September often arrives with a bang and in a professional membership association, which can mean everything from launching events and onboarding new members, to finalising CPD calendars and chasing committee papers… all at the same time.
It’s easy to assume that being constantly in motion means that you’re making progress, but the reality is that a full calendar doesn’t always make an impact. Sometimes the quantity of work you’re doing can cause you to miss out on valuable opportunities.
Membership Overload
Professional membership associations are often too familiar with hectic schedules. Member queries resume after the summer lull, volunteers are keen to restart projects, and the board are desperate to recentre and devise a plan for the rest of the year.
Wearing multiple hats and managing multiple tasks can make it seem that you’re being extremely productive, but the risk is that your time is being consumed on reacting to problems rather than ongoing developments.
Take a step back and ask:
- Are we doing the right things, or just a lot of things?
- Which activities are actually supporting member value right now?
- What’s aligned with your current member needs, and what’s rooted in outdated assumptions?
Motion to Meaning
There’s no award for having the busiest diary in the industry. You’ll find real benefit when you are able to focus your time and energy on work that actually moves your organisation forward to benefit your members.
Our top three practical ways to reset your focus:
Revisit Member Priorities
Find out how your members are engaging with the association through surveys, event feedback and checking for recurring member queries. Do your plans this autumn align with what members say they need? Relevant content will mean a lot more to members that the quantity of sessions your put on.
Trim Down Legacy Work
What’s still in the diary simply because it always has been? Take a critical look at what can be reshaped, resourced differently or even retired. You can then use that free time to undertake work that serves your current mission.
Plan with purpose, not pressure
Make space for strategic and overlooked work. Focus of tasks like mapping member journeys, refreshing your tech and software, or dedicating time in governance. These won’t necessarily jump out at you as urgent tasks but doing them will drive lasting progress for the association.
Be Smart
Constant motion can feel productive, but it’s completing purposeful tasks that really provide benefit to members.
With the limited time volunteers have for their association, it’s best practice to make sure that the hours they are putting in count towards the bigger picture.
Pause, take stock, and choose wisely what deserves your time.
How we can help
Squeezing in association work around your day job is a challenge, especially when there’s so much administrative work to tackle.
At Cygnul we work in partnership with our clients and are seen as trusted advisors to the Board. We can undertake the full range of membership, secretarial and bookkeeping services as well as offering advice and support to associations around the UK. If you want to explore how these services could help your organisation, please get in touch with us.