Fall 2016 (vol. 10 issue 4) | www.csaenet.org
EXCELLENCE BY ASSOCIATION
URTHER DOWN THE
6 FROAD
TO RELEVANCE
14 SHOWING
SOFT SKILLSVALUE USING
NEED TO KNOW
18 WHAT
TODAYYOU
ABOUT STAFFING
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contents
fall 2016
10
ITY
TUAL
PUNC
CRIT
THINKIICAL
NG
10
Jedi Mind Trick of Association
Leadership
14 Showing Value Using Soft Skills
16
How to Amaze in Your First 90 Days —
And Why It's So Critical
I
COMNTER
MU PERS
NIC ON
ATI AL
ON
N
EAT
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AD
AP
TAB
O
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6
Further Down the Road to Relevance
GA
FRIENDLY
PERSONALITY
TEAMWO
RK
SOCIALLS
SKIL
OR
features
18
What You Need to Know Today
About Staffing
vol. 10 issue 4
ILIT
Y
MW
OR
K
IVI
TY
14
departments
News from the President. . . . . . . . . . 5
Member Spotlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Resource Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Infographic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
GO DIGITAL
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Executive Memo is the quarterly publication of Colorado Society of Association Executives (CSAE) and is provided as a benefit
to members. Submit your article to [email protected]. Deadline for all material is six weeks prior to issue
date. Submissions are edited and published as space allows. Letters to the editor, suggestions, comments and encouragement
are welcome. Expressed opinions and statements in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinions of the CSAE
board of directors or its membership.
The Mission:
CSAE is the community that fosters
personal excellence for all within the
association management profession.
The Promise:
CSAE is committed to delivering
high-value programs and services.
If a CSAE member is not completely
satisfied with any CSAE offering,
CSAE will make it right or refund
the member’s money.
CSAE is:
All about leadership
Committed to association excellence
Future-focused
Unique learning opportunities
An effective advocate
csaenet.org | fall 2016 | 3
Colorado
Society of
Association
Executives
www.csaenet.org
FALL 2016
Published For:
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Executive Memo is the official magazine of CSAE, Colorado
Society of Association Executives. CSAE brings together
association leaders to foster professional and personal
excellence through unique learning opportunities that inspire
members to achieve more and guide associations into the future.
CSAE EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:
MARILEE YORCHAK, CAE, CO-CHAIR
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WHAT DO YOUR MEMBERS
Really Think?
Measuring member satisfaction and engagement is a subtle art, yet it’s critical to measuring the performance of the organization—not
simply a box to be checked. Member surveys
can be a powerful tool, but require careful
thought and planning. There’s a lot more than
meets the eye in designing an effective member satisfaction survey.
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If your organization is ready to get to the next
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CSAE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
JOAN TEZAK, CAE, CMP
[email protected]
CSAE PRESIDENT
BRIAN STOCKMAN
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NEWS
from the
president
Learn, Lead & Connect
S
eems like we are living in very busy times, and having the right priorities may
be the important key to managing our busy lives. When you ask a member,
a friend or a relative about how they are doing, it seems the answer almost
always includes “busy.” Maybe more often than not, busy also means stressed.
While being busy and being a bit stressed can be a good thing – it can help us to be
motivated or better prepared – it can also be detrimental to our health.
Having the right priorities, and keeping on track with those priorities in this
busy world can really be beneficial, as well as difficult to do. But that is exactly what
CSAE is working on: helping members to Learn more, Connect better, and to be
that recognized Leader.
Programing like you saw at the annual meeting this year was outstanding. The
PEAK luncheons and breakfast meetings have been exceptional. Our quarterly publication, Executive
Memo, is an excellent and recognized resource of quality information.
What’s ahead for CSAE is more of the same and then some! You will see more of that terrific
programming and great connection opportunities coming from the Gray Matters group as well as topnotch national speakers at special events and lunches. You will see a new website this year with better ways
to connect online and much more.
So, when you think about your busy and sometimes stressful schedule, think too about what CSAE can
do for you. We benefit from the connections we make, the things we learn and the opportunities we gain
by being part of this great organization. It may be difficult to see your way clear sometimes to make those
plans to go to an event or to sign up for a committee. But I have found it is always beneficial in the end.
Learning from and with other professionals helps keep me on top of my game. Make that connection time
for yourself – visit the CSAE website to register for upcoming events as a part of your priorities this year!
