Three counterintuitive strategies for the downturn
January 6th, 2009
For your consideration and feedback…
Declare a “tradition holiday”–If governments can declare “tax holidays” to stimulate consumer spending, why can’t association boards and CEOs declare “tradition holidays” to stimulate generative thinking about how our organizations can create new value in the 21st century? The middle of an economic downturn, when the need for innovation is at its highest point, is the best possible time to remove the legacy constraints that prevent staff, volunteers and members from suggesting the ideas, both large and small, that can make a real difference today and going forward.
Accelerate high potential investments–The management reflex is to reduce spending now, wait out the economy, and hope that things will look better in the summer or fall. While every organization has non-strategic spending to cut, associations cannot afford to choke off investments in ideas with real upside. The same holds true for high potential people. Association leaders are not required to sacrifice either compelling ideas or talented contributors just because the Big Book of Economic Downturn Conventional Wisdom says they should.
Give stuff away–I know, I know, it’s heresy, right? But think about it for a minute. Every association has tons of dormant content just waiting to be awakened and revitalized on the social platform of its choice. How has that burning industry or professional issue from 2005 or 2006 evolved over the last 3-4 years? Has it been resolved, or did it just fade into the background? What have we learned, and what are we still trying to learn? By giving this kind of platinum content away, associations can demonstrate their knowledge power, their capacity to create meaning and their commitment to member success all at the same time, and that’s a strategic move in the direction of indispensability.
During challenging times, the problem with doing the expected is that everyone expects it. Now is the time to do the unexpected.
If you’re interested in learning more about the trends that will shape your association’s work in 2009, please join me for the January 7 P.I. Briefing. Register by 11 am EST on Wednesday, January 7!
Entry Filed under: Principled Innovation Blog, What's New?, Social Media, Innovation, Associations, Extreme Makeover, The Association Innovator, Simplicity, We Have Always Done It That Way, PI Services, Garage Memes, Governing for Innovation, Socially Responsible Innovation, Embrace the Revolution
Ben Martin and P.I.
Association exec Ben Martin, CAE is P.I.’s Architect of Participation. Jeff and Ben help clients harness the power of the Web through the strategic application of social tools.
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