Association Management articles from January 2000

Association Management archives from January 2000

Issues Update.
January 1, 2000... Sometimes, a threat can become an opportunity. The association community's experience with the Clinton administration's investment tax proposal last year is a prime example of such an occasion. Strong opposition to this proposal from...

Chairman's Message.
January 1, 2000... As volunteer leaders, we are an integral part of the game plan of our respective associations, helping them to grow and providing an objective sounding board for the implementation of the association's agenda. In realizing the extent of our...

Trust in a New Partnership Paradigm.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Thousands of association executives and suppliers to the association community recently took part in the ASAE Foundation's expansive environmental trends study, which resulted in Facing the Future, a best- selling summary of the results. The...

Embracing Leadership Characteristics That Count.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... To effectively lead into a future where "we are trapped in the tyranny of incrementalism--where we're expected to do things 300 times better--we need to throw away the stationery," says Bernard Ross, director, The Management Centre, United...

Training Streamlines Meetings.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Board meetings of the Houston Area Contractors Safety Council (HACSC) used to last five hours, and little, if anything, was accomplished. Not anymore. Thanks to a mandatory board training program, meetings now typically take two hours....

Assessing Key Traits.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Academician Roy Kern has studied and analyzed leadership issues for more than 25 years. This professor in the department of counseling and psychological services at Georgia State University, Atlanta, concluded that leaders, first and foremost,...

A Guide to Doing It Right.
January 1, 2000... A new handbook from the National Center for Nonprofit Boards (NCNB), Washington, D.C., provides the strategies and tools a board needs to plan a focused, action-oriented retreat. To Go Forward, Retreat: * outlines the qualities of--and...

NAM Leader Urges Involvement.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... When he began his service as chief elected officer in October 1998, Calvin A. "Tink" Campbell, Jr., was the first small-manufacturing executive in half a century to lead the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Manufacturers. On the...

Partnership Principles.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Seven habits spell highly effective leadership teams. As chief elected officer, you will be sharing the leadership helm of your association with your partner, the chief staff executive, for only a year. That's not much time to navigate the...

Arriving at Anthentic Leadership.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Introspection can identify motives for a meaningful legacy. "Thus, the task is not so much to see what no one yet has seen, but to think what nobody yet has thought about that which everybody sees." Arthur Schopenhauer 1788-1860 A...

Getting Outside the "Charmed Circle".(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Acclaimed civic activist John Gardner comments on the steps true leaders must take to benefit the greater good. Editor's note: Naturally proud of their group and bent on preserving its interests, leaders must be on their guard against their...

How Association Boards Add Value.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Associations seeking to enhance their board's ability to lead in a change environment are embracing such governance innovations as board self-assessment and a vision-based-rather than constituency-based-board structure. Associations are...

Getting The To Board Measure Up.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Start with a simple assessment step. Congratulations--you're a board member. Now what? If you are like most volunteer leaders, you bring a plethora of vital business skills and industry acumen to your association. The association staff...

Strategic Directions.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Advice for volunteer leaders on smart solutions to sticky problems with strategic planning. Rewarding as strategic planning can be, it has its share of rough spots. For example, just how many people should be involved in the process? How...

Cultivating New Leadership.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... What younger people want is what you need to provide if your association is to recruit, retain, and recognize their contributions as part of your volunteer leadership pool. Perhaps the greatest irony is that what they want is not all that...

Managing Information Matters.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Time management experts arm you with tools to tame the infobeast. ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT'S first article on information overload, "How to Manage the Information Explosion," appeared in 1969. The advice of the day, provided by Dr. Benjamin...

BOARD MEMBERS FROM BEYOND.(internationalizing boards of directors)
January 1, 2000... Has your association ever gone beyond domestic borders to include international representation on its board? Doing so may be challenging, but it may be critical if your membership is international in scope. You think it makes sense for your...

NO Boundaries NO Limits -- NO Kidding.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Executives at the growth-driven Starwood hotel group talk about leading a mega-organization on the move. If you're curious about what drives such rapid-fire expansion, and whether it's a mindset that would serve your association well, read on....

ASSOCIATIONS ADVANCE AMERICA IN 1999.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... What does it take to garner top honors in ASAE's Associations Advance America Awards program? Nine associations know. Nine associations received top "Summit" honors in ASAE's 1999 Associations Advance America Awards program. Now in its...

