{"id":3637,"date":"2014-12-12T13:12:12","date_gmt":"2014-12-12T18:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/?p=3637"},"modified":"2014-12-12T13:12:12","modified_gmt":"2014-12-12T18:12:12","slug":"top-stories-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/top-stories-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Stories of 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_31\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31\" style=\"width: 100px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2012\/07\/Features-e1390339615618.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31\" src=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2012\/07\/Features-e1390339615618.jpg\" alt=\"Hank Berkowitz, Association Adviser\" width=\"100\" height=\"97\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Hank Berkowitz, Association Adviser<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>From NextGen to NDR, there are infinite ways to grow and sustain your organization in these challenging times. As our analysis of <em>Association Adviser\u2019s<\/em> 30 best-read stories of 2014 showed, career development, communication tools, leadership, networking and technology bubbled to the top of the rankings. No surprises there, as these topics are longtime staples of the association content menu. What <em>did<\/em> surprise us was the different flavors and techniques used to prepare these familiar dishes.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/02\/Tweetables-icon.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-2502 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/02\/Tweetables-icon.jpg\" alt=\"Tweetables\" width=\"300\" height=\"65\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Non-dues revenue, communication tools, membership trends and tech topped the list\u2014but not always in the ways you\u2019d expect.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ctt.ec\/68Kdz\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-2517\" src=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/02\/RealLilTweetables.png\" alt=\"RealLilTweetables\" width=\"17\" height=\"15\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/02\/LilTweetables4.png\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes the littlest things can yield the biggest results whether it\u2019s staff appreciation, membership development or taking care of sponsors.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ctt.ec\/4fle4\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-2517\" src=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/02\/RealLilTweetables.png\" alt=\"RealLilTweetables\" width=\"17\" height=\"15\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Leadership, professional development and organizational culture will increasingly occupy our minds in 2015.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/o897mam\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-2517 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/02\/RealLilTweetables.png\" alt=\"RealLilTweetables\" width=\"17\" height=\"15\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>For instance, we all know how important is to get the best and brightest young minds to join our associations, but how about working for us? That doesn\u2019t get much coverage, but it must have hit a nerve as <strong>Katie White\u2019s<\/strong> insightful piece <a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/welcome-new-staff-association\/\">How to Welcome New Staff to Your Association<\/a> emerged as our second most-read story of 2014. And with the economy and job market improving, minimizing staff turnover is a key objective for association leaders. Sometimes it\u2019s the little things you do that pay the biggest dividends. As <strong>Tara Ericson<\/strong> explained in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/birthday-cake-reserved-parking-spots-can-increase-productivity\/\">How Cake and Parking Spots Can Increase Productivity<\/a> \u201cyou should recognize staff members\u2019 birthdays and anniversaries even when you have a task list that\u2019s a mile long.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Career\/Workplace Issues<\/strong><\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/welcome-new-staff-association\/\">How to Welcome New Staff to Your Association<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Rank 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/birthday-cake-reserved-parking-spots-can-increase-productivity\/\">How Cake and Parking Spots Can Increase Productivity<\/a><\/td>\n<td>18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jill Andreu,<\/strong> vice president of\u00a0content strategy and development at Naylor Association Solutions, said she expects to see more emphasis on retaining members and staff in 2015. She points to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mheda.org\">Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association<\/a> (MHEDA) as an organization that has been very effective in this area. \u201cThey\u2019re like a big family,\u201d she observed. Andreu also expects to see more emphasis on the power of goal setting. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about setting goals for your association, but for your staff and yourself as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My colleague<strong>\u00a0Kelly Donovan Clark<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/2015-association-trends\">predicts members will increasingly expect career services<\/a> from their associations in 2015. \u201cAssociations are in a prime position to help professionals maintain their skill sets and advance their careers with the help of online career centers and networks,\u201d she wrote in today\u2019s issue. That\u2019s especially important because, as <strong>Peter Weddle<\/strong> points out in \u201cThe Truth About Talent,\u201d the most talented people in your industry or profession aren\u2019t active job-seekers. They\u2019re \u201ccareer activists\u201d who don\u2019t really look for jobs, but are \u201calways searching for ways to advance themselves in their fields.