Insights

Working with membership communities provides us the unique opportunity to foster not only business relationships but to build enriching interpersonal partnerships as well. The mutual care and support between an organization and their management company, when cultivated with intention, can blossom into a truly meaningful and collaborative relationship. Nothing is more satisfying than providing excellent service under a studied president who is passionate to be in service.  The Little Things To showcase this we call on the actions of one of our associations’ past presidents, who showed us how a thoughtful gesture can make all the difference in the world, …

Financial planning has never been a particularly easy task, but COVID-19 has made it even more complicated, particularly for the non-profit community. Financial health typically relies upon accuracy, consistency, and relatively predictable planning cycles, not the unclear economic conditions and time horizons of a global pandemic with no clear end in sight. The economic downturn and growing recognition that there will be no “back to normal” underscore the tremendous challenges non-profits will face to emerge stronger and financially healthy on the other end of this pandemic. Trust Your Planning Ability  When the worst happens, it’s easy to go into “panic” …

Good teamwork structures provide your organization with a diversity of thought, creativity, perspectives, opportunities, and problem-solving approaches. A proper team environment allows individuals to brainstorm collectively, which in turn increases their success to problem solve and arrive at solutions more efficiently and effectively. When there is good team synergy it increases productivity by providing quick feedback and multiple sets of skills come into play to support the work.  When a team is functioning well it allows for efficient processes in the stages of designing, planning, and implementing. Teamwork is almost indispensable in defining the success of any business.  Let’s take …

Internal communications are an integral part of success for any organization.  When there is transparent communication amongst team members, it helps build trust in the organization and allows for a clear direction in which the company is going, and, more importantly, the employee’s role in achieving its vision and goals. A key part of creating meaningful internal communications is to engage your employees and align them with your organization’s brand and company goals.  When you develop engagement amongst your employees you can create a safe echo chamber within your organization to develop and influence the direction of your brand.  Right …

Creativity has shown time and time again that it loves a crisis. Our most innovative, original ideas tend to come out when our backs are against the wall. It is that same spirit that will most inspire the event management industry over the next year as we begin to emerge from the COVID19 pandemic. Getting back to normal will take some time, and events will look very different in the interim. Expect more sophisticated virtual participation options, smaller satellite events complementing larger gatherings, and people carefully examining the return on investment from attending.  Smaller But Better Events It will take …

Successful organizations know how to follow the most significant trends in the scope of their businesses. Some organizations create trends, and there are companies who understand the trends. Also, there are companies that create and understand trends. The rest are organizations that neither create nor follow trends.  What would you want your company to be, follower or leader? The first thing to consider is that timing is everything! This is a common phrase you can hear in just about any situation. For business and marketing, it is just as important as anywhere else. Staying on top of the trends in …

This past year has been an extremely challenging year for many companies, and unfortunately, some of those challenges may stick around into the new year. With that said, and as we look forward to 2021, it’s important that leaders start to form a plan that can help tackle some of these challenges, and ultimately, will help their team move forward in a positive direction.  Flexibility  Flexible leaders have the ability to change their plans to match the reality of the situation. As a result, they maintain productivity during transitions or periods of chaos. Leaders skilled at this competency embrace change, …

It’s no easy task to achieve work-life balance in today’s unpredictable and fast-paced business world. As we’ve become more dependent on technology and social media, and with COVID-19 keeping most folks at home and out of the office,  it’s also becoming difficult to separate work from our personal lives. Work-life balance is the state of equilibrium where a person equally prioritizes the demands of one’s career and the demands of one’s personal life, but it’s often a difficult state to reach. This may sound like just a win for employees, but employers who are committed to providing environments that support …

How To Foster Creativity and Fuel Organizational Growth Creativity is an important skill whether you work with words, numbers, or images. It sparks innovation and collaboration while leading to problem-solving. It’s not enough to just try and hire creative people though. Leaders need to inspire creativity in their team daily and it needs to be a cornerstone of the business culture to truly succeed. How to Transition into Being a Creative Company To make room for creative thinking in your company, you should actually expect your team t to be creative as part of their job. Allow them time each …

To get workplace diversity and inclusion right, you need to build a culture where everyone feels valued and heard. In order for your diversity practices to be successful, you also need to facilitate an inclusive work culture which is no small feat. Diversity is only half of the D&I picture. Creating a culture where people are respected and appreciated requires another level of effort that may not be getting the investment it needs. Below are a few ways you can boost your D&I efforts.  Be aware of unconscious bias Building awareness is the first step toward real change. Educate employees …