I was one of four panelists in the International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) recently-held webinar, “Global insights from Association Leaders—Change to Succeed.” I represented the Asia-Pacific region in my capacity as president of the Asia-Pacific Federation of Association Organizations (APFAO) and founder and CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE).… Read More DSRO–From defense to offense during times of disruption

It is tough enough to manage an association in normal times, balancing limited resources with varying members’ needs. But it is toughest when you’re operating in a pandemic that is lingering, ever-evolving and with many uncertainties. It’s definitely the worst nightmare that an association executive could ever have! In my 29 years leading an international… Read More 4 ‘Ps’: Pathways to a turnaround

WFH or work from home was initially used as an abbreviation in digital communication to notify colleagues that someone will be working from home instead of reporting to a physical place of business. WFH suddenly came into our consciousness because of lockdowns imposed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. WFH is part of… Read More WFH for associations? The pros and cons

One of the webinars I attended recently was on “How to Increase Innovation & Engagement,” which is part of the Leaders in Lockdown series organized by Team Building Asia. The main speaker was Natalie Turner, innovator speaker and author of Yes, You Can Innovate. Driven by innovation and entrepreneurship, Natalie invented the “6 ‘I’s®,” an innovative methodology applied… Read More Innovation framework for associations

One of the webinars I attended recently was on How to Manage Association Communications during COVID-19 of the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE). Presenters Felicity Zadro and Debbie Bradley shared tips on how best an association can deal with the pandemic through courses of action at each stage of the “3Rs”—response, recovery and rebuilding.… Read More Association’s crisis toolkit in ‘3R’ stages

My work as an association executive entails that I have to continuously learn and be updated on association governance and management topics and trends. As such, I join a number of international societies of association professionals. With my membership comes a lot of educational and certification resources to tap. I also subscribe to various e-newsletters… Read More Association virtual events: The ‘new normal’?

In my July 19, 2019 post, I wrote about the “Two Leadership Roles in Associations” under a board-management-delineated association governance model: that of the Board, represented by a volunteer chairman (or president), and that of the paid professional head of management or secretariat (CEO, executive secretary or secretary general). The delineation of roles under this… Read More Association leadership in a pandemic