Engagement Elephants: The only things standing between you and the breakthrough you deserve
Now is the time for you to create a breakthrough moment for your Association. And engagement will be how you’ll do it. You need it. For you. For your Association and most importantly for your members.
The only thing is, you’ve got engagement elephants sitting quietly in the room. They’re blocking the change you need to make. Probably have been for some time. The good thing is, there’s never been a better time to point them out. Because everything is being shaken up anyway. You might as well say hello to your elephant, throw your arms around it and welcome it in. But that’s easier said than done.
Every membership body has at least one engagement elephant. It’s the thing you know exists, but can’t mention for fear of creating discomfort or embarrassment. Or for being labelled controversial or disruptive, a challenge to the status quo. It can pop up in board meetings, team meetings, and one to ones. It can even be found in member conversations, quietly sipping a coffee and nodding, knowingly at you. It’s the thing that everyone sees. The thing that if it was spoken about, would make a real change. But it dare not be mentioned. Until now.
Now is the perfect time to point out your elephants. There’s no status quo to protect. The world we’re in today is an open door to getting to know your elephants. It’s a fantastic opportunity. Those Associations that grasp it will secure their own future. And those that don’t respond will be trampled. Are you ready to seize the moment?
I’ve identified eight aspects of engagement that can harbour elephants. In my mini-masterclass I will share these with you in more detail. We will get to grips with understanding them and how to spot them. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of yours, how to engage your colleagues in coming to terms with them, and in doing so, the tools to create the breakthrough moment for your Association around engagement. Here they are. Can you see where your elephant might be lurking?
Eight aspects of engagement where elephants exist:
- Purpose: why it matters
- Meaning: who it’s for
- Measurement: how it’s measured
- Activity: what makes it happen
- Scope: who leads it
- Direction: how it moves
- Internal: engagement of the Association with itself
- Membership and engagement: same or different
Join me at my mini masterclass in July and together we’ll get to know you elephant and work towards your breakthrough moment.