The Power of Associations, for Good or Bad

At heart, I'm an optimist. I believe that humanity can come together to achieve things that are beyond any individual's power.

In my view, associations represent the ultimate potential of the human experience. They represent the possibilities that humanity brings to the planet; the promises that, as a species, we can collectively fulfill. Associations embody opportunities for people who share common interests to achieve common goals. At their very highest level, associations can enable the efforts of groups to coalesce into exceptionally powerful forces for the advancement of virtually every aspect of our existence. That's pretty heady stuff. It's the sort of thing that makes it easy to understand why working with and through associations can get in one's blood and can become a powerful motivator in one's own life.

But, I'm no pollyanna, either.

Just as they can give legs to the best visions and ideas and motives among us, associations can epitomize the worst characteristics of humanity. When the members and leaders of associations permit it to happen, association structures and processes can trample over the "right" thing to financially and/or politically enrich individuals and groups in ways that cause untold damage to others.

Laws in the United States that work to prevent collusion, restraint of trade, price-fixing, and any number of other breaches of trust and good will by associations were not passed in anticipation of bad deeds. They were passed because legislators and regulators and the public learned, first hand, because they are instruments of humanity, that associations can be tools of greed, abuse of power, and all manner of other crimes and moral failings.

It is because I recognize that associations, like governments, can be instruments of abuse, neglect, blackmail, economic conniving, and social injustice, among other things, that I am a believer in every association taking steps to ensure that its good name and resources are not hijacked for malevolent purposes.

The first defense against abuse is simple: leaders and members alike need to understand and accept the organization's reason for being and its values. Let's take, for example, the Mid-Texas Association of Cattle Prod Manufacturers (a fictitious organization...I hope). Its purposes, as outlined in its bylaws, are "to advance the safe and appropriate use of cattle prods and to protect the industry's economic interests." By itself, that would allow the Association to try to drive competing products out of business by any means possible. Let's say, though, that the Association had expressed its values as: 1) fair competition, 2) honesty in all business dealings, 3) adherence to the law, and 4) creativity. Those values would preclude firebombing competitors' worksites, "dumping" products below costs, and lying about the number of people who had been injured in cattle prod accidents.

The bottom line is this: like most human endeavors, associations are generally honest, law-abiding, endeavors that engage in activities that have value. But it's very important for members and leaders alike to be "watchdogs" to ensure that the beneficent roots of the organization are maintained over time.

A simple code of ethics which lays out the values of the organization and specifically precludes certain self-serving behaviors can go a long way toward preventing problems. Of course, that code of ethics cannot simply be created and left to gather dust on the shelf It must be regularly reviewed and broadcast to the membership as a guiding principle of the association.

Nurture the best in associations and the best is what you'll get. Never allow an association's capacity to nurture the wrong leaders take hold, though, lest all the good deeds an organization might do go undone.

A Good Concept for all Associations: Operating Surveys

Operating ratio surveys and reports tend to be considered only for trade associations. That makes sense, because Quick Ratio, Current Ratio, Average Debt Collection Period, Debt to Asset Ratio, and various liquidity ratios, etc. typically have little or no relevance to individuals in professional societies.

But, operating practice surveys, or something like them, can be extremely valuable to members of professional societies, as well, when couched in terms and reported in ways that are relevant to members' enviroments. Let's look at some hypothetical examples.

The members of the hypoethetical Global Association for Vertebrate Pest Elimination (GAVPE), an association of vertebrate pest control specialists (people who help control rats and possums and squirrels in the attic, etc.) might find it extremely valuable to know the average number of attic pests found after a homeowner reports an infestation. The same people might find it extremely helpful to know the average number of days from first efforts at control until control is achieved. The most expedient and the most efficient way for them to know these numbers is for large numbers of other professionals to share them in such as way that they can be aggregated and expressed in some meaningful form. GAVPE is the ideal vehicle to orchestrate the collection and reporting of those numbers. Members of GAVPE can then look to the Association for information, such as (remember, this is hypothetical):

• The average number of days from control initiation to control achievement is 10.2
• The average number of rats in a typical infestation is 3.2

That information is not just "nice to know" stuff...it's the sort of thing a homeowner who's confronted with a rat infestation would want the GAVPE member to tell him. It's information that helps convey upon the GAVPE member a sense of professionalism and gives the homeowner a reason to put his faith in the member.

