Do Whatever Rings the Cash Register: Associations & NonDues

Back in March, Laura Petrecca of the USA TODAY wrote a story headlined Ad agencies go from jingles to entrepreneurship.  

Advertisers are creative, right? So what's to stop them from thinking outside the box enough to create their own product lines?

When I started my association management company, a company approached me about producing some product literature. I called Charles Rumbarger, CAE, who was my mentor in starting the AMC and asked him if I should do the project. “Steve,” he said, “Do whatever rings the cash register.”

I followed his advice then and for the next 19 years that I owned my AMC.  Which is one reason I'm a consultant, speaker and blogger.

As we grew, I sometimes wondered whether – given the talent on my staff – we should be doing a lot more than managing associations. But, I ran out of time.

When bad news comes knocking, get in front of it fast with honesty and transparency.

Where's my crisis communications plan when I need it?

One of the really great family-owned grocery chains got hacked this winter. It was really serious. It impacted 2.4 million credit and debit cards.

Based on reading a number of accounts from the company, media and lawsuits, here’s the problem’s apparent timeline:

• The credit card problem started in December 2012 and extended until March 28, 2013.
• A credit card processing firm informed Schnucks on March 15 it had tracked credit card breaches back to Schnucks stores.
• Schnucks immediately hired a computer security firm to examine the problems.
• The firm and company “resolved” the breach about March 28.
• Schnucks notified customers and the media of its credit card issues on March 30 ... two weeks after it first learned of the problem.
• Last week (on May 10), the Schnucks chairman issued a video apology. 

That two week gap represents a major reputation issue for Schnucks.

What I Learned From Dunder Mifflin and The Office

Guest Post By Kathy Deters

I’ve worked from home for nearly a decade. I enjoy it immensely; it saves me valuable time and money by eliminating a costly and lengthy commute into the city, it allows me to be home more with my children and it helps me tap into my creativity. But there have been times when, I admit, I have missed working in a traditional office. I miss gossiping next to a water cooler, celebrating co-workers’ birthdays and, of course, making a fool of myself at the office Christmas party.

Perhaps this is why I became so attached to NBC’s “The Office.” For me it was more than just another 30-minute sitcom, a way to fill the coveted must-see TV Thursday night 8 p.m. time slot; it was my pseudo-work family. Pam, Jim, Meredith, Michael, Andy, Stanley, Oscar, Creed, Angela, Erin, Phyllis, Kevin, Toby, Darryl and Dwight—most especially Dwight—were my co-workers. Through marriage and divorce, for better and worse, in times of economic success and financial distress, even that shaky season after Michael left and ratings started to drop—I got my office fix from the folks at Dunder Mifflin.

So now, as I prepare to visit Scranton one last time, I’m reflecting back on what “The Office” has taught me about organizational management, careers and life in general. 

Four Lessons We Can All Learn from Dunder Mifflin

Can Associations Incorporate The Neighborly Wave?

Growing up in rural Ohio, I grew accustomed to the “friendly wave” when passing folks on their front porch, a farmer plowing his fields or the driver of an oncoming car on a rural road. If a wave wasn’t possible, people would give a friendly “toot” of their horn as they passed.

And, the waves came in all styles – from a full hand to a lifted finger – almost like fingerprints.

After 40+ years of living in metropolitan areas, I was thinking “I miss that neighborliness.” Oh, we “sorta wave” to our neighbors but rarely do I sense the kind of neighborliness I felt back when I was growing up.

Until now.

In moving to this “55 and better” community near Fort Myers, I’ve discovered that they have instituted the wave of my childhood. Whether walking, driving, biking or golf carting, there is strong evidence of “The Pelican Preserve wave.”

It’s nice. One of the things I like about being here. A part of its culture.

Makes me wonder if our associations have something similar to the rural wave?

Do our association cultures incorporate that sense of family/community/neighborliness. It’s what Maddie Grant and Jamie Notter included in their book Humanize, isn’t it?
Is it in the “voice” our staffs share with members, prospects and others?

Is it incorporated in our board and committee meetings?

Is it part of our conferences and conventions?

If not, why not?

Shouldn’t we encourage our staff and members to go out of their way to ensure friendly neighborliness within our associations?

5 readings for Association Executives

From Formal Strategic Planning to Strategic, Improvisatory Thinking 
By Anna Caraveli via The Demand Perspective & shared by Mark Athitakis via Associations Now 

“‘Strategic programming’ describes the mode of ‘strategic thinking’ in most associations we visited. These organizations have a gap in capabilities for continuous innovation, recalibration and swift opportunity leveraging which does not bode well for their potential for success and growth in this environment. It also has a serious gap in common sense ... The greatest mistake organizations make in planning is to assume that analysis and detailed plans will automatically translate into action.” Thanks Mark for sharing this important thinking.

The Dark Side Of Reputation Management: How It Affects Your Business (Association) By Cheryl Conner via Forbes

This is a great piece regarding online reputation management and what to do or not do if your organization is “hammered” with online reputation attacks. Best advice: do NOT respond as helps the attacker.

What to Do When the Leaders Don’t “Get It”   
By Jamie Notter 

Here was a distinct theme among the questions at one of my recent sessions: “Our leaders don’t get it. They’re clueless. Leaders don’t think they can change the culture. People see the leaders as incompetent. In the context of all that, what are we to do?” Jamie offers four insightful tips

ASA (Automotive Service Association)Reports Employee Theft, Two Executives Resign  Report in Fender Bender

I hate these kinds of stories: A member of the association’s administrative staff associated with accounting functions used an ASA credit card for personal purchases, such as clothing and travel. He said the purchases amount to “many tens of thousands of dollars.” It is not yet known when the embezzlement activities started. What processes do you have in place to reduce your risks. Here’s a post with suggestions: 

Upfronts Not Ready for Prime-time Reality 
By Michael Wolff via USA Today

The Upfronts are a media ritual that stretches back to the early days of television. It's when networks offer advertisers a locked-in deal if they buy space for the fall season in the spring instead of waiting until the new shows air, when the costs, especially for hit shows, might likely go up. Forget the fact that there really is no longer a fall season, that a hit now is hardly what a hit was then, that television networks are themselves pale imitations of what they were — once again the Upfronts are on. Theaters are rented in Manhattan, network heads and ad sales executives are rehearsed, assorted stars are unhappily drafted to participate and, in old-fashioned variety-show format, the new shows are launched and the old patted on the back. Hum, are we in the association profession holding on to “old ways” because we’re afraid of the new?