I have a close friend who, although highly qualified and universally liked during the interview process, didn’t get the job she wanted because the employer was looking for a “purple squirrel.” While it may seem odd to be seeking out a festively colored rodent to do important work, there’s actually a real, Wikipedia-certified definition for this.  The purple squirrel is the person with exactly the right experience, the ideal knowledge, skills, and abilities to fit an open ready to do everything perfectly from the get-go, with no ramp-up, no guidance, and no training.

I can't believe I just caught myself saying that we should change digital to fit the print mindset. It's true, I'm guilty. I'm working into the wee hours because I want change and change doesn't usually fit into the typical 40 (or even 35 work hour week of some associations) hour week. Change is an investment, it's a discipline and it has a voice all its own--even to the change agent. 

The theme of ASAE's 2015 Tech Conference was digital disruption. Everyone seems to be talking digital, change management and now  the word, the process and the people who can cause disruption are hot, hot, hot. I've been the leading disruptor here at HighRoad for the last two years and responsible for not just evolving our own organization through the addition of our Inbound Digital practice, but also in working firsthand with clients to evolve digital communications and association marketing programs. 

Earning Trust.  It is the most important factor when it comes to the Millennial Generation.  According to Pew Research, only 19% of Millennials believe most people are trustworthy.

This segment of the population, age 18 to 34 and 80 million strong, now have a considerable impact on the fiscal health of your non-profit or association.  This blog article written by Carlos Restrepo, over at Abila, explains the 7 ways to build trust through technology with this powerful group.

Check out more from Abila or Download the "Millennials in Adulthood"report from Pew Research Center

The more I talk about the future of the workforce in associations, the more I've had to think about exactly what skills and abilities people should be bringing to the table in order to engage and capture the modern member. The list is long—things like dynamic profiling, data analytics, brand management, lead generation, storytelling, user experience customization, social media and monitoring, influencer marketing, mobile engagement, cross-channel campaigns, marketing automation… whew! And that's just a sample!

Yesterday, we discussed why it’s not a good idea to add new requirements onto existing job descriptions or, more generally, to approach the labor market without a clear plan indicating what you need and how you plan to use it. Simply put, you’re not likely to bring in the resources you need to engage, retain, and grow your membership, and you won’t get the most out of your talent budget.