Presentation to the Association Executive Institute in Vancouver, British Columbia sharing tools, techniques, resources, and thoughts for positively impacting nonprofit associations in North America.

1. Association Big 3:
Board Leadership
Association Strategy
Success Trends
presented by
Ryan Underwood
@TeamTRI_CEO
TEAMTRI.COM
Joint Association Executive Institute
Beyond Borders
Vancouver, BC Canada

3. The Association Big 3
•Board Leadership
•Association Strategy
•Success Trends

7. Ryan Underwood
ryan@teamtri.com

8. Goal:
Change/Add 1 Thing
to the Way You
Lead and Serve
Your Association

9. Sign
Here

10. Coach John Wooden
• How good
can you
be?
• Play to
your
potential.

11. LEADERSHIP DEFINED
• “Our understanding of how to
positively influence people
and situations to create value
and growth.”
From Personal Leadership Insight

12. Speak in to Board (and staff) in terms of
ways to:
• Grow Influence
• Not reduce Influence
• Create Value
• Create Growth
Adjust Your
Leader Language

13. • Adapt from Super Leader
• Adopt Builder of Super Leader Mindset
• Personality Type Yourself, Board and
Staff—STUDY IT, Then USE IT
• Humbly Immerse Yourself Leadership
[e.g. GiANT Worldwide]
Increasing Your
Leadership Influence

14. Here’s What
You’ll Find…

16. Best Fit Overview
Extrovert 19 Introvert 12
Energy: Prefer to direct and receive energy from external
world of people, ideas, and activities
Energy: Prefer to direct energy and receive energy from
internal world of thought, reflection, and ideas
Intuition 18 Sensing 13
Processing Information: Prefer to hear the big picture
first, if they find it compelling they will work back toward
the details
Processing Information: Prefer to take in and process
information precise and exact manner
Thinker 13 Feeler 18
Decision Making: Prefer logical, rational, impersonal,
truth-based decisions
Decision Making: Make decisions based on their own
core values and the effect of decisions on relational
harmony
Judging 29 Perceiving 2
Lifestyle: Prefer closure and a clear plan of action once a
decision has been made
Lifestyle: Even after a decision has ben made they like to
keep their options open for as long as possible

17. TeamTRI’s Best Fit Leadership Styles | 5 Voices* Overview
As of October 2014
ISTJ
Voice: Guardian
ISFJ
Voice: Nurturer
INFJ
Voice: Creative
INTJ
Voice: Pioneer
Rhonda Amy, Summer
Kayla, Rosy, Dawne,
Danielle
Curtis, Raul, Brian, Josh,
Laura
ISTP
Voice: Guardian
ISFP
Voice: Nurturer
INFP
Voice: Creative
INTP
Voice: Creative
Ryan
ESTP
Voice: Guardian
ESFP
Voice: Nurturer
ENFP
Voice: Connector
ENTP
Voice: Pioneer
Zach
ESTJ
Voice: Guardian
ESFJ
Voice: Nurturer
ENFJ
Voice: Connector
ENTJ
Voice: Pioneer
Aanal, Sean
Kyle, Trent, Mike X, Becky,
Carrie, Brycen, Hayley,
Michelle
Karissa, Sarah
Brent, Mike K, Teresa,
Anne Marie, Chris
*Undeveloped Natural Voice

18. http://www.16personalities.com/personality-types

19. http://www.16personalities.com/personality-types

21. Then You Can
Be The Super CEO
CEO
Chief Enthusiasm
Officer

23. You’ll be the
Leader Among
Leaders!

24. Pause for the Cause

25. Association
Leadership takes
Strategic
Thinking / Acting

26. Strategy is the
#1 Job
of the
Association
Leader & Board

27. Strategy
“If your senior leaders can’t
tell you the organization’s
top 3 priorities, you aren’t
leading very well.”
Jeff Immelt, CEO
General Electric

28. So, what is
strategy
again?

29. STRATEGY DEFINED
• “The skillful, creative, and disciplined use
of an organization’s resources to achieve
its objectives.”
– Race to Relevance: 5 Strategies for Competitive Associations
• “Key member issues to be addressed.”
– The Future of the Competitive Association

30. If strategy is the #1
job of leaders, then
ensuring positive
productive culture
is the first key
strategic step

31. Culture Barometer
If I came to visit
your association
board meeting,
how much
“explaining” would
you have to do to
describe how your
Board acts?

