Association Puzzle

A Short Thought on the ASAE Leadership Retreat

I took away alot from the ASAE leadership retreat last week, but the one thing that keeps coming to mind is this:

if you want to innovate, see things in a new way, or try something different, you cannot be afraid to look foolish.
The guy next to you might be thinking the same thing but is too shy to say it out loud.

Take the lead if you want to be a leader.

The Next Evolution in Association Business Intelligence

As Senior Strategy Associate with Association Laboratory, I am excited to share news about a new service the company has developed that is a boon for associations now and in the years to come!

 

Association Laboratory’s Strategic Decision Support Services (SDSS) represent the next evolution in association business intelligence, enabling associations to make more effective, timely, and data driven decisions. SDSS helps association executives make the decisions necessary to create financial stability, grow revenue, identify trends, and then continue to use this data to make informed decisions as they lead their industry or profession through whatever lies ahead. 

 

SDSS becomes your association’s outsourced research department, providing:

 

·     Strategic Research Blueprint – Create a managed, predictable plan for research, data analysis, and communication of essential information to decision-makers.

 

·     Visual, Interactive Decision Support Dashboards – Visualize complex information in real time so that you can make faster, more effective decisions and communicate your progress to volunteer leaders.

 

·     Research Management – Understand your markets and their future needs through essential primary research projects designed to address key strategic questions with independent, 3^rd party validation and objective analysis of data.

 

·     Ongoing Staff Support of Decision-Makers – Improve your staff optimization during peak times with ongoing support by professional analysts through data interpretation and customized reports designed to minimize staff time and improve the association’s use of information.

 

For more information on Association Laboratory’s Strategic Decision Support Services (SDSS) visit the company’s website at www.associationlaboratory.com.  

You have data everywhere in your organization, from your member records to your sales reports to your publications. Why not pull it together and get your data to work for you, instead of you working to get your data?

Nov. 7: JHU & AIW present "Going Freelance"!

GOING FREELANCE: An all-day seminar on practical aspects of a freelance writing career

 

Jointly sponsored by Johns Hopkins University Masters of Arts in Writing program and American Independent Writers

 

Saturday, November 7, 2009

 

The Johns Hopkins University

Bernstein-Offit Building

1717 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20036 (Lower-Level Conference Hall)

 

8:30-9:00 a.m.     Registration and Continental breakfast

 

9:15-10:30 a.m.   The Fundamentals of Freelance Business

Expert and experienced rate-setting, accounting, record-keeping, legal issues and tax basics

 

10:45-12 noon Finding Work and Networking in Commercial Writing

Freelance activity in the greater D.C. area often is producing annual reports, media releases, various communications materials and involves finding clients and networking with other writers

 

12:00-1:30   Lunch and Networking on your own

 

1:30-2:45 p.m.     Marketing Your Creating Writing

You have learned and practiced writing fiction, short and long, narrative nonfiction; now how and where do you get it published

 

3:00-4:15 p.m.     Blogs, social networking and other Web-based Writing

What is different about writing for blogs and how can you make sure that you are doing the very best work, how to use all the latest systems to connect with others.

 

Three ways to register: Phone: 202-775-5150, Online: www.aiwriters.org, and E-mail: rsvp@aiwriters.org

Registration cost: Before October 26, Member price, $69, Nonmember price, $99, and Student price, $39.

After October 26, Member price, $89, Nonmember price, $129, and Student price, $49

 

 

PUSHING THE ELECTRONIC ENVELOPE: Using Cyberspace to Advance Your Career

Johns Hopkins University Masters of Arts in Writing Program

and American Independent Writers present…

 

PUSHING THE ELECTRONIC ENVELOPE … EVEN FARTHER

Using Cyberspace to Advance Your Career

 

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Registration @ 8:30 a.m. · Program Starts @ 9:00 a.m.

 

Bernstein-Offit Building

1717 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036

 

Metro: Red line, Dupont Circle

 

 

OVERVIEW & SPEAKER ROSTER

 

Take your personal brand to the next level with this all-day seminar focusing on online identity for writers of all types. In four sessions moderated by copywriter and consultant Kristen King (@kristenking), an AIW Board member and host of last year's inaugural Pushing the Electronic Envelope Seminar, attendees will learn about social networking, social media, running a writing business in a Web 2.0 world, and pumping up your writer's website.

 

Speakers Include:

§ Deborah Ager, Founder Online Marketing Strategy Firm Click Wisdom (@clickwisdom)

§ Shashi Bellamkonda, Social Media Swami at Network Solutions (@shashib)

§ Thursday Bram, Professional Blogger and Freelance Writer (@thursdayb)

§ Jen Consalvo, Co-Founder of Technology Startup Shiny Heart Ventures (@noreaster)

§ Dori Kelner, Principal at Visual Communications Firm Sleight of Hand Studios (@dorikelner)

§ Mayra Ruiz-McPherson, Founder of Ruiz-McPherson Communications (@marketingmisfit)

§ Nancy Shute, Blogger and Contributing Editor at US News & World Report (@nancyshute)

§ Jeff Taylor, Millennial Marketer and Senior Online Analyst at New Media Strategies

§ Laurie White, Blogger, Photographer, and Contributing Editor at BlogHer  (@lauriewrites)

§ Paula Whyman, Award-Winning Author and Self-Proclaimed Curious Writer

§ …and others to be announced before the event!

