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How to develop strategic priorities using a breakout session model

 strategic planning

Many organizations create their five-year strategic plan and set it in stone, no matter the changes happening that may not fit within that plan. This could limit growth and create stagnancy. To make sure that doesn’t happen, check in on your plan routinely to make sure it is still moving you forward, not keeping you where you are.

A twist on the strategic planning meeting
We recently held a strategic planning meeting for a client who was asking “what’s next?" They have had great growth and developed a very successful stand-alone annual meeting. They had checked all of the boxes of their plan and are now free to explore other priorities that can create more exposure and growth for the organization.

This group does not have members, but the process we followed could certainly be adapted to a membership-based association. To ensure a wide range of opinions and input, all board and committee members were invited to attend the meeting along with representatives from partner organizations. A survey was sent to all invitees to get a sense of priorities for the annual meeting, communication with committee members (or members in general), and working with affiliated organizations. A copy of the survey results was sent to all the attendees prior to the meeting.

Prior to the meeting, the Treasurer worked with the organization's investment firm to come up with scenarios for the group to consider. Scenarios included spending additional dollars above current operating costs and made assumptions at aggressive investing versus more conservative investing. A copy of the strategy report was sent to all attendees to consider prior to the meeting and while discussing the priorities of the organization.

Topic areas to discuss during the planning session were developed and facilitators for each topic were selected. Facilitators were provided materials about their specific topic and some questions to consider as they facilitated their specific “workshop." These questions, along with the high-level survey results, financials, and a previous strategic planning report were sent to all attendees prior to the meeting.

Breakout sessions helped form priorities
The meeting started with a history of the organization. Since this association doesn’t have members, it was nice for those who hadn’t been as involved as others to hear about how they had grown and changed since inception.

Attendees were assigned to participate in one of the workshops during each of the four breakout sessions Participants were divided so that they all participated in each workshop and the same people wouldn’t always be in the same group. The first group in each workshop started at a fairly high level – essentially laying the ground work for the groups that followed. During each breakout group, the facilitators gave a brief recap of what happened in the group(s) prior and started to drill down into talking about creating new programs, policies, etc. At the end of day 1, the facilitators reported on the themes that came from their discussions. From those reports, staff identified 15 items that could be prioritized by the group.

On day 2, the treasurer gave a financial overview, helping attendees understand how adding programs or technology, etc. would impact the overall health of the organization’s finances. The 15 priorities were shown to the attendees and they voted on whether they were high, medium, or low priority (we asked that they choose 5 high, 5 medium and 5 low so that all were not high) and were weighted. Once the votes were all in, we reorganized the list and decided to dive in to the top five priorities.
After the planning session, the Executive Committee looked at the priorities and defined the scope of each. Three workgroups were developed to define infrastructure, administration and funding needed. As the workgroups move through their processes, they will be able to refer to the work that was done during the planning session and the financial overview to help guide their decisions and bring recommendations to the board.

This process has created stronger engagement in the organization and has started to define the “what’s next." Checking in on the progress of the workgroups and implementation of any new programs will be important in making sure that the “what’s next” is truly addressing the priorities of the organization and moving it forward.

 

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Viles selected to attend NextGen Association Summit

Viles 1928 2016 HeadshotThe American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) has selected Emily Viles, meeting technology coordinator for AMPED Association Management, to attend the 2017 ASAE NextGen Association Summit in Reno-Tahoe, Nevada, Sept. 25-27. The NextGen Association Summit is an annual meeting designed for young professionals who are dedicated to association leadership.

Viles is one of 25 association professionals who will attend this competitive two-day workshop whose purpose is to foster relationships between the future generation of association leaders. Throughout the program, participants will partake in meaningful discussions about association management and roles for young professionals. Viles is enthusiastic about what this experience means for her professional growth.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with fellow young association professionals in an intimate learning environment and I look forward to gaining a national perspective of the industry topics and issues,” she said. “I plan to bring back what I learn to my local SAE, the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives (WSAE), where I am co-chair of the Young Professionals Task Force.”

Applicants to this prestigious summit are required to submit an essay describing their ideas for discussion topics at the Summit, as well as a formal letter of recommendation.

Viles is the second AMPED staff member to represent the organization at this distinguished convention for highly motivated young professionals.

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McCoy honored as one of Forty Under 40 in association management

McCoy 2016 croppedThe Association Forum and USAE have selected AMPED Associate Director Christina McCoy, CAE as a Forty Under 40 Award recipient.

