Forum - November/December 2011

for unlimited Internet access. Eckerd Drugs, meanwhile, hit a steady, steep decline in the early 21st century when it failed to leverage technology to fill prescriptions and track inventory and sales. Customers only had to drive down the block to find another pharmacy that would quickly and efficiently fill their prescriptions. No one at either of these companies bothered to ask why the numbers were in free-fall.

Admittedly, the challenge of manag-
ing and leveraging data can be daunt-
ing. It’s not impossible, however. With
the following steps, your association
can fully leverage data in order to cre-
ate a culture of discipline and curiosity
that continually delivers the best mem-
ber experience possible — Archimedes
style:
and evolves as the staff, the leader-
ship and even the industry itself
changes. Culture, therefore, can
and should be deliberate.

1. Establish the Right Culture

It’s a common misconception that a company’s culture is static — that it’s as solid and inevitable as its brick-and-mortar office building. In reality, though, culture is organic

2. Move the Entire Ship

How many times have you watched
a division change direction because
the incoming board president has
a pet project that suddenly makes
its way into the updated strategic
plan? In a year or two, when the
gavel is passed to the next presi-
dent, the shuffle happens all over
again. The change can be subtle
or obvious, but the fact remains:
Many associations have difficulty
preserving continuity and discipline
because of the varying expectations
of volunteer leaders.

Active Participants. Trusted Advisors.

Part of what makes us different is the extent to which we participate in Chicagoland’s association community. We serve as board members, committee chairs, committee members, roundtable leaders, speakers, and participants. We are honored to both serve in and provide services to the nonprofit community. We speak and write about issues that matter most to you because they matter to us, too. We partner with our clients as their trusted advisor. We work for your members and report to your Board of Directors.

We provide audit, review, accounting, and tax services to over 150 nonprofit organizations, including numerous associations and their related foundations.