Career Development – What Mentoring Can Do For You

Mentoring is often defined as a professional relationship where one person (i.e. – the mentor) helps another person (i.e. the mentee) with professional and personal growth.  They work together to develop specific skills and knowledge that will help enhance the mentees career (within their current role, or preparing for future career paths).

What we have found to-date with the Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter of CSAE’s mentor program is that mentors and mentees are learning from each other – while the mentee benefits from the experience and knowledge of their mentor; the mentor in turn is learning from the mentee just as much – in many cases about technology, new, “fresh” ideas for marketing and communications, and how an employee in a junior position at an association perceives an operational structure.

For the purposes of this article, we have interviewed a series of association executives; all who have participated in the local program in years past.  Some have agreed to speak publically about their experience, others preferred to remain anonymous, but all provided feedback that could and should be shared with the chapter.

The interviews were conducted without specific questions in mind; it was a conversation with each individual to hear from them specifically what they felt was beneficial from participating in the program.

“Working in an association with a very small staff set, it was important to me that I found someone who was in a similar situation as I was, who either currently is, or has, ‘lived what I was living’.  We could exchange ideas, operational experiences, and listen to each other’s ideas”, says Robin Jackson, Executive Director of the Canadian Federation of University Women.

“I must admit, I wasn’t sure it was going to work out with my match, and frankly, neither did she”, says Sangita Kamblé, Executive Director of the Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation.  “We were too much alike, and frankly, we were not sure how we could benefit from this.  But after meeting with my mentoring partner, we clicked.  It is very much an equal exchange; we share concerns, ideas, etc.”

What are the benefits of mentoring?

There are many…too many to highlight in one article.  But; some benefits include encouraging/enhancing business initiatives; professional development; breaks down the “silo” mentality between generations, industries, and job functions.

One anonymous supported said that “It moves you beyond your typical circle of professional relationships.  With the chapter’s program, the ‘match-making’ is someone else’s responsibility; by using some questions to help determine the pairings (i.e. what you want out of this).  Then they match you up with others who are looking to help with those areas.  I cannot speak to everyone else’s experience, but I was paired with someone outside of my industry.  I was new to my role, and with this program, I got to look at new approaches, which helped me grow in my position, and my organization.”

Mentors benefit by learning other areas of an organization; or an industry, gaining satisfaction in sharing expertise and experience with others, and in turn, having a new perspective that helps with their own professional and personal development.

“Looking back to when I was very new to associations (and to being an Executive Director); I really could have benefitted from a program like this.  I certainly feel that I reasonably invested my time as a mentor”, says Duncan Grant, Executive Director of the Association of Canadian Archivists.

Mentees benefit by learning specific skills and knowledge to help them advance their careers; gaining from the mentor’s expertise, and they have someone who will listen when they are frustrated; or wanting to share successes.

“I spent a lot of my time with my mentor focusing on articulating my core competencies and highlighting my unique skills.  It’s not always easy to do this on your own, and the help my mentor provided was fantastic.  I know that I can fall back on her for advice if needed.”, says Geraldine Hyland, Manager, Member Services at the Canadian Library Association.

About the Mentorship Program

The Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter of CSAE conducts assessments during the summer months, and then matches the pairings in September.  From September-May; it is up to the mentor/mentee pairings to set up a schedule to meet, chat, etc.  The Chapter volunteers circle back in January to check in and ensure that everyone is going OK.  Our “official” involvement ends in May; and it is up to the pairings if they want to continue or not.

“My match and I have been at this for over 1.5 years; and it doesn’t show signs of stopping yet”; said Sangita Kamblé.

“I do not run in the same circles as my match.” said Geraldine Hyland. “I doubt we would have come across each other in an in-depth way as we have through this program.”

Another anonymous participant said, “We are still in touch monthly.  It is largely in part of both of us recognizing that you have to put an effort into it to get anything out of it.  We are both interested in keeping it going.”

“Members should really be taking full-advantage of this program – there is a wealth of knowledge available to you as a result – on both sides.”, says Duncan Grant.

Interested in participating in the program?  Contact the Chapter Executive for further details.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Succession Planning – an Important Part of Association Leadership

CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau’s February luncheon and presentation “Succession Planning – an Important
Part of Association Leadership” was generously hosted by the Hilton Lac-Leamy and sponsored by
the Chapter’s professional development partners, Ottawa Tourism and the Shaw Centre.

Succession planning is not an issue that many organizations address in any systematic way. Because most not-for-profit organizations have limited resources and deal with a variety of organizational challenges, thinking about who the next CEO might be or what would happen if the Director of Finance suddenly left is often not high on the priority list. However, not only do association leaders need to think about how they will continue to fulfill their mission if a key staff member left, they also need to address changing demographics and the realities of today’s workforce capacity.

Although the type and extent of planning will be different, organizations of all sizes need to have some sort of succession plan. With careful planning and preparation, organizations can prepare for a generational transfer of leadership as well as the ongoing changes that occur regularly when key employees leave an organization.

Three association leaders, Jody Ciufo, Executive Director, Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, the national voice for the full spectrum of affordable housing issues, Ondina Love, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) and Paul Melia, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), led by moderator Nancy Barrett, CAE, Association Management, Consulting & Evaluation Services (AMCES), shared how their organizations are dealing with the issue of succession planning.

The takeaways from this session are:

• Small associations typically have to look externally for replacements should a key staff resource leave. It was also emphasized that providing existing staff with opportunities for development will help retain stars within the organization.
• A succession plan policy is important and should be reviewed annually.
• Boards may consider having an insurance policy for the CEO to fund the transition and executive search costs that would be incurred if she/he had to be replaced due to death.

