By Bob Harris, CAE An association relies on its board to govern. It sets the vision and advances the mission to best position the organization and serve its members. Through the pandemic, some directors may have reasons they can no longer volunteer. Concerns about jobs, business survival, health and family come first. It is…
Bob Harris, CAE and Leonard Toenjes, CAE There is a saying, “Put your money where your mouth is.” It means if you have an idea or plan, it should be supported by resources. Without aligning resources any plan is unlikely to succeed. In associations, resources include time, finances, committees, leaders, and staff. Roadmap A strategic…
By Bob Harris, CAE The pandemic has brought new challenges for boards of directors. Some have become paralyzed, wondering how to respond. The best have rallied the leadership team, made a plan, and increased member engagement and value. This special guide focuses on governance principles and pandemic recovery. (OK to save, copy, adapt and circulate;…
By Bob Harris, CAE and Arturo Mariani, Author There are hundreds of stories about organizational and personal improvement during the pandemic. People are sharing ways they are adapting. Organizational Improvement Many of the changes have positive, long term impact. The adaptations are necessary or organic to survive, sustain, and thrive. For example, what used to…
“If my association went for a health checkup today, there would be some serious health issues”, said a president of a large healthcare association. As the economy moves to recovery, consider taking the association’s vital signs, just like a doctor takes body temperature, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. In this case, taking the vitals of…
By Bob Harris, CAE For more than a month, executives have been in crisis mode. They respond to urgent calls from members, media and government while trying to manage and govern an association. One executive said it feels like our house has been on fire. Now it’s time to put out the fire. Spring and…
By Bob Harris, CAE An association or chamber is a group of persons working together to advance a cause or mission. Nonprofit organizations have served the USA for more than 150 years. With 1.5 million nonprofit, exempt organizations, the common traits are a 1) mission statement and 2) a volunteer board of directors. Good governance…
“In the long-run, members will judge their organization for how it responded.” -Bob Harris, CAE, May 2020 I asked an elected president of a large association how she felt about serving during the pandemic. She answered, “This is a great opportunity. It takes real leadership by our team to get through this and make…
