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Powering Progress: Thriving Professional Communities with a Hybrid Staffing Model 

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By Paul Hanscom, CAE

Ever since the global pandemic, leaders of professional associations have been under pressure to evolve their operations with renewed emphasis on value creation for members and the community being served. Associations have responded to quick changes in industry conditions while also keeping an eye on the efficiencies needed to sustain success and growth. An approach that has gained popularity is the hybrid staffing model.  

The hybrid staffing model integrates a depth of industry knowledge and relationships of full-time staff with the specialized support of an Association Management Company (AMC). A hybrid staffing model offers benefits for association leaders, staff, and members to achieve greater outcomes than ever before. 

Strategic Expertise and Industry Insights: 
A full-time Executive Director (E.D.) serves as the cornerstone of this model — contributing strategic vision, leadership stability, and an in-depth understanding of the association’s mission and the community it serves. This continuity is invaluable, providing a consistent voice and direction that resonates with members, stakeholders, and the broader industry. Full-time staff in the E.D. position — and potentially other staff roles, depending on scale — allows the association to combine a depth of expertise and familiarity in both association management and the professional community.  

Flexibility and Specialized Support: 
Complementing the full-time staff, an AMC extends a diversity of specialized services such as marketing, event management, industry development/sales, member services, and accounting support. This collaborative approach enables associations to remain agile, responding promptly to industry trends, technological advancements, and evolving member needs. 

Cost-Efficiency and Resource Optimization: 
A hybrid staffing model offers a straightforward solution for associations seeking cost-effectiveness. By retaining a full-time E.D. for dedicated leadership and gaining specialized function-specific support from an AMC, associations strategically allocate resources, focusing on areas crucial for growth while minimizing unnecessary overhead expenditures. 

Enhanced Member Engagement and Experience: 
The undivided attention of a full-time E.D. on member engagement fosters strong relationships with members and provides added perspective for both staff and association leaders. At the same time, the specialized expertise provided by an AMC elevates the member experience through targeted marketing, event planning, and personalized services that an AMC often provides best. 

Access to Cutting-Edge Technology and Innovation: 
The collaborative nature of the hybrid model ensures associations stay at the forefront of technological advancements. By partnering with an AMC, associations gain access to cutting-edge tools and innovative solutions without the burden of substantial upfront investments. The market focus and breadth of an AMC’s experience across multiple organizations means an association benefits from rapid, iterative experimentation and learning. 

Risk Mitigation and Continuity Planning: 
Hybrid staffing inherently incorporates risk mitigation strategies. The diversified structure offers operational continuity, even in the face of leadership changes or unexpected challenges. This resilience enables associations to navigate uncertainties with adaptability.  

Scalability and Growth Opportunities: 
As associations evolve and grow, the hybrid model offers scalability with ease. During periods of heightened activity, the AMC can scale its support, providing resources as needed, allowing associations to meet demands without the constraints of a rigid internal structure. Expanding operations in a specific area may not require making a high-stakes hiring decision or the time requirements of onboarding a new staff person. Associations can scale and grow more fluidly and at the right pace for their needs. 

Conclusion 
Adopting a hybrid staffing model, matching the strategic leadership of a full-time Executive Director with the specialized support of an AMC, is quickly emerging as a forward-thinking solution for professional associations. This model optimizes resources, enhances efficiency, and equips associations to navigate the complexities of their industries with resilience and innovation. As associations strive to deliver the utmost value to their members, the hybrid staffing model is a dynamic and effective strategy for sustainable success in the modern association marketplace. 

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Associations Next: Remember Your Members

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In this episode, we are joined by Ewald Account Executive Veronica Crosier, Ewald Membership Strategy Manager Whitney Murray, and Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) board member Wendy Cross. In this discussion, you will hear about gaining and retaining members of your association.

