Interview with Jeff De Cagna on The Next Traditions of Association 3.0

Hi Dave! I am actually at home today in Reston. I'm very happy to be with you!

Tradition is an important part of association resilience. But it also can constrain us to think in ways that are more internal when we really need to adopt a more outside in approach.

So I think we need to rethink the notion of tradition as a ways of doing things and construe tradition more as ways of thinking and being that will endure even as the world changes. And these ways of thinking and being should allow us to be generative in the way we approach our environment.

In my article, The Next Traditions of Association 3.0, I list six "next traditions":

Curiosity, which is all about being interested in learning about world around us in a deeper and less self-interested way.

Care, which is all about being empathetic and trusting in order to build stronger communities.

Imagination, which is all about innovation and the capacity to envision things that aren't currently there.

Choice, which is all about a recognition that the world around us is filled with much greater diversity than ever before and we need to find a way to include as much of it as possible.

Courage, which is all about speaking our minds and taking risks, even when it isn't politically popular to do so.

Responsibility, which is all about embracing stewardship, and leaving our organizations better than how we found them.

If we build the future of our organizations on these traditions, associations can enjoy a new trajectory of success!

Well, I think part of the problem is that we're constrained by traditions that force us to do things in certain ways.

Social technologies are challenging our approach and there is a clear sense among many association leaders that they are losing a measure of control over how things like participation, engagement and collaboration occur.

It's the best thing that could have happened to them...

Jim, I think that there are quite a few associations that are trying new things out. Check out the Association Social Media Wiki (www.associationsocialmedia.com) for a growing list of associations that are using social technologies.

I think the missing ingredient in most associations is the lack of a clear strategy for how to leverage social technologies effectively, and by that I mean not as a "bolt-on" activity, but as an integral element of an overarching organizational strategy.

Because it makes real something that I don't think has been very real for them until quite recently. Many of us have been saying for years that social technologies would change the nature of participation and engagement and I think many senior leaders simply didn't believe us.

But now things are coming to a critical mass, and the energy is growing. All of a sudden it is on the radar screen of association CEOs and boards.

I worked with a board a few months back and showed them an unofficial group for the organization that had been set up in Facebook. They reacted properly by getting involved with FB and supporting what was already happening. But how many other associations would have reacted in that way? I'm not sure.

Chris, I think we spend way too much time thinking about ROI as "return on investment." To connect back to the next traditions, I'd like to see us talk more about "return on imagination."

Now, I know, the left-brain people out there will say, "How do you measure that?" Well, at the moment, I'm not sure. But perhaps we can use our imaginations to figure that out! This is my point. What we know is very important, but in the 21st century, what we can imagine is that much more important!

Dennis this is a great question. I think there are several points. First, going back to what I said before, what's the strategic intent, i.e., how does it fit into the organization's overall strategic initiatives?

Second, I think you've got to allow strategy to drive technology choices. Don't go for bells and whistles just because you can. Go for what will work to support the kind of collaboration you want.

Clearly, you also have to think about privacy and security issues, integration with other technologies and so on. But fundamentally, it all begins with a strategic perspective rather than a technical one.

As for using FB in the way you describe, I think there is a potential to do that but we need to help people get over their concerns that information will not be secure. It can be done.

Well, I highly recommend reading the association blogs for more on this conversation. My blog is the Principled Innovation Blog at http://www.principledinnovationblog.com. I also suggest reading Ben Martin's Certified Association Executive blog (http://caeexam.blogspot.com), David Gammel's blog at http://www.highcontext.com and others. Check out the Blogoclump feed at http://www.blogoclump.com.

There are so many other recommendations to make that it will take me too long to put them all down here. Anyone interested in specific recommendations can e-mail me at jeffpi1@gmail.com!

Dave, you know I am a consultant, so I would be remiss if I didn't answer at least one of these questions with the reflexive consulting response of "it depends." :>)

In this case, however, I do think it depends on a variety of factors that will be determined by context. Overall, I think people will pay for experiences that engage them, whether they are F2F or virtual. The challenge for associations is to create such experiences.

I think this is a next traditions issue, not just in terms of imagination, but also curiosity and courage. Will we challenge our members to stretch themselves, to extend their thinking beyond conventional wisdom and prevailing orthodoxy? Will we design experiences that are rich and invite people inside a story? Or will everything be flat, uninteresting and political palatable? I know which one excites me.

I love doing podcasts, especially thought leader/author interviews. Doing podcasts is easy:

Skype + Audacity=podcast

Very simple. If you want me to elaborate, just follow up.

Well, since ASAE & The Center's Technology Conference has already happened, I encourage people to attend the Annual Meeting in San Diego in August. And I think the Marketing and Membership Conference in Baltimore in May will be excellent too.

I'll be speaking at both meetings, so I am biased. :>)

This is a good question that I think I may elaborate on in a blog post. For now, let me say that I think it means a more purposeful and intentional approach to engaging with the world. Our behavior is governed by how we think. If we change our thinking, we should be able to change our actions.

If we are captive to tradition, we limit our ability to think and act in new ways. If we construe tradition more broadly and separate it out from a blind adherence to what has been, I think we open ourselves to entirely new ways of viewing and interacting with other people, groups and organizations.

It is a difficult shift to make, but it is necessary in the 21st century.

Thanks. The book came out almost two years ago and we've received a great response. I co-authored it with Amy Smith, David Gammel, Jamie Notter and Mickie Rops and it was a great experience. We are working on an update with some new items that we will make available as a free e-book.

As for me, I have many books in my head and heart, but never enough time in my life to write them. But one of these days!

It's my pleasure. I hope we can do it again in the future. And for everyone reading this transcript, please read my blog at http://www.principledinnovationblog.com and feel free to e-mail me at jeffpi1@gmail.com.

Dave, thanks so much to you and Forum One for your interest in doing this conversation!