guggenberger, Dana Maor, Michael Park and Patrick Simon. Out of the ten most significant shifts facing organizations today outlined in the study, six could resonate with associations: 1. Efficiency reloaded. More… Read More Associations and the current shifts transforming organizations

I was researching on association governance and saw this 2019 American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) publication “Recruit the Right Board” by Mark Engle, FASAE, CAE and William Brown. The publication was based on the results of the ASAE Foundation’s “Board Member Competencies and Selection” study aimed at helping association executives and leaders refine or… Read More Competencies of effective boards

In my last post here, I wrote about a formula on member engagement: “Engagement equals Value plus Experience.” It came from Amanda Lea Kaiser, author of the new book, “Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating Thriving Member Communities.” Here are additional thoughts which I adapted from Amanda’s recent webinar and the articles on her website:… Read More The ‘Secret Sauce’ of member engagement: Part Two

In the membership lifecycle framework, member engagement is in between member recruitment and member retention. For me, it’s the most challenging task of an association professional. If you imagine the work (and challenges) involved in the membership aspect of association management to be that of a diamond-shaped figure, then member engagement will be at the… Read More The ‘Secret Sauce’ of member engagement: Part One

I read an article by Abdo Riani, a senior contributor at Forbes.com, entitled “11 Quotes from Great Philosophers Useful for Startup Founders” from where I have adapted the following five quotes that associations can relate with: 1. “He who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how.”—Friedrich Nietzsche Associations are built around… Read More Motivational quotes for associations to ponder on

The expression “to a T” means something exactly right or perfect. So when someone describes you “to a T,” it means it’s the best representation of yourself. I’ve been trying to make an account of what traits an association leader must possess that fit “to a T.” Based on my interaction with fellow association executives… Read More An Association Leader’s Traits ‘To a T’

The term “kitchen cabinet” originated in politics, referring to a group of unofficial or private advisers to a political leader. Nowadays, it’s used to describe a network of trusted friends and associates whom you reach out to anytime for advice, guidance and opportunities. This was the premise of the “Building your Kitchen Cabinet: Developing Your… Read More Building your ‘kitchen cabinet’

It was early Monday morning last week when I received the sad news that long-time friend and work associate, Atty. Alberto “Bert” Reyno, has passed away. Bert succumbed to lung cancer and its complications. He was 72. I’ve known Bert for decades, starting when we were colleagues at the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).… Read More Atty. Bert Reyno: Association Legal Eagle

I was researching on strategic transformation and found this article from Emeritus, an organization that specializes in making accessible and affordable high-quality education by collaborating with top-tier universities worldwide. The article, “Everything You Need to Know About Strategic Transformation,” provided me with a simple definition and context, together with a separate case study by Prof.… Read More Strategic Transformation: Playing to Win

In a recent webinar organized by BoardPro entitled “How to Get your Board On-board and Aligned,” I gained insights on building an effective working board from Lisa Cook, founder and managing director of Get on Board Australia, an Australian board management software provider and board portal. Liza presented a three-step framework, “I AM” which stands… Read More Getting the Board Onboard and Aligned