As an association leader, you have firsthand experience of the rigorous demands of working at an association. Just as you’re busy trying to determine how to add value to your member experience, your team is hard at work growing your organization’s revenue, scheduling networking events, and searching for resources to offer your members.
The constant chase for more has driven us to such elevated levels of stress and anxiety that it’s becoming the stuff of global studies.
In one of the largest studies of burnout in history, Gallup found that 60% of people are detached at work, and 19% are miserable.
If the thought of giving a speech or presentation in front of a crowd or group makes you break out in a cold sweat, you aren’t alone. 75% of adults express a fear of public speaking.
Summer is a great time to get to work on those “parking lot projects” that get squeezed out of your calendar by annual conference planning and membership renewal campaigns. It’s also an excellent time to reconnect with members without asking for anything but engagement in return.
New York Times bestselling author Cy Wakeman’s book, “No Ego,” has grabbed the attention of the corporate world since its release. The book makes a compelling case for the epidemic of workplace drama and its costly impact on an organization, and serves as a tutorial for how leaders can cut the cost of these ego-driven events. I believe all of us would agree that the association world is by no means exempt from workplace drama. If you have living, breathing people working with you in the association and serving on the board of directors… drama can exist. (No joke, right?)
We love to multitask. We talk on the phone while writing an email, or jump from task to task rapidly, fully believing that we are delivering our best work. “I’m great at multitasking”, is a phrase we love to say in both our professional and personal lives.