Roles and Responsibilities of a Chief Elected Officer.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Why it's different being in charge. As the new chief elected officer, you have been recognized for your individual accomplishments, demonstrated leadership, and service to your industry, profession, or cause. It is truly an honor to be...

Advice for Those New at Chairing a Board.
January 1, 2000... Former leaders share advice for novices on overall effectiveness. You're stepping into your organization's highest volunteer position. You've probably seen it all and done it all in your association--in fact, if you didn't have a history of...

Board Manual Basics.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Whether simple or sophisticated, a handbook keeps your board informed and on target. Having been deeply active in your association, you no doubt know a great deal about its operations, its history, its politics, its policies, and its...

Understanding Financial Operations.
January 1, 2000... A guide to policies, procedures, financial statements, and fiscal fitness. Does your organization have adequate monetary resources to accomplish its mission? Are financial operations managed well? Educating yourself about typical nonprofit...

Your Legal Duties.(board of directors members)
January 1, 2000... What the law says about a board member's roles, responsibilities, and risks. Officers, directors, committee members, and others involved in association governance are often unclear about their roles and responsibilities. And for good...

Antitrust in Brief.(associations and antitrust law)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Subject as they are to strict scrutiny under both federal and state antitrust laws, associations are common targets for antitrust plaintiffs and prosecutors. The Sherman Act, the principal federal antitrust statute, prohibits "contracts,...

Your Involvement in D&O Insurance.(directors and officers liability insurance)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Understanding the risky business of directors and officers liability insurance. What role should you as a volunteer leader play in evaluating your association's insurance coverage? You and your fellow board members should not get...

The Board's Vital Role in Membership Development.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Whether recruiting or determining membership strategy, volunteer leaders set the tone. There is no standard template when it comes to the roles volunteer leaders can play in membership efforts. At numerous organizations--like Chamber Music...

Making Meetings Effective.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... You can make meetings productive, lively, and creative, too--if you know how to keep them focused. Managing discussion is not a passive process, nor is it simply a matter of calling on the next person whose hand is up. As chief elected...

Creating a Cyber-Board.(online meetings)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... How to bring meetings, orientations, and more online. You are well aware that your most precious resource is time. Can introducing technology into the operations of your board, committee, and task forces help make better use of your fellow...

Putting the Fun in Fund-Raising.
January 1, 2000... To make a scary task satisfying, understand the philanthropic climate and why donors give. One of your primary responsibilities is to help raise money for your association. Many people fear rejection and so face this daunting task with...

Energizing and Recognizing Volunteers.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Quick tips for getting the best from your volunteers. No matter how hard you work in your top leadership role, you will need a high-energy team of volunteers to assist you in leading the association. Here are techniques for developing such...

Making First-Timers Feel Welcome.(new volunteers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Give new volunteers a name tag, a buddy, and meaningful work. No organization intends to turn eager new volunteers into disillusioned dropouts. But many associations do just that, year after year, because they don't engage newcomers...

Add Spark to Your Speeches.
January 1, 2000... By dispelling the five myths of speechmaking, you can ignite your audience's interest--and respect. It's no secret that your members' perception of you as a leader is directly related to how you come across in public. Yet if you've...

Ceo To Ceo.
January 1, 2000... Q. How can your chief elected officers work with you to bring younger members into leadership positions? THE FIRST STEP is to obtain a commitment from the chief elected officer that he or she desires to bring newer or younger members into...

Understanding Apparent Authority.(of association volunteers or employees)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... When do volunteers and employees speak and act for the association? In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that an association is liable for antitrust violations arising from the activities of its volunteers or employees, even when the...

Doing Good in Duplicate.(Karen E. Hammel, Executive Director of Colorado Chiropractic Association)(Brief Article)(Interview)
January 1, 2000... WHO? Karen E. Hammel, CAE WHAT? Executive Director WHERE? Colorado Chiropractic Association, Denver WHEN? Since 1998 Q: How did your initial interest in volunteering come about? A: After graduating from Metropolitan State...

Board Diversity Increases.(more minorities on corporate boards)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Ethnic minorities continue to make gains in corporate boardrooms, according to the 26th Annual Board of Directors Study conducted by Korn/Ferry International, New York City. Sixty percent of U.S. corporate boards now have ethnic minority...