I have been criticized by some in the past about voicing concerns over associations not serving the members yet it is something that really needs to be evaluated by association board of directors. Today it is easier than ever to gather a group via social media, get your message out, provide education and events. We see this everywhere. Many organizations say LinkedIn is the Uber for associations but that is very short sighted.
Here is a case study of what can happen to your organization. A friend sent this to me today and it is a must read!
“Rationale for leaving AOA”
http://orthopundit.com/rationale-leaving-aao/
This previous AOA member also has a petition of more than 800 AOA members that will be presented to their House of Delegates. Pretty significant!
http://orthopundit.com/sign-share-save-the-profession/
He has created a membership group, website for online collaboration, meeting and more.
Customer/member engagement is more important than every. And providing outstanding service and programming is even more critical. People will eventually look at how much they are paying in dues and consider the value.
What is your organization doing?
My Association Journey to Association 4.0 
Fascinating. If members don’t perceive value in what their association provides, and if members don’t understand, appreciate or agree with the priorities of the leadership, this is a likely outcome. Increasingly, associations need to listen to their members’ stories and respond in a way that indicates they have heard what their members are saying. At the same time, they need to try to stay ahead — anticipate what may be needed and provide responses before the need becomes overwhelming. And they need to tell their story, why they are doing what they are doing.
Regular qualitative interviews with a diverse segment of members, focus groups, simply asking “what keeps you up at night,” or “what do you need from us — and are we meeting your needs” could all help an organization make better decisions. It is one thing to have members rate all of the current benefits of membership. It is another to let your members tell you what they need that may not even be on the organization’s list of priorities. And it is always important to listen to the members who raise concerns. They care enough about the profession to speak up. They need to be heard.
LikeLike