She urged us to begin imagining answers to big "what if" questions.
Some examples:
- What if … associations replaced membership with participation and involvement?
- What if… associations had access to a pipeline of staff talent composed of individuals who are well-trained, acquainted with the association world and had temperaments conducive to success in this profession?
- What if… the CAE or other association credentials were legally bound to common standards of ethics and performance?
- What if… associations created a collaborative platform to publicize their achievements and their impact on the public good?
In fact, I would add at least two more questions:
1) What else ...
2) How else ...
Too many boards and staffs stop at the first right answer ... And miss what probably is a better answer if we keep asking.
Which begs me to conclude this blog by asking ... What am I missing? What else should I have added that would stimulate your own thinking helping your board create a culture of change?
Gosh, thanks for the shout out Steve! I like your additional questions about "what else" and "how else"...they add a nice spin!
ReplyDeleteThanks Shelly.
ReplyDeleteIf associations can answer those three key questions before jumping into new projects or services, they would be better. By the way, one question I often use in board strategy sessions is "If our organization did not exist, would we create it and, if so, what would it look like?"