Colorado Society of Association Executives Winter 2016 (vol. 10 issue 1) | www.csaenet.org EXCELLENCE BY ASSOCIATION A Business Plan for Life 12 6 PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE WILL STALL YOUR CAREER 8 CERTIFICATION: WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? 14 3 THINGS I LEARNED WHEN I WAS SCARED OUT OF MY MIND 2 | winter 2016 | csaenet.org contentswinter 2016 vol. 10 issue 1 14 6 features 6 Putting the Cart Before the Horse Will Stall Your Career 8 Certification: What’s in it for You? 12 Lead Yourself so You Can Lead Others: A Business Plan for Life 14 Three Things I Learned When I Was Scared Out of My Mind 18 Tackling Sitting Disease: Searching for the Magic Bullet departments The Mission: News from the President . 5 GO DIGITAL CSAE is the community that fosters An e-version of Executive Memo becomes personal excellence for all within the Industry Favorites . 22 available on www.csaenet.org once the association management profession. Resource Review . .. 24 issue is published. It’s a fun, interactive way to experience and share the magazine. The Promise: Member Spotlight . 26 Between editions, keep up on all things CSAE is committed to delivering high-value programs and services. Another Member Benefit CSAE via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn If a CSAE member is not completely from CSAE . 28 satisfied with any CSAE offering, CSAE will make it right or refund Infographic. .. 30 the member’s money. CSAE is: All about leadership Committed to association excellence Executive Memo is the quarterly publication of Colorado Society of Association Executives (CSAE) and is provided as a benefit Future-focused to members. Submit your article to [email protected]. Deadline for all material is six weeks prior to issue Unique learning opportunities date. Submissions are edited and published as space allows. Letters to the editor, suggestions, comments and encouragement are welcome. Expressed opinions and statements in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinions of the CSAE An effective advocate board of directors or its membership. csaenet.org | winter 2016 | 3 Colorado Society of Association Executives www.csaenet.org WINTER 2016 Published For: Colorado Society of Association Executives (CSAE) 8690 Wolff Court, Suite 200 Westminster, CO 80031 www.csaenet.org 303.650.0301 office 303.650.1450 fax Executive Memo is the official magazine of CSAE, Colorado Society of Association Executives. CSAE brings together association leaders to foster professional and personal excellence through unique learning opportunities that inspire members to achieve more and guide associations into the future. CSAE EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: MARILEE YORCHAK, CAE, CO-CHAIR Business Marketing Association – Colorado [email protected] 303.607.9957 LESLIE SHIVERS, CAE, CO-CHAIR, EDITOR Association Pro to Go [email protected] 303.359.2751 FRANCINE BUTLER, PHD, CMP, CAE Empressa Consulting [email protected] 303.725.9155, ext.105 LAURIE SHIELDS Laurie Shields Design [email protected] 303.777.6354 MOLLY SAUSAMAN [email protected] 303.790.0216 HEATHER FOLKER Give new meaning Colorado and Denver Bar Association [email protected] to the term “lunch break” 303.860.1115 LANCE RITCHLIN R-Star Productions, Inc. [email protected] 303.842.5559 BECKY ROLAND, CAE Phoenix AMC [email protected] 303.551.3266 CSAE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOAN TEZAK, CAE, CMP [email protected] CSAE PRESIDENT JAMA RICE, MBA, CAE Museum Store Association, Inc. 3773 E Cherry Creek North Drive, Suite 755 Denver, CO 80209-3804 [email protected] Meet in the mountains and be inspired by the 303.504.9223 beauty and adventure of Breckenridge, CO. PUBLISHED BY: Association Media Partners 6334 South Racine Circle, Suite 200 Centennial, CO 80111 303.502.2515 office www.associationmediapartners.com Call or email for more information. SALES CONTACT: 970.453.8780 | [email protected] CHERISSA WILL, National Sales Director [email protected] 303-502-2516 4 | winter 2016 | csaenet.org from the NEWS president Misadventures in Association Management erendipity has played a rather large role in my life . Sometimes described as looking for one thing and stumbling across something of greater value, Sthat’s an apt description of how I ended up in my first position with an association . While I had years of experience in corporate America, it was the many hours of volunteer work outside of my “day job” that fueled my soul . In my first association position I found a wonderful intersection of good business practices with mission-driven decision making . In visiting with colleagues, I know that I’m not the only CSAE professional member who recognizes serendipity’s valuable role in leading many of us to a career in associations . We’re in good company . Countless product inventions can point to serendipity for their existence . Post-it Notes were the failure of an effort to develop a super strong adhesive for the aerospace