Spark Consulting

AUGUST 7, 2024

A lot of my focus lately has been on lean startup methodology and how to apply it in associations (the client project, and a few conference presentations and article pitches based upon it), and on the insights G and I have gained in ten years of working with the methodology. Spoiler alert: the hard part isn’t the tools.

Innovation 195

Innovation Project Tools Products 195

Smooth The Path

SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

The magnitude of an innovation project doesn’t determine whether the project is innovative or not. Innovation is synonymous with big. So innovation also might be just as well be synonymous with risky, scary and the domain of only a privileged few. Innovation Type 1: Evolutionary.

Innovation 121

Innovation Project Process Products 121

YourMembership

JUNE 5, 2017

Last week, I participated in ASAE’s inaugural XDP (experience design project) conference. The event itself was created to encourage innovation; to get associations to rethink their conferences, breaking out of the ho-hum. The post Fear vs. innovation: what’s ultimately driving your organization?

Innovation 186

Innovation Organization Project Conference 186

Jamie Notter

NOVEMBER 15, 2018

For a project I’m working on, I dug out my old copy of Blue Ocean Strategy. Take a look at your strategy and see if there are any opportunities for innovation. Here’s where you discover new sources of value and create demand for it. frequent point-to-point departures). Eliminate, Reduce, Raise, Create. image credit.

Innovation 160

Innovation Strategy Industry Project 160

Spark Consulting

JANUARY 14, 2014

DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is known for innovation. Plus, we don’t do cutting edge tech R&D innovation. ” Creating “innovation teams” or “innovation initiatives” is definitely a trend in associations. OK, I know what you’re thinking.

Innovation 150

Innovation Review Project Team 150

Nimble AMS

MAY 17, 2022

Modern technology streamlines work processes, allowing employees to take on new projects and grow their skill sets. . When you adopt innovative technology at your association, you have the power to increase worker engagement, productivity, and collaboration. Discover how Nimble AMS can power your entire association. Download now.

Recruiting 139

Recruiting Recruitment Technology Innovation 139

Smooth The Path

NOVEMBER 1, 2017

As a staff member of an association, I would like to think that if I have a useful and winning innovative idea, I can bring it to market. And then this success could be the jumping off point for the whole association to become innovative. But when it comes to innovation in associations, we are not so egalitarian. Cheerleaders.

Innovation 132

Innovation Project Process Resources 132

Associations Now

FEBRUARY 23, 2020

Innovation isn’t just about the ideas people create, but the environment leaders provide to inspire them. Innovation is essential to an organization—all it means, at its core, is being able to come up with new ideas, and your association hasn’t survived without doing that a few times.

Innovation 128

Innovation Florida Team Process 128

Eric Lanke

DECEMBER 10, 2018

The students are generally seniors, who claim the vehicle as their capstone design project, earning credit while at the same time interacting with mentors in my association's member companies to make sure their designs are safe and effective. They learn fluid power, and the mentors recruit them into positions in their companies.

Innovation 113

Innovation Team System Recruiting 113

Associations Now

DECEMBER 16, 2019

Big idea: Successful innovation can be small, too. How do you define innovation? I want to invite you to the real world of innovation: small-sized innovation,” Tatonetti says on Association Success. One way to implement this vision of innovation is to focus on streamlining workflows.

Innovation 94

Innovation Newsletter Social Media Project 94

Eric Lanke

APRIL 30, 2018

Design constraints make innovation happen. One perceived danger of associations co-creating with their members is the idea that members, if given the chance, will gobble up all of the association's resources for their pet projects. They are what makes actual innovation happen. Here's another. And here's the best part.

Innovation 100

Innovation Project Resources Process 100

Smooth The Path

DECEMBER 11, 2016

If you live in an over 100 year old house like mine you know there’s a rule of thumb about time and cost for home projects. Initially the project seems fairly straightforward but as soon as it is too late to go back we find things we had not thought about or didn’t know about that make the work far more complex.

