By the time members join the association, or get to the conference, or attend their first chapter meeting, they might be all beaten up.
Their manager may be a terrible judgemental, micromanaging, credit-taking boss. Or they may consistently feel the sting of discrimination. Or they may work in a highly competitive, so competitive it is toxic, environment. Or they may work in a culture that does not value continual learning and professional development. Or their career might be on a downward slide.
Consolidation, shrinking budgets, and scarcity may be impacting their business and them. They may be worried about money, their money, or their organization’s money.
They might be having a crisis of conscience.
They might work in a loud, stinky factory, or sit in a cube farm, or feel the fluorescent lights slowly but surely sucking their life’s energy from them, or be on their feet all day.
Or they might work with people. People behave in odd and sometimes frustrating ways from upper management, bosses, subordinates, peers, customers, vendors, patients, clients, to the public.
They may be wondering why they ever got into this profession or industry or started working for this company or how they could put up with this manager one second longer.
Some of these members are on the verge of becoming cynical and jaded. But some members can find their way back. Through your association and events, they will meet others who are excited about what they are doing, and that excitement will spread. Our members will remember why they joined the profession or industry. They will readjust their mindset. This renewed vigor will give them the motivation to fix the issue that is bothering them, and soon they will hop back on the path to success.
This is the power of associations.
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