Principled Innovation LLC

Open up the staff directory!

February 23rd, 2007

KEEP OUT!

Just a quick post to sound off on one my pet peeves: association staff directories placed behind password-protected logins, making them accessible only to members.

While I understand the desire to protect staff from excessive phone traffic, to me making the staff directory inaccessible to most is like hanging a big KEEP OUT sign on your website. Keep in mind that members aren’t the only people trying to reach you and your team. By limiting the entry points for prospective members, current and future customers, business partners and other stakeholders, your organization sends the subtle yet powerful message that it is not user friendly.

So, if your association has its website set up this way, my friendly advice is to change it immediately and open the staff directory to everyone!

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Entry Filed under: Principled Innovation Blog, What's New?, Social Media, Associations, Extreme Makeover, Random Thoughts, The Association Innovator, Simplicity, We Have Always Done It That Way

6 Comments Add your own

1. Hospital Directory »&hellip | February 23rd, 2007 at 6:50 pm

[…] Original post by jeffpi1@gmail.com (Jeff De Cagna of Principled Innovation LLC, the association community’s leading voice for innovation!) and software by Elliott Back […]
2. Active Directory Tool &ra&hellip | February 23rd, 2007 at 6:56 pm

[…] Original post by jeffpi1@gmail.com (Jeff De Cagna of Principled Innovation LLC, the association community’s leading voice for innovation!) and software by Elliott Back […]
3. 411 Directory » Ope&hellip | February 23rd, 2007 at 7:13 pm

[…] Original post by jeffpi1@gmail.com (Jeff De Cagna of Principled Innovation LLC, the association community’s leading voice for innovation!) and software by Elliott Back […]
4. Ben Martin | February 24th, 2007 at 9:51 pm

I couldn’t agree more. There are other ways to deflect the telemarketers.
5. Zachary Wilson | February 27th, 2007 at 5:30 pm

I couldn’t agree more. Honestly, I would even go as far to extend this to member directories too. If you don’t want all information public, that’s understandable. There should be basic info publicized in my opinion.
6. Ben Martin | February 28th, 2007 at 12:12 pm

@ Zach. No way would I open up our membership directory to the world. Privacy is a huge issue these days. I can only imagine the backlash we’d hear from members when the recruiters and salespeople began trolling the list. Maybe an opt-in system if you want to have your info shared publicly. In some cases, it might make sense to open up some data on members, and make it an opt-out. Chambers of commerce or some trade associations, for example.

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