Happy Friday! I don’t know about y’all, but it has been a crazy week in my world. I think having a shorter workweek combined with the excitement of the upcoming summer made it a difficult week. I hope everyone enjoyed their three-day weekend and didn’t have too much trouble getting back into the swing of things!

It was an exciting week here at MemberClicks, as we attended the Georgia Society of Association Executives’ Annual Meeting! Hello to any new readers!

Here are a few of my favorite posts from this past week in association world:

1. Jeff Hurt discussed millennials and associations – specifically, whether the two even go together. According to a Monitor Institute study, traditional membership models are not enough to engage millennials. What do you think?

2. Do you think risk management is practical? Leslie White wrote a great post this week explaining that risk management is simply preparing for the unexpected – but if it’s unexpected, how can you prepare? Read on to find out more!

3. In his weekly Leadership Limerick, Jeffrey Cufaude writes that values without action are essentially worthless. (OK, perhaps “worthless” is too strong a word, however…) Jeffrey explains that unless you back your values up and demonstrate them in your actions, your organization will lack integrity.

4. Jamie Notter shared a great excerpt from “Switch” by Chip and Dan Heath. “Change is a process,” they write, and it’s crucial to be clear on you can apply learnings to your association to institute real change. Learning and changing can’t just be managed – they have to be nurtured.

5. In another of Acronym’s Small Staff Week blog posts, Marianne Fray of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, shared some great insights about self-improvement and career development. Earning certifications and advanced degrees are not always “worth it” – especially if the time it takes could potential detract from your career.

Whether you work at a nonprofit or a small staff association, I think it’s safe to say we can all always learn more. (…Which is probably why there are so many awesome association blogs out there!) I love hunting down these awesome presentations and hope our readers benefit from them.

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80.
Henry Ford

It’s a bit of a cliché (OK, a lot of a cliché) to talk about how important is to be a “lifelong learner.” But truly, I think our education doesn’t end when we move the tassels to the the other side of our graduation caps (whether it’s a high school diploma or a college degree). A formal education is a wonderful thing, but I’m sure most people would confirm that they learned more “real world” skills from their first few jobs than from high school or college.

Beyond the skills we learn at work and the experience we gain on the job, I think it’s important for all professionals to proactively further their own interests and cultivate new ones, as well.

Read books (novels, not just nonfiction). Take classes that interest you, even if they’re not related to your career (calligraphy! tennis!). Volunteer with an organization that supports a cause you believe in. Do something that scares you (skydiving! giving blood!). Every experience makes you a stronger person. Every book you read makes you smarter and increases your vocabulary.

Of course, professional development never hurts — and don’t overlook the power of basic, “in-real-life” networking. The Internet is great, but nothing beats a good old-fashioned face-to-face conversation. If you’re just starting out in your career, don’t be intimidated. (Yes, I need to follow my own advice.) Everyone was just starting at some point, and the only stupid questions are the ones you don’t ask (generally speaking). In fact, I bet most experienced professionals would be thrilled to share their knowledge and experience with someone who’s just beginning their journey.

Continuing to grow your skill set and knowledge will keep you from getting stuck in a rut and offer more opportunities down the road.

What is your biggest piece of advice for a professional (of any age), with regards to continuing to learn?

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I’ve written before about suggestions for retaining student members after they graduate and about the importance of a forward-thinking communication strategy.

But what about focusing on your own younger staffers – the young professionals?

Loosely defined as anyone between the ages of 21-35 (although the ages limits are pretty fluid), young professionals have a lot to offer your organization. As late Gen-Xers and early Millennials, though, their needs and outlooks can be slightly different from yours. Perhaps, as a small-staff association, you don’t work with many young professionals. But as more Baby Boomers retire, it’s likely that a younger person could join your staff soon.

Young professionals thrive on career development and want to learn new things. Workshops dedicated to salary negotiation and cover letter writing are always beneficial, especially since many people in this age group change jobs frequently early in their careers.

But for younger association staffers, this can be a stressful time in their lives. Presenting to the board for the first time can be scary, and so can planning and executing their first program. And managing others? Not everyone is a natural leader or manager, and it can be especially difficult for some.

What kinds of unique services does your association offer its young professionals? Management seminars? Networking opportunities with other young professionals? Career development workshops?

If your organization is too small to support workshops and seminars for young professionals, consider teaming up with another small organization in the area. After all, they don’t have to be focused on the association itself – career development and networking can benefit anyone, no matter what their line of work.

And how does your association get the most from its talented young professionals? There are lots of new ideas to be had from this group, and they probably don’t all have to do with technology. Growing up in a different decade, with different opportunities and outlooks, means young professionals are engrained with new ideas and visions.

Do you provide an environment that fosters their brainstorming and innovations? Do you welcome all new ideas and seriously consider them?

Not to be cheesy, but young professionals really are the future of your organization. They are the ones who will be in charge in 15 or 20 years. Be sure to make it an environment they want to stick around in for a while.