BlogClump - Blogging About Associations From a Gen Xer

I know I have been very inconsistent, but I have just started reading Chris Anderson's latest book Free - which you can read for free in some versions . The Long Tail is my favorite book, and I am hoping this one can upstage it. I am getting through it pretty quick and have a lot to say about it. The first few chapters delve into the history of Free and how it has been used over the ages. One thing I found interesting was when talking about capitalism, socialism and primitive societies, Anderson talks about the link economy and how at a certain point the size of a group comes into play. ...the social bonds that police such mutual aid tend to fray when the size of the group exceeds 150 (termed the " Dunbar Number " -- the empirically observed limit at which the members of a human community can maintain strong links with one another). When it comes to in-person events/communities/societies, anything greater than 150 tends to fall apart. But, the virtual world has change...

I can't believe it has been a month since I have posted. Oh well. Such is life. A lot has happened in this month. I am writing this from our new office space, in various stages of construction/repair/cosmetic disarray. By the end of the week, I am hoping we are good to go. In thinking about everything going on with my association, I wanted to post a few thoughts on change. When an association is going through changes, there are really 4 distinct areas of change. And I believe they fall within this hierarchy: 1. Mission/Vision 2. Strategy 3. Organization 4. Process The one on top has to be done and set before the one below it. On a rare occasion you can do two of these at the same time, but it is rare. One begets the other starting at the top. The top 2 are really Board activities (with input from members and staff). The bottom 2 are Staff driven, primarily the ED. This may seem very basic, but I have heard from folks and seen it myself that people are asked to change #3 ...