Sweat Equity

News Flash:  An association is the means to achieving an end--it's not an end in itself. 

Far too many association professionals are losing sight of that fact, at their peril. As I talk to private enterprise CEOs about getting involved in their industries' associations, all signal their distaste, citing dissatisfaction with either the association staff or its exec. 

"No one on the staff knows what we really do,"  one disgruntled player said.  "The guy who runs that association thinks he's king," another noted.

Odds are if you think you have all the answers, you are not asking the right questions.  Are you neutering member engagement to save time, replacing your judgment for their's on what's best? 

Keep your eyes on the prize--the mission that holds everyone together.  How decisions are made is much more important than what you ultimately decide to do.