The Beginning of Membership as We Dream It (Guest: Lowell Aplebaum)

by Nikki Jeske • January 18, 2012 • Association Management, Guest Post, Innovation, Member Management • 3 Comments

This post was written by Lowell Aplebaum for the Affiniscape Blog.

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As the ASAE Annual Conference this year I picked up one of the new hot publications – The End of Membership as We Know It by Sarah Sladek. Besides serving as the focus of my job, I truly believe that membership is the tie between customers, products, associations and leadership. This book takes the writing on the wall that the membership times are a-changing and spells it out in black and white. The book systematically dismantles the membership system that has been the basis of the association world for decades, and suggests a number of alternate paths that organizations can choose to take going forward to try and survive (and maybe flourish) in the 21st century.

I find the initial presentation of the book to be a bit jarring – the cover art chosen is black and red, and the title focuses on the end of membership in a way that is eerily close to the death of membership (to me it screams out “Danger Will Robinson”). The content shifts this perspective as within the seven chapters Sladek reviews models that have seen success, and provides a format at the end to create a membership building plan. By the time I finished my read, and re-read of this book I felt like I was in the middle of a path where the old membership model stretched behind me, and I was being pushed to jump into one of the new models ahead of me.

It is at this point that I want to hit the pause button in this membership journey. We are at a liminal moment where if we simply close up shop on what we have done, and construct the format of what comes next we miss the opportunity to revise our own vision of what could be.

In short, I would like to suggest that after the end of membership as we know it and before the start of membership as it will exist in the 21st century, we have an important question that can provide power and strength in our efforts –

What if this could be the beginning of membership as we dream it?

I know, it sounds a little too warm-and-fuzzy – but go with me for just one minute.

Seriously, take a minute right now, and ask yourself this question – if you could create the world of membership to be meaningful, fulfilling, profitable and sustainable today – what would it look like? Don’t think about what would hold you back, don’t think about what exists, or models that others are trying – just in an ideal world – what is membership? What is your dream?

Let me share with you just a small part of mine:

Membership is connecting.

Through membership, professionals have connections to resources, news, learning, colleagues and growth opportunities. Membership is an interconnected web where each interaction is criss-crossed with multiple opportunities for further engagement and involvement. Each connection is a waypoint to a path that is rich with possibilities while remaining unique to the member.

Membership is growing.

Everyone in our association became a member for the first time at some point. If from that point there is no elevation, no greater path, than that membership will quickly grow stagnant and wither. Membership must constantly be striving to expand in relevance and dynamic access points.

Membership is believing.

It is not easy to look outside the scope of everyday work and tasks to strive for personal development, and foundation building for the future. Membership should represent the choice of a professional to make a serious investment in themselves and their future in their profession. Membership should mean that a member believes they not only can succeed, but that they will succeed.

Membership is belonging.

Ultimately, if you are a member, it means you feel you are a part of something larger than yourself. You have a community that is investing in your success and happiness and that in turn is a place you want to contribute and help thrive. They may not yell ‘Norm’ when you walk in the room, but the feeling is there to some extent – and if you do not show up (yes, even virtually) you are missed.

Those are just some of my wishful thoughts on membership ideals. If we had these conversations with our associations, before we made changes to our membership structures, I believe we would have the opportunity to lay the groundwork to make these dreams a reality. Membership is unique in the association world in that it is not a stand alone product – but one that touches every area and silo. If we focus on what membership could be, we give way to allowing the possibility of reframing our entire organization.

After the end, and before the beginning there is time to create –

Can you imagine membership as you dream it?

Like Lowell’s Post?

Then you’ll probably like his other resources! Check out his A-Team page on the Association Resource Center!

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Lowell Aplebaum is currently the director of membership and councils for the International Facility Management Association. He has been working with volunteer leadership development and member relations for over a decade. He has been to all 50 U.S. states to consult with local volunteers on goal setting and growth opportunities. He blogs at Association 141+ and on twitter.

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