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Professional Development

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What Ewald Team Members Hope for in 2023

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Happy New Year from all of us at Ewald Consulting! As we all enter 2023, it is important to reflect on the previous year and begin putting plans in place for the next. Our team has been thinking about what they want to accomplish. Here are some of the things we want to make happen in 2023:

 

My goal for 2023 is to help associations have a greater impact with storytelling through professional video and audio. Podcasts, live-streams and edited videos can help associations build greater value for their members.

-Michael McIntee, Director of Content Development and Management

 

In 2023, I hope to expand non-dues revenue through diverse professional development offerings, especially micro-content.

-Danial Davis, Professional Development Specialist

 

My hope is that as 2023 comes, associations will start to embrace the power of automation. There is so much room for automation of all kinds of tasks that it almost seems overwhelming. I am very excited to find new ways to automate tasks for our clients.

-Connor Lee, Technology Specialist

 

Over the last several months, I’ve been proposing ways for one of our clients to increase equity for international membership. In November, we received approval to develop a proposal to pilot an International Chapter. In 2023, I look forward to learning from other AEs of international associations to make the pilot a success. Another client’s chapters are interested in more creative ways they can engage; one chapter recently presented an innovative model of a new event style—I look forward to helping make that a model for other chapters in 2023.

-Veronica Croiser, Account Executive

 

My goal for the upcoming year is to better streamline operations for my clients. The easier their day-to-day experience is, the better—and that begins with mapping out our plans and processes. I believe this preparation sets our clients up for success, fulfillment, and growth, all of which we strive to achieve at Ewald.

– Kirsten Anderson, HR Coordinator and Events Coordinator

 

For my work with associations in 2023 I want to improve and update potentially outdated processes to create greater efficiency while providing members with content and resources that we are excited to produce and they are excited to attend!

– Melia Gelinas, Professional Development Coordinator

 

How can you make 2023 your best year yet? For more advice from our team, check out our podcast, Associations Next.

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Associations Next: Get the Word Out

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In this episode, we are joined by Lucas McCann, President, and CEO of Big Red M, an association management firm based out of Virginia. We will discuss sponsorship sales in a volatile environment and how you can make the most of your sponsors.

Takeaways:

  1. Sponsors are out there. Despite the disruption to live events, sponsors are ready to come back in person or in a virtual capacity. Many associations have expanded sponsorship options to include more virtual and hybrid events.
  2. Understand the sponsor’s value proposition as well as the members’ needs. Would each party work well for the other? It is important to consider what impacts, good or bad, could come from a sponsorship.
  3. Don’t be afraid to say no. If a sponsorship is not a good fit for your organization, it’s better in the long run to give a prospective sponsor feedback up front.
  4. Communicate well. Ask the sponsor after the event if they found it beneficial and ask your members the same. These questions will help you maintain relationships and potentially develop a fruitful partnership with your sponsor.

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Efficient Leadership: 5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself

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Your mental health is just like putting your own oxygen mask on before helping others. If you don’t take care of yourself, you will not be at your best for your organization. 

But, as life gets busier, and board roles get more demanding, it can become challenging to find the time and energy to do so. 

In this post, we will review how to prioritize your mental health so you are a better, more effective leader.