Another hypothetical example may help further express the value of operating practice surveys. The Association of Freelance Administrative Support Professionals (AFASP) might serve its members' needs very well by conducting a survey asking, among other things, the length of time of the average "first contact" freelance assignment. The average time of that assignment can help the freelancer establish a base service commitment. So, for example, if the average from the AFASP study reveals that the average assignment is 16 hours, the member who has not yet established a contract minimum might decide to set a minimum at 75% of the average "first contact" assignment, or 12 hours. Again, this in not just "nice to know" information, it's information that the member can use in a practical way in his or her role as a professional.

The previous sentence, ultimately, is the value of associations. They can give members, whether businesses or individuals, practical tools to be better at what they do. Operating ratios for businesses and operating practices for businesses or individuals are features of membership that can deliver tangible benefits.

Branding Your Association

The topic of branding is one of those that, for awhile, seemed like it would be another flash-in-the-pan idea that, like many marketing concepts, would be destined for the ash bin of distant memories. Branding, though, is a concept that equates with survival. Whether you consider your association's marketing initiatives to be components of your branding efforts or not, the fact is that is exactly what they are.

That having been said, here are some ideas you can use to help ensure that your association's brand is maintained, nurtured, and made to thrive.

Excel in at least one area: Even if your association is small and poor, devote your limited resources to an area of performance at which you can excel. Your objective is to be better in this area than any of your competitors. If your association is a state professional society of healthcare administrators, for example, you might excel at getting the best and the brightest of your members to write "best practices" articles on healthcare administration in your state's regulatory environment. Work to get your members "pumped up" about writing for you. That area of excellence can then be transferred to other areas. In our example, the area in which the association excels is not its "best practices" articles; it's the ability to get members on board as working contributors. That can be used exceptionally well in many, many areas.

Be realistic about your goals: The state professional society I mentioned above has no realistic chance of becoming the nation's premier society of healthcare administrators, so it should not waste its energy trying. Set stretch goals...goals that are difficult, but attainable...but don't set yourself up for failure. The state society's goals might better focus on something more achievable...like becoming a primary resource to state regulators and legislators for expertise in healthcare administration.

Stay the course: Once you decide how you will present your organization to its audiences, stay with it. Stick with your plan. This principle says something important about your marketing plan: don't be too quick to adopt it. Spend plenty of time making your plan, testing your plan, and executing your plan, because it's going to be with you for awhile. Make minor adjustments when necessary, but don't make the mistake of "marketing makeover" on a routine basis. That torpedoes your brand. This is a particularly dangerous zone for associations, with their constantly changing boards and committees. As a staff member, you must make it your mission to keep volunteer leaders on track. As a volunteer leader, you must help and you must avoid the temptation to "make your mark" by leaving a new logo.

Hire people who reflect your brand: The Enabled Youth Association's brand might be impacted in an unexpected way if the receptionist were an elderly man with a lisp, just as a teenager with a nose ring serving as executive director would look odd for Geezers for a United Nation. I'm not suggesting that associations must always hire their demographic, but they should pay attention to how their audiences will react to their representatives and whether their representatives convey the right image. Now, whoever you hire, be sure to train them to present your brand the way you want and expect it to be presented.

Hold title to one really big idea: Wal-Mart rolls back prices; we know that because they tell us every time we see a commercial or an ad. Your association should own an idea that says something impressive about the organization. "The Association of Art Restorers ensures that the history of the world will always be clear in its art."

Put resources behind your big idea: If you've chosen your "big idea" well, you'll be willing to invest time, money, and manpower to it. This is one area in which your brand takes flight; it begins to create an image of the organization in the minds of your audience.

Promote your association and its brand. All. The. Time. Include your logo and, if you have one, your tag line, on everthing. Your literature. Your website. Your business cards. Your collateral material. Your Email. Give your staff shirts with your logo embroidered on them. Encourage your members to put your logo on their websites, letterhead, etc. (Yes, give them guidance on how to use it and how not to use it.)



Obviously, there's much more to branding your association than these few paragraphs can present. One thing is clear, though, and that is that you must pay careful attention to your brand. Don't let your brand emerge out of neglect, because that's a brand over which you have no control.

