I did some digging on YouTube and found this video from ASAE & The Center. Although it was posted in November 2008, the video includes some great reminders as it discusses the book, “The Decision to Volunteer” by Monica Dingnam and Beth Gazley. In Dingnam and Gazley’s study, they talked directly to association volunteers to give staff members insight into retention and recruitment. In the video, Gazley, a professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, highlights key points associations should remember.

Have the members of Generation X sold out? Have they gone mainstream? Are they still trying to change the world (without telling anyone)?

Kiki L’Italien tagged me in Maddie Grant‘s Gen-Xer meme, Have We Sold Out? However, I’m at the bottom of the generational ladder. I’m a Gen-Yer (feel free to guess my age, but suffice it to say I’m the baby of the office!) and I work with a lot of Gen-Xers here at MemberClicks.

I do find the research about generations pretty fascinating. We’ve all heard that Xers were slackers who try to change the system and Yers/Milliennials want more balance between their work and personal lives, etc, etc… Blah blah blah generalization generalization generalization…

Maddie’s original post was inspired by Jeff Hurt and a book by Xer Jeff Gordinier. I did a little research and according to an article in Time Magazine, Gordinier graduated college during a recession in 1988, just one year after the stock market crashed.

Ummmm wait a minute …. The exact same thing is happening right now.

Many of my close friends were hardcore journalism majors in college and some of them have “sold out” for public relations or a job outside the media industry. From my own (unscientific) observations, many members of different generations have experienced the same frustration over “selling out” that some Xers might feel now.

The Boomers were supposedly the flower children and hippies who become CEOs and now refuse to turn those corporate jobs over the Millennials. But very few people from that generation actually agreed with the “hippie” message.

Our interests evolve over time. GenXers have mortgages and kids now, and raging against the machine probably won’t pay the bills (unless you’re really amazingly lucky!). Us Millennials have learned from the mistakes of Boomers and Xers and don’t want work to become our lives. I know some people who feel they have sold out, but many of my friends are participating in Teach for America, a teachers corp that sends newly graduated individuals to teach in low-income areas around the country. According to some research and reports, my generation is the most service-oriented ever.

And from whom did we learn about community service? Honestly, I don’t think it was the Boomers. I’d be willing to bet it was those subversive Xers.

I’m sure in 10 or 15 years, though, the number of Milliennials in the Peace Corps will have greatly diminished.

This is not a “life stage” thing. We all have to pay the bills. Whatever.  This is a MENTAL thing, Maddie said.

I get that. But from what I’ve seen, GenXers have done some amazing things. They’re the ones who helped create and foster the technologically insane world we live in today.

If you, GenX Reader, feel like you have sold out, try to get some of that fire back while still paying the mortgage and buying groceries. But let me be one of the many to thank you for making it (mostly) OK for me to have a tattoo (it’s small and on my ankle and almost always hidden, but you get the point). Thanks for Google and YouTube and Starbucks and Nirvana.

Every generation has become more altruistic, more entrepreneurial and more individualistic. Where would us Millennials be without GenX? Probably stuck in cubicles and working for the man like our Boomer parents. Sigh.

A colleague of mine pointed out the GenXers are so entrepreneurial because they had to be — they’re the ones who will get passed over in favor of youth and enthusiasm when the Boomers retire and die. And “when you do it yourself, there’s no one to sell out to.”

And I’ve seen tons of great posts around the blogosphere, but I still want to hear from Deirdre Reid and Jeff Hurt!

Technology can be intimidating. We understand that here at MemberClicks. And the less people you have on staff to manage your data, the more intimidating it can be.

But before you even start looking at vendors and developers, there’s one big question: custom solutions or software-as-a-service (SaaS).

Custom solutions involve hiring a developer (or team of developers) to put together a program or database to keep track of your information. Software-as-a-Service involves vendors or providers licensing a piece of software to your organization and often they house your data on their own servers. Many are contract-based or monthly-based.

For the sake of comparison, I’ve compiled a list of things small-staff associations should keep in mind regarding each option.