 

 

SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

(subject to increasing awesomeness as the event draws near)

 

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.  

Registration and Networking

 

9:00 – 9:15 a.m.  

Introductions and Overview of the Day’s Sessions

 

9:15 – 10:30 a.m.   

Building and Leveraging Your Social Network -- Facebook, LinkedIn, and More

How exactly do social networks help your business? And what can writers do specifically to leverage these tools? In this opening session, you'll learn about the benefits, and some of the pitfalls, of Facebooking, Linking, FriendFeeding, iGoogling, and more.

 

10:30 – 10:45 a.m.  

Break

 

10:45 – 12:30 p.m.  

To Tweet or Not to Tweet? That Is the Question... On Twitter, Blogging and Vlogging

It's clear that social media isn't just a passing fad, but what's less clear is how it translates into income and tangible benefit. The second session of the day tackles the pros and cons of tweeting, blogging, and vlogging and provides some specific strategies writers can use to build name recognition, find sources, crack new markets, and score freelance gigs.

 

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.    

Lunch and Networking on your Own

 

1:30 – 2:45 p.m.  

Using Online Tools to Manage Your Writing Business: Low-cost and No-cost Must-Haves for Every Freelancer and Author

Who says you have to drop a lot of cash to be a successful writer? We'll take a look at some of the best free and cheap tools for writers, including word processing, invoicing, contact management, query tracking, calendar management, and collaboration. The discussion will include Google Apps, Open Office/NeoOffice, and more.

 

2:45 – 3:00 p.m.  

Break

   

3:00 – 4:15 p.m.  

More Writer's Website Do's and Don'ts: How to Take Your Writing Website to the Next Level and Find Work Online

You already know that every writer should have a website, but what happens when your writer's website just isn't getting the job done? In the closing session, we'll talk about ways to make your site stand out, improve your search engine rankings, incorporate social media into static sites, and hunt down great markets and jobs on the Web.

 

4:15 – 5:00 p.m.

Networking Opportunity

 

 

REGISTRATION DETAILS

 

Three ways to register!

§ Phone: 202-775-5150

§ Online: www.aiwriters.org

§ E-mail: rsvp@aiwriters.org

 

Early Registration (through September 20, 2009)

§ Member Price, $69

§ Nonmember Price, $99

§ Student Price, $39

 

Regular Registration (beginning September 21, 2009)

§ Member Price, $89

§ Nonmember Price, $129

§ Student Price, $49

 

Important Note:

§ New membership is only $100/year now through December 31, so join when you register to get the member price for this and upcoming events over the next 12 months! Call 202-775-5150 for details.

 

As with all AIW events, be sure to mention your membership status and the event for which you’re responding.

AIW SLASHES DUES RATE!

A GREAT TIME TO BE A MEMBER OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENT WRITERS
 
AIW President Claude Berube says, “We have some good news for you during the recession."

·    AIW ANNUAL DUES LOWERED TO $100 (from $145)
One-year Membership with Job Bank: $255
  (effective Sept 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010, AIW annual dues increase to $125 starting Jan 1, 2010)

·     AIW NEW MEMBER INITIATION FEE OF $45 CANCELLED

·    AIW WORKSHOPS, PUBSPEAKS, AND AUDIO CONFERENCES MEMBER RATE NOW ONLY $10 (in advance and at the door)

Did you know . . .
- that half of the members who belong to the Job Bank end up doing five or more years work with those clients
- that there were over 230 agent meeting sessions at the 2009 AIW Writers Conference
- that AIW held nine Workshops, five Seminars, eight PubSpeaks, and three Audio Conferences in the past year

If you are not currently a member, now is the time to join!
Mulitple year memberships are available at the $100 dues rate.

The Freedom To Write Fund: We Must Always Work for Freedom of Thought

American Independent Writers (AIW) also has a foundation, which should be better known than it is. The AIW Freedom to Write Fund (FWF) is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to education and public advocacy on behalf of the community of writers, whose work is essential to a democratic society. 

Re-launched in 2005, FWF is currently developing a wide range of innovative approaches to:

• Providing educational and support services for writers;
• Establishing a Writers Action Group (WAG) to address the shrinkage of traditional reporting media; and
• Championing issues that threaten free gathering and dissemination of information and opinion, including free expression, access to government information, and ownership of written content.

A critical measure of any free society is the extent to which writers are free to search out and reveal truth.  The AIW Freedom to Write Fund (FWF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to protecting the essential benefits to a democratic society that flow from efforts to maintain a thriving community of independent writers.  FWF sponsors educational programs and innovative approaches to reporting developments in free expression, access to information, and copyright, as well as to public advocacy on those topics.

1. FWF supports educational programs and forums for independent writers to explore new ideas and share knowledge, providing guidance on subjects such as:

• Policies and regulations that affect writers’ ability to perform their work, including copyright, access to government data, and libel and slander laws.

• The business of writing and how to reach a wider audience.

• The technological revolution in publishing and the digital delivery of written material to the public.

• The craft of writing fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, poetry, journalism, and more, including the development of new genres.

2. FWF champions reporting developments threatening the free gathering and dissemination of information, and the expression of opinion.  To this end, FWF supports innovative initiatives for the reporting and distribution of news about such issues, including copyright and ownership of written content, access to information, the prosecution of writers, and libel and slander law.  These initiatives will aim to be self-sustaining, and will offset the shrinkage of traditional media and explore the use of new media for quality journalism.