Medium and large associations could deal with a sudden departure as follows:

• Senior staff should be trained and prepared so that the CEO’s duties can be shared among them while a replacement is found.
• If feasible, a Chief Operating Officer position could be established. The COO would understand all aspects of the organization’s operations and could step in in an interim capacity should the CEO leave. 

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Are Your Communications Clear Enough?

Does your association clearly communicate your value proposition to your members?  Does it instill FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)?  Does it truly provide a reason for your members to engage?  Is it all about YOU, or do you write it so that it is all about THEM?

If your answers to the above are "No", or "I'm not sure", then you may be sabotaging your efforts.

Everyone is working on budgets these days; people are watching their spending, and as a result, you need t put your best foot forward - and ensure that your communication shows that you really are the ONE place that they will receive the best information, education, and resources -- or they may go elsewhere.

You can start by ensuring that your communications engage members and stakeholders, and reflect that their story is important to the story of your association.

Here are some examples of what you can do:

What Is Your Purpose?  Have your clearly outlined your purpose, or are you banking on a mission/vision statement that was drafted many years ago?  Educate your members, in every way (email, social media, your website) on what your association does to impact/improve your community.  Simply outlining benefits is not enough - associations need to work hard to name a benefit and provide concrete examples on how that benefit creates change.

Offer Something NEW:  Just because you have a program or service that you have been offering members for years doesn't mean it is still relevant.  Take stock of what you are doing, what people are buying, reading, or working on and see what you can eliminate and ADD to better enhance your value.

Be Where They Are:  Do you offer the same methods of communication as you have for the last several years?  Where are your members now?  Do you have an active LinkedIn group and Twitter handle?  Are you offering podcasts, webinars, or hybrid events?  Where do your members see you and where should they see you?  All questions that should be asked when developing communication plans.

Be Responsive:  There are literally thousands of tools available to help you track activity; who has opened emails, who has clicked on links, who is downloading resources.  Don't let these fall through the cracks!  Part of an effective communication strategy includes actual conversations.  Follow Up!  Ask for feedback.  Offer them other resources.  Have a conversation.

What else could you be doing to enhance your communication?  

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Motivating Your "Difficult" Team Member

In a leadership role within your association?  Then your job (whether it is written in the job description or not) includes motivating your team.  And not just from time to time, successful organizations motivate daily.

Here are a few things you can do to motivate your "difficult" team member:

Got Problems Internally?  Don't Shy Away - Deal With Them!

Whether they are constantly calling in sick, on their phones texting, or simply not engaging in team meetings, don't wait t address the situation until there is a significant pattern; or perhaps waiting for someone else to notice, deal with them.  If you let it go with that ONE individual, others will notice, and possibly follow suit.

Be Objective (Even When It Hurts)

If you are frustrated, you can make rash decisions, that may affect everyone else's day, and roles.  If you think that your personal opinions may get in the way, then instead of worrying about whether or not any sort of bias will show, gather a team of managers - those who work directly or indirectly with the individual to conduct a review.  Base any conversation on facts, and see if there is a need for any additional training.  The individual may not have learned a particular skill in the way they needed to in order to be effective, so allow them the time to respond to any issues.

Have the Conversation

Tell them how you (or your management team) feels.  But allow them the time to express their position too.  The conversation should include both sides exploring ways to solve the issue.  But don't expect a resolution right away.  In many cases, you will have to allow some time to think about possible avenues, to formulate the best decision and critical path.

Follow-Up

Now that you have had your conversation, and have both agreed to the right plan for the situation, don't just move on -- your employee may not know where to start in order to fix the issue.  Help them explore job-shadowing, professional development, or set aside time weekly to go through the parts of the job that they are simply not "getting".  Following up is more than just an ongoing, conversation, is action.

Recognize the Change

After the time invested on both sides, hopefully you will see positive change.  At this point, some leaders just "move on" to the next issue, but don't allow yourself to re-focus on something else without recognizing your team member's efforts.  It can be a simple chat, or some other reward that you deem appropriate.

What else could you be doing to motivate and change a difficult team member?

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@WildApricot - Highlighting their Volunteer Appreciation Guide

Wild Apricot, a web-based software for small associations and non-profits to help manage membership, website, events and other activities, spend a lot of time on their blog talking about volunteering.  As we all know, most associations rely heavily on their volunteers to ensure that special programs, events, and other initiatives go off "without a hitch".

When searching for articles to reference for a blog on showing appreciation to your volunteers, I came across their Volunteer Appreciation Guide, and frankly, it hit the mark by talking about everything I was going to.  So instead of re-inventing the wheel, I thought I would showcase some highlights:

Why Do People Volunteer:

• to make a contribution to the community - 93%
• to use their skills and experiences - 78%
• personally affected by the organization’s cause - 59%
• to explore one’s own strengths - 48%
• to network with or meet people - 46%
• because their friends volunteer - 48%
• to improve job opportunities - 22%
• to fulfill religious obligations or beliefs - 21%

Volunteer recognition best practices

Make it a priority. Recognizing the work of volunteers is crucial for any organization that wants to retain its volunteers and attract new ones. Designate someone in your organization to be responsible for ensuring that ongoing recognition of volunteers takes place.

Do it often. Recognition of volunteers should happen on a year-round, frequent and informal basis. Begin by saying “thank you” often!

Do it in different ways. Vary your recognition efforts, from the informal thank you and spontaneous treats to more formal events. Here are some examples:

Be sincere. Make each occasion to recognize volunteers meaningful and an opportunity to reflect on the value volunteers bring to your organization.

Recognize the person, not the work. It’s best to phrase recognition to emphasize the contribution of the individual and not the end result. “You did a great job!” as opposed to “This is a great job!”

Want to read more?  Click here for the full article!

