Since January is just about halfway over and you might be wavering on those resolutions (if you set any), I thought it might be helpful to discuss setting attainable goals. Whether you set personal or professional goals (or both!), I think it’s important to have a plan in mind to accomplish your goals. Don’t be vague; your motivation likely won’t last if that’s the case.

I find it helpful to put my goals in writing so I have a tangible reminder. Studies back me up on this, so whether you use a Post-It note or a Google document, writing goals down can definitely be helpful. Even just announcing your goals to your friends, family or coworkers can help keep you accountable.

A much-discussed goal-setting plan is the SMART method: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Each of those concepts should apply to your goals, and it’s so crucial to set objectives and have a plan of execution.

We’ve all heard the example of “losing weight.” To achieve that, you have to plan to incorporate exercise into your life and make healthier food choices, which can begin at the grocery store. Taking smaller steps can help you reach your overall objective.

Setting professional goals is no different. An example goal could be to “increase membership by X percent in X months.”

How could your association achieve that goal? What small steps would help you reach that target? What marketing tactics will you use? word of mouth? e-mail? social media? direct mail? face-to-face at networking events? And who else will be involved?

If you don’t reach your exact goal in the time frame you specified, simply reevaluate and choose a more realistic objective.

If your goal involves training staff members and/or volunteers, try making it fun for everyone involved. Our attention spans are only about 40 to 60 minutes in a classroom-type setting, so don’t be afraid to mix it up occasionally!

Many people in the association blogging community discussed Big Ideas in December, but to successfully implement any of them, you have to have a plan of action. Whether you set new goals to ring in 2010 or are plugging away at existing ones, good luck!

(Photo source: Flickr)

Who can believe it’s 2010? Personally, I was excited to say goodbye to 2009 and am ready to see what 2010 has in store for me — and for associations, as well. So in honor of the new year, here are my top five association management blog posts from the past week.

1. Over at Acronym, Brian Birch wrote about innovations from the past decade and how they will help associations going forward into a new one. My favorite part? The link to check out your association’s Web site’s old design (web.archive.org). So hilarious and nostalgic.

2. Jeffrey Cufaude discussed how associations should approach their goals going forward into 2010. He says, What beliefs, mindsets, policies, procedures, or practices help perpetuate the same behaviors or outcomes, the ones you want to change? Good questions here.

3. David M. Patt wrapped up the year by sharing some leadership lessons he discussed throughout 2009. My favorite points are the last ones – spend your time on relevant activities and be sure to communicate properly.

4. Updating or reinventing your chapter program for 2010? Check out Peggy Hoffman’s post at the Idea Center for tons of ideas on goal-setting. Keep in mind that it’s important to set goals that are measurable so you can keep track of your progress.

5. So I thought I posted a link to Elizabeth Engel’s post, So what will YOU do TODAY?, on Twitter. And when I check my Twitter stream, I realized I had forgotten to include a URL. So sorry, Elizabeth! Regardless, everyone should check out this post. We don’t need to wait for the new year to set resolutions or goals. What will you do to help your association today?

Thanks for reading Splash in 2009, everyone! I hope everyone’s new year got off to a fun and safe start, and have a great weekend!

(Image via ahisgett on Flickr)

This month, thanks to ASAE and The Center’s “big ideas” month, there has been a ton of talk this month about big ideas and innovation and change. I’ve loved reading the many, many “what if” posts in the community.

But I’m worried that this is all just talk – and no one will actually step up and make some changes.

Why? There are many reasons why change is frightening. “That’s the way we’ve always done it” is a common excuse. A difficult board can make affecting change challenging, especially if you work for a small-staff association or a smaller chapter. Maybe it’s “not in the budget.” Maybe you’re already crunched for time. I get that. We’re all busy.

This post is partly in response to Jeffrey Cufaude’s “What’s so big about big ideas?” Jeffrey wrote, Engaging in an exercise that generates and discusses big ideas is worthwhile. But ultimately we need to develop the organizational culture, attract the talent and knowledge, and turbo-charge our daily processes and systems to enable big thinking and big execution on a routine basis.

Maggie McGary’s recent post, which questioned if association leaders are ready to give up their jobs if a big change deemed it necessary, also inspired me. Maggie says, Change isn’t easy and people don’t like it; in fact, they go to great lengths to avoid it. Talking requires no follow-through, no shifting of priorities or increased workload.

Associations shouldn’t adopt new practices and ideas just for the sake of innovation. There has to be a clear motivation and objective. Taking baby steps is OK … any step forward is a step in the right direction. But you should take a more forward-looking approach to everything you do. “How will this help the association’s long-term goals?”

Don’t be afraid to get rid of programs that aren’t working anymore. If a program or service isn’t successful anymore, why isn’t it being changed or stopped? There’s no need to keep putting money into an aspect of the association just because it’s been around for a while.

Once again, Joe Rominiecki of Acronym and I are on the same page. Joe’s Wednesday evening post echoed my sentiments dedicating time, money and staff to creating new programs and initiatives. But be careful to not be innovative just because you think you have to be.

One of my goals for my “winter break” (aka “long weekend”) is to brainstorm ways to improve this blog. Never be satisfied with just getting by – there’s usually always room for improvement. It’s dedicating the resources to creativity that can be troublesome.

(Image via Capture Queen on Flickr.)

Continuing with Acronym’s “Big Ideas” theme…

Would you still think members complain too much or would their complaints seem more valid if you had to walk in their shoes?

This question stuck out to me for a few reasons. When I first began learning about associations, I — for some reason — thought association staffers had previously worked in their memberships’ fields, or had some sort of interest in the industry. I didn’t realize there was an industry comprised of “association staffers.”

It makes sense, though. Someone has to plan the events, do the administrative work and take care of all the behind-the-scenes things required to make an association run smoothly.

So what if you had to work as an engineer, or a photographer, or an accountant? What if you belonged to your association and you just wanted to be able to take advantage of the great things it had to offer and meet other professionals in your field? Wouldn’t members’ “complaints” (requests) seem a little more valid?

Let’s even take it a step further and imagine if members had to work in their association for a few weeks, too. I think everyone would appreciate his or her own job, and also gain a lot of perspective.

Imagine how improved communication and understanding between staffers and members could be. (Sure, communication still might be not be perfect, but it would improve a little at least. Right?)

I think this idea is a great one, despite how unfeasible it is. It reminds me a bit of Maggie McGary’s post on association staffers working at another association. It just makes sense that staffers who support their members’ common interests should be aware of their perspectives. I’m sure some association staffers belong to other organizations, but I think to truly understand where their members are coming from, staffers should walk a mile in their shoes (so to speak).

This also goes along a little bit with Elizabeth Engel’s post about staffers cold-calling members just to connect and listen. She wrote about connection, community and a new source of ideas — and I think her idea is great, and obviously a lot more feasible than actually swapping lives.

Maybe this is all a little idealistic of me (improved communication! more perspective!), but in all seriousness, I think we too often get caught up in how our own jobs are so difficult, not thinking how our roles play into the big picture.

Do you think your members would appreciate the hard work staffers do if they had to do it themselves? Would you have a better understanding of your members’ wants and needs if you had to work in their industries?