Takeaways:

  1. Place value on networking. Wendy described how challenging it was to network during the pandemic, but PSAI found ways for members to continue connecting in a new space. Veronica shared that she saw a member save thousands of dollars on a part for a truck after talking with other members. Giving examples like this can show your members the value of community within those associations.
  2. Cater to the generations. Associations need to stay up to date on trends and needs of current members, as well as the younger generations that will one day lead the industry. Meeting younger professionals where they are will ensure that you meet their needs and thus keep your association strong. Wendy encourages associations to let members know all the avenues they can use to gain value from belonging.
  3. Engagement, engagement, engagement. Whitney explained that a great deal of effort is focused on membership renewal — but engaging regularly will reaffirm the value of the association. That way members will be more likely to renew.
  4. Value members’ and former members’ input. Put out regular surveys to get information on what value they are getting from the organization and if they have lapsed, ask why. Veronica explained that some members simply forgot to renew but another did not have the budget and the organization was able to accommodate. Your organization is a community, and it’s important to listen to what your members need.
  5. Retention begins on day 1. Have a plan to communicate with new members throughout the year to keep them informed and help them make use of benefits.

 

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Creating Online Communities for Members

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Your organization exists to serve and connect your members. Building a community is an important part of maintaining that connection. Members need a place to share ideas, values, and tips that help them succeed in the industry. Nowadays, it is imperative to make sure there is an online destination for the community to exist.  

In this post, we will go over some tips on how to build an online community to help keep your members connected.  

  1. Make sure it fits with your members’ needs: You need to find a way to attract members to your online community. It has to include things that make them want to go through the effort of creating an account. Higher Logic says that they found most people join online communities because they want to learn and gain a sense of belonging, so you might consider offering resources on your platform that further education. 
  1. Set some ground rules: Peer Board emphasizes the importance of making sure your online platform is used for its intended purpose. To do this, you may need to set some rules that prohibit profanity or self-promotion. While you want to encourage open discussion, sometimes adding guidelines can ensure a thriving conversation. 
  1. Think about getting a community advocate: Harvard Business Review discusses the case of author Ryan Levesque, whose community gained over 2,000 participants. He hired one advocate for every 400 members in order to help moderate conversation, keep the momentum going, and provide assistance. Having someone who can consistently help keep the community alive can grow your community. 
  1. Set goals to measure the community’s success: When embarking on a new project, it is important to set guidelines for how you will measure the success of that project. For an online community, this may be the number of users or certain level of engagement on the platform. Setting these goals will help you continue to grow your online platform. Higher Logic suggests that the goals should be attainable but challenging. 
  1. Be involved: Harvard Business Review reminds readers not to underestimate the time it takes to grow a successful online community. Your organization is the central being in the community, so make sure your presence is known. Do this by initiating conversation and offering yourself as a resource. 

We are all seeking connection. Building a successful online community will not just help your members, but it will also help your organization gain interaction and attention. 

People

Best Practices for Retaining Members

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Members are associations’ best asset. The people who make up and represent your organization bring it purpose and life. While recruiting is important, keeping your members around is just as crucial. On average, it costs 7 to 10 times more to win a new member than to keep an existing member. In this post, we will go over some tips on how associations can retain their members.

  1. Conduct surveys: People want to be heard, and if you’re a great leader, you certainly want to hear from your members. Short surveys can be a great way to get a feel for what your members want and how they are feeling as part of the organization. The Membership Guys recommend sending out regular surveys so that you are not playing guessing games about what your members want.
  2. Provide a content calendar: Your organization’s content and events are great pull factors for potential members and great reasons to stick around for those who are already members. Reminding members what you offer and what they can take part in will show them how they benefit from staying in the organization. The Membership Guys explain that even if they cannot attend an event on the calendar, it creates the “fear of missing out” if they leave.
  3. Pay attention to engagement levels: Catch lack of engagement early. It’s so important to keep tabs on social media engagement, newsletter opens, and event registrations to see how much your members are engaging with your organization. If you see it start to fall off, check in with your team and see how you can get things back on track before it is too late. Member Clicks suggests reaching out to members individually and seeing what they think would help get them more engaged with the organization.
  4. Emphasize member benefits: Let people know you are the only organization that can provide the benefits that you offer. Glue Up recommends consistently promoting your offerings to remind them of the resources they have. This will remind them of your association’s value.
  5. Be open to communication from members: Your association was made for your members, so it is very important to remain open to suggestions from members. Member Clicks explains that every member should feel comfortable giving feedback to the organization. Make it clear that you are open and ready to hear feedback — and make it easy for members to stay in touch.