The Forty Under 40 recogntion is presented to outstanding association and non-profit professionals for their professional accomplishments, commitment to the industry, leadership skills and continued potential.

Association Forum President Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE said in her letter to McCoy, “Your application and supporting documents clearly demonstrated a wealth of meaningful accomplishments along with compelling evidence to demonstrate your potential for continued success in leadership roles and your commitment to the profession.”

As the managing director of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, McCoy amplifies the voice of an industry of nearly 60 million fantasy sports players in North America, as well as companies that provide programs, products and services to a fast growing $7 billion industry. An ASAE NextGen Scholar, she was recently featured in Meetings and Conventions Magazine as one of 15 young professionals to watch. McCoy also serves as chair of ASAE’s Young Professionals Committee.

McCoy will be honored at a reception on Dec. 13, in conjunction with the Association Forum Holiday Showcase in Chicago.

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AMPED selected to manage the Fantasy Sports Trade Association

signing contract II

AMPED Association Management, an accredited full-service association management company with offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Metro Washington, DC, has been selected to manage the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA).

As a partner with FSTA, AMPED brings a wealth of trade association experience and provides full management services, including leadership/best practices, strategic planning, governance, policy, membership development, meeting planning, financial management, and communications.

“AMPED is very excited to be working with FSTA,” said Christina McCoy, FSTA’s new managing director. “We look forward to communicating the value of FSTA and working in partnership with the volunteer leaders so that they can focus on advancing FSTA and its mission with confidence, knowing that management and operations are in experienced hands.”

“AMPED brings dozens of skilled association professionals to our membership,” said FSTA President Paul Charchian. “AMPED was chosen after a lengthy search determined that AMPED provided an ideal fit for our needs. Over time, our member companies will see myriad changes and improvements, and we're excited to grow with AMPED.”

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AMPED selected to manage NIBA – The Belting Association

NIBA
AMPED Association Management, an accredited full-service association management company with offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Metro Washington, DC, has been selected to manage NIBA - The Belting Association.

As a partner with NIBA, AMPED will bring a wealth of trade association experience and provide full management services, including leadership, strategic planning, governance, policy, membership development, meeting planning, financial management, and communications.

Lynda J. Patterson, FASAE, CAE, owner and president of AMPED, will serve initially as NIBA’s executive director. Michael Battaglia will be NIBA’s associate executive director, based in Washington, D.C.

“The process of interviewing and searching for strong, talented and dynamic management for NIBA was no easy task. Among the many companies we interviewed, AMPED was the clear standout,” said John Green, chair of the management search task force and vice president of Green Rubber-Kennedy Ag. “With strong leadership and enthusiasm from the top down, we knew immediately that Lynda Patterson and her staff were exactly what NIBA needed to lead us into the future. With AMPED, we will have the strength in technology, creativity, and focused management that will ensure NIBA’s value and relevance for years to come. I’m honored to have been part of the search, and very excited to now see some very positive changes that will greatly benefit our entire membership.”

In a prepared statement, the NIBA Executive Team said, “We are grateful to the Search Task Force for bringing several excellent association management companies to the table for consideration and making the final decision difficult. In the end, we unanimously selected AMPED because of the progressive style, fresh ideas and well-rounded and talented staff. Our selection was fully supported by the Board, and together, we are very excited to partner with Lynda and her team to take NIBA to new heights and build on the great foundation that has been established in the past.”

NIBA—The Belting Association is focused on promoting the common business interests of all distributor/fabricators and manufacturers of conveyor and flat power transmission belting and materials. Founded in 1927, NIBA is a trade association representing 145 distributor/fabricator companies and over 125 additional manufacturing-based companies, that produce belting and components and supply the conveyor belting industry.

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AMPED behind the scenes (video)

Patterson video for CSIA

In a recent interview for the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), AMPED President and Owner Lynda Patterson explained her role as president of CSIA and AMPED's involvement behind the scenes.

"My role as president of CSIA, is to head the staff team behind it all. Everything from membership, marketing, public relations, financial management, meetings management, working with the board of directors — everything it takes to run a successful association.

AMPED is the management arm and face of the operation. We work at a very high level to help articulate the strategic plan of the organization. We work closely with the board of directors and all the committees and volunteers from a governance and leadership perspective. We also work on more tactical things like financial statements and budgeting, webinars, answering the phones, helping people register for the conference, and working with our sponsors.

At AMPED, we help communicate the value of CSIA and why members should be a part of it!"