Brian Stockman EVP/CEO
American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers
csaenet.org | fall 2016 | 5
FURTHER
DOWN THE ROAD
TO RELEVANCE
By Lance Ritchlin
F
ew developments have changed association management
as much as the books Race for Relevance: 5 Radical Changes
for Associations and its companion, Road to Relevance:
5 Strategies for Competitive Associations. Authors Harrison
Coerver and Mary Byers, CAE, outlined major challenges facing
associations and offered coping strategies.
When these slender volumes were released during 2011–2013,
associations responded enthusiastically. They began paring their
governing boards to manageable sizes that reached consensus easily.
Board members were now recruited for their expertise, not just their
popularity with important membership factions.
Committee structures became leaner, focusing more on completing tasks than creating to-do lists for staff. Micromanagement
gave way to empowered staffs and CEOs. Technology investments
swelled. Executives started asking tough questions: Are we trying to be all things to all people? Should we scrap underutilized
programs?
Following the Roadmap
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has
embraced the “Relevance” model for most of Michael Cavanaugh’s
tenure as Chief Executive Officer. Harrison Coerver – the author
himself – facilitated an AAHA strategic planning session several
years ago. The result: a bylaws change that trimmed the Board
from 14 positions to eight.
“We felt that was about as many people as you could have and
allow the Board to still serve as their own executive committee,”
Dr. Cavanaugh says. Board terms range from one to three years.
The one-year starting term is a test drive to make sure new Board
6 | fall 2016 | csaenet.org
members are a good fit.
AAHA replaced most standing committees with easy-to-sunset
task forces. On each, a board liaison ensures high-level direction,
while a staff liaison keeps the group grounded in operational reality.
The “Relevance” books are a fixture of AAHA’s board
orientations, and a review of its membership structure is under
way. The organization, which once listed 28 strategic objectives,
now focuses annual resources on only three. Every November,
AAHA uses a Road to Relevance matrix to review departments and
programs, based on budget and labor required. “There really aren’t
any sacred cows anymore,” says Dr. Cavanaugh.
When Roads Converge
The Colorado Society of CPAs first found inspiration in 7
Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That
Others Don’t. Published in the early 2000s, this book was based
on a study by ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership.
By the time the “Relevance” books were published, “The
overhauling the governance model and committee operations,
we had already done,” says Executive Director Mary Medley.
Nonetheless, her association embraced the “Relevance” books
as it launched a series of initiatives. In one year, the association
relocated its offices, restructured staff, implemented a new
association management system, and launched an e-commerceenabled website – while in the midst of a major legislative
initiative.
The new mantra is “Any device, anywhere, anytime,” Mary says.
Last April, staffers replaced their PCs with MacBook Pro laptops
and moved most systems to the cloud. “Everything that Harrison
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and Mary (Byers) write about in the
books, I think, is still applicable,” Mary
says. “How we’re approaching it is very
different.”
Reading the Warning Signs
Marilen Reimer, CAE, Executive Director of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Colorado, says
Road to Relevance triggered a sweeping
revamp of ACEC’s technology, ranging
from a new mobile-ready website to a
copier that automates postage and folding
functions.
ACEC once allocated $12,000 of its
$500,000 budget for technology. Now,
it allocates $36,000 out of an $850,000
budget. The upgrades required dues
increases and dipping into reserves.
Marilen says the key to obtaining Board
buy-in was to recognize and communicate
probable budget impacts far in advance.
Transparency and proactivity also helped
rally support among members.
Exploring New Avenues
Ralph Johnson, Executive Director
of the Colorado Veterinary Medical
Association (CVMA), says the “Relevance”
books inspired several key initiatives.
The first—a strategy session outgrowth—
addressed demands for a lower price
barrier to entry-level membership and
greater customization of the member
experience.
In October 2015, CVMA created three
membership categories: Basic, Core
and Premium, each with an escalating
bundle of benefits. “Our membership is
at 107 percent of what it was a year ago,”
Ralph says. “It’s clearly resonated with the
marketplace.”
More members than expected—23
percent—selected the Basic package, so
the association is now focusing on ways to
communicate its value proposition more
effectively and encourage members to
upgrade.
CVMA also recently converted many
independent districts into chapters. This
resolved some compliance and reporting
issues and allowed greater leveraging
of programs throughout the veterinary
community. A byproduct of restructuring
could be a more consolidated Board—
something CVMA will explore this fall.