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3 Communications Best Practices from 3 Online Resources

Sometimes, the best way to communicate is to keep it simple.  Here are three tips/best practices from three online resources:

From Association Advisor: Recommendation #1: Don’t Fall Victim to Shiny Object Syndrome
A new approach may be just what your association needs to help reach your communications goals, but don’t fall victim to “shiny object syndrome.” Before you make a decision to invest in new communications tools, ask your members, vendors and advertisers which of your association content channels they find most valuable and which communications platforms they are most receptive to. Your research may also help you uncover new communication platforms that members are gravitating towards or reveal to you that you already have access to tools that can amplify your communications when integrated into an ongoing plan. Marcus Underwood, Chief Innovation Officer for Naylor, says that the ROI of any new technology is important to consider prior to making a purchase but to keep in mind that the value of the investment may not always be quantifiable in financial terms. Underwood explains that certain technology investments and upgrades are just standard operating expenses for running a business and warns that there are also risks associated with not keeping up with technology.

From the Canadian Association of Labour Media: Don’t make it all about you. The best way to get someone’s attention quickly is to talk about them.

If you want your message to cut through, you need to talk about your issues in a way that will make people listen – make them feel something – make them see that what we are talking about relates to them and their families.

You are stronger when you talk about ordinary people and the values we care about like security, family, fairness and respect. Use too many technical, legal terms, and acronyms, and your audience will get lost or bored. Grab your audience’s attention by speaking directly to them about the things they care about – and make sure they know you care, too.

Connect with your members and the public on shared values, beliefs and experiences. Talk family, dignity, respect, opportunity and fairness. People will be more inclined to listen to your message if it’s about the broader public interest and not just your self-interest.

From Silverbear (and, yes it was around the holiday season!)  Explain why you’ve been good

This is a key part of a letter to Santa. As we’re all aware, Santa already knows if you’ve been naughty or nice, but it can’t hurt to mention again the good deeds you’ve done this year.

In the same way, it’s important to reinforce the value your members have received over the course of their membership. It’s easy for them to forget events they’ve attended, training they’ve undergone, CPD points they’ve logged and other areas of value they have had over the year. So make sure you emphasise these to help jog their memory.

You should be able to quickly pull together a member value statement from your membership software solution to help you with this.


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Some of the Marketing Tips that Caught Our Eye

There are a ton of resources out there to help you enhance your marketing efforts.  Here is a few samples of the tips and best practices we have seen that you should be aware of:

Via MemberClicks Inc.: Take a Risk  You hear it all the time in human relationships, people lamenting how the object of their eye only likes people who are bad for them. Most people are drawn to risk takers. They like rebels. They want to follow someone who’s speeding down the road. They want excitement. Boring rarely receives a cult following.

If you want more loyal followers, if you want people to join, you must do something different than what you’ve been doing. Let more of your personality show. Let your members’ personalities shine through. Host a membership drive that expresses your members’ stories, not just a spotlight that gives their name and employer. Remember the tattooed librarian calendar from the Rhode Island Library Association?

Via Association TRENDS: Subject line length  Subject lines with fewer characters continue to outperform longer subject lines. With more and more subscribers checking email on mobile devices, a short, engaging subject line is more important now than ever. Be direct and let recipients know exactly what they’re about to see once they open. Keep in mind, while subject lines with less than 10 characters averaged 49.73 percent open rates, that doesn’t mean that a longer subject line won’t do the trick. We’ve found that above all, relevance and clarity trumps persuasion and creativity. The best way to know what your audience responds best to? Test it!

Via Digitec Interactive: Not ROI, ROE  No matter what social media platform you choose, the important thing to remember is that social media is about engagement. You don’t need to advertise on these platforms to reap the rewards of going social, you just need a page or profile. The ability to have conversations with your friends and followers, as well as to curate content that lets prospective members get a glimpse of the association’s mission, goals, and character is what social media is really all about. Social media is an engagement tool, and success is measured not by Return on Investment (ROI), but by Return on Engagement (ROE). What’s not to “like” about that?

Via Association Marketer: Embrace “membership season.” By focusing your membership drives on a particular time period, you can offer time-limited discounts and offers to encourage your prospects to join now instead of waiting till later.

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What Else Can You Be Doing To Retain Your Members?

Defining your value with your members is a high priority on every association’s list. Here are a few ways that you can increase your value:

Start by Truly Engaging Your Members

Cited as a common problem in most associations, we struggle to get our share of our member’s time, and the time we do get we are torn with promoting products and services, and truly finding ways to have meaningful conversations.  What are you doing to ensure that they feel significant?  One way is to seek their help to solve a problem they have raised.  Did they not like the last conference?  Ask them to volunteer their time.  Disagreeing with a certain association policy?  Ask them to nominate themselves (or, be nominated) to sit on the Board of Directors.  Asking for their help with show that you have heard their issue, and are seeking their assistance to solve the problem.

Don’t forget Lapsed Members

Sometimes, members just won’t renew.  Possibly because they were not satisfied, but other reasons could include retirement, maternity/paternity leave, or they simply just forgot.
It is crucial that you find out why.  If they have no intention of returning, organizations should have a set series of questions and conduct an exit interview, so that as a whole, you can learn from these experiences, and create change.  Asking them if there was anything you could do to have changed their mind, etc.  At times, you may be able to bring some back – other times, you won’t.  But don’t just let them walk off into the sunset without finding out WHY.

Don’t Be Slow to Make Changes

We often find that while the world is changing rapidly, associations are slow to adopt.  There are certain theories about this – fear, board involvement, and lack of expertise come to mind.  But there are ways to overcome those.  Moving towards making faster decisions should be part of your strategy.  Whether this means finding the right team to help you along the way, or moving from a working Board of Directors to a Strategic one, put policies in place to ensure that your association keeps up with the times.

