Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/414216
10 Oil Prophets PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE "When you're finished changing, you're finished." I recently came across this quote and it really hit home with me. Things are changing so quickly these days. In general terms, everything associated with technology seems to be changing on a daily basis. Take a look at your immediate family for just a second. How do you communicate with them today? If you're like me, it's a combination of emails, texts, Facebook posts and; for my kids, Instagrams and Tweets. In rare circumstances we will actually phone each other. Now, compare that to 10 years ago. Many of these communication channels didn't even exist "way back then," and yet today we couldn't exist without them. Like our personal life, our professional lives face the same challenges. How does the association best communicate with its members? Honestly, if we are trying to communicate with our new generation of leaders, those younger than 40 years old, it looks a lot different than if we are trying to communicate with our seasoned leaders. Not only is the method of delivery different, oftentimes the content of the message needs to be tailored to the specific audience as well. In addition to communication, we face the harsh reality that some of our association programs and events may also need to change. We have to be sure we are offering the maximum "Return on Investment" for every dollar members spend with the association. This starts with dues dollars and extends to the Gulf Coast Food & Fuel Expo, the Summer Convention, educational sessions and every other program or service offered by the association. Providing the best ROI may mean that some of our programs, services and events may need to be changed, some may need to be eliminated and we may need to add something we are not currently offering. When the association was founded more than 60 years ago, it was because members of the industry shared values and interests, and they recognized that by working together they could achieve more than they could as individuals. While this concept is still true today, the prosperous associations must recognize the technological and demographic changes that have occurred in our society and realize that these changes have altered the way people relate to one another. If we don't understand this and make the changes necessary to embrace the new normal, we are destined to fail. Oh, by the way, the quote from the beginning of my article was from Benjamin Franklin. I guess change isn't such a new idea after all. J. Bart Fletcher, CAE P&CMA President Change - Not Such a New Idea J. Bart Fletcher, CAE P&CMA President