Associated General Contractors (AGC)
of Colorado followed Race for Relevance
in cutting the number of standing
committees in half. “We did that in 2012
during the recession as part of a plan to
say, ‘If push came to shove, what would we
do and not do?”’ says President and CEO
Michael Gifford. “In the recession, push
really came to shove.”
As an example, AGC of Colorado
eliminated its Education Committee
and dissolved a related staff position,
outsourcing some occasional training.
Members now informally recommend
training topics, which has made programs
more responsive to market changes and
increased participation. The organization
also decided not to add any new event
unless they drop a corresponding
commitment.
Local AGC leaders had been aware
of Race to Relevance, but it took a
presentation by author Harrison Coerver
to get national leaders on board. Gifford
says chapter executives are reluctant to cut
bad programs championed by influential
members. “What the book does is give you
the guts to actually give it a try,” he says.
He points out that if you make a mistake,
you can always reinstate the program.
The Road Ahead
Road hazards remain. Associations still
haven’t unlocked the secret to recruiting
Millennials or delivering Amazon.comlevel service on a nonprofit budget.
But Marilen Reimer acknowledges
the impact of Race for Relevance and
Road to Relevance: “Both books gave
us the opportunity to evaluate what we
do to show the value of membership to
our members.”
Mary Medley believes association
CEOs must continue to lead the way in
learning and creatively disrupting their
organizations. Otherwise, “We become
irrelevant instantly,” she says.
Lance Ritchlin is former editor of
the Journal of Financial Planning
and now a freelance writer and
marketing consultant.
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csaenet.org | fall 2016 | 9
2016-04-29 11:21 AM
By Jeffrey W. Arnold, MAM, CAE
President, Leading Associations
10 | fall 2016 | csaenet.org
of the best
measures of your effectiveness as an association executive
is the degree to which volunteer leaders take ownership of
your ideas. If I hear the newly elected association president
giving an opening address at the Annual Meeting outlining
the three key goals of his or her administration and I think to
myself – hey, those were my ideas… I’ve succeeded. I call
that the Jedi Mind Trick of association leadership.
Balance Leading and Serving
Two recipes for association CEO unemployment: being
too strong or too weak.
A board that is passive or docile and simply “rubber
stamps” executive initiatives will eventually turn on a
well-meaning, not intentionally autocratic executive. At
some point, a perception of being railroaded develops,
and either the full board or a strong-willed board member
will rise in the ranks whose primary objective is to remind
the executive “who’s boss.” Blindsided by the rebellion,
the executive wonders – why am I getting punished for my
initiative when the problem is a bad board?
This dynamic also plays out where the board has strong,
outspoken personalities but is led by an equally strong,
autocratic executive. If the organization is performing well,
the board may forgive autocratic behavior (sometimes for
years). But eventually the board will no longer tolerate a
“my way or the highway” approach regardless of how well
the association is performing. The hallway conversations
begin to spin around “who does the CEO thinks owns
this association, anyway? Last time I looked, it was OUR
association.” This scenario generally ends badly for the
executive.
On the other side of the pendulum, an executive that
appears to be little more than a “minutes-taker” at board
meetings and a quiet backroom administrator will leave
the board questioning “why are we paying so much for
a secretary?” They question whether this individual can
advance organizational strategy or take them to the next
level. Regardless of actual organizational performance,
they seek out new leadership.
Actual Performance Only Goes so Far
Regardless of actual performance is a key point. In many
cases, by objective performance measures—financial
performance, conference attendance, membership growth,
etc.—the CEOs mentioned above may be doing a fantastic
job. In fact, board members might concede shortly after
firing the CEO that the organization has never been
performing better. Huh?
The key driver of a competent association executive’s
continued employment is the relationship with the board,
not actual performance. Obviously, poor performance is a
surefire path to failure.
Lead by Influence
The most important skillset for an association CEO is to
learn to lead through influence, not authority. A leader who
is an effective influencer finds the right balance between
leading and serving. Too far in the leadership column and
you become an autocrat. Too far on the service side and you
are an administrative assistant. Neither approach maximizes
service to the Board. Simultaneously leading and serving is
what produces the best results.
But how you lead is a subtle factor for long-term success
in association management. In the corporate world, the
“kick __ and take names” style of executive leadership is
often admired. In the association world, not so much.
csaenet.org | fall 2016 | 11
Studies have shown that for-profit CEOs
who appear dominant seem to do well, but
for nonprofit leaders, it’s just the opposite.