What else could you be doing to create, maintain, and show value?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Few Thoughts on Maximizing ROI For Your Sponsors...

If you have an event coming up and are looking for some ways to help maximize the investment your sponsors have made with you, here are a few tips that you may be interested in:

1. Give your delegates something to talk about.  Sponsors have selected your conference/event to sponsor, because your members and other meeting participants are targets that they believe will help drive sales.  Help your sponsors out – give your delegates some information in forms of social media, blogs and other content that will keep your sponsors top of mind.  Remember to include the fact that they are sponsoring your event, and will be there if they have questions, etc.
2. When onsite, make sure you are introducing your sponsors to as many people as you can.  When chatting with your delegates, many times you will come across problems, challenges, and areas that your sponsors can help solve.  Instead of just suggesting that they find the sponsor and have the conversation on their own – facilitate the introduction.  It will not only lessen the time it takes for a delegate to actively seek  out the contact, but will give your sponsor additional ROI.  
3. If part of your sponsorship includes a booth or table top, encourage sponsors to avoid being “just another exhibitor” that delegates will want to avoid.  Time is money, and you want to ensure that you have done everything you can to maximize their investment with you.  Perhaps come up with tips and best practices for your own event, focusing in what your unique delegates want to see/hear and how they want to be approached. 
4. If you can, have a meeting with your sponsors and exhibitors either the night before or first thing in the morning before your event.  Give them an opportunity to see that you appreciate them, and that their involvement is recognized.  Giving them time to ask questions, or perhaps learn about how and when they can do more to maximize their investment will show your sponsors that you have thought it through, and just haven’t taken their money without providing them with some sort of return. 

What things have you incorporated lately that has raised the ROI for your sponsors?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Thinking of getting your CAE?

Making the decision to go for my CAE was the end of a process of consideration for a number of years.  Timing and really arriving at the right moment in my career made the difference.

Ultimately, it was landing my first job as an Executive Director that got me to take the plunge. Obviously knowing enough to get the job, I still felt that there was wisdom to be gained from those who had proceeded me, my colleagues, and through the resources I would read.  Inevitably, with the eyes of members on me waiting to see what I could do for the association as a “rookie”, there was comfort and assurance to be able to draw from the CAE experience, my colleagues, and dare I say, the ability to state that I was studying for my CAE!

Throughout my studies, I found that the CAE program was a great forum to make contacts and bounce ideas off of colleagues.  I learned a great deal with the innumerable amount of articles and resources available, not to mention the experiences from others through the forum discussions.  Later as I came to the point of looking to advance onto another role, I very much found that the CAE designation has been a definite career advancer.  While not always asked for in job placement ads, I did note that during the interview for my current role, having a designation made a difference.  In fact, after mentioning my designation, a number of follow up questions and interest was generated by this fact. When I was offered the post, I was told that while there were a number of eligible candidates in the vying, my association-specific management knowledge is what made the difference.

Thinking of getting your CAE?  In my humble opinion, it is completely worth it.  A fair warning: it can be time consuming.  Prepare yourself for at least 5 hours per week for regular study time and as much as 15 hours in the final lead up to assignments.  As you get towards the final assignment (CAE 500), make sure to put a few solid days aside. They’re big projects and you’re given only a weekend to complete them all.  I also found that when you have assignments, try to get started as soon as possible.  When you’re already holding down a career, you’ll be amazed at how quickly time goes by.  I also found setting blocks of time aside to do the reading and posting to be the most effective.

This post was submitted by Mark Buzan, CAE, President and CEO of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries.  Mark is an association management executive with nearly 17 years experience effectively working with a variety of national nonprofit boards.

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Tips for Association Networking Sessions

This is final instalment in the series on Networking, as written by Dana Cooper, MBA, CAE (Executive Director, Orthotics Prosthetics Canada)

Too often I see events that are intended to be networking events, but establish barriers for effective networking.  There are many things associations can do to facilitate networking.  A few are shared here:

• Ditch the chairs!  Networking is about circulating and meeting as many people as possible to find those nuggets of value.  It is increasingly difficult to do this in a group of four to six others seated at the same table.  If chairs are necessary, put them around the side of the rooms for people to have more in-depth discussions and pay homage to the smartphone gods.
• Environment is critical.  Choose a location that contributes to low volume conversations and the circulation of people.  Participants will need to manage the food and beverage that will be part of the evening, so include high table and tools to help them stand and circulate.
• Names are important.  Help people remember or get to know names, positions and organizations.  Much of what will be discussed will relate to professions.  Provide context to those conversations by providing name badges with names, positions and organization name.
• Facilitate personal connections.  You can facilitate incorporating personal connections into the events in a number of ways.  You can include a networking activity to find out information on others, or at the beginning of the event, ask questions of the crowd so that people can see others that may have similar interests.  Who likes to ski?  Who play an instrument?  Who has children under 10?  These are door openers to communication and immediately break down barriers and create connections.

Networking is one of the most valuable activities for your members and for your organization in terms of the member value proposition.  That value comes from making the connections that your association was created to facilitate.

With peer networking, there is very little risk and potential significant reward.  It should be enjoyable!  By being there, the only commitment participants should have is to enjoy themselves and come with the intent of helping others and being helped.  

Your association needs to be strategic about how it structures its networking events to facilitate the creation and realization of value for your members.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

10 Tips for Networking Success

This is part 3 in the series on Networking, as written by Dana Cooper, MBA, CAE (Executive Director, Orthotics Prosthetics Canada)

Prepare in advance.

Take some time before the event to understand what information would be valuable to you.  Objectives can include:

• Finding others who have addressed issues you are currently facing;
• Event experiences: conference locations, speakers, etc.;
• Bring a question or two that you want to ask others;
• Identify a position or an organization type you want to meet.

Have realistic objectives.

