Dispelling conventional wisdom...
It seems association execs all believe some fundamental “wisdom”…the things we all believe to be true. The “7 Measures” study dispelled some of our assumptions, and in this afternoon’s session Mark Golden, CAE is sharing those assumptions, from Chapter 6 of the book 7 Measures of Success. The study doesn’t prove or disprove these beliefs, nor did it find any support for them.
• Smaller boards are better boards
• Elections should reflect the democratic process
• CEO should come from association profession
• Reserves should equal 50% of annual revenues
• Staff driven vs. member driven
• Be proactive, not reactive
If these “sacred” assumptions can’t be proven, what does that mean for the decisions we’ve made based on them? In our work and personal life, maybe we should consider what other assumptions we should be rethinking.
The discussion is continuing, led by Mark Golden and Michael Gallery with a distinguished panel consisting of Phyllis Edans, Jim Dalton, Wells Jones, and Dawn Mancuso.