Project 89

Project Cost Innovation Course 89

Smooth The Path

JULY 25, 2019

We see successfully completed association projects cited in publications. We do not know about the team’s morale as everything is going wrong and the project gets pushed back 3 months. The post Do Not Compare a Peer’s Project Launch to Your Association’s Project Start appeared first on Smooth The Path.

Project 60

Project Social Media Products Team 60

Association Success

DECEMBER 16, 2019

I bet that if you pull any association’s job posting for a leadership opening, you will find the word “innovation” at least half the time, either as a requirement of the type of person or a descriptor of where the organization is going. This is not the only way to define, measure or think of innovation.

Innovation 112

Innovation Newsletter LMS Course 112

Smooth The Path

MAY 4, 2017

Nearly 70% of association leaders worry they are not leading innovation well at their associations (this comes from a recent survey of 1,000 association executives in Australia, and the results are likely to be very similar in the US). Shrinking the change means making the initial innovation goal small which makes the change easy.

Innovation 88

Innovation Project Team Resources 88

Associations Now

MAY 21, 2019

For an association to push past the status quo, it needs not only a skilled executive and staff team, but also some innovative thinking on the part of members. The session resulted in 26 different nondues revenue projects that associations could invite members to participate in as a key partners. Post your ideas and experiences below.

Project 89

Project Revenue Austin Education 89

Potomac Core

OCTOBER 13, 2015

Associations are increasingly well positioned to help members and industries build innovative workforce solutions through their professional development and certification products. How can Associations help members respond to this growing challenge and build innovative workforce solutions? Innovative Workforce Solutions.

Innovation 100

Innovation millennials eBook Certificate 100

Smooth The Path

MARCH 27, 2016

The difficult time in any project, especially those long projects, which associations seem to have lots of, is the middle. The middle of the project is when things start to go wrong. It is so easy to start a project but it is so hard to keep it going. The middle of the project is fragile. feel doubts. feel doubts.

Project 68

Project Innovation Strategy 68

Association Success

DECEMBER 3, 2018

The word ‘innovation’ is often treated as an end in itself. Being innovative floats around as an ephemeral goal of all projects, and a mark of a successful enterprise. But what are we innovating for? But the innovation couldn’t stop there – because our commitment to community impact continued. What is our purpose?

Innovation 86

Innovation Minnesota Project Team 86

Smooth The Path

OCTOBER 2, 2016

Ideas are the root of all innovations. Because ideas lead to innovation we want more ideas, better ideas, THE idea that will excite members. Many innovative associations use a formal or informal idea process which generally has five steps and goes something like this: Step #1: Allow member’s problems spark innovative ideas.

Innovation 119

Innovation Process Project Products 119

Smooth The Path

JANUARY 22, 2017

A good culture greases the wheels for everything from conversations to project management. Related: Why you have to work on culture before you innovate. The post Association Culture Projects Outward Upon Potential Members appeared first on Smooth The Path. We also care about culture because our culture manifests outwardly.

Project 68

Project Innovation Team Member Experience 68

.orgCommunity

MAY 15, 2019

Associations can’t fulfill their missions without innovation. Innovation helps organizations create and improve processes, products, services, and experiences for their members, customers, staff, and audiences. 10 elements of the innovation mindset to nurture at your association. #1: 1: Creative curiosity. 1: Creative curiosity.

Innovation 68

Innovation millennials Project System 68

Association Adviser

JANUARY 20, 2017

When I say the word innovation to you, what feelings does this word evoke? In a recent research study association professionals reported that innovation is synonymous with risk, big expectations, large investments, long commitments and failure. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a guide to association innovation?

Innovation 60

Innovation Project Team United States 60

Membership Marketing

OCTOBER 2, 2018

When you search the Harvard Business Review on the key word “Innovation”, you get 18,356 results. That’s because for businesses innovation is a core competency for survival. But how focused on innovation are associations? How do associations define innovation? And how do they go about innovating?

Innovation 67

Innovation Report Review Survey 67

Association Analytics

APRIL 1, 2024

Strategy 1: Innovate and Differentiate What can your association do for members that others can’t? Look to create new and innovative products and services for an underserved population in your membership. Once you’ve identified what’s working, you can reinvest, and promote those projects.