Ultimately, what you want to leave with are connections that can be valuable to you at some point in the future.  You should try to connect with several people during the course of the event.  You don't need the answers to your challenges during the networking...what you want is someone to connect with later to discuss their experiences.

Your challenges are likely not unique!

At your association events, attendees are in a room full of peers with a great deal in common.  While everyone thinks their organizations, members, issues and challenges are unique, it is very likely not the case.  There will be someone out there that can help.  They may not be at the event at that time, but there are people in attendance that can help make those connections.

Your challenges may not be unique...but you are!  Make it personal!

Don't just talk shop, talk about yourself.  There are many things that connect people to each other.  Ask questions of the other that are not work related.  Personal connections are the most powerful connections to make and will be much for memorable.  Encourage people to discuss something personal about themselves.  This is an area in which your association can facilitate networking.

Follow up after the event.

Contrary to days gone by where you had to organize business cards or record your connections to remember, today with have social media that helps us remember our connections and facilitate future communication.  Connect with your acquaintances on a social media platform.  Then when you are looking for resources, your social media connections should be the first source and a great memory cue for remembering the people we have connected with.

Have fun!

This is the fun part of the business!  This should not be terrifying!  This is not an "I HAVE to go to this event" this should be an "I GET to go to this event".  Networking in a room of people with much in common is low risk.  There should be no pressure.  It should be a forum to connect with people that may potentially be of value.

Look for ways to help others.

There are few better feelings than being able to assist someone with an issue or challenge.  Not only does it provide them with value, but it also confirms that you have value to provide to others.

Be a communication facilitator.

Be that person that brings the introverts into the conversations.  You can see the anxiety release from them and they become participants rather than bystanders.  It just takes that one effort to make them feel involved.

You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression.

As many people are at the event, there are that many different personalities.  Match your personality to those you are speaking with.  You don't want to scare people by being overly aggressive, you want to make connections with people that will want to converse with you again.  If you are bold, it is much easier for you to adjust your personality down in terms of energy and volume than it is for the timid to raise theirs to your level.

Be in the moment.

The key to communicating, remembering, and positively connecting is to pay attention and listen to what people are saying.  There are few things worse than being engaged in a one-on-one and the other person is looking around the room or over your shoulder at others.  Be conscious of where your attention is...and it should be on the individual or individuals you are currently engaged with.  Today we have many potential distractions, including the smartphone you carry.  Let calls go to voicemail.  When there is a break in the conversation, sneak away to a corner and check.

Stay tuned for the final instalment of this series; "Tips for Association Networking Sessions".

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Networking - Value & Outcomes

This is part 2 in the series on Networking, as written by Dana Cooper, MBA, CAE (Executive Director, Orthotics Prosthetics Canada)

Why is networking so valued?

During peer networking, there is someone within that room that has something each participant wants or needs.  It is lie a mystery game...they just have to find who has that something.  Your role as an association is to facilitate those connections.

• It is energizing and fun.  Enjoyment provides as much value to members as the information they obtain.  Don't forget that!
• Fulfils our most basic social need.  We are human animals...we need our pack...our social connections are important and define our personal and professional self.
• Face-to-face communications is the most personal and the most effective manner for engaging.
• Networking gives you solutions to problems.  You get answers to questions...sometimes you get this before you even know you have a problem or question.
• Networking gives you comparables.  It gives you context on where your organization is in terms of processes and functions in relation to other associations.
• Networking gives you allies.  "Been there, done that" should be the motto for association networking events.  To paraphrase a famous and frequently misrepresented quote, "Everything you are or will be doing as an association has already been (or is being) done by another association."
• Build your personal 'brand'; career development.  Networking is that first impression.  What can people expect from you?  Sources suggest that 70-80% of all jobs are found through networking.  Networking is also a valuable source to find viable candidates to hire.
• Networking is (should be!) a low risk environment.  Your association's gatherings are attended by like-minded people with many things in common including being in the same industry and having similar needs and challenges.

What are the possible outcomes of networking?

The outcomes from networking are very much personal and dependent on the individual.  However, it is helpful to understand what the potential outcomes are from networking.  I have broken those down into three categories, each an evolution from the preceding.

Three Categories of Networking Outcomes:

• Natural
• Purposeful
• Organic

The minimum result of networking is that you make acquaintances.  This is the natural outcome of networking.  The majority of those acquaintances will stay just that...acquaintances.  Interactions extend no further than future association events.  The benefit is that acquaintances can walk into the event and see familiar faces that can immediately and comfortably be engaged.

The purposeful outcome is an increase in value obtained from networking, and occurs when interaction takes place following the networking event to obtain more detail on a professional matter that was identified during networking.  One party has experience or resources to provide the other to assist in managing a challenge.

The organic outcome involves increased social risk, but results from making a strong personal and/or professional connection.  The organic outcomes are broken down further into three possibilities:  

• Coffee mates:  these are people that you have made a professional connection with due to similarity in roles or organizations and with whom you want to maintain a connection.  You would have coffee with these connections several times a year for the purposes of discussing ongoing challenges and issues.
• Lunch/Drink mates:  these are people you have made both a personal and professional connection with and are characterized by the increased social risk of lengthier get-togethers.
• Friends:  this is when you have made a strong personal connection with the individual and where communication extends beyond the profession.  At this stage there is increased openness and relaxation and there is an expectation of enjoyment when together.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series; which offers 10 tips for networking success!

Measuring Success in your Marketing & Communications

In November 2014, a number of marketing-communications professionals gathered in downtown Ottawa to discuss analytics and measurement challenges facing non-profits and associations.  The discussion was led by CSAE member Joe Boughner, the Director of Communications at the Association of Canadian Financial Officers and also an analytics instructor at Algonquin College.