3. FWF advocates on behalf of writers on critical public issues, including free expression, access to government information, and the ownership of written content, and helps writers secure legal representation in disputes.

Taking our rights to free speech, free thought, and free expression for granted is the first step to losing them. Find out more about FWF and how you can help keep the flow of information running freely.

ASAE & The Center's New Publication: Designing Your Future

I recently had the opportunity to read "Designing Your Future: Key Trends, Challenges, and Choices Facing Association and Nonprofit Leaders," by Fast Future. This is the publication created after surveys, focus groups, and months of effort by volunteers, staff, and Fast Future (the consulting company).

This book is a tool that everyone who works in associations should have. It doesn't try to predict the future; rather it gives you information on hundreds of trends and then supplies exercises and questions to help your organization create its own response to change.

The presentation is excellent. It is written in easy to digest pieces, and it includes lots of appendices. The short association case studies illuminate the information in real-world examples, which demonstrate that you can change the way your organization/association does business and serves its members.

It's always been a "change or die" world, but now we have a resource that helps us put it all in perspective. Don't be overwhelmed -- use "Designing Your Future" to use all these trends to your advantage! 

2008 ASAE & The Center Annual Meeting: Heading to the Coast

So here I am sitting in the Delta Club at National Airport (sorry, RONALD REAGAN National Airport) waiting for the first part of my trip to San Diego. I have a three hour layover in Atlanta, but if the club there is as nice, I may just stay there!

While traveling all the way across the country for a meeting might seem to be a pain, and with the requisite upset to personal lives, schedules, and clients' projects, you realize once you hit the road and your mind has a chance to focus on where you are going, that it will be worth it.

Several years ago ASAE & The Center decided to focus on Connecting as the theme for each annual meeting. This is what is so important in association management, and we all talk about it, but here is a chance to actually do it on a grand scale.

One of the great (and also overwhelming things) about this upcoming meeting is how many social invitations hit my mailbox, along with specially organized meetings that aren't part of the "official" schedule. This says to me that there has been a sea change in the attitude towards ASAE & The Center by its members and we have not only accepted Connecting as our purpose but fully embraced it!

There is new energy and excitement that I see building across the membership, and it is showing itself daily. The listservs are friendly and full of information, new networks (like the Consultants Network) are forming, and you can always find someone who is willing to volunteer for a project.

As incoming Vice Chair of the Communication Section Council, I am excited about the year ahead as I work with Joyce O'Brien, our incoming Chair, and our dedicated group of communication professionals.

Working with motivated, dedicated people is just plain more fun, and I expect we will all be having alot of it this week and throughout the coming years.

The Decision to Volunteer: Insight from over 26,000 association members

As a follow up to the "The Decision to Join," ASAE & The Center's research staff has developed "The Decision to Volunteer." Authored by Beth Gazley, PhD, and Monica Dignam, "Decision to Volunteer" will be released for sale on Saturday, August 16 at the 2008 ASAE & The Center Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.

In development of this research 26,305 association members were surveyed, 23 organizations worked in collaboration with the ASAE & The Center Industry and Market Research Department, and the Component Relations Section Council contributed the "Acting on the Findings" section at the end of Chapters 3 - 7.

The key findings of the study are:

*Association members are highly engaged people.
*Values drive volunteer choices.
*The power of the direct ask.
*A meaningful experience keeps them coming back.
*Involving the younger generations.
*The professional benefits of volunteerism.
*Recognizing the "ad hoc" volunteer.
*Organizational strategies can support or discourage volunteering.

For years, we have all had anecdotal evidence about volunteers and why they participate, but now we have a reference that quantifies and qualifies serious research. "Decision to Volunteer" not only provides qualitative analysis, it includes quantitative data presented in easy to read charts and graphs.

Chapter 9, "Reaching the Non-Volunteer" is one of the more important sections in my opinion, and it covers topics like Why Individuals Do Not Volunteer, Association Practices that Discourage Volunteers, and Lack of Follow Through (one of my personal pet peeves).

If I tell you anymore, I'll ruin the ending for you, so make sure you get a copy of "The Decision to Volunteer" -- it's a decision you won't regret.

WIW Becomes AIW

Writers are passionate about what they do, whether published or not. They are driven to write, even if their words never see the light of day. This is called “the creative impulse,” and this impulse begins a creative process. 

 

When writers aren’t actually writing, they’re thinking about writing. Words, ideas, concepts, and stories are the tools of the writer; these are what we use in the process writing.

 

When writers aren’t thinking about writing, they are studying writing and getting to know each other. Writing is a solitary pursuit, yet, it is all about building connection with others. Building connections is why we will be changing, which is another kind of process.

 

Traditionally in many cultures, when a young person enters a new phase of his or her life, they choose a different name to reflect their new place in the world. As Washington Independent Writers (WIW) enters the next phase of its life, we will also take a new name: American Independent Writers, or “AIW,” which reflects our new place in the world as a national leader of our profession, our craft, and our calling.

 

This new name reflects the expansion of our organization into a nationwide professional association. July 1, 2008 is our starting point; it will take a few years to get established across the country and to create all the new services we have envisioned for our members, but we already have 156 members outside the DC area, so we are off to a good start.

