This is the last instalment of our three-part series looking at the findings from our recent report leading through the pandemic – how membership organisations have met the challenge.
For anyone who hasn’t read our previous articles, we have just released a new report with our strategic partners Rise Above, to explore how leaders of membership organisations have led through the pandemic.
We carried out research in the form of personal interviews with leaders of membership organisations in the UK, and the recognised membership authority MemberWise themselves. The report shares key insights from these interviews, in how the leaders tackled the pandemic, and lessons that can be learnt to support future growth.
In our first article, we explored the first two areas of the report, Belonging Together and Leading Apart. This article explored the findings that membership organisations were forced to clarify, justify and make more relevant what they do. And that there is a new blend of leadership qualities emerging from the pandemic, perhaps even a new kind of leader.
In our second article, we explored the key findings of the pandemic good and bad. This revealed the best thing about the pandemic for membership organisations has been the acceleration of digital transformation, but this will not guarantee success. On the flip side, everyone is in difficult circumstances. Leaders have to take responsibility and have the strength and stamina to mentor team members honestly and empathetically.
In this article, we are going to explore the key insights from the final two sections of the report, a changed world and a new model, which you can read below.
A Changed World
By the time the pandemic ebbs, any organisation, whatever its size, will require the digital capability to communicate and deliver as a minimum requirement. This has been predicted for several years, but now the reality is upon us.
How will this impact membership organisations? Most of those we spoke to are getting ready, or are already prepared, for a new real world/digital balance. This fear of returning to the status quo was voiced by several interviewees, who are thinking about ways to prevent it happening, from completely re-shaping the board of directors to developing strategies and communication plans to ensure everyone is completely clear and on board with the new realities.
Membership organisations need to be more agile, more ambitious and more willing to try things. They need to be more outwardly focused on the reality of members’ lives than looking inwardly at the organisation.
The key is to earn an emotional connection – hard to achieve digitally, but essential to aim for.
A New Model
Change has been forced upon most membership organisations. The best of them have seized the opportunity to transform themselves entirely, looking beyond the pandemic. The most driven CEOs are changing everything in the interests of their members – brand, purpose, goals, strategies, systems and processes, harnessing the best of digital to the task.
The battle cry of one CEO of a medical professional services organisation is, ‘Let’s reimagine how we do things!’ Her passion for change is infectious. Her team are leading together whilst leading apart, which is the paradox every good leader is seeking to resolve.
Membership organisations must be prepared to re-evaluate their business models as their members’ lives change.
One inclusive, flexible, innovative, digital-savvy organisation made up of members and staff, doing what members really want and need, remotely and in person. This is the future for membership organisations. It will ensure member retention, grow member acquisition, and motivate and focus staff. The best leaders are working with their teams to make this model real, right now.
To read the full findings from these two sections, plus the full report, leading through the pandemic, visit the Granite 5 website where you can download your copy.
Granite 5 specialise in supporting membership organisations to harness their digital footprint to increase member acquisition and retention.
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