In a 2008 column in Nonprofit Quarterly,
Jim Collins wrote that nonprofit executives
should exhibit less “executive” leadership
and more “legislative” leadership, which
requires “persuasiveness, encouraging
participation, sharing credit, teaming and
organizational sensitivity.”1
in the hierarchy. Here are some key ways
to build that kind of partnership:
• Provide the board with the data
and criteria they need to make their
own informed decisions, rather than
making the decisions for them.
• Don’t surprise them. The sooner you
can provide information on a situation
that could have a major impact on the
association—even if the information
may make you look bad—the better.
They’ll be far more forgiving of an
honest mistake than being blindsided.
Communicate Your Value
The board will willingly turn to you
for leadership if you communicate your
value. To get respect, it’s critical that you
be a resource they rely on and trust your
knowledge and experience. When the
board says “What do you think?” you
know they appreciate the knowledge and
experience you bring to the table. Whether
they ask you for input is a good indicator
of your perceived value.
An effective board/CEO relationship is
one where you are viewed as a partner by
the board, neither above nor below them
• When you do take a stand, it should
always for what is in the best interest of
the organization, the right thing to do,
not to satisfy your own ego or to push
the organization in a direction that you
personally think is best. Ultimately, it’s
their association, not yours.
ricing
dP
unte
co
E Dis
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or Sp
day f
To
Call
• Be an invaluable resource for guidance
and counsel, lending your expertise to
help the board navigate difficult waters.
• Focus on leaving the organization
better than you found it and setting it
up for success without you. The more
the board knows “it’s not about you,”
the more they’ll trust and admire you.
The last key may be the most important. The CEOs who tend to have the
greatest longevity and respect are CEOs
who are perceived as wanting what’s best
for the organization and keeping their
ego out of it.
Jeffrey Arnold, MAM, CAE, is
President and Co-Owner of Leading
Associations. He is a skilled trainer,
facilitator and governance
consultant, and serves as Executive
Director for two clients, the North American
Transportation Management Institute (NATMI)
and The Sales Association.
References: Associations Now, “Shark, Weak?
New Study Argues Nonprofit Execs Should Be
Cuddly” by Ernie Smith, June 28, 2016.
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csaenet.org | fall 2016 | 13
LITY
A
U
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UNC
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COMNTER
MU PERS
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TEAMWO
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FRIENDLY Y
PERSONALIT
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THINKIICAL
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SOCIALLS
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SHOWING VALUE USING
SOFT SKILLS
A
ccording to an article in the
Denver Post titled “In-Demand
Job Skills,” finding workers with
the right soft skills is one of the major
issues facing employers today. According
to a definition from Google, soft skills are
those that enable effective and agreeable
interaction with others.
Communication topped the list of soft
skills that employers seek. As an executive
with an association, you are fully aware
of the need for communication in all
areas of your work. However, how many
of us are successful in communicating
to our Board the value we bring to the
association? Let’s look at promoting our
value through soft skills.
The standard benchmark for your value
as an executive is how well the association
is operating in areas such as:
14 | fall 2016 | csaenet.org
• High member retention rates
• New members
• Meeting and/or exceeding budgeted
income
• Conferences and/or events success
• Achieving strategic goals
We are very good about communicating
our achievements in these areas. Boards are
looking for success in these areas from their
executive director. What we are missing is
communicating how we achieved success
in these areas. This success is based, in a
large part, on soft skills.
Communication
As a successful executive, you are
routinely taking advantage of all the soft
skills required to do the demanding job
By Dorothy J. Shadrick, MBA, CAE
of corralling volunteers to work with staff
and each other for the betterment of the
organization. You are able to look at the
environment of the organization and
the challenges your board members face
to be successful in their volunteer roles.
You utilize your communication skills
to inspire and engage your team to face
the challenges of achieving success with
limited volunteer and staff time. Are you
communicating this skill to your board?
Critical Thinking
Another highly rated “soft skill” is
critical thinking. The definition of critical
thinking is “the objective analysis and
evaluation of an issue in order to form a
judgment.” Critical thinking is one of the
most prevalent soft skills of an association
executive. You are constantly analyzing and
evaluating projects, timelines, resources,
board success, etc. Take the time to analyze
the most important areas in which your
superior critical thinking moved your
association forward. Take the opportunity
to highlight this skill when recommending
successful endeavors for the organization.
