Generational labels—Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z—are a familiar shorthand used to describe a roughly 20-year cohort. Generational differences may help explain individual mindsets, but overreliance limits your ability to build high performing, connected teams. Below we share common areas where intergenerational friction bubbles up and our tips for managing multi-generational teams. Communication Communication affects everything and everyone. Effective communication creates trust. Teams today use a variety of tools to share information, manage meetings, connect, and collaborate. This c ..read more

Having strategic technology leaders on your team is imperative. They play a pivotal role in ensuring the right technologies are not only in place but also effectively leveraged to meet and exceed your goals. Aligns goals and operations A CIO aligns your IT’s enterprise elements with your business objectives. They create a unified technology approach to meet each department’s individual needs and the organization’s collective needs. This includes selecting the right technology stack, application software, and tools to build an integrated solution for your members. This enables staff and volun ..read more

Technology is supposed to make your work life easier. Establishing communication protocols and practices will help you work smarter, not harder. But it’s not a solo effort. To improve office communication and collaboration you need management’s support. Below are areas where you and your team can get started to  minimize digital overload. Establish Communication Guidelines Every communication and collaboration tool must have a unique purpose. That’s the first rule of communication practices to work smarter, not harder. Defining purpose helps establish guidelines for where to appropriate ..read more

As organizational leaders, some of the most critical decisions you make involves the technology that your association or nonprofit uses. A good AMS, LMS or even the right engagement platform could make all the difference when it comes to increasing your organization’s productivity and effectiveness, and to serving your members. Yes, technology helps your employees accomplish more, in less time. But the right technology does so much more. It makes it easier to see what needs to be improved and what is working well. It minimizes confusion and provides answers. It enhances your volunteer and memb ..read more

Organizations are always trying to balance time, resources, and to-dos. The right AMS can help address these challenges. Your AMS is not just a database – it can automate admin tasks, process payments, simplify event workflows, and keep you connected to members. It moves you away from shadow systems and tools that lead to duplicated data, security holes, and hidden costs. Below we list the 5 challenges we hear most often, the keys to solve them, and the dos (and don’ts) of AMS selection. We hear: “There are so many options!” This is true – and it can seem overwhelming. The good news: you don ..read more

Building trust on teams is foundational and requires the same amount of intentionality as building culture. Engagement increases sixfold when employees trust their organization’s leadership. And employees who trust their leaders are twice as likely to say they will be with their company one year from now. Below are 3 ways you can build trust on your team today. Take advantage of “swift trust” When a team first forms, trust levels are high (as long as there aren’t any previous negative work relationships). Lean into and leverage this swift trust—the feeling that “we’re in the same boat.” Two ..read more

Teams with high levels of psychology safety outperform other teams. Safe environments reduce error, fuel creativity, reinforces shared team values, and improve employee engagement. Leaders can create psychologically safe environments for teams to thrive by: connecting, listening, admitting mistakes, and encouraging input from various perspectives. Psychological Safety is Good for Business High-performing teams feel psychologically safe. This means those teams are candid with each other. They take interpersonal risks. They speak up with questions, concerns, half-baked ideas, and bring up mist ..read more

Belonging affects how you show up at work and how you do your work. Research shows that connectedness is a basic human need. It’s a shared value human value. We all want to belong. Belonging is the feeling of security and support we experience when we feel: accepted, included, valued, and connected. The best workplaces leverage their strengths, communicate effectively, and create cohesion. High belonging is linked to: 56% increase in job performance, 50% drop in turnover, and 75% reduction in sick days. Conversely, team members that feel excluded are: 25% less productive, quicker to give up ..read more

Changes to your organization’s technology stack are inevitable. Some employees beg for new tools to save time, or hope to adopt modern systems to replace under-performing ones. Others don’t see the point of introducing another tool. Below are 7 tips for a successful new tool implementation.   Avoid additional change fatigue  Tolerance for change isn’t what it used to be. Employees’ willingness to support enterprise change collapsed to merely 38% in 2022, compared with a healthy 74% in 2016.   This means: most of your staff have change fatigue. They don’t want a “new ..read more

When staff ask for new tools, take the time to assess the tool’s impact on your operations and culture. In this post, we list the questions to ask before you add a new tool to your staff’s toolkit.  Do you have a tool problem?  If you think you have a tool problem, you probably do. When tools don’t go through a thorough vetting and implementation process, staff become frustrated and confused. The number of apps and platforms they have to learn, use, and keep track of can be overwhelming.  In client surveys, staff tell us they use five tools for sharing and collaboration: MS Te ..read more