Fiduciary Responsibilities of Members of Boards of Directors

Almost anyone who has been elected or appointed to an association's board of directors has been told that they have "fiduciary responsibilities" to the organization and its members. Too often, that phrase is misunderstood and is interpreted solely as a responsibility to protect the organization's money.

Fiduciary responsibilities are much broader than simply protecting an organization's money. Instead, they span two fundamental duties of a director: the duty of loyalty and the duty of care. First, it is important to understand the role of a fiduciary. A fiduciary, also known as a trustee, is a person or entity with a responsibility to another person or entity, the latter known as the principal or beneficiary. A fiduciary is expected to be utterly loyal to the person or entity to whom they owe the duty. The fiduciary must subordinate personal interests before the duty, and must not profit from the position as fiduciary, without the consent of the principal.

In the case of associations, the members of the Board of Directors are the fiduciaries and the members of the association are the principals or beneficiaries. A summary of the duties of a fiduciary are as follows:

Duty of Loyalty
Under a fiduciary's duty of loyalty, the association's interests must be treated as paramount. The fiduciary's business and personal interests must be subordinate to those of the association and its members.

In associations, it is common for conflicts of interest to be present among members, including board members. Fiduciaries are not necessarily precluded from having conflicts of interest, but when they exist, they must be properly handled. For example, fiduciaries must disclose any conflicts of interest and must, when necessary, recuse themselves both from discussing issues and from voting on or influencing decisions with respect to that conflict.

Fiduciaries are expect to exercise “good faith” in their dealings and decision-making on behalf of the principal and must operate with honesty and integrity, keep confidences, and support board actions publicly.

Duty of Care
Under a fiduciary's duty of care, he or she must be diligent in the performance of fiduciary functions and must, therefore, attend and participate in Board meetings, receive and read reports, and make informed decisions. The duty of care carries with it a responsibility for the fiduciary to understand the association’s activities. That includes having a familiarity with the association's business/financial status. To have the proper familiarity, the fiduciary must review financial statements and must approve an annual budget.

Simply ensuring that there is money in the bank is not fulfilling one's fiduciary responsibilities as a director on an association board. The director must be an active participant in looking out after the affairs of the organization and must represent the interests of the organization's members. He or she must be able and willing to sacrifice his or her own interests to assure that the interests of the members at large are protected.

In a sense, a director's fiduciary responsibilities are akin to those of a parent: protecting the organizational "child" by knowing what and how it is doing and by putting the needs of the "child" first.

Association Directors and Officers Liability Insurance

First, let me say that, with this post, I'm not offering legal advice, nor am I holding myself out as an expert in insurance. I'm simply sharing my opinions and the information I have gained during my career in association management. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, here's the heart of the matter.

Virtually anyone in the business world understands that general liability insurance is an absolute necessity for almost any organization, even those that do not have a physical plant. Associations and other not-for-profit organizations, though, sometimes wonder whether directors & officers (D&O) liability coverage is necessary, particularly when it is expensive. What follows is my perspective, and my advice to the officers and directors of almost any not-for-profit organization or association.

The moment a person assumes a position as a board member of a not-for-profit organization, he or she assumes a level of responsibility for the organization ("duty of care") and becomes exposed to claims that he or she is not running and managing it properly. While the decision to buy or not to buy D&O coverage depends, in part, on the likelihood is that one of the organization's board members will be the target of such a claim, it should also be based on the premise that an uncovered claim could decimate the organization.

Claims against an organization generally would fall into two categories: bodily injury (physical harm) and non-bodily injury (non-physical harm, such discrimination, termination, collusion, or restraint of trade). The majority of claims are for bodily injury. An association's general liability insurance typically would cover board members, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy, for claims arising out of bodily injury and property damage.

D&O liability insurance only covers non-bodily injury claims. As suggested above, non-bodily claims include employment-related claims, mismanagement of funds, collusion, restraint of trade, libel, and other such claims (it's important to note that libel and other such claims would not be covered, under a typical policy, if it were intentional or done with malice).