Adaptability
A buzz word in the association arena
used to be “nimble.” As an organization,
you need to continue to scan your external
and internal environments and be nimble
enough to change the way you operate to
take advantage of change. In the soft skill
arena, you need to be adaptable. As the
executive for the organization as well as the
leader of your team, adaptability is a key
factor in your success. You know you need
to adapt to continually changing members
of your board as well as the changes in the
environments in which your organization
serves. What have you done recently
that highlights your adaptability and has
helped your association overcome/meet
extraordinary challenges?
The other top ten soft skills are
organization, teamwork, punctuality,
social skills, creativity, interpersonal
communication and a friendly personality.
In another light, you can utilize
these soft skills in working with your
staff. According to the Post article,
organizations hire for technical skills
and fire for soft skills. So, when you are
looking to add staff, focus not only on the
technical skills but also the soft skills that
will be required in the position. When
working with your current staff, help them
to enhance their soft skills to increase
their value to your organization.
Bruce Tulgan, the founder of Rainmaker
Thinking Inc., recommends the following
ways to build up soft skills, right from the
start of employment:
• Name certain soft skills, and describe
why they are important to the
organization.
• Explain how the cultivation of these
soft skills can benefit careers.
• Lay out step-by-step directions for
what staff needs to do to achieve these
soft skills.
•A
cknowledge when staff is attaining
certain soft skills.
Fostering soft skills throughout
your organization will help you show
additional value and increase the overall
success of the organization. As the
executive director, your value to the
association and/or board is increased by
demonstrating that you and your staff
focus on soft skills as well as having the
necessary technical skills to accomplish
the organization’s strategic goals.
Dorothy J. Shadrick, MBA, CAE
After working for the State of
Colorado and for two national
nonprofits, in 1987 Dorothy founded
Association Conferences &
Exhibition Management Inc., which became part
of Civica in 2015. She has a BBA from the
University of Denver and an MBA from the
University of Phoenix. She also serves as
executive director for some of Civica
Management’s largest associations. MEET IN
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csaenet.org | fall 2016 | 15
How to
IN YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS
And Why it’'s
So Critical
By Sandra Zoratti and Michelle Reeb
16 | fall 2016 | csaenet.org
You got the job. Now what?
Preparing to start your new job can be terrifying. Your first
days and first weeks in a new role can be nervewracking as
irrational insecurities run rampant in your brain. It’s tough to
walk into an ambiguous situation where you are the novice, you
don’t know the unwritten rules or your new co-workers, yet you
feel compelled to impress quickly.
One company invested in a comprehensive two-month
training program for its new hires. The program rotated the
group through departments and culminated in a small group
meet-up with the CEO over sodas and snacks. Rose, one of the
new hires, was sipping her soda and speaking with the CEO
when someone made a joke and Rose laughed explosively,
spewing soda all over the CEO’s face.
Not exactly the stellar start we dream of…
The good news is that this start did not prevent Rose from
generating strong results and building an impressive career.
What Rose did after the training program, in her first days on the
“real” job, made all the difference in the world.
Listen: Two Ears, One Mouth
While this adage is timeless advice that I am always trying to
follow, it is even more critical during your first 90 days in a new role.
Listening to your new members, your new boss or Board
members, and your new co-workers to gain a deeper
understanding of their needs and pain points will
help you prioritize what
is most important to the
organization. Listening is
“We have two ears
the crucial underpinning
and one mouth so that
that sets the stage for your
we can listen twice as
first 90 days, crafting a
much as we speak.”
roadmap of where you
should focus and paving the
– Epictetus
way for you to create some
shorter-term success.
90 days, 100 percent
Changing jobs often brings many simultaneous and competing
challenges: winding down old jobs, potentially relocating and
handling many priorities outside of your new job. However, this is
the time to prioritize and focus like a laser beam.
It is not your first day or first week that defines you; however,
your first 90 days can. Using your first 90 days as your proving
ground and giving 100 percent to your new role will ramp up
your credibility—with your new boss, your new co-workers,
members and the Board.
