Leadership

Go ahead. Google the words “association advocacy” and see what pops up. I recently did the same which resulted in over 87 million hits. American Association for Justice, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National CASA Association … thousands of associations that prominently include the word “advocacy” on their websites. But what does advocacy mean? Is it something handled by your governmental relations ...

Oh, the dreaded staff meeting. Something we all look forward to? Not so much. How can we make meetings better? More efficient? An event we don’t dread? Here are some do’s and don’ts for meeting etiquette. Have a clear agenda. If you are the meeting organizer, be sure to have an agenda with clear start and end times. If your ...

Associations don’t always have all the answers. (We know, you’re shocked!) We definitely have some major advantages, not the least of which is that we are highly a cooperative and collaborative community, in large part because there’s not a lot of intra-industry competition. But there are some areas where we lag and where other industries—charitable fundraisers, for example—do things better than ...

Let’s survey your current staff! How many people in your organization have been there 10+ years, are deep-rooted and likely aren’t going anywhere until retirement? We’ll call these staff “trees.” How many people haven’t been there long and their position will likely turn over multiple times in the next few years? We’ll call these our “revolving door” roles. Today, what ...

At our final Leadership TSAE session of 2017, we hosted three association CEOs and Executive Directors to take questions from our Leadership participants about what it takes to achieve the top paid position at an association. We asked executives Leslie Midgley, CAE, Executive Vice President and CEO, Texas Land Title Association; Shirley Robinson, CAE, President and CEO, Texas Healthcare Trustees; ...

Never say no is one of the main rules of improv comedy. While you can’t never say no in your organization, you can still create a culture of yes. Galen Emanuele with Shift Yes used the five main tenets of improv comedy to show attendees how they can build a culture where all ideas and people are respected in “Create ...

At the TSAE Board of Directors annual retreat in early June, Christopher Williston VI, CAE, executive vice president, Independent Bankers Association of Texas, was installed as the 2017-2018 Chairman of TSAE. Williston has been a member since 2006 and served on the board since 2012. He has volunteered in a variety of capacities, including chairing the Magazine and Budget & ...

Judge Mark D. Atkinson JD, CAE, CEO, Texas Center for the Judiciary has been a TSAE member since 2013 and earned his CAE in February of this year. Below he shares his first-hand experience of preparing to take the CAE Exam last December and what it has meant to his career as an association executive. When I was first selected ...

Many associations today are experiencing or anticipating leadership transitions as long-time CEOs/executive directors reach retirement age. But not all organizations are doing the succession planning they should be. “No one really wants to have the conversation,” observed David Martin, managing partner with Sterling Martin Associates, an association CEO search firm. If the CEO brings up the conversation, the board might think the ...

Let’s face it, no one likes to have difficult conversations because, well, they are difficult. Unfortunately, putting off important conversations only makes them more difficult and can often damage relationships in the process. One of the most important jobs of an association leader is to give employees coaching and feedback. And while not always pleasant, a well-planned conversation can go a ...