 

By expanding our membership nationally, we will not only widen our network, which is increasingly easier with electronic communications and social media, we will have access to a broader array of grant opportunities. By positioning WIW to receive more institutional support, we will serve an important financial need of our members: keeping dues as low as possible while delivering more and more of the professional services that our members have asked us to provide.

 

Growth is our best option for continued success, and the WIW Board of Directors is committed to the work necessary to make this happen.

 

We welcome and encourage every WIW member to become part of this exciting time in our organization – we have several committees members can join, a newsletter that could benefit from more volunteer staff writers, and ad hoc projects that need doing. Like anything in life, you get out of your professional association what you put into it. I invite you to join us in making our organization the best writing association it can be.

 

If you are not currently a member, you can join online, or learn more about us, at www.washwriter.org

WIW Programming Blooms Even in Winter

Washington Independent Writers (WIW) offers a variety of programming every month that speaks to your inner writer, as well as provides tools for your profession. If your schedule allows, take advantage of these upcoming events:

Coffee Klatch & Pubspeak--Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Please join us on Tuesday, February 26 for a “Double Feature” of the monthly Coffee Klatch at the office from 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., and then take a two-stop Metro ride to Chinatown for the monthly Pubspeak with food and beverage orders at 6:30p.m. The program is scheduled from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

The Coffee Klatch is free for WIW members, and those who might want to learn more about our organization. Come meet, greet, and talk!

The Pubspeak features Joe McGinniss Jr., author of The Delivery Man, a first novel and a New York Times notable book. McGinniss Jr. is the son of Joe McGinniss, the author of The Selling of the President about the 1968 Nixon campaign and best sellers like Fatal Vision.

WIW Workshop–Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Speechwriting in the Real World
Program 7-9 p.m.
Light refreshments
Bethesda/Chevy-Chase Regional Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814
Wheelchair accessible
Metro: Bethesda (Red Line)

Speechwriting in the real world is not going to be the way it is in the classroom or in the seminar—not as neat and clean, not as academic and cerebral. There are clients to be gotten, gatekeepers and reviewers to be circumvented and/or mollified, wooden clients to be animated, unreasonable deadlines and expectations to be surmounted.

Speechwriters must address audience, message, tone, and the cadence of speaking, rather than the rhythm of the written word. While a very different style of writing, it also can be very lucrative, especially in Washington, DC where politicians and government agencies depend on speechwriters toiling in the back room. Beyond Capitol Hill, corporations, think tanks, trade associations and nonprofits also create a steady demand for the speechwriter's art.

This workshop will add speechwriting to your toolbox of writing skills. More specifically, we will tell you how to build a speech, how to find work if you're a freelancer, and how to handle your employer's or client's office politics. A mix of rhetorical tutorial, practical tips, and war stories, this session addresses how to write a speech and jump into a ready market.

PANELISTS:
Jan Cook is a speechwriter at Fannie Mae. She also has written for the presidents of Georgetown University and the American Red Cross as well as a number of corporate and nonprofit leaders. She transformed herself into a speechwriter after a respectable career as a journalist and freelance writer.

Ed Vilade has more than 40 years of experience as a speechwriter, communications manager, media relations and strategic communications consultant, award-winning newspaper and magazine writer and editor. He has worked at and with the White House, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Fortune 500 companies, U.S. Senators and Congressmen, Governors and leading Washington, D.C. trade associations. He has served three successful tours of duty as a freelancer—the most recent starting in 2000 and lasting “until either my brain or my fingers stop working.”

Dr. Rosemary King is a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Air Force and currently writes for a U.S. cabinet member. She has taught English at the Air Force Academy and published Border Confluences: Borderland Narratives from the Mexican War to the Present (2004).

Please go to the Web site at www.washwriter.org to register or RSVP for these events.
(Pricing differs for members and non-members.)

Association Laboratory: I Join the Experiment

Earlier this month, I began working with Association Laboratory as a Senior Strategy Associate. I am very excited about this opportunity as I’ve worked on several projects over the last three years with Dean West, the company’s President and Founder, and I’ve always enjoyed the work. I also look forward to working with my colleague, Phil Puckorius, Vice President of the company.

Association Laboratory is a research and strategy company dedicated to the association community. What makes it stand out is that the company doesn’t just collect a bunch of data and then dump it on a client and walk away. Instead, Association Laboratory works with clients to help them develop a business strategy to achieve whatever goal they are setting, whether its membership growth, launching a new product, or repositioning in the marketplace. I have always liked to solve a problem rather than complain about it, so this company is a good fit for me.

Association Laboratory uses a virtual business model. This is the structure everyone has been talking about the last 20 years, but companies like Association Laboratory are making it happen. We do all our work online or via telephone, and travel when necessary. While Dean and Phil are located in Chicago, IL, I’m the “exclusive representative in the mid-Atlantic region.” (We like to laugh about that one.) What that means is that I’m here in the DC area, and I can help our DC clients when needed.

With people in the two association capitals of the world, and being a virtual company model, who knows where the experiment will take us next? Dean’s been saying he’d like to see India . . .

Find out more about Association Laboratory: www.associationlaboratory.com

PS – CS Association Services is still in business too; check out the link under “Pages” to the left of this blog posting.

WIW Supports Writers' Guild Strike

WIW News Release: November 8, 2007

WIW Says, "Producers--Pay Up."

