Are you ready to formulate and implement your strategic plan for 2023? While your association’s leadership team may be well versed in creating a plan for your future strategic direction, there could be emerging trends and considerations that you haven’t factored into your planning process. We take a look at the key trends that should be on your radar.
While it is typically the Board and the executive who decide on strategic direction and formulate a plan, everyone in the association – including staff, volunteers, and, to a lesser extent, members – will be involved in implementing it. Especially if the new strategic direction is a significant shift or pivot from what your association was doing before, it is vital that leaders consider emotional intelligence and the human side of the equation when strategic planning.
Emotional intelligence essentially means understanding that people are complex beings who will have an emotional response to events. It is not uncommon for people to not like change, but when this change affects their working life, it is especially vital that they understand its purpose and what the change will mean for them. Resistance can cause serious challenges for an association’s leadership, and can even derail the strategic plan altogether.
Instead of allowing change to feel like something that is happening to your association’s people, leaders need to use emotional intelligence leadership skills to make them feel that it is happening with them. This means being consultative and collaborative, keeping lines of communication open, and being aware of how the new plan affects people.
Too often, leaders will make decisions about strategic planning based on what might “feel right”, or what they have seen other organisations do with success. This untargeted approach can result in wasted time and resources, and a plan that lacks direction.
Instead, it’s important to use analytics to quantify and support all strategic decisions. Using data collected from the previous year can help to measure a range of key indicators of success, including operational risks, the success of different marketing initiatives and membership drives, financial situations, and more.
No association exists in a vacuum – we all need to operate within the dynamic spaces of our industries, our geographic locations, our political climate, and many more macro spheres. It’s vital that the strategic planning process takes all of these factors into account, as well as the internal environment of the association.
Some of the trends to consider when formulating your strategic plan include:
Even the most carefully considered strategic plans requires the buy-in of the organisation as a whole to implement successfully. As well as considering emotional intelligence when presenting your strategic plan to staff and volunteers, some of the other ways to improve employee sentiment towards your plan (and therefore its eventual successful roll out) include:
ESG (environment, social and governance) considerations are becoming increasingly important in the operating environment. An ESG framework
can help associations to evaluate risks in diverse areas such as climate change, organisational compliance, and cultural trends. All
associations should be aiming for better operational sustainability and an environmentally friendly focus in 2023, as members increasingly
look to support organisations who are working to reduce their carbon footprint. Additionally, thinking about issues such as workplace
diversity and inclusion, mental health of staff, and corporate social responsibility can improve your association beyond your next strategic
plan.
This is just a quick run-down on how to build an effective strategic plan. AES offers comprehensive services in this area. Simply contact us for further information, or book a free consultation.
With over 30 years of management expertise, Executive Director and Founder of AES, Nick Koerbin is one of the most experienced NFP leaders in Australia. He has held positions as the CEO of Materials Australia, the National Parts Code, as well as senior positions in the Institute of Insurance, Australian Quality Council, the Financial Planning Association, the Australian Human Resources Institute, and the Furniture Industry Association of Australia. Nick created AES with a vision of creating a set of management practices that could be consistently followed to ensure success. Over his 30 years in the industry, he noticed that inconsistent management practices often impeded delivery of services to members, which in turn created issues with membership renewal. By establishing AES and creating the NFP Association Best Practice Self-Assessment, Nick has been able to assist leaders in becoming more confident and informed decision makers so that they can create more effective strategies and implementation plans.
Disclaimer: The articles on our website are intended to stimulate interest in the subject matters. All comments and articles are for information purposes only. Professional advice should be sought on specific matters, and with lawyers under Costs Agreement and to which Legal Professional Privilege (LPP) applies.
For over seven years during the 1990s, I was involved with the Total Quality Management Institute, formed by leaders of some of Australia's major corporations.
There are many challenges that associations face when generating membership growth, particularly when competing with organisations providing services similar to your potential membership base. Here are some tips worth considering that have worked for our clients.