Association Paralysis

Today I heard a very interesting term used to describe a very large association that had basically become so comfortable that it was suffering from association paralysis.

This apparently occurs when an association, non-profit, or professional society is engaged in an industry that is insulated from the cruelties of the world and begins to become so comfortable with itself that it no longer becomes innovative. How unique? I never imagined this was even possible but the more I thought about it the more it made sense to me. So after several hours of pondering this phenomenon I began to think of ways for an organization to break free from this stifling state of being.

Five ways to avoid association paralysis:

1. Hold an impromptu conference call with your board and have each member submit one issue that they are dealing with today. Write them down, circulate them among staff and leadership and have a down and dirty strategy session to see if any are worth exploring.

2. An easy one but it has to be on the list - explore the social ocean and make sure you're not missing your audience as the Tweet, join a group on Facebook, or find another way to obtain the information you're not providing. If you are, check out http://www.socialfish.org/ and take some time to learn how to make social media work for you. Please tell Maddie and Lindy I said hello.

3. Host a brainstorming session with your staff, leadership, or whoever you can find to provide you with some insight as to what you are and aren't doing. As in life, we often neglect to self analyze and overlook what we should be paying close attention to.

4. Dig up the last 3 years worth of strategic plans or marketing plans. Guaranteed there's something there that could be worked on.

5. Take an hour or two to explore an entirely different industry and see what you can learn and what can be applied to your own group.

And all while driving home from work.