As the summer winds down and we steer toward our sixth month of remote work, there is a noted change in the air.  Although many if not most associations are struggling to stabilize revenue streams and stay mission focused during a time of tremendous upheaval, some good has come of this upheaval.  Disruption forces change – forces us to look at new ways of doing things and sometimes dramatically so.

“Pivot with Purpose” is the new mantra.  Although the concept has been around for decades, it applies now more than ever before. Here’s how:

To begin, let’s start with the purpose of associations.  Connecting people with a shared purpose in a community to exchange ideas is at the heart of what we do and should be the launchpad for pivoting with purpose.

Technology already provides the platform for us to pivot and hold on to this purpose.  In the past months, virtual classrooms and conferences have enabled us to let hundreds of members and prospects enter through doors they may not have opened before.  Attendance numbers have gone through the roof with latent members who no longer have to travel, incur expenses and lose billable time to learn.  New member prospects have found our associations because it is easy to click on a link.  Those prospects can be channeled into our membership ranks.  Virtual programming is working, and we have seen the value of virtual connectivity.  Can we expand beyond our traditional borders geographically? Reach out to allied professionals?  Can we attract new faces that may never have come through our brick and mortar doors?

NYSAE is showing us how to do just this.  Earlier this month, for the first time (with the talent of Holly Koenig and the Kellen team) we conducted a virtual Synergy awards program that made it appear as though all of the speakers were live in the moment.  What a fabulous portrayal of the professionalism of our organization. What a great forward-looking face to help our members envision what could be done.

Earlier in the month at an NYSAE Virtual Exec Connect: CEOs Leading Change, the speakers spoke about associations being more vital than ever before. In the fund-raising arena, we learned about virtual bike-a-thons and walkathons as successful models.  We learned that virtual events can be just as lucrative as in person events. Members contribute to the cause, not because of the venue.  Online sponsors are pivoting too.  In many cases the audiences they reach are larger and more targeted and the message can be delivered in more effective ways.

Knowing that the purpose of associations is creating community will anchor us in this new virtual model.  Breaking down brick and mortar boundaries will fuel creativity and new ways of doing things.  This will drive loyalty and show our members that we will find ways to redefine community to help them survive and thrive.  At the same time, virtual communities will stabilize our revenue streams and reinforce the brands we have created – to provide value and community to our members. As association professionals it is incumbent on us to reimagine.  Who do we want to be in the future?  What do our members need us to be?

In a quote often attributed to Henry Ford (although never substantiated) he said, “If I had asked people want they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”  As association leaders, it is our job to define what our members will need and how we can become that delivery vehicle.

Our best days lie ahead.

 

Joanne S. Barry, CAE
Executive Director & CEO, NYS Society of CPAs