Acronym

Wonderful post! I hope to meet you at ASAE09.

Who I am as an association professional:

To me, the essence of the association profession is cooperation. It’s a beautiful thing to bring people in all sorts of businesses together to help each other learn and grow. We get to know the nicest people in whatever profession we represent. I love the big picture discussions—how will industries and technologies and life change in the next few years and how can we be a part of it? I also love obsessing over the details—how big should the font be on this webpage, how will staff juggle the work of the next conference, what data will we collect and where will it go? Oh, and I’m currently going through a “painful, stressful, and beautiful period of personal growth” myself. I’m looking for a new job and looking for the real me without the assumptions that grow from being in one organization for a long time.

In common with many, I fell into being an association professional (for me, it was after dropping out of a PhD program) because I didn’t want to spend my life making a better, cheaper widget for The Man. So I’ve mostly worked for warm-n-fuzzy mission organizations. I live to smash “we have always done it that way” thinking. Let’s try something new. If that doesn’t work, let’s try something else. There’s no decision you make in life, aside from the one to reproduce, you can’t change later. Take a chance. Every day, I try to answer, “What’s the best thing for my members?” and, “What’s the best thing for my staff?” I love that association work forces you to learn and do things you never imagined. And I love giving back to the association community, helping young professionals as someone(s) once helped me.

Wonderful post! I found my sweet spot within association management as one of those "many hat" wearers - as COO I could try lots of things, organize myself and my tiny staff they way I wanted to, encourage their personal growth and discover my management style at the same time. But I really found myself in the last couple of years and discovered that I was a writer, a connector and a community builder. I really love the community around this industry and I really love to share the love. :)

I am an association professional because the most important thing I can do is to make a difference in life. When I work for an association, I work to make life better for its members, and by extension, for the people those members serve. That's lots of impact per unit of energy expended. I have many skills, and they can be used meaningfully, or wasted. I prefer to put them to use for lots of people all at once.

I consider myself an artist first & an association professional second. Yet I'm both for the same reason - to change the world, or at least die trying. I work in associations b/c, like my art, I want to do something that means something. The non-profit world some times gets too wrapped up in trying to be like the corporate world & it's not. That's the beauty of it though, we work every day to make a real difference in our member's lives. Who else can say that about their job? Not many.

Amazing post! I love how it pulsates with honesty.

Who am I as an association professional? (Start the word count now!)

I am a zealot for professional organizations. I find myself preaching on the power of community constantly. I am creative and sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes that's a bad thing, but I think it falls more often to the positive side than the negative, so that’s nice.

I'm a lover AND a fighter. I'm especially fond of the association I work for now and some of the members are like family to me now. I love how I feel when something I've been advocating is accepted so that the members benefit.

I am a crazy lady with too many ideas and too little time. I wonder if the ideas come because I am constrained. I look at poetry and how sometimes it is good to have form because it draws out more inspired and holy verse than something completely free.

Ultimately, I am happy as an association professional.

Sara, Elizabeth, Maddie, Frank, Lynn, and Kiki,
Thanks for supporting my post, it was hard to sort of put myself out there like that, but it has given me much joy to learn a little more about you. I hope more folks read your wonderful responses, this gives me new energy to see such passionate people out there loving their work, its great to be counted as a peer among all of you...to all those other folks out there reading this, don't be afraid to post, we won't bite!

Boring is definitely a label I'd eschew! But alas, every group - even as perfect as we assn prof are - has to have all kinds. Here's what keep me passionate ...

Imagine walking out of a stable trade association job and hanging up a shingle to be an AMC to the underdog? That's what my partner/husband (did I mention 3 kids to support) did over 7 yrs ago because we really felt there had to be a better model for supporting small, local/regional, emerging groups. These groups all all-volunteer. They care about their network/group. They have aspirations. And with the right support, they excel. And every day, I pretty much enjoy this journey I'm on - its a mission I connect to personally. Of course it all fits together since I am by nature a joiner and volunteer. What drives me more than anything are the volunteers and the opportunity to break down status quo to find the new model.

Yea, I'm passionate about my wo

I am a passionate person who believes in the power of associations -- the power of community -- the power of volunteerism. When I contemplate all that would NOT have occurred without associations, it scares me. I am thankful that diverse people can come together and accomplish great things. These groups have many causes, share knowledge, and do really make a difference. I believe in lifelong learning and trying (and sometimes failing) new things. I believe in personally sharing with others - both my knowledge and my time. I work long hours and I sometimes complain about that, but I tried the corporate world, and it wasn't for me. This is where I belong and where I will stay.

Forward thinker. Sometimes to my detriment. Change agent. Sometimes to my detriment. Hopelessly devoted to my members. Sometimes to my detriment.

Who am I as an association professional?

I’m constantly evolving, constantly learning. I watch and listen to my colleagues and members. I read blogs, magazines, tweets and books. Our industry and our associations are always changing and it’s a satisfying challenge to keep up or keep ahead.

I used to joke that “I was born to serve.” I schlepped hamburgers in high school, waited tables and tended bar in college and as a young adult, managed restaurants for many years and worked with foreign students at a university before falling into the association world. Associations exist to help their members succeed and that’s a satisfying mission to serve. We do this on a tight budget, wearing many hats and juggling many tasks while keeping our eye on the big picture.

I am more excited now about being an association professional than I ever have been because our industry is being challenged by web 2.0 to become even better and we will. We will do that while continuing to do what it takes to help our members succeed. It’s a big job but I’ve discovered that I have lots of comrades out there who are doing the same thing, and that discovery is part of my great satisfaction that I fell into this profession.

I could answer this question with I’m a humanitarian, a heretic, a servant-leader, a contrarian, an advocate, a peace-maker, a fool, a strategic big-picture futurist with a penchant for implementation, a conduit, a life-long learner or a number of other labels.

We might be shaped by our pasts but our futures are always open. People ask repeatedly, “Where’d you come from? What have you done? Who are you?” The larger question is always, “What are you becoming?”

The truthful answer to this question—and to all moments of becoming—is, “We have no idea.” We can move in any number of directions. We will have false starts and dead ends; we will find some paths congenial; we will dodge some challenges and embrace others. But movement will always be forward.

Today, tomorrow and many years from now, we can be blessed by the opportunity to become, the chance to try something new, the occasion to develop into something different, the opening for a do-over.

The world looks backward—mainly to stifle life, if you ask me—but I like to focus on bearing forward with a restless spirit and a burning desire to help.

I don't care as much about being an association executive as I do about the association community and being a part of it. I love my work and the many people and organizations I serve. I love this community and all its quirks and imperfections. I love sharing a professional life with people who care deeply. I love having fun with my friends in this corner of the world.

Another question: Who are we as an association community?

I wrote (ok, typed) a response to this last week but then my computer crashed and I lost it...so I'll take that as a sign from the universe that my response wasn't that interesting.

Instead of trying to re-create it, I'll just second what Jamie said--I feel more strongly about my identity as part of the larger whole that is the association community than I do about my personal identity as an association professional.

Group hug! :)

Seriously, I hope most of us who posted here will be able to grab a drink together in Toronto. Having read all the responses, I feel like I just received a new shot of inspiration. Thank you!