  1. Set healthy boundaries: You are used to being the first one in and the last one out, but it is crucial to your mental health that you set firm boundaries to limit how much you are thinking about your work on a day-to-day basis. Being able to manage thoughts can prevent burnout and build resilience. In practice, this may look like telling peers that you will be unable to respond to emails after 5 O’clock, explains WebMD. Setting boundaries does not make you a lazy leader, it makes you strong and more empathetic.
  2. Exercise empathy: Exercising empathy is not only crucial to treating your team with respect and kindness, it is also an important part of nurturing your own mental health. Demonstrating empathy fosters a sense of community in the workplace, showing others they belong and reaffirming that you belong there as well, says The Community Research Center.
  3. Have non-work goals: Your organization cannot be your only passion, explains Fast Company. Having goals outside of your position can ease the pressure of your work. Think about what you are passionate about. Do you want to run a marathon? Take cooking classes? Go on a backpacking trip? Foster your passions outside of work in order to fill your life with accomplishments more than just your position.
  4. Learn what helps you stay still: Thoughtful Leader explains that if you are not the first one to take care of yourself, no one will be. The article explains that you should take a step back when you are “too busy to leave.” It is particularly hard in the workplace to take a step back and take care of yourself, but it is crucial to practice stillness and peace for yourself. Just like sleeping after an active day, your mind needs time to reset and rest as well.
  5. Set an example: Fast Company explains that your actions are felt by those you lead. If your team sees you making a significant effort to take care of your own mental health, they will be much more likely to take care of their own. At the end of the day, your organization will thrive if those within it are taking care of themselves so they can show up and be their best.

May might be Mental Health Month but make a habit of prioritizing yourself year-round. It is crucial for you and your team to make this a habit to avoid burnout and tension within your organization. Take the time, breathe, and be the best you.

Arzu Alimohd & Katie Wallstein Earn Certified Association Executive Credential

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St. Paul, Minnesota, June 28, 2021 — Ewald Consulting is proud to announce that Arzu Alimohd and Katie Wallstein have earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation. The CAE is the highest professional credential in the association industry.

To be designated as a Certified Association Executive, an applicant must have experience with nonprofit organization management, complete a minimum of 100 hours of specialized professional development, pass a stringent examination in association management and pledge to uphold a code of ethics. To maintain the certification, individuals must undertake ongoing professional development and activities in association and nonprofit management. More than 4,700 association professionals currently hold the CAE credential. The CAE Program is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

Arzu and Katie join eight other staff members within the company who have earned the CAE.

Goals

Associations Next: Setting Professional Development Goals

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In this episode, we got to sit down and discuss setting professional development goals with our Vice President of Human Resources and Staff Development, Becca Pryse.

Takeaways:

  1. Setting professional development goals with your staff shows your dedication to your employees’ long-term career goals by helping them engage in what they are curious about. By helping your employees become the best version of themselves, you are also helping your clients receive the best service.
  2. Measuring the progress of professional development goals is crucial. Becca explains that she does all she can to make sure goals are reached through positive reinforcement.
  3. Motivate. Motivate. Becca explained that sometimes she will help employees set higher goals because she knows they can accomplish more than they think. Be your teammates’ biggest cheerleader.

Listen to the episode: Setting Professional Development Goals

Professional Development

Professional Development Goals for Managers

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In recent posts, we explored the ins and outs of professional development. We discussed how you can support employees’ career goals, examples of professional development goals, and professional development platforms. But how can you become the best version of yourself as a manager?

In this post, we will go over some examples of professional development goals for leaders. While these examples focus on employees, they also translate well to leaders who are working with volunteers.

Vital learning explains that managers should have six key goals:

  • Enhance communication: great communication skills can turn a manager into a coach and a mentor. Learn how to give productive criticism and lift up your employees.
  • Develop coaching skills: as Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone said, we all do better when we all do better. No one comes into an organization knowing all of its ins and outs. Your job as a manager is to make your team better and more united.
  • Work on motivating: positive reinforcement builds trust between you and your employees and it makes criticism more digestible when they know you appreciate them.
  • Be more productive: “Leading from behind” is a crucial practice that shows you are with them. Set a good example by being efficient and demonstrating care in your work, and when your employees need help, lend a hand.
  • Be more flexible: As a manager, your focus should be on supporting your employees. It is important that you are adapting to their needs and the organization’s needs in order to have a productive, unified team.
  • Improve retention: By leading from behind and working to motivate employees, you will improve your retention rate. Continuously work to be a boss your employees want to work for.

