Smooth The Path

Member Informed Strategy, Innovation & Marketing

December 19, 2017 By Amanda Kaiser

Start Preparing Your Association Now for 2018

When we come back to the office January 2nd, it will be too late. Too late to reflect on 2017 and plan 2018. That sounds odd, doesn’t it? As of January 2nd, we will still have more than 360 days to go. Surely it cannot be too late.

When we come back to the office January 2nd, we will be in high gear again. Everyone will clamor for our time. Urgent projects will come due. The board’s needs, member’s needs, and staff member’s needs will come before our own. In all that rush, rush, rush it is terribly difficult to reflect and plan.

This is the time.

In between holiday parties and cleaning off your desk take some time to reflect.

  • What went well this year?
  • What did you finish that made an impact?
  • What did you try that you have never tried before?
  • What building blocks have you put in place to properly set up plans for the future?
  • And if the association could do anything, anything at all, right now to prepare for the future what should that be?

After the reflecting, try a little mental planning. (Note: this is not the same as strategic planning, although the ideas you have, small bets you make, and tests you try now may work their way into the strategic plan eventually.)

  • How can I make more time to do things that are likely to go well and make an impact?
  • How can I carve out resources for few little bets, a few little things that have never been tried before?
  • How can we start doing what we need to do to prepare for the future even if all we can do is lay building blocks this year?

Happy holidays and may 2018 be a wildly successful year for you!

Filed Under: Association Strategy Tagged With: association strategy, forward thinking, innovation practice, innovation process, mindfulness, mindset, strategic planning

Follow

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign up for member insights & association inspiration.

Work With Me

Recent Posts

Association Strategy
Association Marketing
Association Innovation
Association Leadership
Association Value
Member Experience

Member Engagement
Member Research
Member Insights
Conference
Membership

Copyright © 2023 Amanda Kaiser