Your association was built around your members. Putting time and care into the people who are part of it will help them stick around and grow your organization even more.

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The Importance of Diversity & Inclusion in the Association World

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ANDI class of 2019This year, I had privilege of participating in the first cohort of Association’s North Diversity & Inclusion Leadership program. As I applied and checked off the requirements for the application just a year before, I did not expect how much it would impact my career, network and skills.

Each quarter, our cohort met for either a half day or full day for leadership training that revolved around a certain skill. This included communicating, presenting and writing, executive presence and conflict. With a cohort of six, each session pulled you out of your comfort zone — you had to participate throughout. This made the experience much more engaging compared to a classroom style lecture with a bigger group. The content and exercises were really valuable, including a DiSC behavioral profile assessment and presenting in front of your cohort with feedback on your skills. What really made the program valuable was the people. From the first day, our cohort became close and started engaging in the content and discussed how it pertained to challenges we have faced in our professional lives. Knowing our diverse group all have a diverse background and stories to tell, it became easy to open up and gain advice from our peers.

This program has not only given me insight on how to implement my leadership skills to the associations I work with, but it also taught me how to incorporate more diversity and inclusion initiatives within association strategic goals. There is not a standard for an association when it comes to diversity and inclusion and every association has a variety of policies and practices it implements. What is known from current research is organizations that are more diverse and inclusive are more profitable and valuable (https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/delivering-through-diversity).

According to the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Foundation, diversity and inclusion within associations can benefit the organization financially, help generate ideas and give the organization authenticity and an advantage compared to other organizations (Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion in Membership Organizations, page 9). These benefits will only occur if the diversity and inclusion strategy is managed and effectively actionable.  This can be achieved in a variety of ways — whether by a detailed plan, assignments to staff and volunteers, task forces, committees or a combination. The terms “diversity” and “inclusion” are very broad, so organizations must narrow their targeted outcomes – what are some communities that the organization would like to have participate or think would benefit? Does your board represent your member base? How can the association open its door to more communities or partner with other organizations for mutual benefit? Diversity and Inclusion has multiple layers within an organization — board and volunteers, staff, member base, workforce and more.

When associations talk about diversity and inclusion, there is usually an emphasis on diversity more than inclusion (Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion in Membership Organizations, page 15). It is beneficial to look at both diversity and inclusion when determining these goals and to not assume one means the other. They go hand in hand, but increasing a certain area does not mean all may feel included in the organization. It is no surprise that each field is different in its diversity – age, gender, location, etc. — so the organization must look at not only its members, but the field to determine what to focus on.  A common way associations can expand their community is looking at schools or educational programs that train in the profession and partnering with them; this can be determining a student rate for membership or event attendance to expose the community to the organization, creating a student competition, or teaming up with schools to host events. It is also important to think about the organization’s target workforce and look to improve the field along with the organization. A common misconception is because the field is not diverse, the organization does not have to be diverse; but there are ways the association can help diversify its workforce.

It is important to understand that being a truly diverse and including association is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. Each organization must look at its field and determine its priorities. Diversity and inclusion initiatives are also never “one and done.” It is critical to consistently analyze the programs and reevaluate if needed. There is a lot to unpack with the terms diversity and inclusion when it comes to organizations — but be sure to incorporate the values of the organization, define the needs of the community, and then put words into actions and priorities of the association. As D&I initiatives become a more frequent conversation in the association world, a forward-thinking organization looks toward embracing inclusivity and heterogeneity to truly thrive in the future.

