Anytime I see Liz Claiborne’s name, I stop to read. Could be because I’m one of the raving fans who have put Liz Claiborne into the top 10 US fashion brands list and within the top five most important brands on our retailers' floors.

This time when I stopped to read about Liz, the focus wasn’t fashion but community. Brandweek editor Todd Wasserman shared a conversation with Dave McTague, Liz Claiborne's evp, partnered brands, centered around the company’s use of social media to relaunch its brand.

Instead of a traditional focus group, Liz built a private online community, through Communispace, to speak to a targeted group of 300 women. The reasons for leveraging this space over a traditional focus group were many. What resonated with me was McTague reference to the value of engaging the customer over an extended period of time and in a way that provides a “minute-by-minute” contact which goes deeper.

He described their community as akin to having a campus full of your customers down the hall. He liked being about to walk in, sit down and chat.

This is our competition talking!

This is a for-profit company that involves the customer in designing the product, in developing the marketing channels and in working for the success of the product. Designer clothing is not these customers' top priority but yet they fully engaged in the community. Why? It probably had to do with the experience. They were respected, asked their opinions, and listened to. They had a hand in decisions. And they benefited from the results.

What makes this approach successful for Liz is the company’s commitment to the customer or as McTague described it their “enormous amount of humility and respect we have for what is going on in her head, for what things are driving her crazy right now.”  By listening and engaging with their customer, the company experiences that he calls “authentic innovation.”

This approach isn’t without cost. Even McTaque says it’s expensive to keep the ecosystem engaged. But the results are in Liz’s position as a brand leader.

Are we as committed to our members? Or shall will give the reins over to corporate America?

Well it’s the biggest thing since sliced bread (okay that’s maybe just a pithy quote that needs to be retired – love the ones Jamie Notter noted but that’s another topic)!

Buzz2009 is a full-day conference on Thursday, July 9 in Washington DC for associations who think incorporating social media and word of mouth tactics into their overall strategy in the way to go.
You should only plan to go if you’re looking to (yes this list is directly from the conference planners – but based on the speakers and sessions – its true!):

• Recruit more members.
• Energize your events.
• Activate your community online.
• Reinvent publishing with online content models.
• Engage volunteers by leveraging your social capital.
• Raise money through social fundraising and micro-donations.
• Connect grassroots advocacy efforts with public conversations online.

Money blues? Well there are scholarships compliments of SmartBrief on Social Media and SocialFish.

If you’re like me and you’re on vacation that week, plug into the Twitter conversation at #buzz2009 or the SocialFish Facebook page or Buzz 2009 on LinkedIn. Or better yet, put the Buzz2009 blog in your RSS reader.

Social media and WOM are secret weapons for chapters too – we just need to arm and train them.

@peggyhoffman What did you say? Sort of like how many SN friends to screw in a light bulb before you light the town?

Ha ha! We were talking about community vs. social network on Twitter. That tweet from Cynthia D’Amour made the point.

Something else Cynthia said generated a RT from @maggielmcg Community is the what; social networking the how. (via @CynthiaDAmour)<Awesome--love this!>

Actually the conversation started at the ASAE Components Section Council Meeting this week and morphed into a Twitter conversation.

It’s an important question for us to ask as we considering what makes community in our associations? We have “legacy” communities (think chapters, special interest groups etal) from the past and the “new” communities (think virtual chapters, discussion groups, online groups). What’s different and what’s the same? How do we measure success and for that matter how do support them?

The bottom line for associations is that we either develop community or we perish. As one council member described it in her association members are forming groups and coming to them with programming and an agenda. Either the association welcomes them and gives them a home or they shop elsewhere. The platforms are a dime a dozen but the edge we still can have is the ability to connect members in a way that reduces the “search” for each to find the other.

So really it’s about outcomes. It’s about engagement. It’s not about bylaws. It’s not about structure. It really it function before form.

So when you’re thinking of your chapters, SIGs, CoP, Sections, online groups – are focused on structure or on outcome?

I did it! I earned my CAE credential. That’s Certified Association Executive, the highest professional credential in the association industry (as the credential’s sponsor ASAE & The Center calls it). According to ASAE, less than 5% of all association professionals have earned the CAE – that’s more than 3,500 individuals.

I am proud of the accomplishment (well actually its two accomplishments; my New Year’s Resolution was to stop stalling and take the exam). It was a tough test. It challenged me to learn some new things. While I still don’t agree with all the principles, I did find that the process helped be better understand what I didn’t agree with and that in turn makes my efforts to change those more effective.

The experience had two additional elements. It enriched my membership experience. I reached out and met some new people and I strengthened relationships with others. As I studied and explored the literature, I found that I was tapping ASAE in a new way and finding yet another ASAE member service that fit my needs.

It also gave me first-hand experience in adhocracy. Adhocracy is a highly organic structure – think self-forming; without bureaucracy. I like Robert H. Waterman, Jr.’s definition of "any form of organization that cuts across normal bureaucratic lines to capture opportunities, solve problems, and get results". Waterman co-authored In Search of Excellence with Tom Peters. (For more on adhocracy, read this or check out Oncology Nursing Society’s Diane Scheuring and Angie Stengel's Great Ideas handout on Adhocracy – Developing an Effective Volunteer Model.)

