Just imagine: you ask five members of your association what their top priorities are right now; what would they say?
Would they know where the association is headed? What is the Board focused on? What progress has been made? Or would they give you five very different answers?
Over many years of working with associations, I’ve seen how much work happens behind the scenes. Boards wrestle with important decisions. Volunteers give countless hours. Staff work every day to move priorities forward, but most of the time members don’t know about that work
It would be great if the members were aware of some of the things that go on behind the scenes; however, the challenge is finding the right balance: sharing enough that members understand and feel connected to their association, without overwhelming them with information. So, the question would be, how do we do it?
Start With Your Strategic Plan
A strategic plan shouldn’t just guide the work of the Board and staff. Members don’t need an update on every activity but should have a good sense of the association’s priorities, why they matter and what progress is being made.
This way the association can avoid investing a significant amount of time developing a strategic plan, to share it with members, and then rarely or never talk about it again.
When launching a new initiative, explain how it connects to a priority laid out in the plan. When progress is made, celebrate it. When things don’t go exactly as planned, it’s okay to talk about that too. Over time, members will begin to see how the individual pieces fit together and where their association is going.
Give Members Context
Associations are generally pretty good at telling members what is happening: registration is open. A new program is being launched. An event is coming up. The Board has made an important decision, etc. But telling members what is happening isn’t always enough.
In most cases, the ‘what’ is reported, but not the ‘why’ of the initiatives. Why are we doing it? How will it benefit members? How does it connect to where the association is headed?
A little context can make a big difference.
Of course, some information needs to remain confidential. That’s part of good governance. But there is still plenty that can and should be shared about an association’s priorities, progress, successes and challenges.
Don’t Wait for the AGM
The AGM is an important opportunity for members to hear from their association’s leadership, but it shouldn’t be the only one. Newsletters, leadership updates, events, webinars, social media and conversations between volunteer leaders and members can all play a role in informing members of the association’s progress and plans.
However, it is important to know when, how, and what to communicate. The members are busy. They’re already receiving more emails, notifications, and information than they can possibly absorb.
The goal to communicate the things that matter, consistently and clearly.
Make It a Conversation
Keeping members informed is only the first part of the engagement.
Boards have a responsibility to lead. But good leadership also means listening, and members also need opportunities to ask questions, share ideas, and provide feedback.
Member feedback may change our thinking, confirm we’re on the right track, or show us that something we thought we had communicated clearly wasn’t understood at all.
All of that is valuable.
Ask Five Members
If you want to test this, without revolutionizing all the communications of your association, here’s a simple test.
Ask five members who aren’t currently on your Board to name your association’s top priorities. If their answers are reasonably close, you’re probably doing something right.
If they’re not, you’ll probably have to make adjustments to your communication. Here you can find strategies and recommendations for effective communication in associations. Keeping members informed isn’t about choosing between sharing too much or too little.
It’s about finding the right balance, so members understand where their association is going, why it matters, and how they can be part of it.