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By Edward D. Barlow, Jr.

THE WORLD IS CHANGING RAPIDLY and dramatically, and preparing for the future is more difficult than ever before. However, through "anticipatory thinking," association executives can enhance their understanding of what’s ahead and assist their members in preparing for the challenges and opportunities of the 21^st century.

Associations have traditionally followed the lead of their members and provided programs and services the members requested. Now, though, associations must take the lead in helping their members plan for the future.

An association executive needs to ask this important question: "What if the membership and I awakened one day to discover the majority of the products and services, markets, and professional competencies we have relied upon for years are no longer relevant?"

Whether you want to admit it or not, entire industries, professions, and related associations are at risk in these changing times. But by continually keeping abreast of the revolutionary changes which are occurring and updating professional skills, association executives can help their members thrive.

There are five roles an association can play actively:

Scanning: Scanning involves gathering, analyzing, and reporting trend information that pertains to and affects association members. For instance, associations can help members conduct a collective study on the impact electronic commerce will have on local businesses.

Convening: Associations have always served as catalysts to bringing key stakeholders together to deal with issues of importance in the community. Now associations need to use these skills to help members prepare for the future. Because many businesses are consumed with meeting their day-to-day challenges, associations need to communicate the future trends by bringing business members together on a regular basis.

Facilitating: Associations need to involve business members with other organizations and individuals whose missions and activities can prepare them for the future. For instance, associations can facilitate programs on how local businesses can export products by bringing in experts from around the country. They can help businesses tackle workforce development issues by facilitating a workforce development pool and programs that recruit and train them with the skills they’ll need in the future.

Providing: Associations have a long history of providing the services their members need, including insurance, networking opportunities, newsletters, and other services. But associations need to take the lead and introduce new services and programs to their members that will affect their future success. For instance, associations can help businesses develop electronic commerce strategies. Another area associations can focus on is home-based businesses. By the year 2010, nearly 50 percent of all workers will be self-employed, and many of them will work out of their homes. Associations can update their service offerings with unique insurance programs and support services that home-based workers will need.

Evaluating: Associations continually need to measure and report on their ongoing activities to make sure the activities are leading them in the right direction. All association programs need to support their business members’ needs of the future, needs that primarily involve surviving and growing their businesses. Associations need to evaluate honestly their programs and continually and aggressively redesign them to meet the changing needs of the business community in an increasingly competitive business environment.

Most of what professionals will need to know in the future is outside their industry or field of expertise as they know it today. In order for association executives to be effective in leading their members through the 21^st century, association executives will need to devote 20 percent of their time and energy to keeping informed of new trends and developments.

Association executives continually need to look for new, improved, and faster ways to do things and be willing to share their insights with their members. Executives should read books and publications outside their field, attend a wide variety of conferences and seminars, and work hard to break out of their current mental experience. Planning beyond their tenure to create the preferred future for their organizations is a skill association executives need to hone.

To effectively create the future, mastering the process of anticipatory thinking is vital. Anticipatory thinking is the process of using scanning and what-if scenarios to anticipate the future conditions which may exist. But the anticipatory thinking process must also be inclusive and involve a significant amount of grassroots input.

It is important that execs regularly convene a representative body of members to help identify emerging trends and consider their implications. One association surveys its members quarterly on issues it anticipates will affect them in the months and years ahead. By routinely gathering information concerning emerging issues, association executives can adapt association programs and services accordingly and focus on strategic planning and management activities.

Every aspect of an industry, organization, and profession has a lifecycle. Whether it be products and services, organizational capacities, or professional competencies, association executives must know when it’s time to let go of something and when it’s time to create something entirely new. This awareness needs to be reflected in every aspect of the association’s planning and management. The future is in the hands of those who choose to understand it. The necessary changes will not be easy ones. But the challenges of the future can met successfully if people and organizations are willing to make necessary adjustments.

Edward D. Barlow, Jr. is president of Creating the Future, Inc. He may be reached at (616) 429-2601 or via e-mail at info@creatingthefuture.com.

2907 Division Street, Suite 108
St. Joseph, MI 49085
Phone: (269) 982-1830
Fax: (269) 982-1541
Email barlow@qtm.net