WASHINGTON, DC—Washington Independent Writers (WIW), the largest regional writers group in the United States, threw its support behind the striking members of the Writers Guild of America, who are seeking payment for their work distributed via electronic media, including Internet, DVD and downloads.

“Without writers, Hollywood itself would be impossible,” said Cecilia Sepp, WIW’s President and Board member of its Freedom To Write Fund (FWF). “Scripts tell the story in film, the joke writers make you laugh on talk shows, and website content needs to be created. Producers don’t do that – writers do, and they should be paid accordingly.”

Both WIW and FWF advocate on behalf of writers in all areas of the profession, from payment issues to information issues to education. The common mission of WIW, FWF and the Writers Guild of America is to protect the professional interests of writers in all media, whether it is book publishing or blogging.

“The work of writers is time-intensive, requires intellectual curiosity, and a great deal of self-discipline,” said Sepp. “This type of intense work in any other profession would be well-rewarded financially. It is time for writers to stand up and demand that they are no longer pushed to the back of the line when the money gets handed out.”

“WIW whole-heartedly supports the decision by the Writers Guild of America to strike. We may be moving from paper to pixels, but writers are still an important part of our world and how we view it,” continued Sepp. “We shouldn’t be left behind because the delivery mechanism has changed. Words are still powerful and moving. That’s why we will always need writers.”

WIW was founded in 1975, presents the annual Washington Writers Conference, quarterly seminars, monthly workshops, social and professional activities. For more information call (202) 775-5150 or e-mail to info@washwriter.org.

###

WIW Job Board -- Find the Right Writer!

Do you need to hire a communications professional, but you are frustrated with  job sites, newspaper ads, and word of mouth?  Would you like to find a source of D.C. area communications professionals that are dedicated and experienced?

Washington Independent Writers (WIW) can help you find the right writer, editor, publications coordinator, or other communications pros!

Whether it's a full time, part time, or freelance job, WIW's Job Board can help you target the largest pool of writers, editors, and publication specialists in the region.  (With over 1,300 members, WIW is the largest regional writers group in the United States.) 

If you are an employer posting an open position there is no charge.  Your listing is sent directly to members of the Job Board via email, so you know that your opening will go to a select group that can fill your needs. 

For more information on conducting an employee or freelancer search through Washington Independent Writers, visit www.washwriter.org, or contact Donald Graul, Executive Director, at 202-775-5150 or donald@washwriter.org.

ASAE & The Center's 2007 Annual Meeting: My View

The Good

*The Communications Section Council had an excellent meeting on Saturday, August 11, 2007.  Barbara Hyde ended her highly productive year as Chair, and will still be a Council leader as Immediate Past Chair.  Following the path she has laid out for us, our new Chair Ginny Fordham and new Vice Chair Joyce O’Brien set a wonderful tone of energy and optimism for 2007-2008.  And, we have an outstanding group on the 2007-2008 Council, so watch for more great things from the Communications Section!

*DJ Johnson, our tirelessly working staff liaison, provided outstanding support and advice during our Council events.  We were all very pleased with the Gold Circle Awards Ceremony, which drew 100 people!  DJ planned the ceremony, wrote the script, and made sure the awards were ready for presenting (after a mad dash to the loading dock), in addition to getting our Council meeting ready, and helping with our four Learning Labs.  Whatever he gets paid, it’s not enough.  Thanks, DJ.

*The four Learning Labs that the Communications Section Council organized were well attended, and Peter Mosca (also a member of the Communications Council) and I were very pleased with our turnout at the “Thinking on your Feet” session.  It was standing/floor sitting room only, and we retained about 98% of the original audience, even though it was one of the last sessions on Monday afternoon. 

*The Situation Room session, with three ASAE Fellows, was an excellent idea, and I hope in future ASAE & The Center will add two or three of these type of sessions with ASAE Fellows.  Since this is supposed to be a conversation, I suggest smaller, more intimate rooms for this session instead of the cavernous room assigned to this session. 

*The Consultants Section had a happy hour that was well attended, and our staff liaison Ron McNally was there to help us connect.  Thanks, Ron!

*The ASAE & The Center Staff – I don’t know all your names – did an excellent job organizing this conference and helping attendees find their way around the convention center.  Thanks for a job well done!

The Bad

*The bus service was pretty bad.  I heard a lot of complaints from attendees about the quality of the service, how long it took to get places, and the quality of the drivers.  On the last afternoon of the conference, it took 90 minutes to get from McCormick Place Convention Center back to my hotel on Dearborn Street.  This should only take about 25 minutes, maybe 35 minutes if the traffic is heavier.  However, the reason it took so long is that the driver had absolutely no idea where he was going and ended up stuck at the end of a service tunnel.  Then, after getting out of that, he had no idea how to get to the hotels and ended up asking passengers for directions.

An exhibitor who was stuck on the bus with me Tuesday afternoon told me that earlier in the conference, it took her over one hour to get back to her hotel because there was a shift change in the middle of the route and the original driver just got up and left.  The replacement driver didn’t know the route and also had to get direction from passengers. 

*There was no breakfast to be found in the convention center on most days.  There was a small Starbucks that was usually open, but most of the other restaurants in the building were closed over the weekend.  I was very excited the day I found Pop Tarts in the vending machine!