Think through which of these goals may help you become a better manager and put them into action. In a previous post, we discussed how to set a professional development goal. The Education Service Center of Lake Erie West laid out a framework (PDF) to properly set what they call IPDP (Individual Professional Development Plan). This includes:

  1. An area of focus. What do you want to accomplish?
  2. An action. What action will you take to get there?
  3. Why? Why do you want to achieve this goal?

In your case, a goal like this may look something like this:

I want to learn how to give more positive reinforcement so that I can build trust between my employees and me.

According to Indeed, setting goals for yourself shows your team the importance of developing their own goals. Professional development goals also help define the values of your organization. If you take the time to set some professional development goals, you will become an even better manager than you were before.

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The Best Virtual Professional Development Platforms

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You have likely settled into a new “normal.” Whether that be working from home or getting used to meeting clients on Zoom rather than in person, it seems that these changes are around for the long haul.

With increased time online, many have taken advantage of the boundless resources available online. Employees have been able to use their time to learn more about their professions and industries.

With so many options available online, it can seem daunting to narrow down these platforms. Read on for a rundown of some of the most popular online professional development platforms:

LinkedIn Learning
Powered by the professional social platform, LinkedIn Learning offers a wide variety of short and long courses such as tutorials on Excel and filmmaking.

This platform is a great resource for employees. For example, if an employee needs to edit a video but does not have experience in editing, LinkedIn Learning offers a 3-hour course on how to use iMovie.

Individuals can subscribe to LinkedIn Learning for $30 a month or $300 a year. There are also plans for teams and companies available at an undisclosed price.

Coursera
Coursera offers longer courses where you can earn certificates in things like applied project management, according to a blog post on Zapier. These courses are offered by various universities or organizations, meaning you can earn certificates from Yale or many other highly respected organizations.

While many courses are offered for a fee, quite a few can be audited for free.

edX
Zapier explains that edX can fly under the radar because it lacks the technological flash that many of its competitors have. However, it makes up in content as many of the instructors are revered professors from Harvard or higher-ups at major companies like Microsoft.

Alison
Alison also utilizes the knowledge of experts to teach its users. The company believes in the open use of information, meaning most of its courses are completely free with a small price tag to get a certificate if you choose to obtain one.

Udacity
Udacity partners with companies like Google to provide new and relevant topics. Some of the courses are free, but many need to be purchased.

The “nanodegree” program provides users very specific coursework. Udacity then can connect graduates with industry partners who tend to hire these graduates.

These are just a few of many learning platforms available online. If you are interested in learning more, Adam Enfroy’s blog has a comprehensive list of these platforms and what they do.

To learn more, check out our podcast, Associations Next on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Inclusion

Associations Next: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Associations

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In this episode, we talk with two of Ewald Consulting’s account executives, Arzu Alimohd and Margaux Meyer about what diversity looks like in associations.

Takeaways:

  1. Associations serve people, so it is especially important that they dive into diversity practices. Take time to think about who you serve and how you could potentially be underserving some members.
  2. Take small steps. Diversity, equity and inclusion are so important, but it can be overwhelming to start making change. Start by thinking about things such as your bylaws that could be unintentionally harming certain groups of people.
  3. Be open. Take the time to listen to members about what you could be doing to be an even better organization.

Listen to the episode: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Associations

Goals

Setting Professional Development Goals: How to help you and your staff become the best version of yourselves

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Takeaways:

  1. Setting professional development goals with your staff shows your dedication to your employees’ long-term career goals by helping them engage in what they are curious about. By helping your employees become the best version of themselves, you are also helping your clients receive the best service. 
  2. Measuring the progress of professional development goals is crucial. Becca explains that she does all she can to make sure goals are reached through positive reinforcement. 
  3. Motivate. Motivate. Motivate. Becca explained that sometimes she will help employees set higher goals because she knows they can accomplish more than they think. Be your teammates’ biggest cheerleader. 

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