IN THE BEGINNING…
Most
associations, especially trade organizations, got their start by what I call
chasing the dragon. Simply put, that means there is (or was) one major threat
so challenging to the industry that competitors put aside their differences to
come together to fight the great fight for their own preservation. Though
dragons may take many forms, they generally emerge from legislative or
regulatory issues that industry perceives as a common threat to all — and an association
is born.
The
benefit of chasing an industry dragon is that it provides a very unique
identity for the organization and the 30-second elevator speech on who you are
is simple and understandable like, “The Nut and Fastener Association is a group
of manufacturers that joined together to keep from being screwed by
unreasonable regulations on building, bridge and tower construction.”
(See, only 12.5 seconds)
In
reality, the issue probably started with a regulation of
something that riled the entire industry. As an afterthought, the
association broadened its perspective to all unreasonable regulations due to
government’s innate inability to understand when they have solved the issue and
should stop writing regulations before they cause more problems.
NEXT…
The
association continues to develop as progress is made to study, stalk and corner
the dragon. Its identity remains intact as long as the primary function that
created it remains. As the association progresses in its clearly identified
goal to slay the dragon, its membership and programs continue to grow, even as
it begins branching out into program areas that do not conform to its original
purpose. Over time, pet projects of officers and committee chairs begin to
broaden the scope of organizational activities putting more and more stress on
financial and human resources. But as long as the dragon remains in view, the
purpose of the organization and its public identity remain intact.
BEGINNING THE END…
While the
hunt to slay the dragon has allowed the association to build its identity, stature
and influence, one of 3 things must inevitably happen:
1. The
process takes so long that the industry becomes disillusioned with the
organization’s efforts and support drains away, or
2. The
market or industry changes over time and the dragon becomes irrelevant in the
new conditions, or
3. The
association actually slays the dragon, it is dead, and there is no new dragon
to replace it.
Now all
those little extra special projects that directors and committee chairs
installed over time come home to roost. No affinity programs, purchasing
discounts for minor services and similar little fiefdoms that typically garner
support from fewer than 20 percent of the membership can generate enough glue
to hold the whole organization together. In fact, their care and maintenance
become an economic drain and organizational distraction from the life-saving
task at hand: finding a new dragon everyone needs (or at least wants) to slay.
Without a
new dragon, the organization’s identity of purpose quickly withers. The typical
80 percent of marginally involved members start slipping away. Prospective
members don’t see a new purpose or valid identity and refuse to join. And while
the Board of Directors desperately keeps trying to do better what it has always
done, the ship of state sinks slowly into a sea of red ink and on to non-profit
oblivion.
THE END…OR THE BEGINNING?
If there
is no new dragon around which your industry can or should rally, then your
useful time as an organization is passed and you may well be irrelevant — pack
it in. But it is extremely rare that there are no new dragons so long as
government regulations or unfair trade practices or other circumstances exist
that will distort a fair market and prevent a level playing field.
The route
to recovery is littered with organizations that were unable, or unwilling, to
jettison all but their key programs and search out a new dragon around which
they could build a new coalition of members willing to fight. Smart organizations
look even harder to find more than one dragon of EQUAL importance.
If your
organization is in the tall weeds looking at the ground for scraps to survive,
look up at the horizon and the future. Real dragons have wings and they are not
on the ground. You just have to know where to look.
11:59 AM
