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.

Image courtesy of Naypong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Executive is now available...

Here is the January/February 2015 Executive.

In this issue...

• The Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter President's Message (Page 3)
• CSAE Tête-à-Tête 25th Anniversary Review (Page 6)
• Succession Planning - an Important Part of Association Leadership (Page 10)
• PACE Committee Update (Page 14)
• MPI Charity Auction (Page 16)
• Trade Show Management - Concept to Completion (Page 18)
• CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau Young Professionals Get to Know the World of Associations (Page 24)

Happy reading!

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!

Networking = Critical Success Factor

Can I please have a show of hands of those not-for-profit associations that do not have networking as a key element of their member value propositions?  Truth is that associations were formed out of a critical mass of people with common needs and shared interests.  Does that not sound like a description for the perfect networking crowd?

Likely, members demand networking opportunities from their associations because they consistently place a great deal of value on connecting with their peers.  But have we stopped to consider why?  Is it the beverages and food...or is it something deeper that creates the value they seek?

Interestingly, many people believe networking is directly related to job hunting.  When I was in sales, networking was about filling the pipeline with prospects.  In the association world, networking is about connecting, gathering information, sharing resources and building relations.  Networking provides access to solutions, lays the groundwork for innovation and builds resources that may be a significant benefit both personally and professionally.

Networking is a critical success factor for high performing associations and a foundational element of the member value proposition.

The recent CSAE National Conference can be considered uber-networking central!  Of course, there are many educational opportunities, but I have always considered the networking as the greatest value.  Why?  Because while education provides a great foundation of general, theoretical information...networking provides knowledge in the lessons learned from the real life application of that educational information.  We get that knowledge from interacting with our peers through networking.

This article looks at why networking is so popular with the members.  It provides tips for networking success and provides suggestions as to how an organization can facilitate networking at its events.  What it doesn't discuss is the etiquette of networking.  While the etiquette is very important for making that all important first impression, the focus here is one the what, why and how of networking.

What is networking?

Networking is about connections that build your resource and support base that can be called upon when required.  Networking is like an online game...you build up points to be able to buy stuff.  You get imaginary points by helping others through sharing resources, connecting people, pointing them in the right direction or some other value-added assistance.  Then when you are in need, the door is open to reap some returns.

It is very much relationship building.  Relationships are value exchanges where both parties obtain something of value.  As with any relationship, some effort is required to make and maintain the connections.  The beauty about networking is there is no pressure to take the relationship to the next level.

Networking is also an excuse to leave behind the day-to-day grind and refocus on the important issues, rather than the urgent.

Stay tuned for the second part of this - Why is it valued?

This article was written by Dana Cooper, MBA, CAE (Executive Director, Orthotics Prosthetics Canada)

Image courtesy of cuteimage at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ron Tite (@rontite) to Keynote #CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau #TeteaTete

If over 160 exhibitors, free registration, and David Usher isn't enough for you - we bring you Ron Tite.

The Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter is thrilled to announce, in conjunction with Speakers Spotlight, that Ron Tite will be the Lunch Keynote Speaker for the upcoming tradeshow - in the tradition of providing quality presentations at the show, and in celebration of Tête-à-Tête's 25th anniversary.  The addition of a second keynote speaker is a special addition to the show this year.

Relevant, engaging, and interactive, Ron Tite exceeds expectations each and every time he takes the stage. Named one of the "Top 10 Creative Canadians" by Marketing magazine, the award-winning advertising writer and executive creative director addresses a variety of topics surrounding branding, corporate strategy, creativity and social media. Boasting training from Second City, Tite's presentations are not only information-packed, they're also infused with his unique humor--guaranteed to have you laughing while you learn.

Tite has created advertising campaigns for clients including Air France, Evian, Kraft, Intel, Microsoft, Volvo, and many others. His work has been recognized by The London International Advertising Awards, The New York Festivals of Advertising, The Crystals, The Extras, The Canadian Marketing Association, The Marketing Awards and others.

Currently, he is CEO of The Tite Group, a content marketing agency based in Toronto. He has also written for a number of television series, penned a children's book, and wrote, performed, and produced the play, The Canadian Baby Bonus. His first book, Everyone's An Artist (Or At Least They Should Be), will be published by HarperCollins in spring, 2015.

Visit http://www.speakers.ca/speakers/ron-tite/ to learn more.

Join us on January 29th - Tête-à-Tête is open to all Association and Not-For-Profit Executive Directors and Employees, Professional Meeting Planners and Government Procurers. Closed to Non-Exhibiting Suppliers.  AND, it's FREE.  Click here to register.