32. 5 Key
Strategy
Questions

33. Where Have
You Been?
What’s in Your
Cargo Already?
What Gives You
Lift?
Who is
Navigating?
Where Are You
Headed?

34. Types of
Strategic
Leadership

35. Sunrise: America & Canada

36. Sustain: Katrina

37. Sustain:
The Marshal
Plan WWII

38. Shift: Toyota

39. Shift: Bombardier

40. Shift:
Walt Disney

41. Sunset: Microsoft Office 2013 to 365

42. Types of Strategy
Sunrise
Sunset
Shift [Pivot]
Sustain

43. Fundamental
Questions that
Leaders Need to
Answer for their
Followers
(…and Board Members need to answer for the Members)

44. What are
we doing?
Why are we
doing it? What is
my role?
From Andy Stanley
GiANT Leadercast 2013

45. Board Leadership is
the Cornerstone of
Successful Strategy.
The heart of
Successful Strategy is
Structure.

46. QUICK! Who was the
First President of the United States?
• Historical Note: 17 Founding Fathers could actually make a claim for this honor…
1781 1789

47. Association Management 1787 RULE
Look at Your Structure Every 10 Years

48. Structural
Considerations
Policy vs Working Board
Large vs Small Board

49. Policy vs Working Board
POLICY WORKING

50. Policy vs Working Board
POLICY WORKING
Benefits:
Decision Based
Quicker Meetings
Easier to Recruit
Wider Inputs
Empowered Executive
Great Diversity
Benefits:
Work Based
Shared & Quicker Work
Longer Meetings
Experience is the Report
Empowered Volunteers
Consequence:
More Data Collection Needed
Budgeting for Staffing
Requires More Trust
Board’s Becomes “Judges”
Failure to Reward/Reprimand
Consequence:
Difficult to Recruit to Work Hard
Board Member Follow Through
Awesome Board Members Collect Power
Open for Role Confusion
Many “Executives”
Less Diversity [Workers v Thinkers]
Board’s Don’t Judge Themselves Well

51. Large vs Small Boards
LARGE
SMALL
“Never doubt that a small group
of committed people can change
the world. Indeed, it is the only
thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
“Alone we can do so little.
Together we can do so much.”
Helen Keller
“Never underestimate the power
of stupid people in large
groups.”
“Too many Chiefs.
Not enough Indians.”
Motivational Demotivational

52. Large vs Small Boards
LARGE
SMALL
Benefits:
Lots of Input & Ideas
Leaders in Waiting
Easier to Find Specialized Skills
Greater Representation
Work is Quicker
Great Ability to Delegate
Quieter Leaders Feel Safer
Shared Responsibility
Benefits:
Decisions are Quicker
More Nimble / Faster Response
Greater Clarity & Cohesion
More Inclusive
Easier to Administer
Stronger Relationships
Visibility: Leaders Can’t Hide
Greater Accountability
Consequences:
Cliques! Cliques! Cliques!
Harder to Organize & Synchronize
Greater Dictator Potential
Miscommunication
Easy to Get Lost
Harder to Meet People
Easy to Avoid Work
Challenging to Reach Agreement
Loud Seem LOUDER
Less Accountable
Consequences:
Less Knowledge to Share
Less Skills to Draw From
Can’t Hide as Easily
Not as Many to Share the Work
Work Harder
Requires More Trust
Less Democracy

53. Finding Your Board Mix
POLICY WORKING
LARGE
SMALL
CONGRESS/PARLIAMENT
SUPREME COURT
DEFENSE
EXECUTIVE / CABINET

54. Tools for Looking at
Structure

55. 134 Board
Members
34 Board
Members
131 Board
Members
Study Other Associations
in Your Industry
28 Board
Members
Governance Task
Force
is a good example of
how you have
adapted to
accommodate large
board needs, ideas,
development

