Does your association need a reboot?

Does your association need a reboot??

Change can be scary for some. Deciding to make a big change in an association can take years of deliberation and understandably so. Members entrust the Board to steer the ship in the right direction and keep it on course.?

There is a danger of ‘doing what you’ve always done’ or ‘playing it safe’. It is vital that organisations continue to evolve in order to meet the needs of their members, especially in sectors that are dynamic and where change is constant. If they sit still for too long, they stagnate, competitors won’t hesitate take that space.

It is a delicate balance of having confidence to take that big leap moving the association forward to the next level without getting carried away. Separating the good ideas from the bad, choosing the right route to success and avoiding the storm that could sink the entire ship.?

?If your association needs a transformation consider this:

• assess the situation and be honest however hard that might be
• determine what services you actually want help with and seek a provider who can offer all of these in a connected way
• seek a team with a proven track record, not just those who talk the talk, those who can show real results?
• listen to them and I mean really listen. There is no point hiring experts if you are too arrogant or foolhardy to think you always know best
• be sensitive and realistic, especially where the majority of associations rely on volunteers who care passionately about their field and want to protect it but lack the skills, and more importantly the time, to see things through or deliver
• have a plan and budget that includes deliverables and control measures. Without these, things can run out of control and that would be dangerous.?
• don’t run before you can walk, it is important to get the basics right and build from there

Perhaps the hardest part of the entire process is making the decision that things need to change. An association needs constant support. Even with all the best will in the world it can be a challenge for volunteer board and committee members to be able to consistently give their time to deliver the essentials needed to support and grow a membership association. This is why you often need more than just administrative support, you often need a full service offering which includes everything from membership administration, finance and events through to social media and digital marketing.?

Angie Major, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Delegant

Delegant is an event and association management company based at Boston House, Grove Business Park in Wantage, Oxfordshire.?

?If your association or event needs a reboot contact us today to discuss how Delegant can help.?