Productivity

Whether you’re addressing the board of directors, calling members, or emailing colleagues, it’s important to convey your message professionally. You already know the obvious no-nos words – swear words. Here are eight more words and phrases you may not have realized diminish your credibility and dilute your message. “To be honest” or “Honestly” Is the rest of what you’re saying untrue? “Always” or “Never” There is no such thing as absolutes. “Just” or “Kind of” or “Hopefully” It weakens your […]

GrowthZone recently surveyed 1,000 association professionals, asking about everything from renewal stats and member communication tactics to staff health insurance coverage and mobile payments… plus a whole lot more. Download the 2018 Association Industry Trends Survey Report to see what your association peers said. But, there was one question that opened a Pandora’s box of responses: What do you wish your board realized? We heard about board members who try to micromanage, those that don’t really do anything, and many who […]

GrowthZone surveyed 1,000 association professionals across the U.S. and Canada. And the results aren’t what you think. Take a look the 2018 Survey Results On-Demand Webcast » This on-demand webcast with Teri Carden of ReviewMyAMS.com and the GrowthZone team reveals the first public look at the 2018 Association Trends Survey report. In this fast-paced Q&A, they explore the survey results including: what association executives wished their boards knew, health insurance coverage, renewal stats, member communication tactics, top challenges, and more. […]

GrowthZone surveyed 1,000 association professionals across the U.S. and Canada. And the results aren’t what you think. Register Now: LIVE Webcast: Wed., Jan. 24th | 12 pm CST Join the upcoming, live webcast with Teri Carden of ReviewMyAMS.com and the GrowthZone team for the first public look at the 2018 Association Trends Survey findings. (Can’t make the live presentation? Register anyway and we’ll send you the recording.)  In this fast-paced Q&A, they’ll explore the survey results including: what association executives wished their […]

We were busier than ever this past year producing over 100 blog posts for our amazing audience of association professionals (that’s you!). Didn’t have time to read all 100? Of course not, so here are the top 5 most popular posts of the past year. (Most of the articles can be read in less than 3 minutes!)   3 Ways to Quit Wasting Time in Worthless Meetings »     How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis for Association Planning » […]

You can’t change people, but you can change the way you deal with them. Uncomfortable situations with difficult co-workers, members, and board members are part of day-to-day challenges for association professionals. Use techniques featured in the second of our 4-part blog series, How to Deal with Challenging Members, to handle whatever is thrown your way. Download a complimentary copy of The Art of Dealing with Difficult People. AVOID PERSONALIZING Chances are that whatever the person’s issue is, their reaction likely […]

If associations exist in the Star Wars universe (and we like to think they do), would association professionals spend their days balancing the two sides of The Force? A new member welcome email can be even stronger than the Force. Download The Power of the Welcome Email. Whether you worked for The Tatooine Greater Planet Association or The Hoth Economic Development Corporation, your days would still likely be filled with issues that challenge your organization. On the eve of the […]

Communication is key to association efficiency. And there are times when that communication requires face-to-face meetings. These meetings can be a model of efficiency or go on forever with no measurable accomplishments. Setting up an effective meeting with association staff, board members, or members is more than emailing the time and location to attendees. With a little planning and extra effort, you can run meetings that meet objectives, produce results, and leave participants with a sense of accomplishment. Keep reading […]

Association pros spend a lot of time defusing uncomfortable situations. Handling interactions with difficult members, the board of directors, or co-workers can be mentally exhausting and stressful. Download a complimentary copy of The Art of Dealing with Difficult People » It doesn’t have to be. You can’t change people, but you can change the way you deal with them. The Art of Dealing with Difficult People is a short, “how-to” which includes various techniques to handle encounters with challenging personality types. Preview: Tip #5 […]

When it comes to spending time marketing your association on social media channels, it’s easy to “save it for another day.” After all, association pros are always on the run and their time is at a premium. However, social media cannot be an afterthought because it’s critical to keep social media at the forefront of your association’s marketing strategy. People turn to social media for information. They seek everything from news to event updates, from job openings to advice on […]

The life of the association pro is fast-paced and staying on top of Association issues and trends can be a challenge. We’ve streamlined the process and rounded up three of our most popular blog posts. These brief articles address hot topics relevant to the modern association professional. Click on any link to go directly to the article: How to Survey Association Members Are your member surveys generating the high-quality data needed to make good decisions? The key to increasing your […]

It’s easy to become complacent when it comes to internet security – particularly when it involves passwords. But don’t get fooled today (or any day). Use this quick checklist to make sure you have maximized your online security. Avoid checking email, bank accounts, logging on to social media, etc. when on public wi-fi. Don’t use same password for multiple sites and consider using a password manager. Some of the most commonly hacked passwords in the last year were:123456 1234567890 qwerty […]