\u201d<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Leadership<\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" width=\"369\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/smart-associations-differently\/\">What Smart Associations Do Differently<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Rank 6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/corner-office-learned-leadership-arnold-schwarzenegger\/\">What I Learned About Leadership from Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/a><\/td>\n<td>10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In her work with many associations across North America, Andreu is seeing great emphasis on preparing the next generation of leaders and many organizations are forming \u201cemerging leader groups.\u201d She also thinks more associations will become \u201cSinek-ish\u201d in the coming years. In other words, they\u2019ll really be digging deep and asking themselves why they do what they do to borrow a page from management guru, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.startwithwhy.com\/About.aspx\">Simon Sinek<\/a> (author of business bestseller <em>Start With Why<\/em>).<br \/>\n<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>\u201cThe worst thing is just doing things the same way because that\u2019s how they\u2019ve always been done in the past,\u201d explained <strong>Frank Rudd<\/strong>, president of the Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE). \u201cWe continue to look at every program every year. Is it something that members want? Are they participating in it? Is it something they\u2019re going to be involved in? \u00a0See today\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/frank-rudd\">Corner Office Profile<\/a> for more leadership insights from Rudd.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Association leaders should be good at \u201cconnecting the dots,\u201d said <strong>Pamela Hemann<\/strong>, president of Association Management Services, Inc. and executive director of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.leadershipcalifornia.org\/i4a\/pages\/index.cfm?pageid=1\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership California<\/a>. \u201cYou need to be a really good listener and aggregator of what you hear. It\u2019s the ability to take all those opinions\u2014the variety of things you see happening in the environment\u2014and pull them together in some meaningful pattern or trend. Then you have to bring recommendations and give options.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Young Professionals<\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/reaching-millennials-gen-y-mobile\/\">Reaching Millennials (Gen Y) with Mobile<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Rank 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/15-year-olds-can-teach-associations-content-strategy\/\">What 15-Year-Olds Can Teach You About Content Strategy<\/a><\/td>\n<td>7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Andreu expects to see more emphasis on ways that associations can engage young professionals through special events at conferences, age-appropriate roundtable discussions, better university outreach and recruitment, and more.<\/p>\n<h4><b>Membership<\/b><\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/can-association-show-members-love\/\">How Can Your Association Show Members More Love<\/a>?<\/td>\n<td>Rank 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/know-members-better-surveys-guide\/\">Know Your Members Through Better Surveys: A How-To Guide<\/a><\/td>\n<td>16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/how-smart-associations-grow-membership\/\">How Smart Associations Grow Membership<\/a><\/td>\n<td>24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/weeding-members-pretenders\/\">Weeding Out Members From Pretenders<\/a><\/td>\n<td>25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/how-smart-associations-grow-membership\/\">How Smart Associations Grow Membership<\/a><\/td>\n<td>30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Hemann, winner of the 2014 ASAE Key Award for Leadership Excellence, said one of the keys to a strong member organization is \u201cengaging all of the people who have valuable knowledge to contribute to the organization. &#8220;A lot of members are out there, and they just need to be asked,&#8221; said Hemann. &#8220;Sometimes we forget to ask.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s constant and heightened discussion around the membership value proposition, according to <strong>Charles Popper<\/strong>, Naylor\u2019s vice president of association relations. \u201cAssociations are asking themselves, \u2018What is it that I\u2019m trying to bring to the table for my members?\u2019&#8221; he said. The competition for associations has never been tougher. Are you combating it in a unique and compelling way?<\/p>\n<h4>Events<\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/engaging-meeting-participants\/\">Are You Engaging Your Meeting Participants?