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Newsletter - August 2008

Operation: Perfect Association, By Taylor Fernley, President & CEO
Do the crisis-of-the-day and on-the-job-training interfere with your systematic approach to managing your organization? That was, of course, a rhetorical question. As leaders in our industry, we must look far and wide to search out and combat inefficiencies that impact us on an ongoing basis. Put another way, we must identify "opportunity zones" for operational improvements—and then promptly fix them with a goal to improve customer service to ensure sustainability.

So, how do we do this? Answer: THE ASSOCIATION SELF-AUDIT. The brainchild of Bob Harris from Non-Profit Resource Center, he has successfully and succinctly put together a system to drive organizations to being "perfect". And, equally important, he has all the supporting documents to make the process easy to implement and transparent.

Just last month, I in fact had the opportunity to experience the "audit" first hand and came away with a wealth of information available to us here at Fernley & Fernley, Inc. to build an even better system within our organization, thus allowing the professional staff to focus their attention less on process and more on members and mission. Don't miss this opportunity to take the important next step and create for yourself... the perfect association.

Strategic Planning Made Simple, By Stella R. Sytnik, Account Executive
When you hear the words "strategic plan" it can be quite intimidating. You might picture yourself drowning underneath stacks of research papers, bestselling books, and files. That may have been the case years ago, but the good news is that today’s strategic plans can be equally effective, yet extremely less cumbersome to manage. Focusing on fewer, key objectives will simplify the planning process and make your goals more attainable.
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Human Side of Leadership, By Steve McClatchy, President, Alleer Training & Consulting
When you hear the word "leadership" what comes to mind? If you are like most people you think of a title or position, or of sports heroes or world leaders. Leadership may be more recognized and noticeable with these people but it’s needed on a much more abundant scale. Let’s face it leadership is not something many of us put on our "to do" lists every day. It’s not even something that many of us would have an easy time trying to define.
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Associations Making a Difference, By Vicki L. Scott, Marketing Manager
Non-profit organizations have traditionally been the recipients of charitable contributions. During the holidays we give to the Salvation Army, in times of crisis we give to the Red Cross, and throughout the year we give to the United Way, just to mention a few. It has become almost trendy for associations to give back to the community, the environment, and the industry. Who benefits from this generous trend? You do.
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Volunteer Spotlight — Richard W. Johnson, President, TSA
Our editor caught up with Rich Johnson, President of the Tin Stabilizers Association (TSA) to talk about the benefits of the long-term partnership with Fernley & Fernley, Inc. The TSA is an excellent example of the fluctuating needs of a non-profit organization and how an association management company is ideally positioned to accommodate varying levels of service and staffing.
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Volunteer Leadership Today is produced quarterly as a service to the non-profit community that Fernley & Fernley, Inc. has served for well over a century. Articles or statements appearing herein are presented for informational purposes and do not constitute legal opinion, advice or judgment, and should not be relied upon as such. Inquiries or comments should be directed to info@fernley.com . For more information on Fernley & Fernley, Inc. and the professional services we offer visit our web site at www.fernley.com or call (215) 564-3484. © 2008 Fernley & Fernley, Inc.