It’s the Way You Do it, You See

Some of you might remember the song It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way That You Do It), released in the early eighties by Fun Boy Three and Bananarama. But not that many will know that the first recording of the song actually dates back from 1939. Turning it into a new wave song with ska elements just allowed to adapt it to a new cultural landscape.

The same goes for association management. At its very core, managing an association is about generating the member engagement required to achieve the mission of the association. For AIPC, this has not changed since 1958.  However, a number of things have changed over the last decade. First of all, there is the generational shift, which is leading to new requirements and expectations from members, which need to be understood and translated into an updated value proposition. Secondly, there is the overall resource shortage in the world of associations. It is extremely hard to get and retain talents. This is not only the case in the world of associations, but because we tend to be smaller organisations, the impact of persons leaving is higher. Fortunately, there is a third big change: the digitalisation and the rise of AI.

A decade ago, the combination of changing needs and a shortage of resources to understand and address these changes, could have been dramatic, possibly resulting in an association losing its relevance. Today, this does not have to be the case any longer as a result of the efficiencies technology can bring. We are now able – with very limited resources – to collect and mine huge amounts of data, both internal and external, allowing us to increase the value offered to members in a cost/effective way.

But this brings me to a different quote, from the American philosopher Henry David Thoreau: “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” At first glance, the quote seems simple and straightforward – that our interpretation and understanding of the world around us is more important than the mere act of observing. However, when delving deeper into this statement, it becomes clear that Thoreau is touching upon a much larger philosophical concept – the ability to see beyond the surface level and engage in a more intentional and mindful way.

Just to give an example: one of the trends in events is the need for participants to have individualized tracks and the ability to “step out” and have “me time”.  Tomorrowland, a massive dance/music festival, took this to the next level and created a gym on the festival zone, which in addition to “me time” also alluded to the need for wellbeing and health. Tomorrowland looked at the full picture.  Associations need to do the same: they will need to look at the data from their members and enrich this with data on overall trends (societal, political, etc.) to have a true and profound understanding of what is needed and demonstrating their thought leadership when it comes to not only understanding their communities but also being able to translate this understanding into tangible member value.

Obviously, this is not an easy endeavor. And sometimes, we might get it wrong – which is ok, if we’re fast to realise that. Transparency can be of help here: telling your members that you are trying out something new, providing a clear rationale and asking them for their support – which could be by providing candid feedback – will create the feeling of being on a joint journey, which is exactly what any associations wants to achieve.

Our world is one of change on all fronts and embracing that change will allow us to deliver the value our members want and to achieve the mission of our organisation. It’s just the way you do it.

Sven Bossu is CEO of AIPC, which represents a global network of over 200 leading centres in 55 countries with the active involvement of more than 1000 management-level professionals worldwide.