<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Rank 21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/making-conference-connections\/\">Making Conference Connections<\/a><\/td>\n<td>27<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>According to Andreu, associations will be looking closer at finding the ideal mix between education, professional networking and fun at their events. You need all three ingredients to get people coming back.<\/p>\n<p>As <strong>Elsbeth Russell<\/strong> explains in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/making-conference-connections\/\">Making Conference Connections<\/a>, one of the greatest benefits that associations can provide new members and introverted members is making them feel welcome at their events. \u201cYou may feel a bit like a DJ at a middle school dance,\u201d wrote Russell, but it really all comes down to planning opportunities to steer your members and attendees toward the middle of the room, toward each other and toward that goal of building a network.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Joel Turner<\/strong>, an event manager at Naylor\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.exchangeevents.com\" target=\"_blank\">Global Exchange Events<\/a>, believes your vendors and associate members will increasingly want to meet one-on-one with pre-qualified buyers in more intimate setting away from the crowded show floor or exhibit hall. See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/why-exchange-event\">his column in today\u2019s issue<\/a>\u00a0for more insights.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Non-Dues Revenue<\/strong><\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" width=\"367\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/10-things-about-ndr\/\">10 Things You Need to Know About Non-Dues Revenue, Part 1<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Rank<br \/>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/got-ndr-non-dues-revenue\/\">Got NDR (Non-Dues Revenue)?<\/a><\/td>\n<td>15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/adopting-responsive-design\/\">Adopting Responsive Design Without Abandoning Non-Dues Revenue<\/a><\/td>\n<td>17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/10-things-need-know-non-dues-revenue-part-2\/\">10 Things You Need to Know About Non-Dues Revenue, Part 2<\/a><\/td>\n<td>26<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/need-more-non-dues-revenue\/\">Need More Non-Dues Revenue?<\/a><\/td>\n<td>29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Advertiser and sponsor expectations continue to increase, according to Popper. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about delivering ROI on the &#8216;media buy,&#8217; it\u2019s about helping sponsors meet specific marketing and business objectives. The days of slapping a sponsor\u2019s logo on a lanyard and ignoring them until next year are over,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Social Media &amp; Communications<\/strong><\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/reaching-millennials-gen-y-mobile\/\">Reaching Millennials (Gen Y) with Mobile<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Rank 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/15-year-olds-can-teach-associations-content-strategy\/\">What 15-Year-Olds Can Teach You About Content Strategy<\/a><\/td>\n<td>7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/plan-to-succeed-in-the-magazine-production-process\/\">Plan to Succeed in the Magazine Production Process<\/a><\/td>\n<td>8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/using-email\/\">Members of All Ages Less Likely to Be Using Email<\/a><\/td>\n<td>9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/5-recommendations-winning-communications-strategy\/\">5 Recommendations for a Winning Communications Strategy<\/a><\/td>\n<td>11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/susan-neely\/\">Cutting Through the Clutter is Just the Beginning<\/a><\/td>\n<td>12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/adopting-responsive-design\/\">Adopting Responsive Design Without Abandoning Non-Dues Revenue<\/a><\/td>\n<td>17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/debunking-five-myths-about-google\/\">Debunking Five Myths About Google+<\/a><\/td>\n<td>19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/10-ways-to-communicate-better-with-instagram\/\">10 Ways to Communicate Better With Instagram<\/a><\/td>\n<td>20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/turn-social-media-goals-upside\/\">Turn Your Social Media Goals Upside Down<\/a><\/td>\n<td>28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Content strategist<strong> Andreu <\/strong>expects more associations to adopt and leverage their Klout scores\u2014a numerical measure of one\u2019s social media influence. She also expects associations to look closer at their content leadership roles. They need to examine the extent to which they\u2019re pushing vs. pulling information and whether they\u2019re making the national media aware of their most important issues.<\/p>\n<h4>Technology<\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/incorporating-text-polling-next-live-event\/\">Incorporating Text Polling at Your Next Live Event<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Rank 3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/using-email\/\">Members of All Ages Less Likely to Be Using Email<\/a><\/td>\n<td>9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/tackle-technology\/\">How to Tackle Technology<\/a><\/td>\n<td>14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/adopting-responsive-design\/\">Adopting Responsive Design Without Abandoning Non-Dues Revenue<\/a><\/td>\n<td>17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Our latest unscientific reader poll revealed that nearly half of <em>Association Adviser<\/em> readers (43 percent) believe mobile apps had the single greatest impact on their organizations in 2015 (See Did You Know). As Donovan Clark noted in today\u2019s issue, we\u2019ve now crossed the tipping point at which the majority of Americans now own a mobile device. She said responsive design is a must-have, not a nice-to-have, if you want your association\u2019s website and online communications to be accessible to your increasingly mobile-reliant membership base.