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12/11/2019

Daily Buzz: Creating Real Change Within Your Association

A small discretionary budget can benefit your organization

As times change, so must your association. Organizations are often aware that they need to evolve, but knowing is only the first step, points out Amanda Kaiser on the Smooth the Path blog.

“Knowing that disruption is coming and that flexible, agile innovation is the path toward stability is different than doing something about it,” she says.

When it comes to making change, what is holding associations back? Kaiser says one of the biggest obstacles is getting board approval.

“Many association CEOs are ready to try some new things," Kaiser says. "They have ideas; they are poised; they’ve rallied the staff. And just at the point they are prepared to dive in, the board says, ‘no.’”

Board members might be hesitant to say yes to new initiatives because they don’t want to approve a project that hurts the company, Kaiser explains. To work through this, Kaiser offers three strategies:

  1. Approve a small discretionary budget. Approving a small pot of money for innovative activities saves the board from making decisions on a case-by-case basis.
  2. Experiment first, launch later. “Show the board that the staff’s innovation process includes multiple rounds of small experiments, iterating, and then launching only the products most likely to succeed,” Kaiser says.
  3. Recruit the right board members. Some percentage of your members want to see change in their industry, company, or even your association. Encourage them to run for board positions.

Please select this link to read the original article from Associations Now.

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