A familiar refrain in the song about embracing social media goes like this “it’s about listening.” David Alston of Radian6 gives us another verse in his presentation on "I Love Stories" captured over at the Conversation Agent blog.  It’s 45 slides but skip to #30 to learn the ten conversations you need to listen for in social media. The one to focus in on is #1: The point of need. How can we as associations remain relevant if we don’t know the changing needs of our customer base? And, how can we grow if we don’t anticipate future needs?

David is obviously talking about social media conversations. I would suggest that these conversations are happening in many places around our associations in addition to the social media sphere. Take your components (you know chapters, communities of practice, councils, sections, SIGs) for example. These are natural places for your customers to gather and they do talk about their needs and about you. Are you listening?

Two slideshows to watch if you’re the least interested in how components – face-to-face and virtual – fit into your association.

The message of both is really about building community.

Values matter - so say two very different sources ... but what are we as association executives doing about that.

Now here's an interesting thought on the question of determining value of chapters ... I reread an interesting posting about social media technologies which quoted a presentation by Janet Hall, CMO of TMNG Global. Janet said research indicates "that the companies actively exploring social media technologies in the B2B marketplace are evaluating the success of their efforts based on a Return on Engagement (ROE) instead of an Return on Investment (ROI)."

Are their SAGA Associations ... the non-profit version of SAGA corporations Google, Starbucks, Apple, and Amazon?

Great conversation going on over at Acronym on how helpful are member needs assessment surveys.

The debate goes on – on Acronym, in blogs, across phone lines and even across desks. The debate is about strategic planning. I guess we’re largely debating because its more fun that doing a strategic plan.

An interesting question was posed to Amy Dickinson of Ask Amy in her Sept. 2 column in the Washington Post that every association executive - volunteer managers in particular - should read. The writer, known only as Time for Change asked if there is a proper way to resign from organizations without citing specific reasons. "Time" had reached burn-out after 40 years of "volunteering countless hours." (Yes, I do admit to scanning Ask Amy after all it's on the comics page ;0.)

ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership unveiled the Decision To Volunteer research study at its Annual Meeting in San Diego. I'll be sharing the research and insights about this groundbreaking study as we delve more into it. Here's a great summary from Cynthia D'Amour that captures the essence of it.

ASAE & The Center's Decision To Volunteer study is packed with aha's, told-you-so's and myth busters. Read Ben Martin's review of the book published by ASAE & The Center and authored by Beth Gazley and Monica Dignam (and thanks Ben for the appreciation of the "acting on the findings" section in key chapters which was the handiwork of a team including me largely from the Component Relations Section Council).