Sources: ASAE Foundation – Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion in Membership Associations https://foundation.asaecenter.org/research/diversity-and-inclusion.

2018 McKinsey Report – Delivering through diversity  https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/delivering-through-diversity

Outside Event

Creating Memorable Conference Experiences

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It takes a team effort to make conference experiences memorable for attendees, presenters and exhibitors/sponsors. All parties play an important role in the success and value of attending in person events.

Our Event Management and Marketing & Communications departments formed a Conference Success Team to help our clients improve the conference experience for speakers, sponsors/exhibitors and attendees by creating a resource landing page with all the resources to ensure a positive conference experience before, during and after an event.

The number-one priority is creating relevant content for each audience. So, it’s important to research trends in the profession, conduct a professional development assessment, review membership surveys and past conference surveys to use feedback to improve and enhance the conference experience. Doing it “the way we’ve always done it” won’t cut it.

When you understand what your audience wants, you can then create the framework and tracks that will be the basis for your call for presenters. In addition to contact information, make sure you collect the following session information:

  • Presentation/Session Title (15-word limit)
  • Presentation/Session Description or Presentation (150-word limit)
  • Learning Objectives (require at least three)
  • Select Audience (for example: experience level, society type, organization size)
  • What keywords relate to your presentation topic? This is for search engine optimization as we promote the conference.
  • Provide a two-sentence promotion of your presentation for social media postings.

Getting this information at the beginning will provide the structure for the conference marketing plan.
Exhibitors and sponsors help keep the cost of conferences down for attendees and they also offer a way to make connections on business resources available to attendees. Creating value and ROI for exhibitors and sponsors creates value for the attendees.

The Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA) offers unique sponsorship opportunities such as puppy networking sessions (“pup-working”) and event pods that enhance the value for both the sponsor and the attendee. They also utilize cool technology at their conference such as a full LED wall with movable graphics, a Gobo light with logo sponsors and video. They also have a dedicated HEDNA TV Channel on YouTube that features conference sessions and helps promote future conferences, giving attendees access to the quality content that is delivered at the event.

HEDNA doesn’t have exhibitors but rather offers different types sponsorship opportunities to show unique value to the sponsors while enhancing the conference attendee experience. They have Nooks/Event pods branded with sponsor logos, offering the attendees a soundproof space with white boards, television monitors, videos and allowing for attendee conversations.

Example of nook/event pod with gobo lights (left) and coffee logo (right) at HEDNA LA 2019

Gobo lights make it possible to project sponsor logos on the walls. It’s a simple and effective way to enhance the conference experience at a reasonable price. In addition, they set up a HEDNA café with existing furniture in the hotel and a barista, featuring specialty coffees with the sponsor logo on top of the coffee froth.

Event app gamification example from Eventmobi

The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) offers a variety of hotel signage and walls/door clings and gobos for conference sponsors as well. This year, PDMA will use gamification in their mobile app to engage attendees.
For the Qualitative Research Consultants Association and Recognition Professionals International, we launched a “Reporter on the Scene” program; members volunteered to fill out an online form for each session and these were developed into blog posts and other content.

At the conferences, we encourage attendees to use hashtags and provide social media tip sheets to get conversations going and keep them going year-round after the conference experience is over. A strong conference and in-person connections foster loyalty and year-round connections.

For attendees, we offer ways to connect with other attendees at the conference in meet-ups, connecting in the mobile app and offering interactive sessions. It’s also important to create time between sessions to allow for conversations, sharing and networking so that learning sticks and new connections are created.

Half of the population are introverts — so it’s important to offer a variety of ways to connect in the manner attendees want. We will share tips on how to get the most out of conferences in a future post.

Mindfulness and wellness activities — both in the workplace and at conferences — are also becoming more popular. Organized walks and runs, yoga or other exercises, healthy snacks and meditation tips are a great way to add new value for attendees that they can take home.

Create memorable conference experiences for your members before, during and after each event!

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