Archive | July, 2005

Pleasure = Perfection

by on July 18, 2005 in Work

Don at Leadership. Now. is on a quest to find organizations who ensure "perfection in the work by assuring pleasure in the job." That’s a tall order for organizations to fill, but they’re out there. Do you know of any? If your organization doesn’t come immediately to mind, then ask yourself "why not?"

From a managerial perspective, it’s commonplace to talk about quality and excellence. These are a couple of the characteristics we want our folks to aim for. From an employee perspective, who gives a rat’s behind about those things if the job stinks? If we feel like we’re constantly being taken advantage of by our organization or not being given respect, it’s a kind of difficult to freely give our best.

So, what can we do to assure pleasure in our job and the jobs of our staff? If you don’t know the answer, ask around. I can say that this question will form the basis of my "one-on-ones" with my team this week. I can’t wait to hear the responses.

Growing Custo/Members For the Long Haul

by on July 18, 2005 in Business, Work

I’m remembering one of the things that I dislike passionately about associations – the constant dues haggling. Here are just a few of scenarios:

  • A member complains that their dues are too high and wants a discount.
  • A potential member says he has a handful of people to bring into the association and wants to cut a deal for reduced dues.
  • A volunteer leader is trying to develop a more international attendance for a meeting and wants to help non-US prospects join through discounted dues.

On the surface, I think a couple of attitudes drive these requests: the notion of the non-profit as charity and the belief that member growth is always beneficial.

I’m taking a stab at the charity issue. I simply don’t know why folks think non-profits have no regard for their own financial health. Perhaps it’s that term non-profit. What I do know is that it is very hard to get folks to understand that decisions must be put through a financial test and that giving something away works toward an association’s long-term vitality.

The more insidious attitude is that any type of membership growth is good for the association. The problem is that offering discounts on membership is purely a short-term solution. Yes, it may bring in members now, but what does it then say about the overall value of the membership? And here’s the more interesting question: are the members seeking a discount the right type of members for the association? Wouldn’t you rather have a member who wants to pay full price because they believe in the value rather than a member who constantly looks to cut their spending?

The common response is that if you give the member a taste now of all the association has to offer, they’ll undoubtedly come back for more next year. I believe this is not only a vicious myth, but the antithesis of creating a passionate experience. The relationship has been marred from the beginning where the association has essentially stated that we really don’t believe in the value of our own offerings.

Here is my proposition: that associations (and I’m putting my own right at the front of this line) stop looking for just any member to join and start looking for the right member to join. And the first way they can show that they are the right member is to be willing to pay in full for their membership.

Or is that asking for too much?

Connect The Dots In Your Marketing

by on July 14, 2005 in Business

Wendy at Kinetic Ideas offers a simple, yet powerful suggestion for developing marketing resources: make your marketing solve a problem. Simple, right? Then why do most association brochures present a general litany of here’s who we are, here’s our benefits, here’s what we’re doing, blah, blah. Even most association websites are self-centered vehicles for announcing blah stuff about the organization. In short, it’s all about the association and hardly ever about the person actually holding the brochure or reading the ad or browsing the site.

Point #1 that Wendy makes is that:

People (you and me included) want to know what is in it for them. They are interested in useful ideas, services, and products that make something better in their life. Don’t talk about YOU. Start talking about THEM.

Some sagely advice I received a while back is that an association feature can’t be called a benefit until it you show the member how it benefits them. So, just don’t tell a prospective custo/member that you have a nice, award-winning publication. Connect the dots and help them understand how they can use it to solve a problem they’re facing in their work or life.

Note To Self: Leaders Are Not Saviors

by on July 13, 2005 in Work

Superman_shieldFelix Gerena left a comment to an earlier post and referenced his earlier post called The Opportunity To Lead. What I found interesting were his selected quotes from Wilhelm Reich. In particular, they kind of sum up an anxiety I experienced on Monday:

He (the new leader) would
have to forego any temptation to become a leader and to avoid any lure
on the part of people to seduce him into leadership. His first great
task would be to refuse to be a leader.

Such a leader would
immediately sense the danger that threatens to engulf every leader of
people, namely becoming a mere object of admiration and provider of
salvation and hope for the people.

The position I currently hold was vacant for several months. In that time, the department’s staff (which was rather new itself) was working without a managing director. The CEO did a very good job of assisting where needed, but the lack of a director left some critical gaps. So when I entered the picture a few weeks ago, a common refrain I heard from the staff was, "Now that you’re here, everything will be so much better." I had to remind them (and myself) that I was not Superman and definitely not a savior. Yet, sometimes it’s hard for me to push away the idea of leader as organizational messiah: "Follow me and everything will be just fine!" That’s the temptation that Reich writes about above.

Yet, rather than refusing leadership, I believe it’s vital to accept the right kind of leadership. One that doesn’t focus on saving anyone (me-centered), but instead, helps others achieve their best (us-centered). The results are far better and you get to live longer. Nothing wrong with that.

Please Don’t Leave…I’m Commanding You

by on July 10, 2005 in Business, Work

Custo/member loyalty. It seems so logical and obvious to a company’s success, you’d think that more would have embraced this basic concept by now. Sure, most (if not all) companies and associations claim they are customer-centric, but then they do crazy things like shoo them off like flies. The problem seems to stem from a very NOW-concentrated thinking process: got to make those quotas NOW, need to balance the financials NOW, need to bring in more custo/members NOW…

Christopher Carfi at the Social Customer Manifesto highlights FC’s Chuck Salter and his recent experience with Ameritrade. Seems Ameritrade is playing the “jilted girlfriend” with its custo/members by charging a termination fee to those who want out of the relationship. Sound like a familiar tactic in your other custo/member interactions? While banks and wireless providers are the most notorious, associations are just as susceptible of doing this by charging reinstatement fees to lapsed members. Why? Is the thinking that if you make it inconvenient to leave, custo/members will just stick around?

There seem to be two particular problems with this type of strategy:

  1. The focus isn’t on learning and building a better tomorrow. Why not try to figure out why Chuck is leaving? What can be improved? Who knows and Ameritrade doesn’t really seem to care. When bottom lines become more important than custo/member relationships, you effectively one of your most vital assets at risk.
  2. Why use a stick when a carrot will do better? Why make it punishment to leave when it can be a delight to stay? For associations, could you give your custo/members a reward for renewing early? For companies, could you give your custo/member a discount for loyally buying from you?

Let’s just listen and learn for a change. Isn’t that the foundation for a better relationship, anyway?