I was browsing SlideShare the other day and wanted to share a few presentations I found. I think small staff associations can benefit from them both — there’s some great information here, and they both come from excellent sources (ASAE and Peggy Hoffman, respectively).

What do you think? Has your organization started getting involved with mobile technology or crowdsourcing (or both)?

A few months ago, I wrote a post here about how associations can engage young professionals on their staffs. It’s true that younger professionals have a lot to offer membership organizations, but sometimes they see things (such as career development) in a different way, simply because of the way they were raised and how prevalent technology has been in their lives. (I say “they” like I’m not a young professional myself. I am. WE see things in a different way sometimes.)

Now, though, I want to hear from you. What has your organization done to support young professionals and make sure they get the most from professional development or leadership programs?

I’m working on an article for Associations Now and I want to hear the coolest, most awesome thing your association has done to engage young professionals. What makes them different in your organization? (Of course, you and your organization would be credited as sources in the article, and I may have some follow-up questions.)

In that blog post, I wrote:

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…

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.

Last week, I have the pleasure of attending a networking event for young professionals involved in the Georgia Society of Association Executives. We had a great time unwinding over pizza and drinks and it was a fantastic way for us to get to know each other a bit better in a casual environment.

I’m sure there are lots of associations out there (big and small!) who have done cool things to engage their young professionals. Whether it’s a special happy hour, a mentoring program or a partnership with another organization, I would love to hear any and all ideas.

Feel free to leave a comment here or e-mail me at shannon@memberclicks.com. I can’t wait to read about your awesome ideas!

Happy Friday! It was a fun week in the association world, and I want to again thank everyone who attended the CRP Virtual Lunch call on Wednesday.

There were also some great posts this week, and amazing discussions in some of the comments, which were all great to read. Here are some of my recommended reads.

1. Cindy Butts wrote a fantastic post with 13 tips for a board of directors meeting via webinar. The ability to hold a meeting via phone or webinar is fantastic, but there are important considerations when dealing with sometimes-fickle technology. From turning off your IM to doing a practice run-through with the president, all bases are covered here.

2. An Acronym post by Scott Briscoe — Consultant wasteland — has a great conversation going in the comments. Scott discussed why associations hire consultants and if it’s truly necessary for them to validate decisions. Of course, the comments got especially interesting, so I encourage everyone to check them out — as well as the post, of course.

Does the crowd always know what’s best?

3. Another great post with fantastic, insightful comments over at Jeff Hurt’s Midcourse Corrections: Two Reasons Why Crowdsourcing Your Conference Content Won’t Work. What attendees want and what they need can be very different things, and attendees don’t know what they don’t know. Might sound obvious, but definitely read the post and the comments. Everyone had such thoughtful things to say!

4. At the SocialFish blog, Maddie Grant wrote an open letter to association CEOs about social media and organizational culture. Inviting all CEOs who read it to respond, she got a few great comments — trust me, you want to read them (especially the last few)!

5. Erik Schonher had a funny anecdote about one of his client’s e-mail marketing campaign — a technology glitch prompted tons of responses! Maybe an unexpected e-mail or message will prompt your members to follow up with the organization.

Thanks for all of the great posts this week! Each one offered some amazing food for thought, and I’m so happy to see so many awesome comments out there. If you’ve never commented on a post before, don’t be afraid to chime in on the discussion.

Hope everyone has a fun and productive weekend!

Welcome to the end of the workweek! It was an exciting week for tech geeks everywhere, but the iPad wasn’t the only thing going on this week. There have been some awesome discussions going on in the association community, and I’m thrilled to highlight a few of my favorite posts.

1. Wes Trochlil has been a technology consultant for 10 years now, and I really enjoyed his post about changes he’s seen during that time. Technology certainly has come a long way since 1999, and I expect 2019 to hold even more surprises! What tech change do you think has most affected the association community?

2. Since she’s been crowdsourcing an “action list” for 2010, Peggy Hoffman also turned to author David Nour. Nour came up with a great list focused on building relationships. My favorite? When it comes to social networking, consistency is a lot more valuable than creativity.

3. This post at Erik’s Experts in Membership Marketing surprised me a little: Students and Young Professionals are Influenced by Direct Mail. I’m a big believer in using the right channels to contact people (and they can differ from person to person), and Erik Schonher summed up a 2008 study so well in this great post.

4. I really loved Cindy Butts’ post comparing association executives to student athletes. There are a lot of similarities to be had, and participating in sports can teach us all invaluable lessons for later in life. One of my favorite lessons Cindy highlights is to take pride in your school or team, and by extension, your association.

5. Mark Alcorn, an association lawyer and management consultant, has a fantastic new blog and this week’s post was superb: Top Ten Signs of a Dysfunctional Board. From power struggles and lack of respect to micromanagement and overly powerful executives, Mark tackles many board issues with a unique perspective and clear voice. Can’t wait to read his future posts!

From everyone at MemberClicks, have a wonderful weekend!

(Image via Flickr.)

Happy New Year’s Eve! Instead of reflecting on the past year, I thought I’d share a few predictions for associations in 2010. I could be way off base, but that’s OK! Feel free to share what your association is excited about going into 2010, too!

- Virtual attendance gains traction. Maggie McGary tweeted a link the other day about how the American Society for Parental and Enteral Nutrition is offering virtual attendance for its 2010 conference. I think this is a fantastic idea – today’s technology absolutely supports this kind of thing, and in a still-unstable economy, people may not want to travel as much.

- Crowdsourcing becomes the norm for associations. ASAE and The Center experimented with this for Associations Now, but I think the concept will grow for associations in 2010. Use it among your staff, or give your members a say in some of the association’s decisions.

- Organizations will stop adopting social media just for the sake of it. This is more of a wish than a prediction, but I hope it comes to fruition. Obviously “social media” was the trend of 2009. But what does it mean? To me, social media is just another level of communication with your members and staffers. Perhaps you can ask your members how they prefer to receive information (get your “crowdsourcing” on) and create different options. You don’t have to be everywhere, all the time, online.

- Young professionals become even more active. From ASAE and The Center’s Young Professionals resources and committee to YAPStars, Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers are making their presences known. These groups allow for great networking opportunities and professional development, and I love the enthusiasm YPs are displaying.

- Associations embrace mobile technology. Who isn’t attached to their phone these days? (Seriously though, if you aren’t, I envy you.) Maybe 2010 won’t bring an iPhone app for your association, but it’s definitely time to embrace the real-time access our smartphones provide. Twitter has accomplished this in a way, but 2010 can take it a step further.

Have a wonderful and happy (and safe!) New Year’s Eve. So long, 2009!

(Image via Optical illusion on Flickr.)