ISSUE
For two decades Paul Bridle has studied
organisations. He has been involved in a number
of organisations, chambers of commerce, and
was president of a world association.
Tom Reiser is an association management
professional with MCI, the globally-expanding
AMC. He has been executive director of
the International Society of Nephrology for
almost five years.
I
f you want to start a new association,
plant a fresh seed. If you want to
nurture a growing shrub, prune
back hard to force new growth.
That seems to be the latest
advice from two of the industry’s leading
growth specialists. For the past 20 years,
leadership methodologist Paul Bridle has
been studying why some organisations
flourish and others fade and has concluded
that maybe the association gardener needs
to step back to see where to cut back.
“If you want to grow your association,
simply adding membership may not be
the way to do it,” he warns. “When we
first set up The Speakers Association we
just added people. And discovered we
were losing people we wanted to retain by
adding people we didn’t really need. We
should educate new members, yes, but not
at the expense of the existing members.
“Take a step outside your association and
look at it from another person’s point of
view. It could be that what you are standing
for is not what prospective joiners need.
“We changed our criteria and now
members have been given two years to
reapply to see if they qualify. The board told
us we couldn’t afford to do that. But the
real members appreciated the higher quality
of the association and reasoned ‘if fees have
to go up to achieve that, then so be it’.
Executive director of the International
Society of Nephrology, Tom Reiser, takes
the conundrum a step further.
“While every organisation likes to boast
about how many members they have
“If you want to grow your association,
simply adding membership may not
be the way to do it; take a step outside
your association and look at it from
another person’s point of view. It could
be that what you are standing for is not
what prospective joiners need.”
__ Paul Bridle
16_ ami| February 2008
Issue Growing association lead.i1 1
30/01/2008 10:06:18
>> membership growth
Growing association size without strength is bad
husbandry, argue leadership guru Paul Bridle
and EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tom Reiser
Membership.
size isn't
everything
and how many more they have recruited,
I think that what really matters is how
many ‘customers, contacts and friends’ it
can reach, influence and ultimately involve
in its network or community.”
Associations should swallow their pride
and take a look at the corporate market.
“More associations should align
themselves with the way commercial
organisations work,” suggests Bridle.
Some associations grew out of 18th
century working guilds and were set up
for reasons similar to those which apply
to associations today: to bring businesses
together with a fighting voice. Then, over
time, the reasons became educational.
Now as then: if associations want to
grow they need to rethink what they do.
“The unions did a wonderful job: we
don’t send children down the mines any
more. But they lost their way and got
stuck in their own time zone. Same as
some associations today. They need to
reinvent themselves,” says Bridle.
“One may ask the question,” proposes
Reiser, “whether 95 percent retention rates
and constant membership growth in today’s
flat world without technological or geographic
boundaries is not only not sustainable
but a mirage that can easily divert crucial
attention away from fundamental and
strategically more important priorities.”
Associations have become a little too
bureaucratic and don’t see themselves as
businesses anymore. The way they are
structured may not be conducive to an
efficient organisation.
“Two things are necessary,” insists
Bridle. “Have a growth strategy.
Associations talk about having a strategy but
do not address exactly what they are looking
for. And some have grown an association
by becoming elitist. So work out what your
product is and how you are going to deliver it.
The world of association leadership is a
murky one. Who makes the decisions: Board
members? The CEO? The Secretary General?
“Which is more important,” asks Bridle, “the
strategy or the leadership? Are the leaders
in your association elected or appointed?
Is there any strategic planning in
your association and who does it?”
Reiser took up the point.
“Associations need to increasingly
think like businesses and consider
that potential ‘members’ are both
customers and shareholders.”
Prospective members will
“What really matters
is how many
‘customers, contacts
and friends’ your
organisation can
ultimately involve
in its network.”
__ Tom Reiser
ask themselves: will this association help
me with my career or do I have to be part
of some inner circle to benefit?
“As an association becomes more
global it must deal with different cultures,
with people who are looking for different
things,” Paul Bridle added.
And their needs were constantly
changing. Tom Reiser: “In some cases, it may
actually be financially more beneficial for
an organisation to have more ‘contacts’ than
members, as these typically pay premium
prices for everything, from conference
attendance to publications.”
Paul Bridle suggests associations
study their profile from an
outsiders’ viewpoint.
“Look at what you are
providing and make sure it is
an association that Sir Richard
Branson wants to join.
“Your aim as an association
executive is to work yourself out of
a job. To make an association work
so well it can function without you.
“Step back and look at your
association from a different angle
and ask yourselves: are we anywhere
near doing what we should be doing?”
Tom Reiser concludes: “Is the end
of the traditional association near?
Well, maybe. I would suggest that
individuals are increasingly moving
away from being ‘members’ to
being ‘buyers’ of products, services,
offerings, benefits, or access to
networks and communities.” ami
February 2008 | ami_ 17
Issue Growing association lead.i2 2
30/01/2008 10:06:18