*The “Thought Leader” who presented the “Woman to Woman – balancing personal and professional demands” was a major disappointment.  How this person made it on the schedule is a mystery to me, because if she ever was a thought leader, it was in 1971.  Her presentation was trite, outdated, and offered no solutions – but we did get to hear the names of all her celebrity friends. 

*I was asked to volunteer at the closing session of the meeting, and I left The Situation Room early to be there on time.  However, no one knew what the member volunteers were supposed to do.  I ended up leaving, because I needed to get a lot of things done before the closing concert (which I ended up missing because I got stuck on the bus).  I like the idea of the “Ambassador” program but next time, it needs more organization. 

The Inexplicable

*At the volunteer breakfast on Saturday morning, John Graham talked about the diversity program ASAE & The Center has.  Right after that, he referred to one of his female staff members as a “princess.”  You can’t have diversity without respect for others, and this means treating each other kindly and courteously, especially in public.  Maybe this is why the ASAE diversity program is so slow to take off . . .

*Go Go dancers at the opening reception.  Why would a professional society that has more than 50% women members decide it would be a good idea to objectify women by dressing them all alike, and having them dance to music played by men who were all displayed as individuals?  No, ladies, the answer is not to have “go go dancer men” at the next reception.  The answer is to stop objectifying each other.  Hmm, maybe a diversity program would be a good idea . . .

*The music at the opening reception was so loud you couldn’t talk to someone right next to you, and it ended up giving me a headache and elevating my blood pressure.  I left because of the dancers and the loud music, but at least the food was okay.  If the annual meeting is about connecting, why on earth was the room so dark and the music so loud you had no hope of making contact with anyone??

*Association: The Musical – I put this under inexplicable because, while it was a really unique way to deliver the opening ceremony each day, I started to wonder how much it cost to hire dancers, singers, and someone to author the script and lyrics, especially when during the entire meeting attendees were encouraged to post on the “Wall of Social Responsibility,” which costs $99.00 to post one photo and one message.  The musical was fun, but was it responsible? 

CSC Shines at ASAE & The Center Annual Meeting

The ASAE & The Center Communications Section Council (known as the CSC) is making a big contribution to the annual meeting, which begins on Saturday, August 11, 2007 -- and we want to invite you to be a part of it!

On Saturday, the 2007-2008 CSC will hold its first Council meeting.  Later that day, at 5:30 pm, the CSC will hold the Gold Circle Award Ceremony at the McCormick Place Convention Center in room S406B.  Join us as we honor excellence in association communications and share these outstanding ideas.

Immediately following the ceremony, at 6:15 pm, the CSC invites you to join us for a Communications Section and Marketing Section Networking Reception in room S406A.  Meet and greet your colleagues while we celebrate the Gold Circle Award winners.

Saturday's events are just the beginning!   The CSC also organized four learning labs, the first of which is Sunday, August 12, at 3:30 pm -- "Message in a Bottle: Reaching Your Intended Audience in the Sea of Communication Options." 

On Monday, August 13, at 4:30 pm, there are two CSC organized sessions: "Thinking On Your Feet: How to Sound Smart When You're Feeling Discombobulated" and "When Bad Things Happen to Good Associations: Crisis Communications Workshop."  It's a tough choice, but both will provide valuable tools and information for the association professional who needs to react fast. 

On Tuesday, August 14, at 9 am, check out "How'd They Do That?: What Good Communicators Do That Others Don't."  Just the session to inspire you, help you innovate, and get a step ahead in serving your membership. 

The CSC is excited about this year's annual meeting, and we are looking forward to contributing to a successful event.  See you in Chicago!

Congratulations to the new WIW Board!

Last Friday, the Washington Independent Writers (WIW) election results were released.  The new Board of Directors is:

2007 -2008 Officers:

Cecilia Sepp, President
Rosemary King, Vice President
Michael Tardif, Secretary
Stillie Mason, Treasurer
Michael Causey, Immediate Past President

2007 - 2009 Board Members:

Ken Ackerman
John Curry
Gene Meyer

2006- 2008 Board Members:
Juan Gaddis
Phil Piemonte
David O. Stewart
Robert Udowitz

Thanks to our outstanding staff, who make it happen:

Donald Graul, Executive Director
Taryn Carrino, Membership and Program Coordinator

We are all looking forward to a fun and exciting year as WIW continues to grow and change to serve the needs of all writers in the greater Washington, DC, area.

Find out what we are all about: visit our website at www.washwriter.org

"Words are the voice of the heart."
Confucius

Association Jobs I've Heard About

I've heard about two association jobs in just two days, both in the area of writing/editing and communications. 

Gerry Romano, Director of Member Communications at NACUBO (and Editor-in-Chief of Business Officer) let me know that she is seeking a new Senior Editor.  She sent me the position summary: 

The Senior Editor plans, assigns, and edits feature articles and departments for NACUBO's monthly magazine, adhering to high quality standards for content and strict style rules.  The Senior Editor also edits NACUBO's bi-weekly electronic newsletter, ensuring that content is error-free and adheres to strict editorial standards.

Gerry has posted this position on the Career Headquarters site at ASAE & the Center, or you can contact her at gerry.romano@nacubo.org

In other news, NACUBO is moving to their new office space on Vermont Avenue, NW, next month.  The staff is very excited about their new home; best of luck to NACUBO with the move and we all hope you enjoy your new headquarters!

