How to Maximize Your Staff Meeting

By: Mindy Rimes

At some point in all of our careers, we’ve all had to attend an unproductive staff meeting. Many organizations host bi-weekly or monthly meetings that can leave staff feeling unsatisfied and possibly even bored with what they’ve learned. Everyone should take away at least one vital bit of important information. The truth is most do not.

The Association Arch Nemesis

By: Kristi Spargo

There’s always one. You know who it is. Shortly after a new member joins the board everyone is up in arms. Whispers of contention ripple throughout the ranks and the battle lines are being drawn. Issues that you never even knew were issues suddenly have the potential to implode the inner workings of your association. In the eye of the storm stands: The Difficult Board Member.  As staff, it can be challenging to determine when and how to step in to keep the business of the association moving forward without getting bogged down in the personality politics. Boards are made up of professionals of many different personality types who donate their time for the good of the cause; it would definitely not be conducive to say “Nah, no thanks” to the difficult board member who wants to volunteer their service. So what’s the answer?

Engaging the Unengaged

By: Shelly Joines

Who wants extra work on their plate? Who wants to spend “free time” on a project that seemingly has nothing to do with their regular job function? Or even worse, who wants to step outside of their comfort zone and work on something that highlights their professional weaknesses?

Did you raise your hand? Not likely, as human nature is to stay in the comfort zone.

Ignite That Spark in Your Members

Ignite That Spark in Your Members: Resources For Using Technology to Engage Association Members

By: John Ricco, CAE

The Pareto Principal. You may not know exactly what it is, but you experience it all the time.  Better known as the 80/20 rule, the Pareto Principal suggests that 20 percent of your members probably do 80 percent of the work.  So how do you lighten the burden for the overextended 20% and at the same time create meaningful involvement for others? 

Getting Your Name Out There

By: Shelly Sobol

Going to a “networking” event can oftentimes feel like you’re going to a sales convention. Determining what someone can do for you, and pitching what you can do for them. But how do you (or your association/business) make an event more subtle on sales and more about genuine connection? The folks at Hyatt Hotels showed me how when they recently hosted an event in Tallahassee before the Florida Society of Association Executives’ Education Day.

Ignite Your Inner Superhero!

By: William Ferguson

Membership is the lifeblood of any association and everyone is responsible for keeping it pumping. From your board members to the person who answers phones at your association’s headquarters, recruiting and retaining members is everyone’s job. A great way to get everyone on board and excited about membership with the organization is picking a fun theme or idea to rally around.

Last year, I shared with you a membership materials makeover story. This year, we’re at it again as we continue to push membership to the next level and ignite our inner superheroes! When we sat down to decide how to incorporate the superhero theme into membership materials we knew we were going to have a lot of fun. Who doesn’t like superheroes? This campaign isn’t just about recruiting new members – it’s about recognizing how amazing our members and leaders are already!

What’s Your Game Face?

By: Kristi Spargo

I believe that the ability to maintain neutrality on your face regardless of whatever emotion is being felt is an under-recognized valuable skill in the professional world.  There are some people that are oblivious to others and will carry on a conversation without an upwards glance. Yet there are many more people that read your body language more than you imagine. Body language speaks volumes. You may think that the ever-so-slight shift of your eyeballs in a circular motion went unnoticed, but I can promise you that somewhere along the way, someone noticed it and they haven’t forgotten.

Lucky Number Seven

By: Shelly Sobol

A long, long time ago, in a cubicle not so far away, a few brave managers decided to hire a bright-eyed twenty-something in need of a job. With no association experience but a passion for customer service, they brought her on to assist with the Partners in Association Management empire… aka, their growing client base

Little did anyone know at that time, that the blind leap of faith would have resulted in a seven year journey. This year will mark seven years at this company and it’s incredible to think about how I’ve helped grow clients, become part of a wonderful team and even impressed myself. So in honor of seven years at Partners, I wanted to share seven tips to make work, work for you!

It’s Time to Take Your Christmas Tree Down

By: Kristi Spargo

Let me start off by saying that I am not a humbug. I in fact anxiously await the moment when that lazy December Saturday finally arrives, I pull out the ever-increasing bins of Christmas décor, I put on the Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas CD (a childhood tradition carried over, much to my husband’s dismay) and make my house Christmas worthy. By the time I’m done, my children may as well be wrapped in red and green. Yet by the time December 25 concludes, my OCD tendencies have started to prickle me, along with the fallen pine needles now embedded into my carpet. Four days out and I’m fighting a losing battle, everything Christmas must go and my life must get back to normal again. By New Year’s Day, Christmas has been carefully preserved and stuffed in a bin, and I feel like I can breathe easy again.

The Island of Misfit Newbies

By:  Kim Barclay

When you start a new job or are in a new environment, do you feel like you are a misfit on an island?  When you enter a situation that you don’t know the culture, dynamics, rules or routines; one can feel very isolated.  Most of us have been there and it’s a very uncomfortable place to be.

After I chatted with several co-workers in my office about how frustrating it was to navigate the office when we were first hired; a few of us thought if we came up with a plan for a new hire orientation, that it would assist new employees immensely and make them feel more educated about the office environment.  We presented our idea to ownership and they gave us the opportunity to develop what has become our “buddy” program.