Speaking

Boards have a limited number of hours to perform their critical work, and directors have a finite amount of time, energy and attention to devote to their governing roles. The challenges created by societal transformation demand that associations invest these precious intangible resources with great care today and in the years ahead.


This presentation will explore how association boards can design the future of governing by adopting a “foresight first” approach. Participants will examine why foresight is so critical, explain the board’s duty of foresight, and share specific actions that boards can take to develop a consistent practice of foresight.

Associations and their stakeholders operate in a world of networks, making it critical for staff and voluntary decision-makers to embrace networks as the fundamental structures for value creation and flow in the 21st century.

The presentation will help participants build their network thinking capabilities as they learn how to design meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with more diverse stakeholders who operate at and beyond the edge of their organizations. Networks are the present and future of associating, and an essential mindset for association contributors to nurture if they are going to thrive in the years ahead.

The future is unfolding before our eyes. All knowledge workers, especially those at the beginning of their careers, should take steps to prepare themselves for whatever is next by developing a “foresightly” perspective. This talk will explore the importance of foresight and share six ways of thinking and acting that 21st century professionals can adopt to integrate the practice of foresight into everything they do.

This presentation will help attendees shift how they currently think and act to be more open to learning with the future. It requires a willingness to let go of untrue/unhelpful past beliefs, the ability to understand oneself more deeply and to pursue learning with greater intention. Attendees will take away fresh ways of thinking and acting that will help bring a more “foresightly” perspective to every aspect of their lives.

To build their organizations to thrive in the years ahead, association professionals
must think beyond membership and develop the ability to create other forms of
distinctive value in collaboration with their stakeholders. The value creation process is
about discovering actionable insights that can help answer three fundamental questions:

1. What are our stakeholders’ problems, needs and outcomes?
2. What value elements matter most to our stakeholders?
3. What new solutions, services and support can we co-create with our stakeholders?

In this high impact session, participants will learn the next rules of association
value creation and will emerge with specific action steps they can take
to develop their capabilities as value creators for their organizations.

In a world experiencing rapid and relentless transformation, associations and non-profit organizations must adapt their business models to create distinctive new value for their stakeholders. The challenging work of business model reinvention requires key decision-makers to examine their fundamental assumptions about innovation and growth, and adopt different perspectives on what it will take to build their organizations to thrive in the 21st century.

Through this presentation, participants will explore business model innovation’s six core imperatives and discuss the critical questions that decision-makers must ask to advance the work of business model innovation with openness, imagination and confidence.

In a time of relentless societal transformation, it is crucial for association boards to strive for the highest possible level of performance. Unfortunately, governing’s most orthodox beliefs–the deep-seated, sacrosanct and rarely questioned assumptions about how boards are supposed to operate–may be preventing senior association decision-makers from taking their work to the next level and making it more difficult for their organizations to thrive. Now is the time to examine these orthodoxies more closely and consider whether they are advancing the work of governing or holding it back.

In this fast-paced and highly interactive session, participants will be shown a series of provocative orthodoxy-questioning statements about what it means to govern associations, and will be challenged to take and defend clear positions on each statement in a large group conversation.