Concerns about non-bodily injury lawsuits would be one argument to have D&O insurance. Although there are relatively few reported cases of D&O claims, it is sufficiently common to justify, in my opinion, having coverage. Even claims that have been filed and then either settled out of court or dropped can be expensive, so D&O coverage can offer a level of protection that can ease directors' minds.
Fundamentally, there are two types of lawsuits in which a claim might be brought against member of a board of directors: derivative lawsuits and direct or third-party lawsuits.

Derivative lawsuits are claims against a board member on behalf of the corporation. A typical claim here would be mismanagement of assets. In many states, only a few people have "standing" or the right to bring such claims. They are: 1) board member(s) suing other board member(s) 2) members of an organization suing a board, and 3) the state Attorney General.

Because of these restrictive rules, derivative claims are relatively uncommon. Claims of these types are not made for awards to an individual, but rather to make the corporation "whole."

Direct or third-party lawsuits are brought by an employee or by a person not connected with the corporation who asserts a claim against it or its board on account of some non-bodily injury. These might include restraint of trade for preventing a company from getting access to association benefits, or a claim of defamation

Employment practices such as termination and discrimination are the largest exposure in these types of claims. If you have a small, friendly staff, and feel unlikely to have employment claims resulting in a lawsuit, you might not think it necessary to carry D&O insurance. However, when employees feel they have been wronged and are angry, they may file a claim even if it is baseless. At that point, you would need to hire lawyers. Your D&O then becomes a legal defense policy.

D&O insurance is essentially legal defense insurance in most cases. The vast majority of the cases brought against a board are thrown out, but the organization must pay legal fees if a claim is filed.

According to some people, the "deep pocket" theory is relevant in this context. This theory asserts that only people with money are likely to be sued and that lawyers may file a suit based on an artificial claim against "deep pocket" board members with the hope of securing a settlement for their client. Organizations that have a board made up of "ordinary" people who aren't known to have vast amounts of money may then be comfortable without D&O insurance. I wouldn't advise it, but that's what some organizations decide to do.

Assuming an organization decides to pursue D&O coverage, it should look carefully at the policies offered. Questions should be asked and answered about who, specifically, is covered, what exclusions are in place and under what conditions, etc. If employment-related claims are excluded, for example, an association that has its own staff may well decide the coverage is insufficient. An association that engages an association management company would not have the same concerns, of course, because the liabilities for employment-related issues fall to the management company, in most cases.

Insurance Underwriter
When selecting an underwriter, I suggest the association find out what the rating of the company is and that the association never sign on with a company whose rating is less than "A.". A.M. Best & Co. and Standard & Poor are two of the larger companies who provide underwriter ratings. I suggest you also determine whether the company has a reasonable record of claims payments; ask your broker or agent to show you how it is viewed by the rating organizations.

The New Age of Association Education

The era of talking heads is over, at least for a little while. Associations are beginning to understand that adults do not learn as quickly nor as well from listening to speeches, no matter how articulate or intelligent the speaker. While I am convinced that no one has the "right" answer about what constitutes the best learning environment, I think it's safe to say that a mix of the following will be more effective, more enjoyable, and more successful than simply presenting a talking head to the audience:

• Group conversations, in which the audience breaks into small groups during which they discuss the issues, answer questions posed to them about the topic at hand, and are rewarded for contributing to the dialogue;
• Audience members as teachers, in which all or several (depending on the size of the group) members of the audience are asked to take on the "talking head" role, but with a twist--they can engage the group in conversation, as well;
• Experiential learning, in which the participants actually do what they are expected to learn, following guidance either of an instructor or a teaching team;
• Multi-media exposure to concepts, wherein the concepts being taught are delivered verbally, visually, and through other senses such as touch, taste, and smell;
• Online learning, incorporating a variety of teaching and learning techniques, delivered via computer, typically over the Internet;
• Self-instruction, whereby the individual learner is given specific objectives, clear metrics to measure progress, a timeline, and a variety of information resources and then told to come back to report on progress at various intervals; and
• Peer feedback, whereby knowledgeable and trained peers give feedback to the learner about the material to be learned.

Several of these processes go by other names. Several of them have evolved into hybrids that purport to be more effective than any of the processes from which they sprang. Regardless, the important thing is that associations that continue to depend on the "talking head" mode of delivery for education will find that, at least for now, their members likely will be dissatisfied with it, if that is the exclusive mode of delivery.

