Out with the old, and in with the new! It’s time for your association to make New Years resolutions for 2024.
Set your organization up for success in 2024 by considering what ineffective practices you need to leave in the past. And check out our top list of practices your association should avoid.
Avoid these 6 negative organizational practices in 2024
Is your association currently experiencing any inefficiencies? Have you noticed any roadblocks in achieving success?
Resolve to avoid these negative practices in the New Year, and you’ll have a more effective and prosperous organization:
1. Manual processes
Does your staff spend hours a day on manual processes? If so, you’re not alone! According to IDC research, employees wasted 44% of their workday on unsuccessful data-related tasks.
Eliminate low value staff work with the right technology. When your association chooses to leverage innovative association management software (AMS), you can automate crucial staff processes. The right AMS makes automation simple with user-friendly point-and-click technology. Not only can you save staff time, but you can boost your ROI by freeing staff to work on higher-value projects.
2. Lack of change management
Is your association hoping to grow in the New Year? Growth can be a challenge for any organization, but to advance your goals in 2024, you must be open to change. Lay the groundwork for change at your association by requesting employee, member, and key stakeholder feedback.
Once you have the necessary feedback, you can create a vision for innovation and help your stakeholders embrace a culture of change management. Try building a communication plan to keep stakeholders up to date on any developments. When you’re ready to implement any innovation, ensure all necessary groups (members, staff, and stakeholders) know when the change is occurring and why.
3. Meetings that could be emails
Have you ever found yourself in a meeting and thought, “this could have been an email?” Unnecessary meetings are a drain on productivity, costing organizations wasted time and resources. Atlassian reports that the average worker spends approximately 31 hours a month in unproductive meetings. Save everyone’s time (and patience) by evaluating the value of your meetings.
Before scheduling a meeting, consider the meeting objective. For example, are you meeting to just share information? If so, the meeting can be an email. Before you schedule your next meeting, consider the objective and establish a clear agenda so you can keep attendees on track and save time.
4. Ineffective staff engagement practices
Is your organization experiencing low employee engagement? You don’t want your staff to feel disinvested in their roles or find their work boring or pointless. If you experience low employee engagement, you risk a decline in organizational performance, including reduced productivity, member satisfaction, innovation, and employee retention.
To inspire your staff in 2024, invest in these practices to boost engagement:
- Improve communication between employees and leaders
- Reward and recognize staff achievements
- Model behavior from the top down
- Develop and upskill employees
- Foster a positive work environment
- Gather and address staff feedback
5. Unengaged and lapsed members
Want to boost your member retention numbers in 2024? Resolve to enhance member engagement in the New Year. Engaged members are more likely to stay members, renewing their membership year after year.
Here’s how you can increase member engagement in 2024:
- Offer customized content
- Foster connections with an online member community
- Leverage Artificial Intelligence to make informed member decisions
- Provide a modern e-commerce experience
- Boost member personalization options through an innovative member portal
6. Outdated technology
Don’t get stuck with outdated software in 2024. To succeed in the New Year, you need technology that can support and empower your entire organization. Software that is continuously updated can offer you the latest in innovation and help your organization drive success.
If you don’t already have an AMS that features continuous upgrades, it might be time to make the switch. Updates ensure your organization is always on the newest software version so you can best empower your staff and members. Continuous upgrades can also boost your ROI, saving your association tens of thousands of dollars a year.