Mary worked at the same association for over 25 years and
grew it very successfully. When she landed a new role, Mary
wanted to ensure that her former association was well cared for
and that transitions would
be smooth. Thus, she
“Focus on where
considered offering herself
you want to be, not
part-time to help her
where you were.”
former employer transition
while she started her new
– Anonymous
job. She wrestled with this
decision, knowing her time
would be stretched. Ultimately,
Mary decided not to work both jobs and instead, focused 100
percent on her new role. After 90 days, Mary had earned respect
and established credibility by generating a few key wins for her
new company and was rewarded with an early bonus—after just 90
days on the job!
One homerun
Navigating a new situation usually results in many
opportunities. The most successful new hires will sift through
the possibilities and look for one short-term homerun where
they can showcase their acumen and contribute to business
results. So, in addition to listening to uncover core
needs and focusing “solely” on
your new opportunity with
100% effort, finding the one,
“Divide the fire
shorter-term area where
and you will the
you can make a difference
sooner put it out.”
offers a defining moment
that makes your first 90
– Publilius Syrus
days an impressive start to a
sustainable career.
Wrap
By knowing your priorities and committing to take action
to achieve them, your first 90 days can be the perfect proving
ground for your new role. Exemplary employees start by
listening more than talking to gain understanding, focusing on
one “master” vs. two, and selecting a specific home run on which
to channel their energy. Deconstructing the new job terrors and
planning your first few steps will help ensure a strong start and
lead to a more solid journey in your new role.
Sandra Zoratti is an award-winning business leader and
speaker. She launched the data-driven marketing practice,
“Precision Marketing,” and coauthored the book, Precision
Marketing: Maximizing Revenue Through Relevance.
Michelle Reeb believes that a simple change to our approach
will unleash increased productivity, profitability and happiness
in our workplace. As co-founder of The Marketer Network,
she is connecting the right people to the right teams for the
right reasons for the benefit of everyone involved.
csaenet.org | fall 2016 | 17
What You Need to Know Today
ABOUT STAFFING
By Curtis Graves, Mountain States Employment Council
E
mployment law is the best area to
practice in. I could be writing leases,
negotiating contracts, or drafting
legislation. Instead, everything I do relates
to bad human behavior.
Married CEO sleeping with a project
manager? Yep. Telemarketers shooting
heroin in the ladies’ room? Check.
Accidental handgun discharge lodges bullet
in co-worker’s butt? It really happened.
My nephew works in aerospace. He
controls satellites from his desktop. His
dad—my brother—believes this should
impress me, and it does. But it’s not as
interesting as the IT guy recording his
colleague expressing breast milk in the
lactation room. Every time I think I’ve
heard everything, someone raises the bar.
18 | fall 2016 | csaenet.org
Your problems are my livelihood.
So am I jaded, or are there things that
keep me up at night? The answer to both
questions is “yes.”
If no one broke the rules, I would be out
of business. But if a client does need me,
I want to be able to help. Sometimes, the
government makes it difficult.
Take marijuana, for example. Marijuana
is legal under Colorado state law, but still
illegal under federal law. The various local,
state, and federal agencies find the whole
thing quite fascinating.
I recently worked on a discrimination
allegation where two government agencies
claimed jurisdiction. In nine years of
employment law, I’ve never seen this
happen, and it shouldn’t. It can lead to
a situation where one agency exonerates
an employee while another finds it liable,
precisely what interagency cooperation is
supposed to prevent. These situations do
not inspire confidence, and I hope it’s nine
years before I see it happen again.
In addition to recreational marijuana,
Colorado still permits medical marijuana.
This brings up another area of increasing
danger to employers: interviewing. Many
times, I’ve been asked what to do when an
applicant mentions in an interview that
he or she has a medical marijuana card.
Clients want me to say it’s ok to pass on the
candidate and move on to the next one.
Not so fast.
While I recognize that many medical
marijuana patients may not – strictly
speaking – be all that ill, anyone who
has one probably meets the definition of
“disabled” under federal law. Therefore,
disqualifying someone simply for having
the card may be the equivalent – to the
government – of refusing to hire someone
for their disability. Don’t do it.
The correct approach is to tell the
applicant that regardless of their medical
marijuana status, they’ll still need to
pass a drug test like everyone else. If
your association doesn’t perform preemployment drug tests, simply tell them the
expectation is that they not come to work
impaired. Should you suspect impairment at
some future date and they fail a reasonablesuspicion drug test, you can terminate them.
At least until marijuana’s legal status changes
under federal law.