My best advice is this: use a mix of modes of delivering your educational content. Surprise your members with new ideas, new formats, and jarring concepts! Get them excited as much about how they will learn as what they will learn!

Small Associations Can Perform "Big"

Small associations often lament the fact that they do not have the resources to perform as well as their larger brethren. While it is indeed true that larger associations with big budgets and large numbers of dedicated staff members may have an easier time of "performing" than smaller, leaner organizations, small associations can behave like the big guys. It's a matter of how they use their resources. Let's consider some areas in which effective resource allocation can pay huge dividends for associations:

• Create and use free blogs (examples: www.blogger.com/; www.wordpress.com/)
  
• Use cheap web hosting companies with templates (examples: www.hostcentric.com/; www.networksolutions.com/;
  
• Use inexpensive online membership services instead of expensive ones like iMIS, (example: www.memberclicks.com/)
  
• Create and use free wikis (example: www.pbwiki.com/)
  
• Get staff/volunteers excited about learning new skills so they can do things to make the association "look big" (e.g., do an online "webinar" by simply creating a PowerPoint, saving it as a web page, then uploading to your website...and give "trainees" the URL so you can walk through it with them, while chatting with them on a pay-it-yourself conference call [for example, http://www.freeconferencecall.com/])
  
• Invest in inexpensive resources (or pursue free resources) to enable you to create audio and video podcasts (e.g., www.garageband.com/podcast
  
• Invest in inexpensive resources to enable you to have CAN-SPAM compliant opt-in blast email capabilities and avoid overloading Outlook (e.g., listbox.com)

It's important to understand that each of these (and hundreds of other) prospective solutions to "looking small" require regular investments of time, whether volunteer or staff or both. Before jumping too deep into looking like a "big association," you must look at what, realistically, you can expect your volunteers or staff to do. Even something that only takes 30 minutes a week is going to start wearing thin on volunteers who work 10-12 hour days, six days a week! Spread the load, and be careful to ensure that you document the processes as you go, in case you need to quickly shift to another volunteer.

Similarly, be careful about what you ask your staff to do, whether a full-time staff dedicated to your association (a "captive" staff) or an Association Management Company (AMC). A captive staff for a small association wears many, many, many hats and one more new project from the Board may send them over the edge! Ask for their input before launching on a new set of initiatives.

AMCs typically have several clients and must, for the sake of efficiency and good resource management, limit the number of solutions used for any given challenge. So, it may not be reasonable to expect your AMC to learn yet another software product that does the same thing as another one they're using...you need to let your AMC give you some guidance on how it can address your needs. By all means, though, insist that it addresses them, one way or another, and with a sharp eye on your budget!

Whether you use only volunteers, your own staff, an AMC, or a combination thereof, think of and explore ways to deliver real value to your members without draining your resources. Your association can look big, no matter its size!

Volunteer-Managed Associations: Avoiding Traps

I see one of the most visible results of associations being completely volunteer-managed almost every time I encounter such an association: the organization has, either in the past or at present, lost its standing to do business in the state in which it is incorporated (and, therefore, in other states). Oftentimes, the problem is due to the organization's registered agent being a volunteer who has moved or died or is no longer in the business or profession of the Association. In some states, the registered agent must be an attorney and/or must be a resident of the state in wihch the organization is incorporated. Notices to the registered agent that to unanswered can cause all manner of trouble.

Those pesky annual report requirements tend to get lost or misplaced or simply overlooked by volunteers, many of whom do not have any experience in dealing with state reporting requirements. It is understandable that unpaid volunteers with no previous experience may overlook reporting requirements, but that makes it no less important. While it's usually not the end of the world to lose status, failure to maintain currency of standing can be enormously problematic. For example, directors and officers liability policies may become invalid upon dissolution of corporate status caused by failure to file reports. The IRS can get testy if an organization fails to file annual returns. All sorts of state officials tend to bristle at unauthorized conduct of business within state borders.