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A day in the life of an AMC staff member

wiseman w mug II

Each week you read on our blog how we all “wear many hats!” While this is the case for many association professionals, I feel that it is particularly true for AMCs like AMPED. Between the various needs of our different clients, some days we can be all over the place! I thought it might be fun to document one whole day at work to get an idea of the wide variety of tasks we tackle. It would have been hard to capture it all, but I did my best. Enjoy!

7:25 a.m. — Kiss dog and husband goodbye. Yes, in that order.

7:25:10 a.m. — One more kiss for the dog - she’s so cute. Off to the office!

7:43 a.m. — Pass by my usual drive-through Starbucks. Running a bit late. Decide I can make it without caffeine today.

7:56 a.m. — Arrive at office. Spend a few minutes reviewing each of my in-boxes (six total). Respond to messages that have quick answers and prioritize my day.

8:00 a.m. — Laugh at self for thinking I could survive without caffeine. Grab a coworker and head to Starbucks. We are both named Emily and we both get iced coffee. That really throws the baristas off.

8:05 a.m. — “The other Emily” and I use the walk back from Starbucks to discuss a knowledge-sharing session my colleagues had yesterday that I missed due to a call with a potential member. I give her a heads-up that I need her help pulling a specific set of abstracts from a recent client meeting to add to the client website.

8:30 a.m. — Recurring calendar reminder: time to update a client’s member list in email marketing service site. This particular client has rolling membership renewals, so their member list is constantly changing. They use this service to send out weekly e-newsletters and upcoming webinar invitations, so it is vital that it is consistently up-to-date.

8:45 a.m. — Lynda will be in the office today. Write up a quick list of items to discuss with her, including an upcoming client Board meeting.

8:53 a.m. — Follow up with emails from members for a particular client regarding their membership directory listing. Make changes to the database if required.

9:30 a.m. — Come across a voicemail from last night for a client member who wants to renew their membership. The message is a bit hard to understand, so I spend a few minutes searching the database for partial phone numbers and names to see if I can figure out who this is.

9:35 a.m. — Find the company name and confirm the phone number. Review my notes from the renewal workbook. Oh, awesome! This was a company that previously told me they weren’t planning to renew their membership. My follow-ups had worked! *Pats self on the back*

9:36 a.m. — Pick up the phone to dial the member.

9:36:15 a.m. — Realize the company is in California, where it is only 7:36 a.m. Ugh. *Hang up phone and create myself a calendar reminder for 11a.m. to give them a call back.*

9:45 a.m. — Calendar reminder pops up to write AMPED blog. Already on that! *dismiss*

9:56 a.m. — Pop over to “the other Emily’s” office for her to show me how to find those abstracts. Turns out to be super simple. Spend the time originally dedicated to writing my blog to updating the client website. Web updates for this particular client aren’t typically in my job description, but I work closely with the volunteer leader who inquired about it and I know the person that would normally take care of this has a lot on her plate, so I don’t mind at all. (Reason #536 I love working at AMPED – we all do this sort of thing for each other.)

10:20 a.m. — Microsoft Word crashes. Luckily, both documents I had been working on saved.

10:25 a.m. — Website updates complete. It bothers me that previous entries on the page are inconsistent. Spend time cleaning up the format and notify volunteer leader that the page has been updated. Notice that one portion is completely missing. I assume the client will want it added in, so I send an email to a colleague to find missing info.

10:30 a.m. — Three email campaigns were scheduled to go out today to notify various groups for one of our clients about an upcoming webinar. Watch notification emails as they come in to make sure everything seems right. Notification emails end up in my clutter inbox. Give clutter a quick once-over to make sure there is nothing important.

10:33 a.m. — Review inboxes and respond where necessary. One question required a bit of research, so I spend a couple minutes searching through documentation for an answer. Not finding what I need. Send an email to the person who will have the answer.

10:41 a.m. — Office manager, Trisha, comes in to let me know that she ordered a Graze Box trial for the office. *Yay! We love snacks.* Speaking of snacks…

10:42 a.m. — Grab snack from fridge.

10:47 a.m. — Tony pops over to discuss a potential member for one of our clients and come up with a quick plan to keep them engaged.

10:54 a.m. — Jeanne asks me about award order for client Board member. Shoot. Should have filed original email in ”waiting for response” folder. Send reminder email to Executive Director to select the award.

10:56 a.m. — Process new member application and send email with invoice and payment instructions.