Member Engagement 210

Member Engagement Strategy Certificate Survey 210

Smooth The Path

MAY 7, 2020

The post I am Not a Fan of Most Membership Structure Change Projects appeared first on Smooth The Path. Navigating each association’s two-way trust street. This is the perfect time to question what an association is.

Project 88

Project Revenue Course Association Value 88

Nimble AMS

APRIL 30, 2020

Your client engagement manager is your point of contact – a sort of concierge – to guide you through all things Nimble AMS, such as upgrades, licensing, new projects, and more. The team is here to help you to continue to deliver new and exciting projects to your team and members. Support that sets you up for success. We’re nimble.

Innovation 78

Innovation Team Project Technology 78

Association Success

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

While innovation and adaptation are themes that resound throughout industry discussions, we don’t need to see change as a necessary reaction to our context. We are optimistic that all around the industry, there are people and organizations whose projects and plans are carving out exciting new futures for their communities.

Innovation 60

Innovation Case Study Video Project 60

MatrixG

MAY 1, 2024

HOW we do our work hasn’t changed either – we’re still committed to client education, we’re still fanatic about delighting our clients, we still like to go deep with our clients, and we work hard to keep the same team working with clients over time and across projects. The WHAT of our work has changed, is changing, will always change.

Innovation 52

Innovation Arlington Team Project 52

Association Success

JANUARY 9, 2018

The CEO’s behavior dictates how innovative an association will be. As a staff member of an association, I would like to think that if I have a useful and winning innovative idea, I can bring it to market. And then this success could be the jumping off point for the whole association to become innovative. Yes, yes, and yes.

Innovation 60

Innovation Project Process Resources 60

The Association 100

DECEMBER 17, 2023

Get a peek into ongoing projects and learn about the organization’s innovative use of AI and vision for a personalized digital landscape. Colleen Lerro Gallagher , President & CEO, OnWrd & UpWrd The post Elevating the digital user experience for members appeared first on The Association 100.

Video 130

Video Project Content Member Engagement 130

Jamie Notter

SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

If you want a thriving organization you need to innovate. If you want to innovate you have to have a culture that supports it. In a recent discussion on ASAE’s online community Collaborate contributors talked about association innovation, and, interestingly, much of the conversation revolved around organizational culture.

Innovation 70

Innovation Project Leadership Organization 70

Reid All About it

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

ingenious ways to breathe new life into a one-hour recorded webinar; essential tools that streamline the repurposing process, making it both simpler and more efficient; and innovative strategies for leveraging webinar content to enhance engagement, both among your existing members and non-members. CAE credit. More info/register. 1 CAE credit.

Revenue 276

Revenue Innovation Education Tools 276

Smooth The Path

MARCH 2, 2017

Innovation is a difficult strategy for any organization past the startup phase to adopt, and associations are no exception. When association executives talk about innovation, we talk about the possibility and how much more we can help members. We want to innovate, but we may be afraid to get started.

Innovation 60

Innovation Process Project Team 60

Nimble AMS

JULY 10, 2024

Establish communication channels You can keep your technology project on track by identifying a backup point of contact to ensure your software selection team stays updated on key project developments. Product innovation How up to date is your current AMS?

Technology 123

Technology Tips Organization Revenue 123

Association Adviser

JANUARY 31, 2018

Innovation has been a common buzzword for the past few years – and not just in the association world. There’s been a lot of talk about how organizations can create a culture that drives innovation, how great leaders can spur innovation and how associations need to innovate to survive. Who will this innovation benefit?

Innovation 79

Innovation Committee Survey Process 79

Associations Now

JUNE 12, 2017

The National Corn Growers Association is relying on some friendly competition to crowdsource innovative ways to use corn products. billion bushels, the National Corn Growers Association is hosting a global open innovation challenge to explore new solutions for turning the crop into bio-sustainable chemicals and molecules. “We

Innovation 72

Innovation Press Release Project Products 72