Economic
Report: CEOs
Optimistic
If all good things must come to an end, all
bad things must, too, right? Association
executives seem to think so. Encouraged
by early signs that the recession is waning,
they’re more optimistic this year about
their revenue forecasts than they were last
year, shows a new study by ASAE.
Called Associations and CEOs: A Report
on Two Studies During a Down Economy,
the survey of 960 association CEOs is
ASAE’s second in a series of association
CEO surveys, and the fourth in a series of
reports analyzing the impact of the econ-
omy on associations. Conducted early this
year, it found that:
• 23. 5 percent of CEOs predict that their
association’s revenues will increase in
the year ahead, up from 11. 6 percent in
spring 2009.
• 38. 1 percent of CEOs predict that their
association’s revenues will decrease in
the year ahead, down from 63.9 percent
in spring 2009.
• 11.4 percent of association CEOs think
their association’s membership will
increase this year, up by more than 100
percent from 4.9 percent in spring 2009.
• 33 percent of association CEOs believe
revenue from multi-day events will
increase this year, up from 6. 3 percent
in spring 2009; 20. 9 percent that revenue
from multi-day education events will
increase, up from 9. 2 percent; 27.4 percent that revenue from sponsorships will
increase, up from 13.4 percent; and 20. 5
percent that revenue from foundation
giving will increase, up from 11. 7 percent.
• A majority of association CEOs predict
that online tools will create new revenue streams this year, although only a
third have reported an increase so far.
• CEOs at small associations are least
confident that they’ll see a revenue
increase this year.
“I know everyone in our community
welcomes this increased optimism as we
eagerly await a full economic recovery,”
says ASAE President and CEO John H.
Graham IV, CAE. “While our sector may
continue to see its ups and downs, the
results of this survey show that the end
of these turbulent times may be in sight.
Though as I and many of my colleagues in
the industry said many times before, we
need to be patient as associations are a
late indicator of the economy.”
Happily Ever
After
There are many reasons that loving your
job makes you a happier person. But did
you know that job satisfaction also makes
your marriage happier?
That’s one of the surprise findings from
a landmark study of married couples funded
by the National Institutes of Health and
directed by relationship research professor
Terri Orbuch, Ph.D., author of 5 Simple
Steps to Take Your Marriage From Good to
Great. Orbuch has followed and observed
hundreds of married couples for nearly
a quarter century to find out what makes
marriages happy, strong and long lasting
— as well as what breaks them apart.
While previous research has shown that
job dissatisfaction can lead to unhappiness at home, Orbuch says her research
is the first to correlate job happiness with
marital happiness. To make sure you keep
both your job and your spouse, she offers
the following four tips for being a happily
married employee:
• Seek support and help from your
spouse. If you’re having a problem at
work, solicit advice from your spouse.
Research shows that the need for assis-
tance is one of the three basic needs
of all people in relationships, along
with intimacy and reassurance of one’s
value. Seeking solutions to work-related
problems together strengthens the mar-
ital bond and the feeling that “we’re in
this together.” Moreover, because your
spouse knows you so well, he or she is
likely to come up with valuable insights
and feedback.
• Grow in your job. A recent study in
Harvard Business Review found that
the No. 1 factor that keeps employees
happy and motivated in their job is
“making progress” — the sense that
they have enough resources and time to
excel at their job. Workers who are fulfilled and stimulated during the workday tend to be happier individuals, and
much of that happiness gets transferred
to their spouses at the end of the day.
• Practice behaviors that relieve stress.
Numerous studies have documented
a link between workplace stress and
poor health. The two most common
workplace stressors are: feeling as if you
haven’t been heard or supported and
negative interpersonal work relationships. Find ways to express your needs,
ask for assistance and manage conflict
at work. You’ll be less likely to gain
weight, lose sleep and develop stress-related symptoms like hypertension. In
other words, you’ll have good health
and an upbeat attitude — both of which
will help your marriage.
• Share your work life. The happiest marriages are the ones where partners feel
their spouse regularly discloses information about his or her life, and does
not keep secrets — even details from
work that might seem “boring.” The up-