The key takeaways for participants were to ensure first that marcomm (marketing-communications) efforts align both organizational goals and to the needs of your members at every stage of the life-cycle.  In so doing, Boughner argued, you allow yourself to align your marketing KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) with your overall corporate objectives.  He recommended that all organizations create detailed journey maps for their key persona's to help all stakeholders, not just marketing and communications people, understand the member experience better.  He also advised the group to ensure that there is a straight line between organizational and marketing objectives.

By way of example, the group brainstormed a model for an association that is looking to increase membership revenue.  First, the participants boiled it down to a measurable goal - to increase new members (as opposed to looking at retention, for example).  Then they concluded that marketing analytics could then align to this goal, such as click through rates on ads geared for new members; form completion rates on the sign up form, etc.

Moving forward, this focus on member needs and organizational objectives can make measurement easier, which ensures ongoing buy-in for your marcomm efforts.

This post was written by Joe Boughner, Association of Canadian Financial Officers, and originally featured in the OG CSAE Winter Executive.

Image courtesy of Keerati at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Our Top 10 Viewed Blogs for #Association Execs in 2014...

What a great year we had!  There has been several thought-provoking articles that have hit the #OGCSAE Chapter Blog this year; and we wanted to celebrate the support we have received by showcasing the top blogs this year:

1. 5 Big Sponsorship Trends to Watch in 2014 (from March 2014): This post was provided by Bernie Colterman, Managing Partner of the Centre of Excellence for Public Sector Marketing (CEPSM), who suggested that increased focus on the customization of sponsorship benefits packages, increased focus on sponsorship activation, less emphasis on the “Metal Levels”, increased focus on content distribution, and integration with social media were trends to watch this year.
2. Blogging Best Practices (from February 2014): This post was written by Angie D’Aoust, Director of Marketing & Communications with the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA), who provided 10 steps/tips/best practices to a better blog.
3. Don't Let Your Board Get Decision Fatigue! (from March 2014): This post was written by Meredith Low; of Meredith Low Consulting, who talks about decision-making, the decision-fatigue phenomenon, and tips to optimize the way your board makes decisions.
4. Lessons in Hybrid Meetings: Hybrid or Not? (from March 2014): Written by Mahoganey Jones (a Certified Meeting Professional and Digital Event Strategist with a background in continuing professional development),  talks about hybrid meetings, and questions to ask to help determine if your organization should produce a hybrid event.
5. 10 Things to Do Before Implementing Something New (from August 2014): This post was submitted by Scott Oser, of Scott Oser Associates, which provides a running checklist of things to take care of before taking the leap.
6. Best Practices to Maximize Your Conference Experience (from June 2014): In this industry, we attend many conferences; our own, those for our association memberships, and those relevant to our area of work.  This post provides 0 tips to maximize your attendance at a conference.
7. An Association's Road Map to Handling Criticism on Social Media (from November 2014): This post was written by Marc Cousineau, President and Founder of Incline Marketing, offering eight things to take into account when responding to criticism on social media.
8. Lessons in Hybrid Meetings: 5 Steps to Getting Senior Management Buy-In (from April 2014): Written by Mahoganey Jones (a Certified Meeting Professional and Digital Event Strategist with a background in continuing professional development), who recommends the 5 steps to gain executive level buy-in to ensure the success of your meeting or event.
9. Membership in the Age of Google: What Are You Serving Up? (from June 2014): This article was originally featured in the April-May issue of CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau Executive, and was written by Jennifer Hagen, CAE, Director, Chamber Development & Services with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and looks at how you can create engagement with current and future members.
10. The Secret to Member Engagement Is... Being Nosy! (from April 2014): Written by Sarah Hill is the primary blogger for MC Talks, the blog for MemberClicks, which suggests getting at the root of your members' "why" and find out what is most important to them to engage!

Thank you to all who submitted posts for our blog this year - we really appreciate it!  If you want to submit a post in the future, please email Meagan Rockett.  Happy holidays to all, and we look forward to a thought-provoking 2015!

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There's No Life Like It: Associations!

When you were a child, did you say to yourself, "I think I want to work in associations when I grow up"?  If you're like most MarCommers who gathered for our October session - young or more (ahem) seasoned - you fell into association work by opportunity not by design.

Our session, "Young Professionals in Association Communications," included a reach into the young professionals (YP) group of CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau in order to provide a multi-generational look at association communications work.  Through a round table discussion, all participants (YPs and senior professionals [SPs]) shared in a lively conversation about association communications/marketing/membership careers - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Not one person present arrived at their association position having had a career counsellor say, "Association work is a path you should consider."  All arrived at their first association either as a recent graduate in search of a welcome pay-cheque or as a student in a work placement role.  Most have never left.

When you consider the collective years of experience around the table - closing in on 200 years of association experience - it is clear that this is a career that more people should consider.  Association work can be a stopping point on a career map but it can also be a career.

Together, we discussed our varied paths to association work and what has kept us here (flexibility, ability to achieve, grow into roles, try new things, etc.), as well as what the positive rewards are for staying (immediate feedback, inspiring volunteers, and the ability to see an idea from drawing board to reality).

Given that this was an intergenerational group, we asked YPs what SPs could be doing to help them in our organizations.  All YPs said that the gift of time is most beneficial; that is, taking the time to review what has been done and to help YPs understand what the corporate values are.  Second, they stressed the ability to let go and let YPs try new things - not all of which will work out - and having the grace to accept failure when it happens.

Turning the table, the SPs were asked what the look for in YPs when they are hiring or considering promotions.  Attitude was cited as the most valued trait in any new hire or promotion; this valued trait applies to all generations.  Given that associations seem to be chronically understaffed, the ability to see and the attitude to do what needs to be accomplished and to make it happen are key for any generation of employee.

