Volunteers accept positions on boards and committees.  Without much thought, the lines blur between the roles of board, committee, and staff. Stay in Your Lane Roles in an association are distinct.  Every effort complements another.  When individuals disregard or disrespect their responsibilities, confusion occurs. Evidence of uncertainty is heard in, “Why is a board member […]

If your organization has long-standing and effective top senior management team members (CEO, Executive Director, COO, CFO, etc.) approaching the end of their tenure and you have a thoughtful transition plan in place – good for you. However, even the best plans might need adjustments, considering that recent circumstances have changed materially for most organizations. […]

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” is a phrase used to promote a positive attitude during adversity.  The lemons represent the sourness or difficulties.  Making lemonade is turning them into something positive or desirable. Many chamber and association executives are making lasting improvements during the pandemic adversity.   A discussion among component executives of the […]

After presenting at the 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), attending many sessions, and interacting with fellow attendees and content leaders, I observed four powerful fiscal and financial management strategies that are being universally adopted by most proactive association and nonprofit CEOs. The four strategies that continued to surface […]

Several of our readers of my monthly newsletter are non-profit, Chamber of Commerce and Association Executives, and staff professionals. Our paths have crossed over the years at Institute for Organization Management, a program of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Our other readers are business leaders and owners, who, through this monthly newsletter have […]