The plan for 2009? Think growth!
I'm keynoting a lunch tomorrow for a group of about 400 medical professionals. Their executive director saw me keynote a national conference of association executives two months ago.
That particular keynote was on a Friday in late September -- and the executives in the audience had just been pounded by a week of bad economic news. Since then, the drumbeat of negativity has become only more intense.
I got up that morning two months ago, took a look at the news headlines, and went out and did a barnburner of a speech for an audience of 500+, on the theme, "where's the growth, and how do we innovate for the future?" I was hugely upbeat, carried a positive message, and spoke to the audience at a very personal level about the necessity of having a strong personal compass to get through "this thing." I remember coming off stage, and thinking to myself, "wow, that was one helluva talk." As someone who earns a living on stage, you constantly self-assess as to how you've done.
I guess it did really strike a chord, since I'm still getting phone calls from folks who were in the room. So are the speakers bureaus who regularly book me into association events. The talk touched a lot of lives; it gave people an insight into the future that is all too easy to forget in this period of rapid global change.
People are hungering for a message of hope. Tomorrow, in my luncheon keynote, I'll take a good serious look at the current economic pain, but will also challenge the audience to think about the real, long term, substantive trends which provide an opportunity for future growth. A part of my talk is built on my "Where's the Growth?" document, originally released in February 2008. I just re-read the report, and can't think of where any of the fundamental assumptions are incorrect, except for one on "infrastructure." Maybe a company like Caterpillar might not see 30% growth because of overseas infrastructure spending.
But on the other hand, maybe they will! What is becoming increasingly apparent from the new US administration is that infrastructure spending is likely to be one of the key spending priorities to get the economy out of the funk and back into the future. That seems to be the approach of many governments worldwide. And hey, I had a post a few months ago, "Infrastructure is the new plastic." Although the essence of the post might seem a bit jaded given the current spending pullback, put the post into a 5 to 20 year perspective, and it is probably still bang on.
So for tomorrow and 2009, the key message?
Despite the challenges that you might find yourself in : THINK GROWTH!
My keynote tomorrow is titled, "Think Growth! The Good News for 2009"
Despite the relentless news headlines, there are many people out there who have an open mind about the future, and are actively innovating and thinking about how to capitalize upon it. I'm thrilled to be able to help them out.
More information:
- Read Where's the growth : global innovation opportunities for the long term
- Read Infrastructure is the new plastic
- Read 7 Things to Do Right Now as the Upturn Begins
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Is there a future for associations?
Association Magazine has published my article, Metamorphosis: A Defining Success Factor for Associations.
We know we live in a world in which new trends change everything we know at a furious pace. Rapid change envelopes us, consumes us, and pounds us with its reminders of its urgency every single day. There are many obvious trends that impact us; we often refuse or are incapable of assessing their impact. And so the future marches on, and many associations remain stuck in a rut of complacency. They deliver the same old program. They focus on the same old issues, generate the same old knowledge, plan the same old conference, and have their agenda managed by the same old membership has-beens. Meanwhile, they bemoan the fact that membership is declining; that the Millenials seem to have little time or inclination to join them; and that the world is just becoming, well, too complex to deal with. So they form a committee, hire a consultant, study the issue, and lull themselves into a false sense of future-security. By doing so, they are almost guaranteeing themselves a march into oblivion.This article is a must read for any association executive today. Quite often, the trends that will impact us are right in front of us. This article puts those trends into perspective. In doing so, it provides a good framework as to how to start some innovative thinking in order to deal with those trends.
Read the articles
- Metamorphosis: A Defining Success Factor for Associations
- Are you prepared for the new role associations will play
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Get Fest-ed! Adding some life to your annual conference or event....
I've had a new article published for Association Executives for the CSAE, about how you can innovate and jazz-up your annual meeting or conference.
Here's an extract:
Does your conference marketing suck? Maybe it does, and you don't know it. People today don't want to go to an "annual conference" and attend "plenary sessions." Kids (and today's 30-40 somethings -- the demographic you increasingly want to get to attend!) go to FESTIVALS. I think they're expecting the same brand image velocity for the conferences or events that they might attend. Would you rather go to the "121st Annual Tree Farmers Association Annual Meeting and Trade Show?"Me, I'm all for idea of TreeFest!Or would you rather go to "TreeFest 2009 - The Place Where Tree People Rock!
- Read the article Get Fest-ed!
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Article - "Are You Prepared for the New Role Associations Will Play?"
An "association of association executives" has just printed my article that takes a look at how the role of associations will change in the future -- with the major focus being on the need for "just in time knowledge," a phrase I've been using for over a decade.
From the intro: "If you want to understand the future role of your association, you might want to spend some time staring at an iPod Nano.
Arguably the hottest consumer technology in a marketplace that astounds everyone with a furious rate of technological innovation, it’s more than just a cool piece of electronic hardware that plays music. It’s a good barometer of the fact that we live and work in a world in which massive, sudden, wrenching change will become the norm, not the exception.
And it will be by helping your members cope with, adjust to, and prepare for this rate of change that you will find the evolution of your new role."
Read the full article
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Get ready for career extinction
I've carefully been watching the crowds in my keynote presentations over the years, and have come to realize that there is a direct relationship between the nature of the audience, and the way that they react to my observations on the future.
Call it Carroll's law, because what I've learned is this -- those doomed to extinction and other severe career implications as a result of rapid change, are usually the least receptive to a message as to the reality of their impending doom. They would prefer to escape rather than adapt to reality.
Looking out into the audience, it sometimes seems like I've got a bunch of deer in the headlights -- they seem so shocked by the change that is occurring around them that they don't know how to take the next steps of figuring out what to do about it. This is particularly true when I discuss the reality of outsourcing/offshoring, or when I focus in on how rapid innovation, fuelled by scientific advance, will continue to cause havoc and turmoil in every industry.
I wrote an article yesterday, How Science Will Change Careers -- And Associations -- that looks at the theme of impending, rapid career extinction. Read the article 
(PDF)
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I've been writing a bi-weekly column for executive directors of associations. The articles are being printed or are carried online by a number of North American Society of Association Executives. Permission is granted to any association to reprint these articles -- contact me for details. You can access the articles here.
The first three include, "10 Things My Kids Think Are From the Olden Days", "What's happening to our careers?" and "What's your tin can?"
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