All YPs present indicated their intent to remain in the association environment, at least for now.  This is good news for associations!  Those with more years of experience reinforced the values that had kept them in the association world for their careers: adaptability, the ability to be creative and problem solve (with its own rewards), and community.  For YPs to hear a number of SPs indicate that association work can be a lifelong career path must be reassuring at this point in their journey.  YPs are eager to learn and be mentored, so SPs need to embrace this mentoring opportunity and remember to let go at times, which isn't always easy!  Both generations have valuable contributions to make to the success of our organizations.  Let's not forget this important point.

Did you know?  The MarComm group meets the second Tuesday of every month.  We encourage all generations to participate.  Watch CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau event listings for meeting notices/topics.

A BIG thank you to Jennifer Hagen, with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, for submitting this article.  We appreciate all that you do!

 Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3 Books Every #Association Executive Should Consider

We have been asking around to association executives, and have come up with the three books that association executives should consider adding to their library.  If you already have it, maybe it's worth reading again?

Online PR & Social Media: For Experts, Authors, Consultants and Speakers; by Randall M. Craig

Develop your association’s reputation, get found, and attract a following.

Your not-for-profit probably has a web site, blog, and a LinkedIn profile. If you are on the leading edge, you are on Facebook, and have posted videos on YouTube. But, is all of this giving your organization exposure? Are you being contacted by media? What are your search engine rankings?

In this book by social media expert, Randall Craig, you’ll learn how to build your organization’s following, engage your stakeholders and manage you social media strategy and risk management policies. This must-read publication will tell you which PR sites you should and should not join, how to use social bookmarking to extend your time investment and how to monitor your reputation.

Your association has spent years developing its benefits, mission and expertise. Why not let people know about it?

What Makes High Performing Boards; by Beth Gazley, PhD and Ashley Bowers

Boards matter to organizational performance.  But the diversity of the nonprofit sector means there is no single formula for effective governance.  Structure, size, rate of growth, geography, and other organizational differences can cloud our understanding of board performance.The study behind this book, therefore, pays special attention to the intentional decisions boards and staff make to achieve high performance regardless of context.

The research was produced through an ASAE Foundation collaboration with Indiana University.  Prior to this study, research into the governing practices of associations and other member-serving organizations across the 501(c) spectrum was hard to come by.  Yet many nonprofits are dues-reliant associations serving members from professions, occupations, trades and businesses, sports, and cultural activities.  This study is the first to offer a representative snapshot of current governance practices in these associations and member-serving organizations.

Keep Your People in the Boat:  Workforce Engagement Lessons From the Sea; by Crane Wood Stookey

Association executives talk a lot about leading change, but at the heart of it that really means leadership that changes people's attitude. In leading a team, or implementing change across your association, you have to become skillful at working with people's attitude.

Engagement is a state of mind. The fruit of effective leadership is an engaged and expansive state of mind, a big view, in the people you lead. In this highly original and timely book, Tall Ship officer and leadership coach, Crane Stookey, shows you how to lead your association staff and volunteers to do their best and to be their best no matter what challenges they face. Drawing on 20 years of experience of leadership and workforce engagement at sea, the author joins provocative theory with hands-on, real-world practices that you can apply to you’re the leadership of your not-for-profit.

What are you reading?

Fall Programming

Join the Ottawa-Gatineau CSAE Chapter at one of our upcoming events!  Click here for our full slate of programming.

Or, scan the list below for additional details:

Programming & Continuing Education:

• On October 16th, join us at the Best Western Plus Victoria Park Suites for our Leadership & Development Lunch.  Dr. Roseann O'Reilly Runte, President of Carleton University, will share her thoughts and insights on how to hone our leadership skills while maintaining that all-too-elusive work-life balance.  Be part of this unique opportunity to hear from one of Canada's premier leaders on a subject that directly impacts all executives and learn how to cut through the million threads holding you back.  Click here to register.
• On November 18th, we will be hosting a half-day workshop at the Ottawa Conference & Event Centre on Information Management - Effective Processes to Reduce Uncertainty.
  
  Participants in this complimentary session will learn:
• How to determine the right time to make a change
• How to assess the needs of their organizations and select and implement effective and integrated systems
• How to manage the human side of change
• How to ensure that they understand and are delivering the financial and non-financial information the Board requires to discharge its responsibilities
  
  We have partnered with BDO on this one - and hope to see you there!  Click here for more info.
• Right after the 1/2 day workshop, stick around for lunch - back by popular demand, we will hear from 3 Executives:  What are three tips for balancing the demands of a CEO role with the demans of the rest of your life?  Click here to register.

Interested in Marketing & Communications?

We also have two free networking sessions to consider:  October 14th will be geared towards Young Professionals in Association Communications, November 11th will be all about Digital Analytics: Making them relevant to your association.  Sign up for one, or both!

Promote Your Publications by Harnessing the Power of Members

The tactic of using members to promote your association is nothing new. But have you ever considered using members to promote the value of your association’s publications? Here are five ways to use members, or even readers, to promote the value of your publications, leading to higher readership and possibly more advertising dollars.

