Change is critical. It’s also risky. There are 4 inescapable facts to keep in mind. We cannot succeed without regular, meaningful change Some changes will fail Some changes will fail at first but become successful over time There will always be a vocal contingent of opposition There are some changes that are simply essential. You…
We’re way behind but we’re getting better. Our sector is way behind the for-profit world, but we’re getting better. We know from our annual survey of Canadian membership associations, that the vast majority of Canadian associations do not track and manage the basic metrics of their business. Until recently, even the concept of managing a…
By Asif Ahmed, Manager at Zzeem Zzeem recently hosted an European-Canadian summit to exchange views on how associations and Association Management Companies (AMCs) operate across Canada and abroad. The 10-member delegation represented various Dutch associations and AMCs. There seemed to be a lot of similarities and differences between Europe and Canada not only in the…
Associations spend a lot of energy trying to attract members, engage volunteers and recruit directors and staff. But what do you do once you have captured them? Do you make them feel welcome and valued at events? Are you a good “host” or do you leave members to figure it out on their own? Onboarding is…
Successful earned media is public media exposure that results from your successful efforts to create content that (a) provides journalists with a story that is sufficiently intriguing to their audience to get published and (b) segues effectively to your association’s messaging and increases your visibility. How do you “earn” media exposure? It’s free but it’s…
Your association does great work? Does everybody know what you’ve accomplished? Or do you sometimes feel like nobody is listening? You’ve probably informed your members, but did they read your communications? Did it sink in? Your members are so busy struggling to keep up with their day-to-day tasks they have little time left to read…