Comments on Association Subculture: The Workplace Has Been Just Another Brick in the W...

@anonymous - if you like the Pink Floyd post, you ...

2009-09-30T15:45:29.955-07:00

@anonymous - if you like the Pink Floyd post, you just wait..it'll get weirder, I promise ;)

@Sarah - thanks for the comment! I think you raise some valid points that must be discussed, particularly when it comes to "holistic" succession planning. Isn't it funny how things have changed? It used to be every 20 years or so, someone would panic and lament, "What do we DO about these new members?" Then it became ten years, now it's even faster. Eventually you would think someone would institutionalize the concept of "membership succession planning" not just leadership succession planning because the "new ones" are coming, always coming. ;)

I love this post, Shelly! As a generational cons...

2009-09-30T04:49:19.746-07:00

I love this post, Shelly!

As a generational consultant to the association community, I am always advocating for change, and too few associations are willing to make any change.

I'm afraid for the future of associations. Baby Boomers are more tolerent of the past than Generations X and Y, and Boomers also comprise the bulk of most associations as leaders and members. I'm afraid that once the Boomers begin to leave associations, the associations won't survive because they have done nothing to succession plan and engage the next generation.

Boomers may have enjoyed their board seats and Robert's Rules of Order and doing things the way they've always been done, but that era is rapidly coming to an end, and so are some associations.

Change is necessary. Just think about the change that has happened in just the past 5 years -- the election of President Obama, the start of social networking, the development of touch screens and smart phones, and so on.

Social and technological change is occurring at an unprecedented rate, which has shaped the views and expectations of Generations X, Y, and Z. Being 10, 20, or 30 years-old today is very different than it was just ten years ago.

Members are an association's only succession plan. Therefore, an association's failure to change to engage the next generation will be its ultimate demise.

Sarah Sladek
Author, The New Recruit
Founder, The RockStars@Work Conference
CEO, Limelight Generations

Great posting Shelly. Anything that connects Pink...

2009-09-27T20:39:48.634-07:00

Great posting Shelly. Anything that connects Pink Floyd to Association Management warrants a close look. You are right on the money.