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Turnaround Planning What do you do when everything has gone wrong?  Troubled organizations usually wait until the last moment possible to admit they need a turnaround plan. By that time, though, drastic action is often necessary, as members may have deserted the organization, constituent relationships deteriorated, and financial reserves disappeared. Association Executive Management will work with you to develop a plan and determine “Whatever Works” for your organization. It will address management, financial, governance, and program delivery issues, as well as other areas that affect the group’s success and, perhaps, even its survival. Association Executive Management will help you find a way to stem the decline, stabilize the organization, and begin to grow again. Management Audit How does your organization work? As organizations evolve, decision-making processes often become unnecessarily complex and staff and volunteer tasks assigned in a haphazard manner. In other instances, they may be too simple, allowing decisions to be made without sufficient oversight or accountability. Association Executive Management will help you figure out “Whatever Works” for your organization. It will evaluate Board and committee structures and bylaws to determine the most satisfactory method of making policy decisions. It will also review staffing patterns to determine the best way to implement policy and to conduct the day-to-day business affairs of the organization. Board Development and Governance Are you satisfied with your Board of Directors? Do you have trouble recruiting Board members? Does your Board lack proper balance – geographic, age, gender, racial, cultural, or professional discipline? Do promising members drift away when passed over for Board positions? Do Board members know their responsibilities? Do all Board members demonstrate the same commitment to the organization? Do you experience Board/staff conflict? Association Executive Management can help you find answers to these questions and identify “Whatever Works” for the governance of your organization. Board selection processes, job descriptions, staff relationships, and board management are just a few of the issues that need to be addressed to strengthen your Board and make Board members more enthusiastic and effective as organization leaders. Strategy Positioning “Why do we exist?” Surprisingly, that’s a fairly common question in not-for-profit organizations. Programs often grow unevenly, financial priorities vary, and the political landscape changes, leaving organizations with an unclear or fragmented purpose, and, thus, an unfocused message. Association Executive Management will help you zero in on “Whatever Works” for your organizational strategy. Strategic Positioning focuses on the “Why do we exist?” question that organizations must answer before they slide into turnaround mode. This process can serve as a strategy alignment, or as the first step in strategic planning. |
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Government Affairs Are government officials listening to you? Legislative, executive, and regulatory officials make a slew of decisions that affect your members and constituents – funding, certification, legal rights, service delivery, business practices – and many more. Their decisions may be influenced by political connections, internal power relationships, or the perceived importance of your organization – factors that may have nothing to do with merits of your issue. Public sentiment, organized lobbying, and personal opinion or background may also play a role. You must learn what motivates each person whose support you need. Association Executive Management will help you identify “Whatever Works” for your government affairs strategy. We’ll help you identify the key decision-makers, determine the best method of reaching them, and devise an effective strategy to win their support. Membership Renewal & Retention Are you losing members? Do you know why? Members expect value from your organization. If they don’t receive what they (not you) consider value, they’ll search for it somewhere else. You need to know what members want from your organization, what they think they received (or didn’t receive), and the manner in which they prefer interacting with you. Association Executive Management will help you determine “Whatever Works” for your membership renewal and retention programs. We will identify member needs and craft a plan to improve member recruitment and retention. Sponsorship Is there another way to raise money? Yes, but remember that sponsorship is not a donation. It’s a business partnership in which a company gives your organization cash and/or products and services in return for access to your market. A successful sponsorship program must benefit your organization, your members, and the sponsor. Association Executive Management will help you find “Whatever Works” for your sponsorship program. We’ll help you learn how to identify potential sponsors, design programs that meet their needs and yours, and how to approach these companies. Interim Management Do you need someone to manage the organization while you search for a new Executive Director? Association Executive Management will employ its “Whatever Works” philosophy for your organization to keep things on course during your Executive search. We’ll be your Executive Director in the interim, managing all of your programs and activities, supervising employees, and reporting to the Board of Directors, just as a staff person would. You’ll benefit from the continuity provided by interim management, and your newly hired executive will benefit from an orderly transition. |