The way it worked in this case is that a group called CAE Padawans, inspired by Maddie Grant, gathered on Young Association Professionals website and met informally to share notes, dissect questions and review the literature. We weren’t a formal study group. We didn’t elect officers. We didn’t need to apply for status to the association or form an exploratory committee to see if the component was needed. No bylaws. We haven’t meet since the May test. The group though continues to exist awaiting the next round of CAE candidates. My group was actually the second wave of Padawans; I personally will look forward to touching base with the third wave.

All-in-all, the CAE experience was so much more than the test. And the CAE initials after my name mean so much more than "I passed a test".

Congrats to all my colleagues who earned their CAE in May. Thanks to all those who helped me prepare and learn including Maddie Grant, Tina Myers, David Lorms, Diane Scheuring, Wanda Little Coffey, Jamie DeSimone and Sharon Kneebone.

Lisa Junker posted an interesting piece as a lead-in to a series on learning and the future of learning in associations in which she shared an evocative story from her son’s school. It’s about a whiteboard in the teachers’ lounge in which a question is asked and teachers and apparently other passersby write in their ideas. The question – and obviously the answers – change.

She shared the latest question she saw “what have your students learned this year” and then changed it to ask us “what have you learned so far this year? Or, to flip it around, what have you tried to teach others this year?” Take a look at the post for the full story and interesting comments.

It got me thinking about my chapter leaders and how the whiteboard might help them share ideas, stay focused, plan the month, get to know each other. We don’t have a “leaders’ lounge” so I create one with Virtual White Board. I posted a question, invited a couple of people to respond. It was easy and fun. Of course we’re just in the testing stages and maybe it’s the novelty that makes it attractive. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Of course the other way of creating a virtual white board is simply starting a post and asking for comments. So like Lisa did, I’ll post my question here: What makes your chapter tick? Jot your answer below!

Volunteer work is just a line item for volunteers ... not the way they pay their mortgage.

 Cynthia D'Amour zeros in on a truth!

A volunteer leader who gets their real mission is inspiring the inner leader of others is one who will lift the organization.

Scott Briscoe shares a thought closely related to this over at Acronym in The Essence of Leadership where Velma Hart, national finance director and CFO of AMVETS National Headquarters says "The essence of leadership... is to pay it forward."

Every volunteer has her/his own reason to stepping up to the plate. If you want to know what it is, ask directly. 

*This truth brought to you by all the Gen X & Gen Ys who want all of us to stop talking about them and start talking to them. 

Frank Fortin wrote a compelling post What Staples Can Teach Associations in a Recession noting that “if you swap the term “member” for “customer” in this context, and you have a good template for leading associations through this recession.”

Two points he made really get at the heart of what associations with components must address. He notes that it’s imperative to pare expenses (rule #2) and shared that Staples in fact closed 31 unprofitable stores during the 2001 recession. Here’s the important balance: they opened 60 in fast-growing markets.

Too often I hear about underperforming chapters and SIGs and the angst of how to deal effectively with them. Far too infrequently, I hear about closing underperforming groups. The reality is that some locations just can’t support a component and SIGs can run out of “gas.” Closing them is not only warranted but good business.

Why? Other members remain underserved because we simply haven’t had the time or resources to explore new components. Fledgling groups could blossom with the right touch and support. And we may just be completely missing groups of members. So repeat after me: it’s okay to close an underperforming group.

Bonus! By closing these underperformers, we can put the resources to better use including investing in the future (rule #3). What are smart investments for the future in this context? A couple comes to mind immediately:

• Technology to support components (that give web access to data files, robust community space, registration and sales functionality, communications and more).
• Develop and test new component models that develop new ways for members to connect that aren’t burdensome – you know that take away complex governance and reporting and onerous volunteer positions.
• Invest in a volunteer management program that includes the ability to track all volunteer activities, provides robust skill and knowledge development, and adequately acknowledges and rewards.

There are many corporate examples that offer great lessons for associations (read Kevin Holland’s Yeah, Wal-Mart Has Something to Teach Associations, Too) we just have to be willing to make the hard decisions that the corporate world makes.

PS – I’m been twittering about the great customer service over at LLBean. I received a thank you from @LLBeanPR. I wasn’t following them on Twitter. They listened, heard me, and thanked me. When’s the last time you “caught” a member being nice and thanked them?

Cynthia D’Amour posted a challenge to put the essence of our chapters in just 6 words. The challenge started over in Facebook to put the essence of your speech in six words, but I like how Cynthia issued the challenge to us in the chapter world.

We know that we have a nano-second (okay maybe 60-sec minutes) to capture a person’s attention and draw them in to take a look at the chapter. Whether it’s a member who you are trying to engage as a volunteer or a nonmember to consider membership – you have the same 60 seconds to share your elevator speech.

Cynthia’s challenge is to take that to six words – think “Your Headline.” As you’re working on that, Cynthia suggests that you test the headline with members … do they agree and do they recognize your chapter in the headline?

So, here’s my six-word headline:
Read my original posting on that (and tell me if you agree). Now create one for your chapter and share okay? Maybe issue a contest to your chapters to each come up with the special headline and share – give each a prize or pick a few to highlight.

Need inspiration? Read Cynthia’s six-word headline here. Check out these resources too:                                                                                                                                

• Elevator Pitches on TechCrunch – Very cool site where you can upload a video of your elevator pitch and get feedback from others! Bonus, get inspiration and ideas by listening to others.
• Elevator Pitches on YouTube – Okay not all are great, but some good ideas. One worth checking out is the LAMS 2007 Elevator Speech Contest Winner
• Philanthrophy Journal Developing an Elevator Speech
• Elevator Speech Do’s & Don’ts