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In the last installment of the Difficult People blog series, we explore the last of the 16 techniques for managing your emotions when defusing uncomfortable situations with co-workers, members, and board members. STAY FLEXIBLE Different people have different triggers and responses to those triggers. Staying adaptable will help you save energy and avoid stress. KNOW WHEN TO ESCALATE As a last resort, approach your manager about the situation. Be prepared to list the techniques you’ve tried in an effort to […]

French Fry Day, Zoo Keeper Week, and Cell Phone Courtesy Month are just a few July holidays. Holiday observances are a great way to keep your association’s social media feeds active. Check out these July themes to spark ideas: Monthly Observances Ice Cream Month Blueberry Month Cell Phone Courtesy Month Picnic Month 30 More Ideas for Association Social Media Posts » Weekly Observances July 15 – 21 Zoo Keeper Week July 18 – 24 Independent Retailers Week July 19 – […]

New employees go through orientation. Why shouldn’t your new board members? Choosing good board members is critical to your association’s success. Make the most of your new resource by downloading your FREE copy of The Field Guide to Board Orientation. In it, you’ll discover foolproof ways to get new board members up to speed quickly and efficiently.   Get useful tips on how to: Structure your orientation Prepare board meeting attendees for maximum payoff Build a robust board book Hold an effective orientation debriefing Set […]

It’s that time of year again to send your members “The Survey.” As you know, some members are loyal survey takers, some like the opportunity to vent or praise, and some will always ignore the invitation. However, there’s a good chance you can increase member participation when you help your members understand why your association is conducting the survey and what you’ll do with the results. To help minimize membership reduction, see how to conduct Member Exit Surveys. Here’s a […]

Quote Notes for Associations is a sharable, strategically-selected collection of famous (and not so famous) sayings to inspire and motivate. Engage your members and prospects with dozens of motivational quotes that can be used in blog articles, newsletters, and across social media. They’re perfect for: Social media posts (think #MondayMotivation) Blog articles Newsletters Signs Presentations Speeches Websites Emails Quote Notes for Associations can be easily printed. Use it for the perfect addition to your office space. Enjoy your copy of Quote Notes […]

Paul Bunyan Day, Fishing Week, and Dairy Month are just a few June holidays. Holiday observances are a great way to keep your association’s social media feeds active. Check out these June themes to spark ideas: MONTHLY OBSERVANCES Men’s Health Month Great Outdoors Month Adopt a Cat Month Dairy Month 30 More Ideas for Association Social Media Posts » WEEKLY OBSERVANCES June 2-9       Fishing Week June 4-11     Gardening Week June 14-21   Flag Week June 24-30  Lightning Awareness Week […]

GrowthZone is excited to announce the launch of the 2018 Construction Trades and Building Association Momentum Awards Competition. The competition celebrates and showcases enterprising building and construction trades associations across North America. The competition encourages innovation by recognizing programs, events, and ideas that challenge the status quo. Entries are judged on creativity, industry impact, value to organization, value to members, and replicability. The winning Association will be awarded $1500. Additionally, there will be 3 – $500 prizes awarded, one in […]

Laurel or Yanny?  It is amazing not only how quickly this internet debate went viral, but the fact that people truly do hear the recording differently. It brings to light the age-old issue of communication breakdown. Check out From Introverts to Extroverts: Keeping All of Your Members Engaged. Have you ever told someone something – only to later find that he or she completely misunderstood you? The world is full of distractions, both external and internal. Moreover, everybody’s brain is […]

Our latest publication, Quote Notes for Associations, is a sharable, strategically-selected collection of famous (and not so famous) sayings to inspire and motivate. Engage your members and prospects with dozens of motivational quotes that can be used in blog articles, newsletters, and across social media. They’re perfect for: Social media posts (think #MondayMotivation) Blog articles Newsletters Signs Presentations Speeches Websites Emails Quote Notes for Associations can be easily printed. Use it for the perfect addition to your office space. Enjoy your copy […]

Our latest publication, Quote Notes for Associations, is a sharable, strategically-selected collection of famous (and not so famous) sayings to inspire and motivate. Engage your members and prospects with dozens of motivational quotes that can be used in blog articles, newsletters, and across social media. They’re perfect for: Social media posts (think #MondayMotivation) Blog articles Newsletters Signs Presentations Speeches Websites Emails Quote Notes for Associations can be easily printed. Use it for the perfect addition to your office space. Enjoy your copy […]

Crisis response planning is something most organizations don’t want to think about. Numerous studies also confirm that only about half of all organizations have any kind of crisis plan in place.  Make sure your association is prepared. The intent of crisis communications is to strategically restore and preserve an organization’s reputation.  Even though it might not be a “fun” process to write a plan, it is crucial if you want to be ready to mitigate an issue. The goal is […]

Leveraging social media is a great way to open a dialog and grow your organization’s relationship with its members. See Part 1 of Social Media Relationship Building with Frank Kenny. Here are 8 more tactics for your organization to implement to generate relationship-building conversations on social media: Post during off-business hours. Lots of people are using two devices when watching TV so take advantage of it. There is less competition in the evening to be in news feeds. You could […]