We have just been through (and depending on where you live, are still going through) a worldwide event that slowed society for two years and disrupted communities, education, work and health care. Many people lost their lives—or a loved one. Do we really think we can just “go back”? I’m certainly hearing this
desire in association boardrooms and virtual strategy sessions.
The bigger question is, “Why would we want to?”
The pan-dammit (as I call it) has accelerated many of the trends facing associations: lower membership among younger people, increased scrutiny of the member value proposition, challenges in keeping up with technology advances, increased competition for member time and attention, and market consolidation and
specialization. Thankfully, there is also a silver lining. The pandemic has provided a tailwind, forcing boards and staff to have uncomfortable conversations, sunset underperforming programs and services, and make needed investments. In many cases, PPP Loans have provided margin that’s buoyed reserves and contributed to a healthier balance sheet.
My fear as we emerge from the pandemic is that we will return to business as usual instead of embracing the opportunity to choose “business as unusual” going forward. Here are four reasons you shouldn’t:
- Disruption creates a sense of urgency. Instead of despising it, we should leverage it to help proactively create our “next normal.”
- Virtual, though loathed by many, has increased our reach. Members in more places, across more time zones and demographics, have been able to participate in ways they couldn’t before the pandemic.
- Members have seen both cost and time savings and increased choice and convenience as a result of their ability to participate virtually. This is a genie we won’t get back in the bottle and toothpaste that won’t go back into the tube. We can leverage this to our advantage.
- Associations strengthened and flexed their resilience and innovation muscles worldwide. These muscles will atrophy if we simply “go back.”
Last week a client who began offering virtual education long before the pandemic shared that their audience has flipped. 85% used to be in-person with 15% online. Now, it’s 85% or more online. Though we don’t know if this is “for now” or “forever,” the reality is that as much as we’d like to “go back to normal,”
ultimately your member market will speak. Smart association executives will help their boards look at data, capitalize on the increased relevance built during the pandemic, and make solid decisions based on strategy rather than emotion and the desire for the ways things used to be.
Building the association of tomorrow requires courage, boldness, a willingness to experiment and to listen to the market. As desirable as “going back” is, doing so is the same as choosing irrelevance. And without relevance, who are you?