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, nearly three in 10 reader poll respondents (29 percent) said cloud computing had the single greatest impact on their organizations this year, and another 14 percent said collaboration tools had the single greatest impact. <strong>Andreu<\/strong> agreed, and she said she expects to see more emphasis on productivity tools and on collaboration tools, such as BaseCamp, Dropbox, Google Docs and more.<\/p>\n<p>As <strong>Richard May<\/strong> of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rtohq.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO)<\/a> observed, \u201cTechnology has the stigma of isolating people, but it can actually bring people (i.e. members) closer together.\u201d And that\u2019s something that everyone from small the smallest association to Fortune 500 tech companies is starting to figure out.<\/p>\n<h4>Advocacy<\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/five-easy-ways-associations-can-go-green\/\">Five Easy Ways Associations Can Go Green <\/a><\/td>\n<td>Rank 4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/advocacy-dos-donts\/\">Advocacy Do&#8217;s and Don&#8217;ts<\/a><\/td>\n<td>22<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clark <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/2015-association-trends\">explains in today\u2019s issue<\/a>, \u201cAdvocacy doesn\u2019t have to mean expensive trips to Washington, D.C., or stuffy meetings at City Hall.\u201d You can take personal and professional causes to the public via running races, community breakfast, blogs and so much more. Not only can it be more meaningful and experiential\u2014a must-have if you\u2019re trying to connect with NextGen members\u2014it can be fun.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h4><strong><br \/>\nData &amp; Metrics<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h4>\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/association-adviser-polls\/\">View Our Open Polls\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Rank 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/know-members-better-surveys-guide\/\">Know Your Members Through Better Surveys: A How-To Guide<\/a><\/td>\n<td>16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/gain-strategic-insight-digital-metrics\/\">How to Gain Strategic Insight from Digital Metrics<\/a><\/td>\n<td>23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Andreu said you should survey your membership \u201cearly and often\u201d and make the survey process rewarding for members. You should also make members are aware of the power of their feedback. \u201cThis stems from a conversation we had with an association that recently relied on a survey from 2005!\u201d exclaimed Andreu. In fact, one in seven respondents to our latest reader poll (14\u00a0percent) said that \u201cBig Data\u201d was the one thing that had the <strong><em>single<\/em><\/strong> greatest impact on their organization in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>As my colleague Ken Agramonte explained in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/index.php\/know-members-better-surveys-guide\/\">Know Your Members Through Better Surveys: A How-To Guide<\/a>, \u201cGood research, with good information, adds value to your association, your association\u2019s communications and your members. When members see that you are making a concerted effort to understand more about them and their concerns, the more benefit they see in being a member of your association.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Wishing you and your families a happy holiday season. Enjoy. Rest up. We have a lot of work to get done in 2015. Think big. Set ambitious goals. But remember, sometimes it\u2019s the little things like birthday cakes and parking spots that produce the biggest results with your team. And don\u2019t forget to measure.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:hankberk@optonline.net?subject=December%20Association%20Adviser%20lead%20story\"><em>Hank Berkowitz<\/em><\/a><em> is the moderator-in-chief of <\/em>Association Adviser eNews.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to association topics like technology, leadership, membership or social media, what&#8217;s on association leaders&#8217; minds? We review the top stories of 2014 as they relate to associations. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":31,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[622,473,319,176,623,50,121,74,27,23,57,624],"class_list":["post-3637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-622","tag-advocacy-2","tag-big-data","tag-careers","tag-data-and-metrics","tag-events","tag-leadership-2","tag-membership-2","tag-non-dues-revenue","tag-social-media","tag-technology-2","tag-young-professionals"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Top Stories of 2014 - Association Adviser<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When it comes to association topics like technology, leadership, membership or social media, what&#039;s on association leaders&#039; minds? 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