This is NOT an argument that all volunteer-managed associations need to immediately seek the services of an association management company. I'll readily admit that many of them simply do not have the financial resources to engage a management company, particularly on an ongoing basis. What I will argue, though, is that volunteer-managed associations need to take steps to ensure that they maintain their good standing with state comptrollers and secretaries of state. Here is a simple and relatively painless way to do that:

• At a predetermined time each year (the beginning of the year often is a good time to start), the Boards of Directors should set aside time to review what filings have been made, what filings are required, and who has responsibility for making filings and reporting back to the Board;
• If the Board is not organized in such a way as to be sure that such an activity will absolutely, certainly take place each year, a "reminder service" of some sort should be paid for (see below);
• If the Board does not know what filings are required, a member of the Board should be assigned the task of exploring state requirements. A couple of good places to start looking: 1) the secretary of state's website and the 2) comptroller of public accounts' website. If the information is not readily available or cannot be found there, a call to a CPA should provide a quick answer at little or no cost.
• Whenever possible, the Board should engage a professional to ensure that appropriate reports are filed, or at least that the Board is notified of the need for filing them. An association management company can be engaged for that purpose at a very low annual fee, as can a CPA or an attorney; for a very basic "reminder" service, the cost should be negligible.

The drudgery of annual reports, tax filings, and the like can cause some people to just ignore them in the hope they will go away. They won't. They will come back to bite the Association, and can do it with a vengenance. Simply ensuring that someone looks into the issue on a regular basis can save the Board from headaches and, in some cases, much worse.

Tough Topics

Politics and religion can be dangerous topics in mixed company. It's hard to know who believes what and what comments might offend people. So, the safest and best route for association executives is to stay away from those topics, right? No. Emphatically, no!

Granted, there are some situations in which it is best to avoid both subject areas, but generally speaking, association executives should be leaders in conversations about areas that are sensitive. Indeed, any leader should feel compelled to talk about, and to encourage discussion about, politics and religion and any other topics that tend to create more heat than light. Why? Because dispassionate discourse can lead to understanding and acceptance or, at the very least, tolerance. And tolerance of divergent views is the cornerstone of any truly successful association and any truly successful association executive. The key is the way in which 'tough' topics are handled.

Association executives should, in my view, set the stage for any tough topics by laying the cards on the table, e.g.,

"We're going to discuss TOPIC A. I know this can be an emotional issue with many people, but I'm counting on everyone to be respectful of every comment, every opinion, and every perspective. It's especially important for those of us with very strong opinions to not only listen to opposing viewpoints, but to try to truly understand and embrace those points of view. Our objective here is not to demonize the opposition but, rather, to reach concensus on compromise."

In my opinion, truly capable association executives are those who actively seek out people with divergent opinions so they can better understand all perspectives. And by leading by example, association executives can, bit by bit, change an organization's culture from one of exclusionary distrust to inclusiveness and philosophical tolerance.

In my own company, I make it a point to tell applicants for employment that this company's philosophy is one of inclusion and tolerance and that we value diversity. We don't just tolerate diversity, it is actively sought out; we value it.

People who cannot be comfortable with diversity in gender, religion, race, sexual orientation, etc. are unlikely to be comfortable in an association environment. After all, associations bring people together from all walks of life, all sort of backgrounds, and all manner of personal experiences. While association members have some common interest or interests, that one commonality is likely to be dwarfed by the vast sea of differences between members.

Association executives have the opportunity to be leaders in promoting tolerance and in promoting the value of diversity. Tough topics are, in fact, tools of leadership that can be used by skilled association executives to make a lasting impact on the organizations with which they are associated.

Imminent Danger

Organizations that do not take seriously the different preferences of their various constituencies are at risk of becoming irrelevant.

When Netflix emerged in 1998, Blockbuster was the king of home video. There was no match, no comparison, no threat. But Netflix changed that. And for quite some time after Netflix introduced its new model of video delivery, Blockbuster behaved as if Netflix posed no danger. That hesitation very nearly cost Blockbuster its existence. Some say it will, yet. But Blockbuster finally recognized that some of its customers really liked home delivery of videos and it began t0 emulate Netflix' business model. Thus far, it has survived. Time will tell whether it acted quickly enough, early enough, to salvage its business.

The Blockbuster experience, regardless of ultimate outcome, is a less for associations: listen to your constituents and know their preferences. If your members want hard copy newsletters, give them hard copy. Sure, it's expensive, but if your members want them badly enough, they will be willing to pay for them. If your members want podcasts and wikis and personalized education, you'd better give them that, too.