56. Self-Assess Your Own Board

57. Self-Assess Your Own Board

58. Self-Assess Your Own Board

59. Are You as an Association Executive
Sharing What You’re Reading and
Where You’re Meeting?
• CAE: Certified Association Executive
• Society of Association Executives

60. CLEARLY DEFINED ROLES
•Authority
•Accountability
•Action

61. Air Traffic Control = Order in the Air
Admiral’s Deck = Runs the Battle Group
Captain’s Deck = Runs the Ship
Deck = Runs the Launch/Landing
Planes = Specific Mission to Carry Out

62. Clearly Defined Roles
• Board sets overall strategy and offers guidance
• Management determines how to achieve
• Board approves the strategy
• Management carries out the strategy
• Board authorizes the resources to enact it
• Committees with Missions
• Management designs the operations mix to
service member needs
• Board monitors and measures

63. Make Sure Your Decision Making
Materiality Test is Clear
• General Rule
“If it can wipe us out…
it’s a policy decision.”
• Major Policy: Bylaws & Strategy [Staff
Recommended with Board Approval:]
• Secondary Policy [Staff Led with Board Approval]
• Major Procedure [Staff with Board Advisement]
• SOP [Staff]

64. Define Profitability Measures
“Profit is a measure of how well you
do what you do”
• Can be:
– Traditional: Revenue-Expense=Margin
– Membership Recruitment and Retention
– Attendance, Engagement & Participation
– Knowledge Acquisition of Members
– Advocacy Clout and Influence (Grassroots)
– Satisfaction / Success of Members
– Social Media/Digital Metrics

65. Pause for the Cause

66. Association Success Trends

67. 1. Board Leadership
2. Association Strategy
3. Success Trends

68. 10,000 Reach Retirement
Age Each Day…
…for the next 18 years.

74. Data
generated
EVERY
minute

75. Impact of Tech & Boomers
• Cannot hide from either—it will impact your
business, your association, your community
• New revenue streams besides dues/events
• Build technology capacity/tap stakeholders
instead of just Board members
• Innovation Agenda just like Legislative Agenda
• Flip the Board Meeting or Agenda to look at
concentration and member need strategies

78. Fast Growth
Association Trends

79. Fast Growth Associations
“We can’t all do everything.”
• Two Thirds of Fast Growth Associations said
concentration was important or very
important to their success
• 95% of Fast Growth Associations had a formal
strategic planning process in place compared
to 63% of Slow Growth Associations
• Fast Growth Set Strategy 3 Years or More

80. Fast Growth Associations
“Size Matters”
• Faster-Growing Associations Had Smaller
Boards (Target 15-25)
• If you’re Board has more members than the
State Senate, take a look at your size and
structure.

81. Fast Growth Associations
“Meeting on Purpose”
• 80% of Fast Growth Associations vs. 59% of
Slow Growth Associations met 3 times a year
to specifically generate or approve strategic
ideas
• This is separate from regular governance
meetings

82. Fast Growth Associations
“The Urgency of Now”
• Fast Growth Associations built into their
bylaws short board terms (2-3 years)
• Consider no more than 2 consecutive terms
before a mandatory break is necessary. Work
to condense meeting time.

83. 5 Ailments of Slow Growth
Association
1. SLOW Decision-Making
2. Programs that advance few, but not many
(especially those members of influence)
3. Management paralysis from vague roles
4. Obliviousness to organizational performance
(including Boards collective/individual
performance)
5. Tolerating Poor Results

84. 5 Signs of Fast Growth
Association Awesomeness
1. Board members with collective purpose (on
fire to guide association and industry success)
2. Crisp decision-making (guides to decide)
3. Sharply defined authority (board involved in
fewer issues, but more deeply engaged)
4. Board composition (wider range of members
and outside experts)
5. Concrete measures of performance

85. Pause for the Cause

86. Association Big 3:
Board Leadership
Association Strategy
Success Trends
Training / Retreats / Strategy /
Support / Logistics / Creative
TEAMTRI.COM
Joint Association Executive Institute
Beyond Borders
Vancouver, BC Canada