Updates

• Many SaaS vendors include updates free of charge or for a small fee. The upgrades are released to all customers, and don’t require a custom job for your organization.
• A custom software solution usually doesn’t include upgrades — and they have to be created from scratch. Getting a custom solution upgraded often entails more time and money than your organization may be willing to spend.

Compatibility

• SaaS functions “in the cloud” — that is, your organization’s data is based in the Web. If you upgrade your Windows or Mac software, you won’t have to upgrade your data management solution along with it.
• Custom solutions are often tailored for just one (or a few) versions of Windows or Macintosh. Every program has a life cycle, and when your Windows or Mac software expires, your custom program probably won’t be far behind.

Support

• Your SaaS vendor will probably be around for quite a long time — and often, support is included or very affordable.
• Who’s to say your custom developer will always be around? Technology changes, so make sure your developer is ready to keep up with your needs.

Cost

• Research, development, design — all are included with a SaaS vendor because they serve so many different organizations. The vendor will be able to give you the lowest possible quote thanks to economies of scale.
• Your organization will probably have to pay for the entire project from start to finish, including development and programming costs.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: every organization’s needs are different. Having a custom solution developed for your organization may be the right option, but there are already so many SaaS vendors out there. Chances are, one of them will be the right fit for your organization.

Happy Friday! This week just flew by here at MemberClicks, and I hope everyone has a fun and/or relaxing weekend planned. Without further ado, I present my top five favorite association management blog posts of the week — with a heavy focus on pop culture analogies and metaphors.

1. Shelly Alcorn‘s new(ish) blog focuses on association management with a pop culture emphasis, and I couldn’t love the theme more. This week, she focused on why the workplace has become a brick in the wall, à la Pink Floyd. We don’t need no education … We don’t need no thought control.

2. Over at the Acronym blog, Jeffrey Cufaude discussed why association staffs and volunteers should focus on delivering intangible value to members — always strive to better your service and look for ways to improve. Don’t just focus on the “stuff.”

3. Continuing this week’s pop culture theme, Jeff Hurt composed a song (poem?) devoted to a few of his “Favorite Event-Planning Things.” Read to the tune of the song from “The Sound of Music,” the song includes items such as Speakers and schedules, and transportation and Tradeshow booths, drayage and, pipe and drape. So clever!

4. OK, so I love any list that easily conveys valuable information, and CSAE featured one this week: The Top 10 Things an Association CEO Must Remember. There are some great reminders here, such as You’re not the only boss and You exist to make your members more successful.

5. Finally, Jeff Cobb wrote about defining learning goals — whether it’s learning to play the guitar or learning more about your personal and professional life goals. Pop culture reference here? The post’s title: While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Love me some Beatles. Be sure to always define your own goals, whatever they may be. Your chances for success will greatly increase.

Not many people have seen the evolution of MemberClicks like Kevin Patrick has. Our current director of product experience, Kevin has been a MemberClicks team member since 2003!

Serving in a variety of roles over the years, including creation specialist, support coach, business development and director of implementation, Kevin has seen MemberClicks transfer its support team from Alabama to Atlanta, been to numerous trade shows and designed our entire implementation department. Over the years, he’s truly come to understand the needs of small-staff associations, and in his current role, he’s able to take their needs and translate them into our solution.

During his time at MemberClicks, Kevin has been fortunate enough to work with customers through the entire lifecycle of an association management tool. “I’ve brought new clients to our solutions, customized their solutions to ensure the best results and ROI for the client, and supported them through the life of their solution,” Kevin said. “I’ve also seen some of them leave and have learned a great deal about the needs that matter most to organizations.”

Kevin is known throughout MemberClicks for his unique and varied hobbies. In addition to being involved in all things technology, computers, Internet, design and DIY, he enjoys Solo2 Autocrossing with the SCCA, four-way formation skydiving with Georgia Tech Fusion and Southern Draw, SCUBA diving and motorcycles. The Milwaukee native, who has lived in Atlanta for more than 20 years, says he likes activities that “take [him] to the edge of [his] comfort zone.” And of course, Kevin enjoys spending time with his family, friends and dogs, as well as taking trips to the beach whenever possible.

You can find Kevin on Twitter at @kevinpatrick.