Happy Friday and Happy December! (How is is it December?! Seriously.)  I’ve missed writing the weekly recap of my favorite association management blog posts the past few weeks! There has been some great stuff, but the holiday took precedence. I hope everyone (who celebrates) had a great Thanksgiving — have you started your holiday shopping yet?

1. OK, so this post is technically from last week, but I’m still including it. Over at Nonprofit Conversation, Bunnie Riedel wrote about tactics for increasing membership renewal. My favorite part? She wrote that nonprofits tend to very rigid about their dues structures — organizations could assess their membership demographics, perhaps provide a payment plan or find added-value partnerships.

2. Dear Association Leader has some good reminders for what every “group project” needs. Setting some ground rules and establishing everyone’s roles is definitely necessary, but so is having fun! In my opinion, the more enjoyable a project or task is, the better the end result.

3. After a bunch of blog posts about ASAE’s Social Media Workshop, Lindy Dreyer stepped in and pointed out that speakers have to be prepared for handling “Web 2.0 audiences.” It’s not uncommon for conferences today to feature a Twitter stream in the background with all the tweets featuring the event’s hashtag. Understanding how to deal with real-time criticisms (big or small) is crucial.

4. Over at Insights from a Future Association Executive, Bruce Hammond speaks up for extroverts after reading a story Called Why Introverts Can Make the Best Leaders. Leaders, Hammond writes, should be passionate rather than calm and visible rather than solitary. He makes some great points, and as a bit of an introvert, I found it an interesting read. I think good leaders can be either introverts or extroverts!

5. This one isn’t targeted specifically toward associations, but Five Ways to Multiply Conference ROI has some amazing suggestions and tips for planners and attendees alike. I love that he included socialize as number 5 — after-hours events are fantastic networking opportunities, and can be a lot more casual and relaxing. Lots of good info here.

I hope everyone has a very happy weekend!

(Image via Mooganic on Flickr)