Learning that an interviewee has a medical marijuana card is just one interviewing pitfall. Unfortunately, as technology
makes our lives easier by permitting us to
“pre-interview” candidates by having them
answer a set of predetermined questions, it
also creates new problems.
Recently, a colleague told me that
in South America, an applicant has no
chance whatsoever of landing a job unless
their resume includes a photograph,
information about their family, and a list
of hobbies. Collecting this information
in the U.S. would be unthinkable.
Nonetheless, some employers are preinterviewing candidates by having them
video themselves answering questions,
which, of course, tells the viewer the
candidate’s race, approximate age, etc.,
before they ever walk through the door.
Obviously, you’re going to learn most
of their protected statuses eventually,
but if a series of people with a protected
trait in common is not even called in for
an in-person interview, you are asking
for trouble. More than once, I’ve heard
of candidates in in-person interviews
actually volunteering protected-status
information to set the employer up
for a lawsuit when they don’t offer the
candidate a job. Rest assured, someone
out there is plotting to sue you for a
frivolous reason even as you read this.
Don’t make it easy for them.
Finally, as we prepare for the new
overtime rules to go into effect on
December 1, it’s worthwhile to revisit the
status of nonprofit businesses vis-à-vis the
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
To be subject to minimum wage and
overtime requirements and thus qualify for
the FLSA’s protections, employees must be
“covered” by the FLSA, either because (1) the
organization is a covered enterprise; or (2)
a particular worker is individually covered.
Many nonprofits are not covered enterprises
under the FLSA, but most nonprofits
have some employees who are covered
individually and are therefore entitled to the
minimum wage and overtime protections
guaranteed by the FLSA.
This is a complex area of the law, so if
you have questions, it’s imperative you
consult competent legal counsel.
Curtis Graves Esq., SPHR, is
Information Resource Manager for
the Mountain States Employers
Council. He regularly trains human
resources professionals,
managers, supervisors, and employees in
legal issues related to drugs, harassment,
unemployment compensation, performance
documentation, and civil rights. Curtis has
appeared on CNN, National Public Radio,
and Al Jazeera, as well as local media, to
discuss employment law and how it relates to
recreational marijuana in Colorado.
csaenet.org | fall 2016 | 19
MEMBER spotlight
Brian Stockman, EVP & CEO,
The American Society of Farm
Managers and Rural Appraisers®
(ASFMRA®)
B
rian has over 25 years of association management experience with professional and trade
organizations and nonprofit foundations.
He has served on the ASAE Ethics
Committee, the CSAE Board and he is
currently serving as CSAE’s President.
He has also served on a number of
committees for CSAE and other SAEs.
He was also honored several years ago
with the CSAE Association Professional
of the Year award.
Brian joined CSAE when he moved
to Denver, to get connected to others in
the profession. He says that the networking alone is worth far more than
the investment of time and money, and
the educational opportunities have also
been a huge bonus—CSAE stands tall in
comparison to some other SAEs in the
quality and quantity of programs deliv-
20 | fall 2016 | csaenet.org
ered. He says, “Being a member helps
me grow stronger professionally.”
He has a passion around helping
organizations with change and forward
progress. Change is difficult, but with
patience and a clear vision it is possible
to make really great changes.
Fun for Brian is time with his family.
He has one daughter in high school, two
married sons, and “one fantastic granddaughter.” He enjoys nature photography
and has enjoyed investing a lot of time
in church projects and programs for the
past 15 years.
Brian grew up on a farm/ranch operation in Eastern Kansas and majored in
Fine Art in college. He no longer takes
time to draw or paint today, but has “a
great appreciation for those that do.”
Starting out in the association profession, he left the big box retail world and
“Being a member
helps me grow stronger
professionally."
started with a smaller state trade association in central Missouri at the recommendation of his brother, who had been
working in the association management
for a number of years and recommended
it as great career path.
Brian describes his greatest professional accomplishment as saving an
association in serious financial trouble,
but he says his greatest accomplishment overall has been “marrying my wife
Michele. She is my best friend, best supporter and balanced critic when I need it,
and I often do.”
RESOURCE review
Winning Well: A Manager's Guide to
Getting Results–Without Losing Your Soul
Book review by Francine Butler, PhD, CAE, CMP, President, Empressa Consulting
T
he following text appears in the book jacket: “Winning
Well is your lifeline for getting the results you need while
keeping employees (and yourself) happy and motivated.
