The Association Innovation Blog by Jeff De Cagna

Principled Innovation Blog coming soon!

Dear TAIB Readers:

As most of you know, I have not posted to this blog for many months and I have decided not to post to it again after this evening.  Instead, I am launching the Principled Innovation Blog, which is integrated with my company's new website that will launch in the next ten days.

When the new blog is live, you will be able to reach it at http://www.principledinnovationblog.com.  As of this evening, this URL will take you to a Go Daddy parked domain page. 

I've really enjoyed writing this blog and I want to thank you for reading it.  The Principled Innovation Blog will be a little bit different from this one.  On the new blog, I'll talk more about my company and my work, along with my continued focus on innovation and associations.  In addition, I'll be posting more of my more random thoughts about life, with an eye toward provoking discussion in a more humorous fashion.

At this point, I plan to keep this blog up and available as an archive site, rather than making its posts part of the new blog.  For me, the Principled Innovation Blog is a clean slate, a chance to try out a new voice and new ideas.  I may reference something from this blog from time to time. of course, but mostly I'll be starting fresh.  I'm looking forward to the challenge and I hope you'll enjoy the experience right along with me!

Jeff

Visit The Daily Innovator!

I'm pleased to announce that I've launched another blog called The Daily Innovator.  It is not an association specific blog, but a resource for anyone working in any type of organization who is looking for advice, ideas and inspiration on how to make innovation a priority everyday.  My hope is that you will come to view it as an invaluable resource.

The blog is live now and I hope you will visit regularly.  In fact, please consider subscribing either by e-mail or using the RSS feed.  If you'd like to submit a comment, you can do so here.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts! 

Association Forum launches podcast

I'm pleased to say that Association Forum of Chicagoland has joined me and is now producing a podcast for the association community.  The podcast, hosted by Forum CEO Gary LaBranche, will be weekly and is part of a project that has three goals:

1. Demonstrate podcasting as an association product or service;
2. Share lessons learned and knowledge gained on podcasting with the association community;
3. Provide greater access to association management knowledge and information.

I urge you to listen to Gary's first effort and to support the podcast in the weeks and months ahead.  Podcasting is a powerful tool for associations, and I'm pleased to see that it is beginning to enter into our community's awareness.

By the way, the article from the July 2005 FORUM that Gary mentions was authored by yours truly and it can be found here. 

The tragedy of Katrina

I am putting up this post from Sydney, Australia, where it is approaching 6 pm on September 1.  I'm here attending and speaking at a conference, yet all of the talk is about the tragedy of Katrina.  Everyone asks me about it, some have asked if I have family in the area (I do not), and the universal reaction to the ensuing conversation is the long face and sad head shake accompanying the abiding sense of incredulity we all feel over what has happened.

There are simply no words available to adequately express our pain.  How is it possible that such a cruel fate could befall innocent people?  My heart is aching as I watch wall-to-wall coverage on CNN International, as well as foreign media outlets. It is especially difficult to watch interviews with hurricane victims who are utterly disconsolate over missing loved ones.  As despair overwhelms them, they openly sob, as do the reporters interviewing them.  Each of us in our own way is weeping over the random and desperately senseless destruction that Mother Nature has unleashed upon us.

Even as the people of New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast begin the long and arduous process of rebuilding their shattered lives, we know that, in the end, they will prevail over this tragedy.  It is simply not in the American experience to do otherwise and we will pull together as a nation and as a people to ensure their ultimate success and renaissance.  In the meantime, we share with them our love and our strength as they work hard to make it through the difficult days ahead.

Google Talk is up!

There has been much speculation for the last few days about the arrival of Google Talk.  Well, it's now up, and Skype has a new competitor!  More soon...

UPDATE:  Upon closer inspection, I now see that Google Talk actually is not VoIP, but audio chat.  It does not offer anything comparable to Skype Out (the ability to call landlines from your Skype account) or Skype In (the ability for people on landlines to call you on Skype using a telephone number).  So, I jumped the gun a little bit.  Sorry!

asae & the center annual meeting: part one

Well, I'm back from Nashville, and I have to say that I had a REALLY GREAT time at the ASAE & The Center Annual Meeting.  The staff did a fantastic job.  It was obvious that a great deal of creativity went into the planning for the meeting, and all of their efforts paid off by elevating the energy and enthusiasm level throughout.  The buzz among the attendees was awesome...everyone I talked to had fun and learned a great deal.  Most importantly, no one walked away from the meeting with the impression that this was your typical cookie-cutter ASAE meeting.  The spirit of the merged organization was unleashed in Nashville. Now it must be sustained everyday, day after day.  I'll offer a few thoughts on that subject on another day.  Today, I want to focus on some reflections on Nashville.

One final BlogJam post

I made my final post to the FC NOW BlogJam just a few minutes ago.  In it, I reiterate my hope that FC will launch a podcast, which I have suggested they call FC NEXT.  Whether they call it that or not, I just hope they'll run with the idea.  If you agree, please go to my post, and share your thoughts of support!

FC NOW Blogjam Posts #3 and #4

Here are my two posts from today.  I think I may have one more before the BlogJam is over!  You should check it out...

Inclusive innovation

Global competitiveness vs. Summer vacation

FC NOW BlogJam Post #2

I've just made my second post to the FC NOW BlogJam, this time about innovation.  My first post was encouraging FC to launch a podcast.  The post are coming fast and furious!

My For Immediate Release Interview

On Friday, I was interviewed by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson of the For Immediate Release podcast.  The interview is now available for download, and I hope you'll take some time to check it out.  (It is 55 minutes in length.)

For those of you who listen to my podcast, Associations Unorthodox, you know that I met Shel at the International Association of Business Communicators conference in DC in late June.  Shel introduced himself as "a big fan" of my podcast, which was a truly thrilling thing to hear, because until that point I wasn't sure whether anyone other than my friends were listening.  It was a very exciting moment for me, and I was even more excited by Shel's interview invitation.  I hope I didn't disappoint him and I hope you'll enjoy the conversation!  I look forward to your feedback and pushback...