Association 4.0

In this episode, Sharon Rice, Managing Director of Business Strategy at .orgSource, delves into the powerful application of decision trees for navigating complex business choices. Through three illuminating examples, Sharon demonstrates how this tool can guide decisions with clarity and precision. First, Sharon explores the decision-making process behind whether to work, shop online, or stay in bed, weighing costs and potential revenues. Next, Sharon examines the critical question of whether to hold, cancel, or transition a fall conference to a virtual format, factoring in registration costs and associated probabilities. Lastly, Sharon tackles the nuanced issue of dues billing for the upcoming three months, weighing options like continuing as planned, suspending billing, or offering extended grace periods. By employing the decision tree framework, Sharon highlights how businesses can quantify costs, revenues, and probabilities to make well-informed, data-driven choices. Throughout the discussion, she underscore the importance of not only vetting numerical data but also integrating both quantitative and qualitative considerations in the decision-making process.

Listen in!

Leveraging AI: Best Practices and Transformative Strategies for Associations – A Panel Discussion

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) offers unprecedented opportunities for associations to enhance service delivery, member engagement, and operational efficiency. This panel discussion is designed to delve into the practical applications of AI within associations, illustrating how this transformative technology can be seamlessly integrated into their daily operations and long-term strategic initiatives.

Join us as we explore our panelists’ involvement in changes that are harnessing AI to, among other things, optimize member services, automate administrative tasks, and drive personalized marketing campaigns. Our expert speakers will provide insights into the latest AI tools and technologies that are reshaping the way associations function, from predictive analytics improving decision-making processes to natural language processing enhancing customer service interactions.

Learning Objectives:

Moderated by:

Kevin Ordonez, President and Managing Director, Digital Strategy, .orgSource

Panelists:

Manuel Alfaro, MBA, CIO and Senior Director, I&T, Digital Learning, and Membership, American College of Chest Physicians

Mike Lakas, Vice President of IT and Operations, American Foundry Society

Laura Lewis, Director of Technology, Society of Critical Care Medicine

Eric O’Connor, Chief Innovation Officer, American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology

Trust is more than a buzz word. It’s the lifeline of an organization or team. Trust is essential for fostering a positive culture in associations, according to Kevin Martlage, Senior Consultant at .orgSource and expert in interpersonal dynamics and organizational culture. As a certified Myers Briggs practitioner, Kevin also highlighted the need to reimagine culture to create a supportive environment for innovation. He emphasized the importance of intentionality, transparency, and empathy in building trust, and the need to align expectations and overcome blind spots. Kevin also stresses the importance of assessing and defining an organization’s culture by identifying what good looks like through several key factors. By incorporating these factors into the workplace, whether online for in-person, employee relations will improve and create a more positive work environment. Listen in!

Reach out to Kevin directly at [email protected] to learn more about how he can help organizations with culture assessments or visit www.orgsource.com to schedule a meeting with one of our team of experts.

Artificial intelligence is certainly top of mind for association leaders and board members. That’s why we are delighted to feature .orgSource Consultant, Sue Dykema, on today’s episode. Sue has over 27 years of experience working as CEO and in various managerial positions at the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and is an expert in guiding organizations to achieve strategic objectives. Her esteemed track record and deep roots in the association industry bring a unique perspective that we can all learn from to find efficient solutions and make wise decisions.

In this episode, Sue emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence in associations to build trust and a positive culture for members. In addition, she discusses how board members can determine when artificial intelligence can be leveraged for tasks and when a human perspective is needed instead. Lastly, Sue shared her thoughts on how associations can reimagine governance in light of the shifting digital landscape.

All in all, Sue highlighted that technology is a tool to build productivity and associations need to be wise when incorporating it into their organizations. Listen in to learn how!

To get in touch with Sue, please email [email protected] or [email protected].

Joining us on the podcast today is .orgSource Managing Director of Digital Strategy, Sharon Rice, and .orgSource Consultant, Jennifer Proctor. About a decade ago, Sharon used to be Jennifer’s supervisor, which sparked the conversation of the relationship between staff members and directors, and how associations can better support those in positions of power to work at their full potential. Sharon and Jennifer identified three major areas of consideration.

In order for managers and directors to be more successful, they must first analyze their capacity. If there is a feeling of dread before the work day starts, or the feeling of never having enough time to get tasks completed, this could be a sign of burnout. To overcome this feeling, Sharon and Jennifer recommend using some of those vacation days to reset or delegating accordingly.

The second area managers and directors can find success in is having their staff create weekly status reports. This doesn’t have to be a lengthy write-up. It can be as simple as a one-page document with bullet points. A weekly status report is an excellent way for association leaders to stay informed about projects and build stronger connections with their staff.

Last, but not least, managers and directors need to remember they are in a unique position to understand the strategy of an organization and where the waste is. Waste doesn’t necessarily equate to a monetary value either. Waste could be identified by finding a better use of everyone’s time. For example, if meetings are disrupting too much of the day, why not establish a boundary of “No Meeting Mondays” where staff and leaders can be free to focus on their tasks for at least one day of the week?

There is a plethora of “food for thought” knowledge in this episode that is perfect for any leader in an organization. Feel free to send us a message on social media @orgsource to let us know some of the ways we can help association’s “unsung heroes” find success. Happy listening!

