The Association Innovation Blog by Jeff De Cagna

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...

The EMSAL debate continues

My friend Ben Martin of the Certified Association Executive blog has posted a response to my posting from late May regarding the EMSAL (executive master of science in association leadership) proposal.  You can read the comment I posted to his blog offering my take on his most recent points when you click through on the bold red "a response" link above.

I'm really glad that Ben has stayed in this conversation with me.  He's a great guy and very smart.  Thanks Ben!  I'm really looking forward to what comes next...

Building the case against best practices

Michael W. McLaughlin of Deloitte Consulting has published an excellent article called "The Worst About Best Practices."  Like me, Mike is frustrated by the prevalence of best practices and the thinking they promote.  As he writes:

The problem with best practices is this: That approach lulls people into thinking that a best practice really exists that can be successfully transplanted.

I agree.  TAIB readers will recall that I selected "the impending death of best practices" as one of the Top 5 issues facing associations in 2005.  Great organizations do not create value for members, customers and stakeholders by copying the work of others.  They understand that in today's marketplace, creativity and originality are the primary drivers of value.  When association leaders try to replicate the experience of others because it seems expedient or efficient to do so, they surrender the opportunity to dazzle their members and give ground to for-profit and non-profit enterprises willing to embrace the challenge of innovation.  In this sense, then, whether and how our organizations use "best practices" is truly a question of leadership judgment, and one that association executives and volunteers cannot afford to get wrong.  To them, I offer the following advice:  let's dump best practices and focus on building better practice in our organizations. 

UPDATE:  I have added a new poll on best practices.  Please cast your vote.

New podcast on strategic planning at Associations Unorthodox

Just a quick note to TAIB readers that I have posted a new podcast on "the death of strategic planning" over at Associations Unorthodox.  This will be the first in an occasional series of podcasts around the shortcomings of strategic planning, as well as alternatives to it, that I will be recording in the months ahead.  I hope you'll check it out, and do let me know what you think!

Another podcast at Associations Unorthodox

An update to TAIB readers...I have posted my latest podcast at Associations Unorthodox.  We're coming to the end of our discussion of The Future of Work by Tom Malone.  I hope you'll listen to my thoughts on the application of markets to associations, a subject I blogged on briefly during the Top 5 issues of 2005 posts toward the end of last year.  I have two more podcasts on the book to post, including an interview that Amy Smith and I did with Professor Tom Malone for our Internet radio show, Association Foresight.  The interview will be up tomorrow!

Coming up on March 18, some very cool stuff at Associations Unorthodox.  Join me then and listen carefully! 

7DoB Day 7: Reaching a conclusion

Well, we've come to the end of another Seven Days of Blog.  It wasn't everything I wanted it to be and I'm sure it wasn't for you either.  I'm very sorry about that, but I promise to make it up to you in the weeks ahead.  As I've already announced, I am going to be blogging the Great Ideas Conference in Phoenix and I will be launching a new blog in the next ten days or so.  So stay tuned for more things to begin happening!

On a personal note, I'm quite pleased that the New England Patriots won tonight's Super Bowl.  I root for the New York Giants on a regular basis, but in these playoffs I had no trouble cheering for the Pats because Bill Belichick, Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel were all Giants assistants at one time.  And besides, no serious Giants fan could EVER root for the Eagles under any circumstances!

Have a great day!

7DoB Day 4: Solving the Association Puzzle

I've been remiss in not announcing that my friend and colleague Cecilia Sepp has launched her blog, Association Puzzle, after receiving one of my three Gifts of Blog a few weeks ago.  Cecilia and I worked together about 10 years ago (Good God, has it been that long?) at what was then known as the American Corporate Counsel Association, and is now called the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Cecilia's blog will discuss a variety of association issues, with a particular focus on handling relationships with volunteers.  I know that it will be incredibly valuable for everyone in the association community and I hope you will jump over to her site and subscribe!

I hope that in 2005 we will continue to develop the association part of the "blogosphere," and build a more robust set of blogs to explore our issues.  No matter what, TAIB will be there to contribute to the conversation!

7DoB Day 3: ASAE/The Center Merger and HBR 20 Breakthrough Ideas (AUDIO)

A rather long audio post (sorry text lovers!) about the merger between ASAE and The Center, as requested by Ben Martin, CAE of VSCPA. Also, a brief mention of HBR's list of 20 breakthrough ideas for 2005, and the essay of Dean Roger Martin of the University of Toronto's business school. Very good stuff!

BIG NEWS:  As of right now (10:55 pm on 2/2/04) you can download a FREE COPY of the HBR 20 Breakthrough Ideas from the website I listed above.  Just look for the link in the frame marked "Harvard Business Review."  I don't have any idea how long the offer will last...

The true test of leadership

I was flipping channels on the TV last week when I came across an airing on HBO of its 2003 Oliver Stone documentary, "Persona Non Grata," about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  In the documentary, Stone does an interview with former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu who offers the following admonition about leadership:

You know how leaders are tested at the end of the day?  They are tested by their willingness to lose the leadership for the right thing.  That is the ultimate and only true test of leadership.  Whether you're willing to stand up for your values, the things you believe, and to risk failing.  That's the test of leadership.

I find Netanyahu's insight powerfully precise.  The distinguishing characteristic of the real leader is an essential integrity that is fully realized in the moment of choice to act on fundamental values and beliefs, and informed by the awareness and acceptance of failure as a distinct possibility.  There are many approaches, methods and techniques for leadership, but none of them can truly work unless there is first an unswerving belief in a core ideal, reinforced by a sustained and unshakable commitment to advancing that belief even if it means losing everything.

Does your leadership rise to this level?  Does the leadership of your volunteers rise to this level? As Israel's prime minister, Netanyahu had to make choices with life and death implications everyday.  We are fortunate not to be in that position in the association world, but even though what we do might not be brain surgery, it is very important that we succeed and increasingly difficult to do so.  Associations need leaders, therefore, who are willing to embrace the true test of leadership everyday, for the good of their organizations and the community as a whole.  Are you one of them?

Top 5 Issues for 2005!

To close out 2004, I have decided to post (in ascending order) the top five issues I hope we will be talking about in the association community during 2005.  I can't guarantee that we will talk about them, but I will do my part to drive those conversations and I hope you will as well.

I will post #5 and #4 tomorrow and #3 and #2 on Friday.  The #1 post will come on January 1, 2005 and may well end up as my 100th post.  If you want to suggest an issue for #1 that will also make it the 100th post, please post your comment below.  As always, your comments on what I write are encouraged and welcomed!