Filled with humor, straight talk and hard won truths, the book
gathers the best leadership ideas and reshapes them into
quick, practical action plans.”
There are four sections focused on
settings for winning well, achieving
results, motivating the team and motivation. If you care to use the book and its
principles you can also download a Tool
Kit with additional resources, appendices, activities and handouts, which the
authors suggest you “keep…nearby you
as you read.”
Getting started, the authors list three
components to managing with confidence: know your strengths, stand up
for what matters and speak the truth.
These components are certainly applicable to every aspect of managing,
working or daily living.
The book is literally full of pithy comments: “use data to drive, not drown
your team…measurements are not
what you do; measurement represents
what you do.”
A section on achieving results highlights a facet of operations we sometimes lose sight of—set clear expectations and be sure they are understood.
At the completion of the project, celebrate success. We so often get caught
up in timelines that finishing one project
simply means we start another – so
taking time to stop and appreciate those
who contributed to success is vital.
Several approaches to issues are
introduced using mnemonics. For
example, if staff is having trouble being
heard, employ VOICE. Translated, that
is Visualize, Organize, Inquire, Consider,
Energize. To get results, use a FAST
model: Focus, Acknowledge, Stretch,
and Think.
The book closes with a chapter on
inspiration and motivation to yield a
winning legacy both personally and
professionally.
By Karin Hurt and David Dye
Copyright 2016
257 pages
Published by American
Management Association
$24.95
csaenet.org | fall 2016 | 21
The Workforce is Changing – Is Your Association Ready?
70%
SOCIAL MEDIA
1 in 3 college students and young professionals under age 30
prioritize social media freedom over salary in accepting a job offer.
of college grads leave their first job
after graduation within two years.
Source: XYZ University, Grad Staff
Source: Cisco Connected World Report
60%
Nearly
of Generation Y has switched
careers at least once already.
Pew Research Center, A Portrait of Generation Next, 2010
Source: Cisco Connected Workplace Report
HOTTEST SKILLS
ON AVERAGE
Source: LinkedIn, Sohan Murthy, 2015
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
10,000 BABY BOOMERS
RETIRE EVERY DAY
Cloud & Distributed Computing
Statistical Analysis & Data Mining
Marketing Campaign Management
SEO/SEM Marketing
Middleware & Integration Software
Mobile Development
Network & Information Security
Storage Systems and Management
Web Architecture and Development Frameworks
User Interface design
Source: XYZ University, Grad Staff
341.4 million in 2020
308.7 million in 2010
Population increase
of 32.7 million
in 10 years
2
CONTINUE GROWING
AT A SLOWER RATE
0.98% in 2010; 0.94% in 2020
(result of aging population)
3
4
GROW OLDER
BECOME
MORE
DIVERSE
In 2020, the population
of 55 Years+ will total
97.8 million
28.7%
55 Years+
2020
24.7%
55 Years+
2010
Labor force participation of the 55+ age group
32.4%
2000
2010
40.2%
2020
Age is a major factor in the labor supply — so the aging of
the population will affect the growth of the labor force.
22 | fall 2016 | csaenet.org
Source: The Pulse Report, XYZ University
Source: Marketwatch.com
Source: www.bls.gov/opub
Mitra Toosi, Bureau of Labor Statistics
GET LARGER
22.9%
Only
of associations have a plan in place to
engage the next generation.
It costs employers between $15K and
$25K to replace every Millennial who
leaves the company.
THE U.S. POPULATION IS EXPECTED TO:
1
3 out of 5 students expect to be
able to work remotely.
Every race & ethnicity
is projected to grow.
43%
25%
of nonprofit
employees
under age
55 expect to
leave their
jobs in a year
91%
of Gen Y employees don’t
expect to stay more than three years at
any given job.
Source: XYZ University
18%
of employees are looking
for new job opportunities in the next
3 months.
Source: Glassdoor.com
31% of employers say they’ve
found it difficult to fill positions
because of shortage of talent.
Source: Manpower
40% within
2-4 years.
Source: LinkedIn, Greensource
for Nonprofits
In the U.S., employees spend an
average of 13 hours during the
workweek worrying about what their
boss says or does.
Source: DesignTaxi.com
75%
of Gen Y employees
want mentors.
Source: holykaw.alltop.com
Marilee Yorchak, CAE, Digital Analytics Association, and Laurie Shields, Laurie Shields Design.
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