All types of organizations need to engage in purposeful change, adaptation and growth to remain relevant and competitive in the marketplace. Associations, however, have traditionally been slow to change, as they shelter behind the enduring nature of their mission. Today, the old adage, “No Money, No Mission,” is taking on increased significance in a challenging environment where legacy business models are no longer providing the fuel to advance mission.
It's critical for association leaders to recognize the imperative for business model innovation. However, it can be overwhelming, and barriers emerge from the very DNA of an association, including complex governance structures, internal silos, risk aversion, denial of competition, inadequate business skills, and limited resources.
Breaking down the barriers and charting the path to business model innovation requires an intentional and disciplined approach to change.
Enabling Change
Enabling change within an association can be a challenging task. In some ways, association governance structures are built to disincentivize change. Associations run on precedent, often prioritizing how things have always been in order to simplify management and decision-making. After all, volunteers have limited time to commit to association work and maintaining the status quo is easier than managing change. Also, in many associations, the staff team does not feel empowered and finds it difficult to drive change without volunteer support.
For those with short tenures or long memories, change can feel too risky. Changing things means answering questions from long-time members who might feel emotionally tied to the past. And, change takes time, which is not on the side of volunteer leaders whose roles turn over every few years.
Change management is a discipline. Without a history of prioritizing change and innovation, association volunteers and staff members can lack the knowledge and experience required to manage change successfully.
Tradition and inertia combine to make change more difficult. But innovation remains an imperative and leaders must find a way. First steps include:
- The most powerful impetus for change is creating a shared vision of the desired outcome. When the team can see what is possible and achievable, they are more likely to be motivated to work toward it. Confidence that the challenges of change will result in a positive outcome that outweighs the challenges can be a powerful motivator. Then back up the shared vision by sharing data that empowers decision-making.
- Sharing data is one way to create this mindset shift, but we find that the most powerful impetus for change is often creating a shared vision of the desired outcome. When the team can see what is possible and achievable, they are more likely to be motivated to work toward it. Confidence that the challenges of change will result in a positive outcome that outweighs the challenges can be a powerful motivator.
- Addressing risks head-on can also be a critical step in fostering support for innovation. Risk can be mitigated through a robust process for assessing innovative ideas. Setting clear goals that align with your vision and then assessing how well new ideas align with those desired outcomes is a first step.
- Establishing criteria (financial and otherwise) for idea evaluation at the beginning of the process, as well as at key points throughout the development, testing, and launch, will enable the leadership team to make quick decisions about continued investment and the implementation team to make faster adjustments when needed.
Association Spotlight
Since joining the Endocrine Society in 2021, CEO Kate Fryer has worked hard to put practices in place that enable an innovation culture. She has established a business development fund to encourage exploration, trained staff on lean development and minimum viable product (MVP) approaches, and transitioned to the Carver Policy Governance Model (developed by Dr. John Carver) to better distinguish between oversight and operational execution. Creating space for experimentation and staff autonomy has helped to generate ideas, and board buy-in allows for experimentation and a ‘fail fast’ mentality.
"We were going to swing at a lot of pitches, and we were not going to connect on every single one. It’s like what researchers do – start with a hypothesis, test it by trying things, see how it works, make adjustments, try again. Making that connection really helps the board see that success included learning.”
- Kate Fryer, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Endocrine Society
Considering both the narrative and the numbers will help alleviate concerns and reduce risk while still moving in a positive direction of change. Considering potential financial and operational impacts of innovation is critical to ensure that your association can continue to achieve mission impact over the long term.
Connect with an Association Expert
Strengthen your association’s strategy by reaching out to our team. The McKinley team facilitates strategic conversations that clarify your business model. Our collaborative approach and expertise in change management help you identify innovative pathways to sustainable growth while staying true to your mission.
