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Help me help my board
Robert C. Harris Association Management"Help me help my board" is a lament among association executives. The cry arises because few board members have extensive knowledge of governance. Instead they are guided by myths, stay in their comfort zone ("I won't say anything my first year") or they pattern themselves after board behaviors (right or wrong).
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4 tips on how to grow leaders within an organization
Betty Boyd Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementGrowing leaders within an organization is a great opportunity, but leadership is not developed overnight. It takes a long, steady process of coaching, mentoring and giving people a chance to excel. Current leaders must step up and mold the future of the organization.
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Why do we waste time at board meetings?
William D. Pawlucy Association ManagementHow many times do we say that we want our board of directors meetings to run more efficiently? Poorly run board meetings are the number one reason why there is a lack of focus around strategic issues. A dashboard can help immensely in keeping the focus of the meeting on barriers preventing the organization from moving forward rather than wading through report after report.
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Financial policies support good governance
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementToo many associations get in trouble because the board of directors does not recognize good policy and procedure. I recall one association that had an audit three years in a row but still lost $1.1 million to embezzlement. The board had not established solid financial policies.
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Less is more when it comes to setting goals
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementSitting in a planning meeting recently, I noted that during the first hour the board of directors had recommended three goal areas. The enthusiasm continued with directors suggesting several more worthy-sounding ideas. A seasoned volunteer leader stopped the conversation, saying, "I've found in life that few of us will remember more than three goals, I suggest we stop now."
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Charitable planning: How to donate and get tax breaks for giving
David B. Mandell, JD, MBA, and Carole Foos, CPA Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe will to give is strong in many people. As a society, we cherish the right to give to the charitable institutions of our choice. This will to give is what we refer to as "charitable intent." We want to give. Often, the biggest hurdles to giving are that we do not know how to give or we assume that our family will suffer as a result of our giving. Our goal here in this article, is to show you a few ways to make such gifts in a tax-savvy manner.
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3 ways to make them remember your event long after it is over
William D. Pawlucy Association ManagementWhy do we have one-time attendees at our events and never see them again? Delivering value goes far beyond just delivering content. We see the trends in virtual and augmented reality that overlay our environment to provide more to the experiences we have in everyday life. Similarly, attendees today want more to enhance their overall experience at your events.
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Leadership: Taking a stand
Thomas Parker Civil & GovernmentOver the years, I have experienced working with wonderful and fantastic leaders. I have also worked for some horrible, self-centered supervisors and managers. Notice, I did not refer to the latter group as leaders. These few certainly are not, nor will ever be, leaders. In fact, these self-centered individuals are toxic.
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Why should they volunteer?
William D. Pawlucy Association ManagementAccording the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report, "Volunteering in the United States — 2013," the volunteer rate from September 2012 to September 2013 was the lowest since the annual report began in 2002. The U.S. volunteer rate declined by 1.1 percentage points to 25.4 percent, with 62.6 million people volunteering at least once for an organization.
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4 tips to making a positive first impression
Anne Rose Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementMuch has been written about executing amazing customer service, but let's focus today on one aspect that's immediately implementable: first impressions. You've heard the axiom, "First impressions count." They do! So why do so many people pay so little attention to how they first greet or interact with a potential client? It takes a few seconds to properly impress a new client, and it takes days or weeks (or never) to undo a negative first impression.
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