In today's business environment, speed is king. Listen fast, act fast. There may come a time when your members will give you time to deliberately assess their needs. There may be a time when you will again have the luxury of testing new products and new modes of delivery to be sure they're right before you launch them. But, for now, you'd better be prepared to act fast, take risks, and pay close attention to your members' rapidly-changing preferences or you're apt to find yourself staggering in the gutter, wondering where the good life went.

Crisis Preparedness is a Business Imperative

The principal difference between most associations and most "normal" businesses is the organizational imperative: make a profit for most "normal businesses" versus advance the interests of the industry/profession for most associations. But, at their hearts, the management of associations and the management of "normal businesses" are virtually the same. They are businesses. And every business needs to have a plan for crisis management.

Some executives scoff at the idea that they, personally, should be involved in planning for crises..."I have people whose responsibility it is to do that for me," they say. I say, nonsense! If the buck stops with you, you had better understand the nature of potential crises and how your organization would respond. Maybe a member of your staff is given operational responsibility for responding, but the chief executive had better know that a plan exists, that it has been tested, and that it is logical, meaningful, and sufficient.

Crises can take literally hundreds of forms, including:

• Weather-related damage/destruction
• Theft of materials or equipment
• Sabotage of business relationships
• Unwelcome media coverage
• Loss of important membership data
• Hacking into organizational websites
• Compromise of member personal/financial data
• Allegations of sexual misconduct by Board or staff
• Embezzlement of association funds
• Death, injury, incapacitation of key volunteer or staff
• Workplace violence, either in association office or in members' environments
• Public revelations of criminal wrongdoings by volunteers or staff
• Natural disaster impacting meetings or other association operations
• Acts of terrorism
• Destruction of physical property by fire

Obviously, the list could go on for pages.

Like every other business, associations must be prepared to respond when crises occur. That is not to say that a crisis response plan must anticipate every potential crisis, but a plan should be malleable enough to provide a roadmap to association staff and volunteers when a crisis does occur.

A crisis response plan should address:

• Who should be notified
• Who will be in charge
• Alternates in the event primary contacts are inaccessible
• Ways to get in touch with all appropriate people to be notified
• How to reach the authorities and which authorities should be contacted
• How to sustain business operations, if relevant
• How to establish alternative operations centers, if appropriate
• Locations of backup data
• Alternate means of communications in the event of power or infrastructure outage
• Etc., etc., etc.

Just consider what you would do if you walked into your office on a Monday morning to discover that a fire has destroyed your office...your network server is gone, all local computers have melted, your telephone system will not work, all your paper files have burned, and to make matters worse, your pyschological counseling association client has a local meeting scheduled for noon that day. What do you do? How do you recover? What if all this happened after another catastrophe the previous Friday, when the association's chief elected volunteer leader was arrested for groping a client?

If you're an association executive who faced such a dreadfully unfortunate scenario, you would be expected to have a plan to recover quickly. Not create a place. Have a plan.

If you're an association volunteer or elected leader, it would behoove you to ask your chief paid staff executive whether such a plan exists. If not, your CEO should be directed to produce one, quickly.

Successful Associations Require Staff Intensity

That's right, successful associations require intensity. There must be intensity in the underlying purpose of the association and in its mission and vision and objectives. There must be intensity in its volunteer leadership. And, most important to my message today, there must be intensity in its staff.

One of the things I've felt passionate about during my career in association management is that staff members must develop an intensity, a firey passion, about the business or profession of the associations with which they work. It's simply not enough to do the work. The work must be done with feeling. It has to matter. When that happens, things begin to happen. Possibilities that were never even considered begin to emerge. Volunteers who had a hard time finding the spare moments to devote to the association start to make time for the association.

Intensity in association staff (and, of course, that includes association management company staff) is an important component of the "fire in the belly" that causes great things to happen. It's not sufficient, but it is necessary. Great things also require committed volunteer leaders and other volunteers who are willing to work...without that, staff intensity will ultimately wither. But when staff intensity is combined with volunteer intensity...watch out!

I'm the first to admit that, for the most part, associations are not institutions that form the bedrock of society, so we mustn't take ourselves too seriously. But we must all understand that our little parts of the world do matter, and that by focusing our intensity on things that make our little parts of the world better, we're making an important difference!

I'll close this first post in our new blog with some comments from some very wise people:

"Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein