Member at Staff Meeting?

At the recent ASAE Annual Conference, Daniel Pink spoke at the closing general session. He gave the audience a sneak-peek of the research for his forthcoming book which basically explains that “we’re all in sales now.

One concept, the Google “customer” chair at each staff meeting, caught the attention of Joe Rominiecki.  He posited the idea on Acronym that associations should consider inviting a member to attend staff meetings; if not every one, at least from time to time.

Interesting concept – member attending an association staff meeting.  The experience could be enlightening especially for the volunteer member.    It is important to remember, however, that a remarkable association is not member driven (see 7 Measures of Success, ASAE, 2006), it is data-driven. Thus, the remarkable association constantly collects, analyzes, and acts on data – much of which is from the members. Employees for a remarkable association are scanning the environment, reviewing data (membership data, experience evaluations, etc.), and actively seeking data to drive decisions. Certainly a member could attend a staff meeting; and, in the remarkable association, the member would find employees who operate with blinders off, are focused on mission, wide open to feedback, and drawn like a magnet to data. Based on the findings, the remarkable association acts.

Member at staff meeting?   Yes.  What will really impact the remarkable association staff decisions?  Data.