Most associations realize the need for change. The process of growing involves changes, including adjustments to meet the needs of a diverse membership base, as well as changes associated with adopting new technologies, exploring new membership drives, and navigating increasingly stringent government regulations, among other challenges facing today’s association industry.
What organizations struggle with is the ongoing nature of change. Once the decision’s been made to try something new, it’s human nature to attempt to dictate instantaneous change, without the continual, evolving process of change management. This is where association management system (AMS) software can help.
Define The Changes & Set Change Goals
To know whether you meet the goals that change is intended to achieve, you have to establish goals that are quantified, not just qualified. For example, “sign up new members” is a nebulous idea, rather than a quantifiable goal. In theory, adding a single new member to your association’s roster would achieve this goal. However, “boost membership in the Atlanta metro area by 5 percent before Q4” is a quantified goal that can be measured, monitored, and, therefore, achieved. The analytical and reporting features of your AMS can be used to track the progress and determine when this goal is actually met.
How Do Associations Establish Metrics to Track Progress?
The example above is easy to visualize in terms of tracking the metrics associated with change. But there are instances where it’s less obvious what metrics will need to be tracked. For example, if your goal is to improve member engagement, how will you determine whether you have achieved that goal? Your AMS can also be helpful in this regard. Begin by establishing a quantifiable goal, such as achieving a 3% increase in membership comments on the association’s blog or improving newsletter email open rates by 8%. Then develop a means to achieve the goal, such as boosting your blog via social media or improving the email subject lines. Now you can begin tracking the progress of your efforts.
Get Change Leaders Involved
Since change is ongoing, it’s essential to have leaders on board who are committed to the long term. Change leaders aren’t always the ones sporting fancy titles. Sometimes, the best leaders are those who work behind the scenes to motivate, encourage, and even correct others, keeping the process of change on track. Change leaders can take the form of executive sponsors, who understand the need for change and are willing to spearhead the process. However, change leaders can also be any individuals within the organization who have a passion for making improvements and the ability to motivate and keep others motivated. These change leaders need to have regular meetings or other means of collaboration and must have access to the metrics being used to track progress.
Finally, your change leaders must have the authority to push forward when faced with resistance. Even when the changes are clearly positive, people are naturally resistant to making change. Change is scary. Change leaders can help convey the importance of the changes, guide individuals through the necessary steps to implement them, and even ensure that proper procedures are followed when people are reluctant to adopt the changes.