Despite the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and virtual services, a recent study found that students and younger generations are eager to attend in-person meetings and serve on committees. This is exciting news for associations and nonprofits as they look to the future to determine what value they can bring for members.

According to Senior Vice President of Digital and Technology at the American Geophysical Union, Thad Lurie, CAE, CIP, more and more people are hesitant to trust everything they read or see online and are seeking trustworthy sources to help answer their questions. This is where associations and nonprofits come in to help cut through the noise. The beautiful thing about these organizations is that they bring people together in a way that other businesses can’t because they can be a guiding entity that provides advice, resources, education, and camaraderie. While the digital landscape will continue to become more complex, trust by association is something organizations can look forward to.

With over 25 years of experience in IT and technology, Thad Lurie offers sound advice for analyzing data, choosing the right types of artificial intelligence, and strategies boards can do to become more successful. Listen in!

To get in touch with Thad Lurie, connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thadlurie/

In honor of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are delighted to have association legend, Richard Yep, CAE, FASAE, on the Association 4.0 Podcast. His 40+ years of experience working in the association world has truly made him an expert in understanding the current trends in digital transformation and artificial intelligence and how they can be applied to organizations. Yep is currently in the midst of writing a book that discusses the transition of bouncing off ideas with coworkers by the office water cooler, to turning to AI for advice.

A lifestyle change is evident in Yep’s eyes. For associations to remain relevant, they must understand how to maximize the potential of AI and how they can use it to improve their organization without losing their special sense of community and camaraderie.

Are the days of knocking on your CEO’s door for help long gone? Let’s find out in this wisdom-packed episode.

To get in touch with Richard Yep, email: [email protected]

In a landscape where information, education, and association are increasingly accessible at little to no cost, organizations must pivot towards offering value that extends beyond mere access. However, innovation can be difficult to achieve for non-equity based organizations that don’t have 50 million dollars at their disposal. Our guest, Stephanie Mercado, Executive Director and CEO at the National Association for Healthcare Quality, suggests that associations focus on building strong communities (virtual or in-person) where members can collaborate, exchange ideas, and support each other, creating a sense of belonging and shared purpose that goes beyond what can be found in the vast sea of online resources.

Furthermore, Mercado encourages organizations to take the time to nurture their own employees and engage in yearly team bonding events. Her staff has seen an immense improvement in connection and productivity because of their heightened ability to work together collaboratively. Ultimately, staying relevant in a world of abundant free resources requires organizations to evolve into dynamic hubs of value creation, where expertise, community, and personalized experiences take center stage. Tune in to learn more.

You can follow Stephanie Mercado on LinkedIn or visit https://nahq.org.

This episode of the Association 4.0 Podcast reveals a truth that practically everyone can relate to. The interest in networking and in person connection has never been more prominent than it is today in this post-COVID, technology-driven, world. That’s good news for associations and nonprofits, according to our guest, Kim Robinson, President of Frontline Co.

The demand for finding and connecting with like-minded people is only going to become more prevalent over the next few years. People appreciate in-person activities because of the isolation they’ve experienced during the pandemic and are craving human connection, says Robinson. This is how associations and nonprofits play such a huge role during this societal transition.

With their ability to bring industry professionals together over a common goal or interest, it’s clear the impact of associations and nonprofits isn’t dwindling anytime soon. Tune into this episode to learn more about opportunities for associations to engage their target audiences, how nonprofits can leverage artificial intelligence, and whether or not advocacy should be on an organization’s mind. Listen in!

To learn more about Kim Robinson and her team, visit https://frontlineco.com

Think of AI as a highly intelligent coworker or partner. It can help us create. It can help us predict. It can help us understand. It can help us see the hidden. While artificial intelligence can help elevate associations in numerous ways, our guest, David Reid, Owner of Strategic and Consulting Services, suggests that the software needs to be regulated and monitored by the right people. With a strong background working in the IT department for companies like AT&T, AmeriTek, and NASA, we’d say Mr. Reid knows a thing or two about this subject.

For the CEO’s sitting at their desks, looking at their associations wondering how in the world they are going to incorporate AI into their strategic plans, fear not, this episode is for you. In truth, the reality is that artificial intelligence isn’t coming…it’s here. According to Reid, you don’t really have a lot of time to wait and see where this AI thing is going. So don’t stand with your feet on the ground because the train is moving on. Tune in to this vibrant discussion to learn more about generative AI and how to leverage its knowledge in your organization or business.

To get in touch with David Reid, please email [email protected].

Links from this episode:

Artificial Intelligence | 60 Minutes

https://youtu.be/aZ5EsdnpLMI?si=L0z-ZmJLMOyuuriJ

What is generative AI and how does it work? – The Turing Lectures with Mirella Lapata

https://youtu.be/_6R7Ym6Vy_I?si=awGCLalAVPBRaEjW

Figure Status Update – OpenAI Speech-to-Speech Reasoning

https://youtu.be/Sq1QZB5baNw?si=cpHaHv-qbRddzOkv

Compare the big 3 AI models

https://youtu.be/ELMDugD5dCA?si=IL_pH77Suy353FgK

Introducing DBRX: A New State-of-the-Art Open LLM

https://www.databricks.com/blog/introducing-dbrx-new-state-art-open-llm

Alignment problems (Robert Miles)

https://youtu.be/bJLcIBixGj8?si=ilWk2QtLhLFvP0Vr