CEO Solutions :: KST Consulting

It was over 15 years ago that I first learned about an organization’s lifecycle and the bell curve it can follow. Thus, when this topic recently surfaced on a listserv as if it was a new idea, I was very surprised. Thanks to the wisdom of another consultant doing board training for my association many years ago, I had been talking about the organization’s lifecyle with several associations for the past many years. It makes me think that association management topics may be a bit like those of women’s magazines. The headlines rarely change from year to year. There is one on fast weight loss, better sex, fabulous recipes, beautiful rooms, the latest fashions, and more. The topics may remain the same, but the information provided may have a new twist.

For those of us who have been working with associations for several years, even a few decades, maybe we need to dust off some topics that we consider old news. It may be old news to some of us but it is news to others. Just as we advise CEO’s to keep repeating the same messages time after time as their audience keeps changing, I think the same must be true for those of us speaking and consulting in the association leadership and management world.

For now, where do you think your association is in its lifecyle? Is it a newborn, adolescent, adult, mature? The key is to be on the cusp of adult/mature and once you are in adulthood, it is time to start refreshing to keep the passion and excitement alive before hitting the downside of maturity.

As individuals, we also have to keep rreinventing ourselves to remain healthy and vibrant as we age. Maturity calls for new kinds of interests and activities, maybe even new locales for where we choose to live. More on this in a later post.

I was recently a speaker for a board development session–the first ever offered by the association. It made me wonder how many associations are neglecting this very important activity. Sure, most association CEOs offer some sort of orientation to the specifics of their association. For instance, there may be a round robin of presentations by various senior managers and an overview of the basic logistics such as travel expense policies and procedures, dress code, transportation tips, and more. How many devote time and resources to training their board members on how to be an effective board?

With this particular client, it was a group of highly educated and sophisticated members. Most of the individuals have served on other national boards, so they wanted more than the basics. I asked a few questions and determined that the basics were in fact needed in addition to more advanced knowledge.

For instance, most could not respond to my query about the three legal duties of a board. That was just the beginning and made me realize that I was on the right track by offering a board development session annually when I was a CEO. Do you? Can your board answer my query? What else might they know or not know? Think about how you can provide the training and information they need in order to protect themselves legally and lead your organization on a continued path of success. It’s a new decade, in this somewhat still new century. Maybe it is time for a new approach to your board orientation and development sessions. Just a thought.

I have made two trips to the nearby Verizon store to replace my Blackberry. I love my Blackberry, but the trackball keeps falling out and jamming. The store nearest me isn’t staffed appropriately to meet the customer demand. I have visited twice, waited several minutes with no acknowledgement and disappointed. My time has been wasted and I still am unable to access email on my Blackberry. I will try again tomorrow. Why don’t I just order a new phone online? Well, I have some questions about the new DROID and want to compare two Blackberry models. Besides, I love the instant gratification of walking out of a bricks and mortar store with my new operating phone in hand.

It makes me wonder, what do your customers or members experience when they call, email or log on to your website? Are their needs quickly met? Are their questions easily answered? Or, do they leave a bit disgruntled? Do you know if they will return or do they have an alternative for meeting their needs? Lots of questions here. Do you know the answers? If so, good for you. If not, maybe time to do a little research. It might be time for a tune up.