Association Management Solutions

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Associations need leadership and management, even though activity might the volutary or amateurial. It is beneficial for the association, that things get done and members enjoy common operations.

In fact, leadership and management will happen, even if it is not done consciously. The best results are still reached, if the whole association is aware of, how to affect and take part on important issues. Propably some of the simplest ways for members to affect, is to participate in choosing chairman, other board members and e.g. coaches in sports clubs to run the activities.

Different views for Association Management
 

Management is not commanding members. It is essential to understand, that people are motivated to act spontaneously. This is highlighted in associations, because membership is volunteer and conflict may result in resignals. Running associations life may be divided to two different views.

Leadership Is About Motivating
 

Leadership in associations includes maintaining the level of motivation amongst members. Important issues are often progressed through people's own expertise. Good leadership skill also demand good undestanding of psychology and human behaviour in organisations.

Management Is About Advising
 

Management is needed especially, when association's member lack the skill of doing something. This is when association management must focus on facts. In this case, managing association is about guiding, advising ja focusing on issues.

Activating and Motivating
 

Association management can better or weaken the motivation of members. If association's board and other key members can maintain a cosy and safe atmosphere amongst the members, it is almost certain to improve motivation and make assocaition feel better. This kind of atmosphere is also receptive for new members.

Things Affecting Motivation
 

Things affecting human motivation have been studied a lot. These include:

• possibility of influencin on own mission

• clarity of own job description and goals

• visible results of work done

• acknowledgements of job well done

• possibility of developing and advancing

Most of these can be offered on associations as well! There are also several tools, which will help you to become a skillful expert on the management of small associations.

Strategy and Goal-Directed Activity

Strategy Must Be Defined
 

In associations strategy is usually based on the association's shared values, goals and mission, which are  often defined together with all the members on association's rules. Defining of these can also be the starting point for a strategical work. Strategy is always defined for a certain timeline.

Different Goals for Different Associations
 

Visions and missions alternate greatly according to the nature of the activity of an association. Here is an example vision for a village associaiton: ”Three years from now we have built a dance hall and offer  recreational activities monthly."

Vision can also include concrete goals, like increasing memberbase.

Mission tells, why the association exists and what mission should the vision and strategy serve.

Member Commitment - Requirement for Activity
 

All the aspects of strategical planning mentioned before should be defined with the whole memberbase of an association, if possible. At least the key members, like board members, need to be committed to the strategy, in order for it to be executable.

This article is a modification of the Finnish version produced by Optinet Ltd and found on www.yhdistystieto.fi.

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