The second job I heard about was passed along to me by Tiffany Shackelford of Stateline.org at the Pew Center for Research: 

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is seeking a Managing Editor for their publications department.  The position summary: 

The Managing Editor supervises one assistant editor as well as freelancers when needed.  S/he is responsible for the publication of the quarterly member magazine Women in the Arts (32 pages, circ. 43,000) as well as some exhibition catalogues, exhibition wall text, brochures, and ephemera.   

If you are interested in this position, submit the following:  Email cover letter, resume, three writing samples, and salary requirements to HR@nmwa.org. 

If you haven't visited the National Museum of Women in the Arts before, it is worth it just to see the beautiful building right on New York Avenue, NW, near Metro Center.  They always have unique exhibits, and I feel my membership dollars are well spent.  Find out more about the museum at www.nmwa.org

Feeling Judgmental?

Of course you are! 

Being sentinent beings, we are always making judgment calls -- when we make decisions, assess risks, wonder WHY that person didn't look in the mirror before leaving the house . . .

Put those judging skills to good use: volunteer to judge the 2007 Gold Circle Awards for ASAE & the Center!

All ASAE & the Center members in good standing are welcome to judge the best in association communications.  You will see in your Gold Circle Awards brochure that we have added two new categories this year, Annual Report and New Media, which we know will increase the number of entries.  We'll have plenty of work for everyone, so I hope you will consider joining us.

If you'd like to serve as a judge, please feel free to contact me or DJ Johnson at ASAE & the Center.  I can be reached at ceciliasepp@comcast.net or via phone at 301-346-9656.

DJ can be reached at DJ Johnson djohnson@asaecenter.org
1575 I Street, NW / Washington, DC  20005-1103
202.626.2885 / fax 202.220.6467 

As you're judging this information, you are considering the following:

Do I get CAE points? 
Sadly, no, but you will have access to excellent communications ideas and you'll meet nice people.

Can I judge my own entry?
No, that just wouldn't be right.

How long will this take? 
Depends on the number of entries, but the judging will take place during May and June.  Each judge will be assigned to one category, so you don't have to judge everything.  For example, I judged one category last year, and it took me about 6 hours to review everything, then I spent about three hours on conference calls and sharing my ratings, so I can give you a rough estimate of 10 hours.

If I volunteer to judge, can I sing that song "Here Comes the Judge"?
Um, if you really want to . . .

When will the good news about the winners be shared?
At the August 2007 Annual Meeting in Chicago!

Things to be Happy About!

Yesterday evening, for no apparent reason, my HP Officejet All-in-One 4215, which has served me faithfully for over two years, died.  Cause of death was hardware malfunction. 

To say I was annoyed and frustrated is an understatement.  I thought, "Great, now I have to buy a new printer."  Then, after I calmed down, I thought, "HEY!  I get to buy a new printer!!" : )

So I started thinking about other things to be happy about:

1) We have a long weekend because Christmas is Monday!

2) Christmas is MONDAY!!  I get gifts.  And, all my packages have been shipped. 

3) Today will have one minute more of sunlight because yesterday was the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year.  Now, every day will have an additional minute of sunlight until June 21, the longest day of the year.  Cool!

4) The 2007 ASAE & the Center Gold Circle Awards submission season starts February 1st.  Check out the ASAE & the Center website (www.asaecenter.org) next month for details.

Yes, Virginia, there is something to look forward to after the holiday season! 

Have a good one.

Need Extra Help? Here's a Great Resource

Hello, Association Management Community!

Today I am writing to help out a good friend of mine who is seeking part-time or contract work in the association community. 

Anne O'Donnell (whom many of you may know from her work at ASAE & the Center) is currently pursuing a Nursing degree, and in order to do so, ended her full-time association management career.  However, Anne is seeking assignments or a part-time position in order to maintain an income while finishing her studies. 

She has over fifteen years experience in association management, with an emphasis in membership and component relations.  And, she has earned and maintains her CAE designation.  (After earning her CAE, Anne volunteered in the CAE program study groups.)

Anne is currently working freelance for several associations, and has become proficient with developing and distributing e-newsletters.  From reading the listservs, I know a lot of you out there are looking for this type of help so Iam happy to recommend Anne in this area.  Also, if you are looking for other types of project assistance such as membership recruitment, retention, or component relations-related activities, give Anne a call. 

If you'd like a copy of her resume, I can forward you one or you can contact Anne directly.  She can be reached at 703-577-7788 via cell phone, or at anneodcae@hotmail.com. 

Personal and professional change and growth are important aspects of the association community, and Anne is definitely an example to everyone pursuing their dreams.  If you would like to work with someone reliable, bright, talented, and hard working, please contact her.  Thanks for your consideration!

Women Make Less Because . . .

By now, you've probably seen the September 2006 cover story of Associations Now.  If not, it's called "Let's Talk About Sex," an article on the salary chasm between men and women in CEO jobs.  What it really should have been called was "Women Won't Talk about Money."  This is probably why they make less than they should. 

The article points out that the author, Karla Taylor, had trouble finding women executives who would talk about salary issues.  Perhaps because the article focused on CEO positions, those at the top didn't want to make waves because they are so visible.  That's an understandable position, so maybe the discussion should be taken into the trenches.  Being a veteran of the trenches, I'm more than happy to talk about women in the workplace and money.  I will use myself as a case history, especially since I have relevant personal experiences of what happens with salary, women, and associations.

