How to improve productivity at your small-staff association 

Your association has a small staff, yet you still have lots of work to do. And the list only seems to get longer. How can you keep up with everyday demands, much less grow your association? One answer is to work more efficiently. 

That might sound like a tall order for a small staff. But with the right productivity tools and strategies, getting more done can be much easier. 

Let’s look at some effective ways to improve productivity for your association. 
 

Practical tips to improve productivity

 
Getting more done when you have a small staff can be a big challenge. Here’s how to improve productivity at your workplace so you can achieve more for your association staff: 

1. Keep your association’s data in one place 

You might not think of how and where you store your association’s data as a step toward greater productivity. But having your data in one place can make a big difference in how efficiently your small staff works. 

When your data is in multiple spreadsheets and systems, it can be challenging to keep member data secure, complete processes, pull accurate reports, get a full view of your members, and even find individual data points. 

A great approach is to move to all-in-one association management software (AMS) to do the following: 

• Collect and manage your member data in one location – making it easier to find data and manage every aspect of your organization because data and process management tools are right there at your fingertips. 

• More easily keep your data updated, deduplicated, and generally more accurate because you aren’t trying to keep data clean and updated in multiple places. 

• Reduce the need to administer multiple systems. 

2. Automate manual processes 

Simplifying and streamlining day-to-day processes can free up your small staff’s valuable time so they can focus more on acquiring new members and providing a great member experience. Here’s what you can do: 

• Automate email communications to members based on members’ actions. For instance, when members join your organization and pay annual dues, they can receive an automated email confirmation that includes a receipt. 

• Automate membership renewals by offering an option for members to automatically renew their membership, with the membership fee charged to the member’s credit card and an automated email sent that notifies members when their membership has been renewed. 

• Eliminate manual steps from your event wait list process by setting wait list limits, allowing attendees to add themselves to the event wait list when the limit is reached, and then automatically inviting the next person on the wait list when a space opens. 

3. Ask members to help 

The great news is that your association’s small staff doesn’t need to do everything alone. Your members can help. Here are some examples of areas where you can ask your members to pitch in: 

• Online community 
  Your association’s online community is a powerful tool for engaging and communicating with members. Ask some of your most loyal members to help grow your online community and keep it vibrant by starting and participating in discussion groups on a regular basis. 

• Member recruitment 
  Ask members to help you recruit more members by sharing information about your association through their networks and providing a written quote or a short video that summarizes why they joined and how being a member has helped them, which you can use in your member acquisition campaigns. 

• Content 
  It’s important to create valuable content that engages members and makes your association the go-to resource for industry knowledge and news. Make it easier to continually build fresh content by asking members, as well as board members and sponsors, to help produce anything from blog articles and event presentations to reports. 

4. Make more data-driven decisions 

When you have limited resources, it can seem easier to make business decisions based on guesses and hunches. After all, you don’t have time to sort through piles of data and analyze endless reports, right? 

But the truth is that having insights into your association’s data can help you to not only avoid time-wasting mistakes but also find ways to uncover trends and find new opportunities for growth.  

5. Prioritize your staff’s workload 

With a long to-do list, everything can feel like a priority. But when everything is a priority, nothing truly gets the attention it deserves. 

Encourage your staff to prioritize tasks by urgency and impact. A simple productivity framework like the Eisenhower Matrix can help your team decide what needs immediate attention, what can be scheduled later, what can be delegated, and what doesn’t need to be done at all. 

By focusing on the right tasks at the right time, your staff will use their limited time more effectively and improve productivity without feeling overwhelmed. 

6. Encourage better collaboration 

Small teams often wear many hats, which can create bottlenecks when communication isn’t clear. Establishing a culture of collaboration, and providing tools to support it, can help your staff work together more seamlessly. 

For instance: 

• Use project management tools or AMS platforms to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. 

• Hold quick weekly check-ins so everyone knows what’s on deck and where support is needed. 

• Encourage transparency by documenting processes so staff can step in to help one another. 

When collaboration improves, your team avoids duplication of work, shortens response times, and ultimately improves productivity. 
 

7. Invest in staff training and development 

Sometimes, improving productivity isn’t about doing more with less, it’s about empowering your staff to work smarter. Providing training on new software tools, leadership development, or even time management techniques can make a significant difference. 

For example, teaching staff how to get the most out of your AMS or other technology tools ensures you’re leveraging the full value of your investment. In the long run, these skills can save hours of work and help your association scale without needing to add headcount. 
 
Staff who feel equipped and supported are also more motivated, which contributes to overall productivity gains.