industry . Penicillin started out as an unknown mold growing in a Petri dish . Velcro was masterminded by a Swiss engineer who recognized the opportunities presented by cockle burrs stuck to his dog and his pants after a walk in the woods . Many more useful products and processes—rubber, X-rays, ex-lax, NutraSweet, popsicles and Viagra to name a few—are the result of a serendipitous misadventure . Lest we conclude serendipity is the path to all great outcomes, there are many more useful prod- ucts and processes that don’t point to a misadventure, but rather thoughtful study, preparation and research . Many innovations were the result of an idea nurtured through planned study and research . Sometimes the body of knowledge that led to the discovery was developed by several people over many years . I am grateful that serendipity led me to a career in association management . And I am grateful that people are discovering this unique profession earlier in their careers than did I . I enjoy talking with young professionals who have developed a career plan and are committing themselves to association management through ongoing professional training, certification and certificate programs, and absorb- ing and contributing to the body of knowledge that continues to develop . CSAE helps all of us raise the awareness of the dynamic, challenging, rewarding (and sometimes exhausting) career opportunities in association management—not always discovered through seren- dipity, but more often now through a studied understanding of how association management aligns well with so many of our diverse career interests . Regards, csaenet.org | winter 2016 | 5 By Kathleen Winsor-Games, Principal – The Winsor Group Putting The Before The CARTn over 20 years as a business coach, career strategist, and HORSEOutline Your Career Vision executive recruiter, I have often heard this career story: Start with some self-assessment, or brush up on what you “I was afraid my job was in jeopardy so I wrote a resume already know. What are your strengths, values, and career to fit some job postings online. Now it is months later and accomplishments? In what type of organization have you (or would I am frustrated because it appears my resume is stuck in an you) do your best work? Your career vision is best developed based Ielectronic black hole, and the few interviews I have had are all on answers to these important questions. dead end.” It may take some “career excavation” to dig up your best When I ask what the ideal next opportunity looks like, I accomplishments, including metrics, return-on-investment, scope frequently get a blank look. Sometimes the response has to do and impact; however, this is a key ingredient to articulating your with what you want to leave, and not what you want next. For value to employers. Don’t skip this step or try to take shortcuts. instance, “I never want to work for a company like that again. I By helping one client, “Bill,” to articulate his Success am tired of having a boss who takes all the credit. I am tired of CriteriaSM, values, strengths, accomplishments, and the times knowing more than my manager does and having to run every when he was happiest and doing his best work, we came up with decision by her.” this career vision: Sometimes, when I ask about job search strategy, the response “I am leading international business development initiatives is, “I am applying on this job board, or that job board, or yet for a respected leader in the oil and gas industry, establishing another job board.” new beachheads and building engaged multinational What is the problem, you may ask? teams to do their best work.” These are tactics, not strategies. Tactics only work when they are in service to a clear vision and a well-defined strategy. Develop Your Career Strategy Unfortunately, few of us were taught how to develop a career Next, we developed a targeted strategy. Sometimes people land in a great job that ends up being list of companies who the career of their dreams, and they never have to look again. That met Bill’s ideal company is all too rare. profile. This integrated his standards for ethical The Winning Formula behavior, preferred For the rest of us, it takes a comprehensive plan to discover, company revenue size, define, articulate, and secure the next career position of choice. drive for developing A famous saying by Chinese military strategist and philosopher innovative products, Sun Tzu describes how I view the differences between tactics and reputation for excellent customer strategy. “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. relationships, and commitment to Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” international expansion. Here is the formula that I use with my clients that generates By then, we had a clear idea of where remarkable results: his unique values and strengths were most likely Vision + Strategy + Tactics = Success to be valued and sought after, so developing this 6 | winter 2016 | csaenet.org list was simplified.