The Association 100 Podcast

A Gallup poll said the number of people quiet quitting is higher than 50%.

91% of employees are willing to quit their job if it’s not what they thought it would be or if they don’t like it within the first month.

These are some powerful stats. The O&U team delve into the repercussions of resigning on this episode, chatting through concerns such as toxic work environments, the impact of a job on mental health and having tough conversations at work. 

We also explore the key aspects of resigning gracefully and responsibly, considering the long-lasting effects on personal reputation and professional relationships. There is indeed a right way to resign. By navigating the process with tact and thoughtfulness, you can maintain your professional standing, minimize potential conflicts, and ensure a smooth transition for all parties involved.

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Join co-hosts Colleen Gallagher and Christine Stay on the A100 podcast this week as they speak with Matt Marcial, CEO of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS). Together, they delve into two of their recently launched initiatives: Diversity in Auxiliary Leadership Program and the Women in Higher-Ed Leadership Summit. 

Having been at NACAS for just more than a year, Matt discusses the inspiration for launching the Diversity in Auxiliary Leadership Program, as well as NACAS' efforts to include DEI in everything that they do. He stresses that the program's key objective is to create a community of diverse leaders who can advance the mission of NACAS as well as advance their own careers as well. 

They also discuss the upcoming Women in Higher-Ed Leadership Summit scheduled for September. Matt explains that the summit was created out of a senior executive event to address the industry challenges through the lens of issues women face in the higher education workforce including the pay gap, having a seat at the table and more. 

The episode wraps up with Matt discussing the ways NACAS has supported its members throughout the pandemic, talking about the hybrid workforce and sharing his vision for the future.

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Keith Krueger, MPA, CAE, CEO of The Consortium for School Networking, returns to the A100 - this time as a guest on podcast, hosted by Colleen Gallagher and Meghan Henning. The three of them explore the findings and highlights of CoSN’s 2023 global Driving K-12 Innovation reports. 

They talk through the hurdles in the way of innovation in today’s school, the accelerators paving the way for teaching and innovation, and what the most important technology enablers are for schools to leverage this year. Keith shares insights around the problems technology can help solve, as well as the changing expectations in today’s world. He emphasizes that the report is “not intended to be tablets from heaven to tell you the answer, rather it’s a spark for conversation.”

The three delve into important resources that can assist districts in overcoming challenges and adopting new technologies, and of course the conversation turns to the integration of AI and ChatGPT technology.

The conversation wraps with Keith's vision for the future looking at what progress and changes he is most hopeful to witness by the time this report is released again next year. 

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On the latest episode of the A100, co-hosts Colleen Gallagher and Chrstine Stay are joined by Phil Russo, CAE, Executive Director for Professional Management Associates, to discuss all things association and workforce. They dive into both driving the engagement you need from your volunteers and also building and cultivating a high achieving staff.

Drawing on his extensive experience in the association industry since his senior year in college, Phil highlighted the recruitment and engagement of volunteers as one of the most significant challenges facing associations today. He attributed this to both a lack of time and less desire to be as involved as they were before the pandemic. He talks about how to develop systems and processes that almost spoon-feed our volunteers to make things as simple and clear as possible for them with clear expectations around the amount of time involved.

Phils also provides valuable insights on using contractors to complement your staff's expertise and developing strategies for building a high-achieving team within your association.

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Christine Stay, Meghan Henning, and Colleen Gallagher of the OnWrd & UpWrd team take over the A100 podcast to talk about how to manage a hybrid workforce and how to keep your company culture alive. Their valuable insights cover a range of topics, including effective ways to keep your team connected, staying organized with project management tools, and ensuring that all team members understand their roles and responsibilities.

From there, the discussion moves on to ways of creating a comfortable working environment for employees. The conversation covers the significance of conducting regular check-ins with staff, organizing in person meetings or staff retreats at least once a quarter or year to bring everyone together, and the value of providing opportunities for professional development.

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The American Forest & Paper Association’s Jamie Tiralla, Director, Strategic Communications, and Jesse Levine, Senior Director, Energy and Environmental Policy, joined The A100 podcast to talk about the critical importance of sustainability. The two shared insights on creating sustainability goals and how other associations can begin to think about setting goals of their own.

Their recommendations: you must begin to think about sustainability goals and initiatives by assessing your operations and programs, identifying areas for improvement, and setting realistic and measurable goals. Doing this sends a message to the industry that associations are committed to a more sustainable future.

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On the latest episode of The A100, OnWrd & UpWrd co-founders Colleen Gallagher and Meghan Henning look back on 2022, discussing some of the most exciting and innovative association client projects over this past year. Highlights included a workforce campaign addressing a major membership challenge, a full rebrand, a multi-faceted year-long PR and digital campaign to promote a special journal issue and a recognition program focused on everyday people doing good things.

From there they shift gears to communications and marketing trends association professionals need to be thinking about in 2023. We hit on messaging, AI, pitching and the return of in-person events. 

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In this episode, Colleen Gallagher and Meghan Henning of OnWrd & UpWrd Marketing & Communications discuss how the overturning of Roe v. Wade will impact event planning and decision making for associations.

Together, they discuss the role of politics within the association world, and how canceling/keeping events for political reasons brings up membership, legal and financial concerns. Gallagher and Henning share how associations can navigate these issues and they reflect on how social and political events have impacted their own work in the past by looking at data, articles and expert opinions. They pose some questions for associations to consider so they can work together with their members to make these key decisions.

Liz Huh, leading events consultant, shares her insights on how associations can create events that focus on members’ voices and interests.

She discusses how COVID has impacted event planning, and the importance of adjusting timelines and forming strong partnerships with vendors and venues. Liz takes a look at supply chain and food expenses and how these issues impact event coordinators and their budgets. She shares the overall value of events, both virtual and in-person, and how integral they are for bringing organizations together to elevate branding, increase revenue and empower members.

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Jeff Joseph, president of SIIA, the Software and Information Industry Association, joins the A100 podcast this week. He shares insights about how associations can take a thoughtful approach to DEI and promote better outcomes by looking at how you can differentiate yourself and provide truly helpful resources for your members rather than something duplicative of what they could already do on their own.

Associations need to ask themselves these questions: How can we make an impact? What’s going to be most valuable to our members? How do you make a business rationale out of this as well?

He also talks about looking inward first and walking the walk as an association as well as welcoming a diversity of viewpoints in the workforce as well so everyone feels comfortable bringing their full self to work.

Matt Cipriani, Associate Director of Knowledge Management & Member Engagement, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, shares his insights on how The Great Resignation is impacting associations and how associations can react to it.

He talks about how his background as a research librarian has served him well in the world of associations, how member engagement changed during COVID and what the return to in-person work and events means.

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Get to know the publishers of The Association 100 in our inaugural podcast. Colleen Gallagher and Meghan Henning take you behind the scenes to learn about their backgrounds, what brought them to DC, and what to expect from the future of The A100.

They share their favorite memories, most interesting projects and toughest challenges from their association days while also discussing the changing nature of PR in today’s world.

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