1. Put them in print. Most associations continue to do print pieces to promote their association to members as well as non-members because print is still effective when used smartly. Your publications are a key member benefit, so the value of the publications is promoted in any print pieces you produce for the purpose of recruiting and retaining members.Print promotions are the perfect place to use targeted testimonials. Target testimonials allow you to show segments of your audience the value of the publications in a non-promotional way because the testimonials come from their colleagues, not from association staff. When using testimonials in print, or any other format, it is beneficial to include testimonials from different segments of your key audiences so that readers will see themselves represented and associate themselves with the value being presented.
2. Find the social media champions. Social Media is a great way to create engagement and spread information quickly. Many associations are already involved in this medium on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, blogs, and more. In addition to sharing information and creating conversation, you can use social media to locate individuals who are already talking about your association or the topics that you cover, and contact them about becoming a champion for your publication.This does not mean they promote your publication, or your association, but it does mean that you feed them important information or exciting things that are happening in your publications and ask them to participate in the conversation on your social media sites or on their own. If you recruit the right people to serve as champions, your content will get coverage without much effort on your part.
3. Encourage members to forward content via enewsletters. Using your members to help spread the word can be very simple if you are producing an e-newsletter to recruit members or to inform current members about key happenings in your association. It is simple because almost all email programs make it easy to insert a “forward-to-a-friend” link within your e-newsletter. Not everyone is going to actually take action on a forward-to-a-friend link, so to maximize its usage, suggest that e-newsletter readers pass the message along, and then track how many recipients actually do so.E-newsletters are also a great place to insert video testimonials or links to video testimonials. A video testimonial can be captured at one of your events or can be self-produced by a reader. Like a written testimonial, a video is a great way to promote your publications in your readers’ own words.
4. Feature testimonials on the website. Your website is a great way to communicate with members and non-members alike. Testimonials about your publications, videos about how members and non-members have benefited from your publications, and quotes from authors and social media champions can all be posted on your website for your community to see. The real estate on your website is very valuable and because of that, many of your association’s departments will want to have a presence on the site. However, since your publications are valuable member benefits, commit to making sure that publications have a regular presence there.
5. Promote from the inside. It may sound silly to cross promote your publications, but it is a smart thing to do. If you have multiple publications, promote content from one publication in another publication so readers of one will learn the benefits of another. Including testimonials or links to videos or social media comments about your publications within the publications is a good way to engage more people, ultimately leading to a higher level of commitment and understanding of your content offerings. Messaging about sharing the publication with other colleagues increases awareness within the right audience, with the added benefit that the publication was suggested by a colleague, not a staff member. The members of your association and your industry are resources that you should take advantage of. Having these types of people speak for your association and spread the word about your publications provides a level of legitimacy and authenticity that staff spokespeople cannot duplicate. If you are not already using members to tell your story, start doing so right away. Happy recruiting!

This post was submitted by Scott Oser, of Scott Oser Associates, with over 17 years of marketing experience in the association and publishing industries. Before starting the firm he worked for market leaders like National Geographic Society, AARP and Science.Throughout his career Scott has excelled in developing, implementing and analyzing multi-channel direct marketing programs. He is highly skilled in creating effective membership, marketing and sales programs with the ability to align resources and operations to consistently achieve and exceed goals.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

Why Smart Advertisers Choose Associations

During my almost 20-year career, I have been fortunate to work for — and with — both for-profit and association publications. Throughout this time, I have often heard that it is not as easy to sell ads in association publications as it is in consumer publications. Over the last seven years, as I have focused on selling advertising almost exclusively in association publications, I have learned that simply is not the case.

Here are a few reasons some people believe that association publications are not as valuable as consumer publications:

• The majority of readers do not make a commitment to the magazine; they are receiving it as a member benefit because they are a member of the association.
• Association publications are typically not audited, so an advertiser or an ad agency cannot easily compare an association publication to a consumer publication that is audited.
• Associations often do not have as many readers as consumer publications.

At face value, these are all good reasons that it is smarter for an advertiser to put their ad dollars toward a consumer publication as compared to an association publication. The good news for association publishers is that there are even more reasons why an association publication is a great advertising choice:

1. Associations keep their members. According to ASAE, the average association annual member-renewal rate is 80 percent . That means that advertisers are able to consistently reach the same individuals multiple times over multiple years if they advertise regularly over time. All marketers know that staying in front of potential customers is important. This consistency is almost guaranteed when working with associations.
2. Associations can be small, but they are targeted. Most associations and association publications are built around an industry or a mission that members support or believe in. This basically guarantees that the individuals who are receiving the publication are similar in need and focus. Targeting is important in advertising, and if you are able to reach an audience that is almost totally made up of the type of individual you are trying to reach, it will increase the likelihood of success.
3. Associations are communities of engaged members. Associations are putting more and more time and money into engaging their member community. They are giving members ways to communicate and even share information about products and services they use and like. With these engagement mechanisms already in place, companies that consistently advertise and do a good job of getting members to talk about their product or service to the larger community will see word of mouth about their offerings progress faster than they may see in a consumer environment.
4. Associations are trusted. As nonprofit organizations, associations are looked at with a level of respect and trust that for-profit entities often are not. A company that advertises in an association publication benefits from the perception of trust as well. Members also trust the association to provide them with the right information, products, and services, so companies that advertise in association publications may receive a more positive perception than they would if the ad were placed in a consumer publication.
5. Association members pay a good amount for dues. It is true that association members typically do not pay for their publication directly like a consumer would for a magazine. That said, members are making a choice to join the association and are typically paying a dues amount that is higher than the ever-shrinking price of a consumer magazine. Additionally, many consumer publications are controlled (qualified subscribers receive a free subscription) where a subscriber doesn’t pay anything for their subscription.

Selling advertising in an association publication is not an easy thing to do. However, if you educate your advertisers and potential advertisers to the benefits you bring to the table, it will be much easier. There are many benefits to advertising in an association publication — we just have to make them known.

This post was submitted by Scott Oser, of Scott Oser Associates, with over 17 years of marketing experience in the association and publishing industries. Before starting the firm he worked for market leaders like National Geographic Society, AARP and Science.Throughout his career Scott has excelled in developing, implementing and analyzing multi-channel direct marketing programs. He is highly skilled in creating effective membership, marketing and sales programs with the ability to align resources and operations to consistently achieve and exceed goals.

Image courtesy of cooldesign / FreeDigitalPhotos.net