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When I am asked what it’s like to head an association, I respond by saying that it’s very much like managing a small business that you don’t own, with a governance structure that could run a multinational company. I’ll often add that, “an association expects you, as CEO, to steer the organization in the right direction, but never get caught with your hands on the steering wheel”. Consequently, collaborative strategy-making and managing the expectations of widely different stakeholders becomes the central part of a CEO’s professional life. Reflecting on my eighteen years as an association CEO, in two professional associations and one trade association, I offer my top ten list of things to remember.

10.     YOU EXIST TO MAKE YOUR MEMBERS MORE SUCCESSFUL

Understand your real mission. Regardless of how socially responsible your official mission statement might be, your real mission is to serve, protect, and promote your members’ interests and advance their cause. Forget that and you will veer perilously off the mark.

9.       DREAM YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS

Have a vision. Think through what your willed future is – the destination you ultimately want to reach. Create a simple image of where you want to be. Don’t be afraid to dream – remember, Martin Luther King Jr. did not speak of a strategic plan, he spoke of a dream. This is what vision is all about.

8.       PRIORITIES EXIST SO YOU CAN SAY NO TO GOOD IDEAS

You cannot be all things to all people. Strategic planning is as much about clearly articulating what you are not going to do, as it is about what you will do. Focus on what is important and don’t let anyone highjack your association with a good idea that does not fit with your strategic goals. Without clear priorities, you’ll be a mile wide and an inch deep. Learn to do less with more - you are better off doing a few things really well than a lot of things poorly.

7.       ALWAYS HAVE YOUR FINGER ON THE PULSE OF YOUR STAKEHOLDERS

Connect with your environment. If you want to meet your members’ needs, you first need to clearly understand what those needs are. Make sure that you are in constant touch with all your stakeholders, especially your owners. Take their pulse often.

6.       EMBRACE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE IN THE PEOPLE BUSINESS

Respect People. You are in the ‘people business’, so be nice to people. It’s more fun that way, and more productive in the long-term. Nurture harmonious relationships. It is the knowledge of people that really brings your mission, vision and strategies to life.

5.       LEAD FROM THE BOTTOM

Know your place. As CEO, you are at the bottom of an inverted pyramid that is populated with your stakeholders and owners – learn to manage their expectations… or they will manage you! Strive to build a community spirit and foster collaborative relationships with your stakeholders, opinion leaders and decision-makers.

4.       YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY BOSS

Adhere to the laws of governance. Remember that members are the owners and they have a say in how their needs are being met. Yes, the board manages tomorrow and the staff manages today, but not all the time - you need to accept that.

3.       THE BOTTOM LINE IS… THE BOTTOM LINE COUNTS

Meet the highest accounting standards. Unless your finances are well-managed, none of the good things you do will matter to your political bosses. When it comes to money matters and sound financial administration, you need to be totally responsible and completely transparent.

2.       YOU NEED YOUR STAFF MORE THAN THEY NEED YOU

Be a team player. You can’t conduct an orchestra without the musicians. Build a team of talented people and value individuals who are always looking for a better way to do things. Be open and fair and celebrate success as often as you can.

1.       BE THE STRATEGY CHAMPION

Become the Chief Strategy Officer. 1) understand your purpose; 2) be clear on where you want to go; 3) be unequivocal about your priorities; 4) assess the opportunities and obstacles and determine what strategies you need to deal with them.

The Gold Medal Tip

If I were to choose only one of the above tips as the one that has been most influential in my career, the gold medal would go to number 8, Priorities exist so you can say no to good ideas. The toughest part of implementing a ‘do less with more’ strategy is learning how to say ‘no’. It is not easy to shut down programs or dissolve committees. Those of you who have had to do this know what it’s like. It is especially hard to turn down the many well-intentioned ideas that simply don’t fit. Failure to do so, however, puts an association at risk of being ‘side-tracked’ or, worse yet, ‘hijacked’ by either a determined member, a small persistent minority, a powerful board member, or even a chapter.

Priorities must be used to say ‘no’ to good ideas that don’t contribute to the overall plan. If an association is to maintain its focus it must recognize that strategic planning is just as much about stating emphatically what it is not going to do, as it is about declaring its goals.

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