Example One:  I worked as a Chapter Relations Director at an organization where the Marketing Director was a man.  He had the same education as me, but less experience.  He was in my office all the time (this is not an exaggeration) asking me to bail him out of jams, solve his problems, and make sure his projects were moving ahead.  These pleas for assistance usually started with, "Could you please, please help?  You are so good at (fill in the blank)."  Wanting to be seen as a team player, I helped.

I then found out that he was making $9,000.00 more than I was in annual salary.  I went to the Vice President that I reported to and raised hell.  She, rather than being outraged that a woman was making so much less than a man, told me to "draft a memo" about it.  I did.  It turned out to be 13 pages long, detailing everything that I had done at the organization, and summarizing why I should have pay equity.  After reviewing the memo, she told me that "we would see what happens in September."  You can guess how this story ended. 

September came, and I brought up the pay issue again.  I was told no, despite the fact that I played along and did what I was asked, and despite the fact that they were clearly breaking the employment laws.  I left nine months later when I finally realized it wasn't worth it.  In hindsight, I stayed eight months and two weeks too long.

Example Two: When I was offered the job I took after leaving the job in Example One, I was still being underpaid for the position (a lateral move) by about $5,000.00.  I pointed out that I thought the salary was too low, and I was told -- again, it was a woman overseeing the hiring -- that I was being offered that salary because I was making so little at the previous job.  However, I did insist on three weeks vacation if they weren't going to pay me more in salary.  They agreed; small victory for me because I spoke up. 

Example Three: Later on during my employment at Example Two's job, I was able to get my salary to the level indicated in the ASAE Salary Survey for my original position because I started managing two departments.  I had to do the equivalent of three jobs to get the one salary that I should have been earning.  At this point, I negotiated my new salary with a man.

When I realized that it was all women in the senior positions that held me back and kept my salary down, I got angry.  In my experience, women "who got theirs" were going to make sure they kept it, even if it meant holding back other women. 

Knowing that I couldn't change the world or my past, I vowed to change the future.  First, I would never undervalue myself in the workplace again.  Second, I would encourage any women I worked with to fight for the salary they deserved, and not just take what they thought they could get.   If I could make one small difference, it was a change for the better.

While managing the two departments mentioned in Example Three, I had two young women that I supervised and I encouraged them both to stretch themselves professionally and to stick up for themselves.

Annual review time came, and they both got good reviews with small pay increases.  I was surprised -- but proud -- to hear them both say it wasn't enough, and wasn't it me that said they should ask for more?  So, I went back to my boss (a man), who was pretty angry about it, but gave a small bump to them both.  It was a small victory in the gender salary wars, but a victory nonetheless.  The male boss in this story wasn't angry because they were women, he was angry because he didn't want to pay them any more than he had to -- and he didn't want other staff finding out someone renegotiated.   

Example Four: Last fall, I was offered a senior position at a non-profit.  It had some nice perqs, so I was willing to take a lower salary in exchange for the perqs and potential opportunities.  I made it very clear that I wouldn't take the job for less than the minimum I stated during negotiations.  I was told that wouldn't be a problem but that I wouldn't get benefits for the first three months.  However, when the final offer came back, I was blindsided with the message that I would be making $5,000.00 less than I agreed to for the first three months.  Everyone I asked for advice on this said, "Yeah, see if you get that pay increase on day 91."  So I said thanks but no thanks.  And again, it was a woman that I was dealing with on salary. 

Do you see a pattern emerging here?  We females can scream all we want about male prejudice and unfairness and stereotypes and the "old boys network," but I have seen the enemy, and my fellow professional women, it is us. 

Many women point to the lack of an old girls network for the disparity we face in the workplace.  How can we build one if we won't help each other?  And, how can we help each other if we won't help ourselves? 

Why do we take jobs for much less than we know we should earn?  Why do we not stick up for other women professionally?  Why do we accept that "it's just the way it is"?

"The way it is" is formed by the choices we make and the actions we take.  If we want pay equity, we have to decide not to take the job if the pay isn't right.  We have to choose to negotiate, and use that experience to change the perception of women in management.  If you want a level playing field, you have to roll out the bumps -- that means that women in positions of authority must use that influence to make things equitable. 

If we don't value ourselves and each other, there's no reason for anyone else to. 

ASAE's Acronym

I'm just catching up on some things after being in Europe and then down sick for a few weeks.  Today was the first chance I had to really take a look at ASAE & the Center's new blog, Acronym.  It's a great name as it represents that "alphabet soup" we've all come to know and love that is the association community. 

However, I must admit that I'm disappointed with the "suggested blogs" list.  It's just a repeat of the self-identified association blog-o-clump that is controlling the cyberspace discussion on association management.  It would be nice if ASAE and the Center could find some fresh voices. 

New Association Blog

The Dynamic Duo of association management is at again! 

If you haven't heard, Jeff De Cagna and Jamie Notter have formed a new business venture called "Association Renewal LLC." 

The website is www.associationrenewal.com, and their blog is www.associationrenewalblog.com.  The blog is already hopping, so check it out.  They are looking for input so here's a place you can say all those things you want to scream out in your staff meetings but don't. 

Let the games begin.