11:12 a.m. — Realize reminder had popped up to call member in CA from earlier. Dial number, but learn that contact is only in office on Monday and Friday. Get email address from secretary and send follow-up. Create reminder for me to follow up on Friday. Respond to other emails while in Outlook.

11:47 a.m. — Process continuing education reimbursement application for a client member. Members receive up to $50 reimbursement every two years, so I first check to make sure this particular member qualifies.

11:52 a.m. — *HR hat on.* Discuss staffing plans now that two of our interns are gone for the summer.

12:00 p.m. — Only halfway through the day? Hope people are still reading! Discuss onboarding/orientation plan for new volunteer leaders with outside Executive Director for one of our clients.

12:05 p.m. — Help Tony and Brittany prepare for meeting with a client partner member. Discuss 2017 sponsorship package, including membership, conference registration, marketing support, etc.

12:20 p.m. — Quick walk around the Square. Stop at local cheese shop to put together Wisconsin-themed gift basket for aforementioned partner member meeting. *These are the really rough parts of association management.*

12:40 p.m. — Catch up on emails while eating lunch. I normally try to eat outside on nice days like this, but I’m taking the afternoon off on Friday and want to keep things moving.

12:55 p.m. — Calendar reminder for member database training with new Latin America staff person for one of our clients. Pull up documentation, database and screen sharing software. Quickly finish lunch.

1:00 p.m. — Give high level overview of membership database to new Latin America staff. Thankfully I have all of the most common database procedures documented. Our cloud server allows me to share the documentation via a web link to ensure that our Latin American staff always has the most current version of the document.

2:15 p.m. — Reach out to account manager for VoIP service to follow up on a new phone order and inquire about headsets for some staff that share offices.

2:21 p.m. — Update membership and staff reports for upcoming client Board meeting. I’ve already had various staff members update their areas, so I just need to finalize my sections.

2:30 p.m. — Does it bother you when you ask someone two questions in an email and they only respond to one?

2:46 p.m. — Provide updated membership numbers to finance manager so she can update budget forecast for client.

2:48 p.m. — Receive answer to question from 10:33 a.m. Pass along response to member and quickly respond to other emails while in Outlook.

2:52 p.m. — The new member application I processed this morning has made payment online. Complete processing membership and send welcome kit.

2:55 p.m. — There’s someone with a megaphone yelling outside my window. It’s always something . . .

2:58 p.m. — Review graphic and member listing for publication in a client’s magazine. Doing so reminds me of some web updates to make. Create reminder to do so once I receive answers to a couple questions.

3:13 p.m. — Follow up with a few new client members for their logos and text for their listing on the website.

3:18 p.m. — *IT Person hat on.* Boot up former employee’s laptop to look for document. Not able to find it. Deliver bad news to colleague.

3:28 p.m. — Yep! I was right – the client asked about that missing portion of the website from 10:25 a.m. Good thing I’m already on it.

3:31 p.m. — *All hats on.* Catch up with Lynda: potential clients, potential employees, upcoming client Board meetings, client financials, life.

4:32 p.m. — Review inboxes. Someone requested a list from a recent client meeting, so I repurpose one that I already have rather than starting from scratch.

4:40 p.m. — I won’t get to a larger project that I had planned to work on this afternoon, so I move it to tomorrow’s calendar. One of our clients is implementing a complete Association Management System to replace several independent systems (event management, email marketing, abstract management, etc). Moving a client to a new database is a big project and takes lots of prep work, so I block off an hour or so on my calendar every couple days to chip away at it.

4:42 p.m. — There’s a line out my door since I’ve been away from my desk. Assist colleagues with a few questions regarding financials and where to find specific documentation.

4:53 p.m. — Prepare projects for intern to work on tomorrow.

4:59 p.m. — Check survey sent to a client board regarding their availability for an in-person meeting. Send reminder to members who have not responded.

5:01 p.m. — Review calendar and to-do list for the day to ensure there was nothing missed.

5:03 p.m. — Shut down laptop, lock up. Head home to my cute dog (and husband)!

5:06 p.m. — *IT hat back on!* I notice an email on my phone from a colleague who accidentally deleted a file. Unfortunately she hadn’t saved it at all yet, so I am unable to recover. Deliver the bad news.

5:50 p.m. — Send background information files on a potential client to a new employee. I can do this from my phone. *Cloud computing for the win!*

5:59 p.m. — Okay now I’m done working for the day. Heading in to the gym.

9:04 p.m. — Peek at inboxes on my phone one last time. I like to have an idea of what will be on my plate when I get in to the office tomorrow. I swear I’m done now.

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