Despite popular sentiment that millennials are disinterested in joining traditional professional associations, young people are uniquely positioned to benefit from association membership in important ways. Many of the things millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000) value most, including connection, collaboration and community outreach, can be integral aspects of membership.

Recent research from Naylor’s Association Communications Benchmarking Survey suggests that more than half (56 percent) of associations admit they have trouble engaging young professionals, and 55 percent of associations have trouble customizing their communications for different member sub-groups. However, this disconnect can be overcome if association professionals better understand the motivations of millennials and are willing to target their marketing campaigns to attract them.

Don’t make the mistake of lumping all millennials together or thinking they’re not joiners. 

Your online presence should be professional, in step with the times, and most of all, authentic. 

Millennials are a natural fit for associations—they value social and professional networking, personal branding, growth and community outreach. 

Here are five reasons why millennials join associations and five ways associations can attract and retain millennial members:

Five reasons why millennials join associations

1. Networking: Opportunities for networking abound within professional associations, and millennials tend to value the chance to make new personal and professional connections. millennials are used to blending work and social life, and associations and events provide ways to connect with both peers and industry leaders. Unlike the individualistic Generation X, born into the tumult of the 1960s and 1970s, young people today are joiners. In my experience, we want to be part of a group that is working toward something meaningful and bigger than ourselves. The value we place on collaboration and teamwork, combined with our desire to make a difference, heightens our interest in connecting to a community of people with shared interests and common goals.

2. Gaining new skills: In addition to connecting with new people, millennials are keen on discovering new opportunities for individual learning and growth. In spite of their reputation as apathetic and entitled, today’s young people, like those of previous generations, are motivated, optimistic, and forward thinking. Millennials looking to learn new things and accelerate their professional development can find ample support within professional associations.

According to Matthew Harrington of New Directions Consulting, the number one post-recession career plan for millennials is to enhance their skill set. While millennials are working at their entry-level day jobs, associations can offer practical lessons on the side—like strategic thinking and public speaking—that are useful stepping stones toward a dream career.

3. Educational and professional resources: millennials love to learn. As Bravetta Hassley of Chief Learning Officer explains, “millennials are hankering for development… and learning is in a prime position to keep millennial talent from heading out the door.” Associations provide access to an abundance of members-only resources that are attractive to young people trying to expand their skill sets and establish a career trajectory. These professional resources make association membership a valuable tool for personal branding. millennials are enthusiastic about personal branding, which describes how people market themselves and their careers as brands.

For example, my peers and I groom our Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr pages daily as a form of self-expression. Taking cues from pop culture, we recognize the power and importance of cultivating a recognizable and unique image of ourselves to advertise to the world. This interest in personal branding extends to the professional sphere as well. Associations give millennials a valuable opportunity to work on personal branding and career advancement.

4. Jobs: Of special importance to millennials is finding satisfying and well-paying jobs, as many of us are saddled with college debt and struggling to find a career that matches our skills with our passions—and still pays the bills. Associations often offer members-only job listings that can help companies tap into the immense talent and insight of young people. As an added bonus, members of associations may have a leg up in the hiring process as some companies find that candidates who belong to associations are pre-vetted in a sense and more serious about their careers.

5. Community outreach: Millennials have been dubbed “The Giving Generation” because we are very likely to participate in charity work and view donations as investments in causes we care about. Research shows that millennials are likely to engage in company giving, so if associations participate in community outreach efforts, there’s a good chance this will be a plus for young people thinking about becoming members.

Five ways associations can attract and retain millennials better

1. Market your association as mission-focused. Millennials have a desire to make a difference. We need to feel that the work we’re doing has real value and that associations support issues or provide services we believe in. Associations should try to project an atmosphere that emphasizes innovation and teamwork, with an end goal of contributing to society in a positive and important way.

2. Flexibility and affordability are essential. Many young people are in debt, and with endless free opportunities for social networking online, it is essential that associations set membership prices as low as possible and make joining worth our time and money. In-person connection is valuable for building quality relationships, but some young people simply cannot afford the cost of membership and are forced to stick with online networking. Rethinking your revenue model to break down—or at least lower—the cost barrier is one way to make your association more accessible and more attractive to young people.

3. Interact with millennials in a meaningful, authentic way. Learn to master social media and become technologically innovative. Avoid, however, coming off as trying too hard to be “hip” or using too much internet lingo. Your online presence should be professional and in step with the times, engaging your younger audience in a way that feels natural. Be intentional, not aggressive, with your tech strategy.

4. Make your association’s events interactive and fun. Emphasize hands-on activities and collaborative learning. Cultivate an atmosphere at your events that fosters creativity and camaraderie; make your events a place that is welcoming for young people and offers a variety of experiences, from mentoring programs to workshops to entertaining learning labs.

5. Avoid stereotyping. When it comes to millennials—a group of more than 80 million people—we are not a lazy, tech-obsessed monolith. Rather, millennials have unique perspectives and skills that make us great assets to professional organizations. Simply get to know us and value us as part of your association, and a mutually beneficial relationship is sure to develop.

In many ways, millennials are a natural fit for associations. They value social and professional networking, personal branding and growth, and community outreach, all of which are well within the function of professional organizations. If associations market themselves in a way that is accessible, inviting and low-cost, millennials are more likely to become members. And once associations start gaining the membership of millennials, a positive feedback loop develops. Young people want to be involved in groups with their peers; the more young people an association has within its ranks, the more young people will want to join, and the stronger your association will become.

This article was originally sourced from Associations Advisor.

When it comes to growth, making sure your board has practical steps and defined metrics will make the process more strategic.

Growth helps keep the lights on and, perhaps more important, it speaks to the relevance of your organization and industry in today’s changing marketplace. Yet, because it can mean a lot of things—from new members and additional revenue to increased net assets or reserves—using growth alone as a board directive can be risky. Growth goals must come with strategy, which includes tactical outlines, smart executions, and measurements of the result.

As association executives, we all strive for strategic board governance. We want board members who have a vision for the future of our industry and for the role of our association in it, based on our members. When you don’t have a strategic board established and want to tackle your growth goals, consider starting with these four steps.

STRATEGIZE

First, have your board conduct a self-assessment. Chief executives rate boards that have done so as more effective (55 percent) than those that have not (38 percent), according to the 2007 Governance Index. After you let the board digest its assessment results, use that knowledge to create an environment of accountability. Work with consent agendas and give the overly detailed work, which can get in the way of larger strategy, to smaller committees.

IDENTIFY YOUR FUTURE

Your board must work within your strategic pillars and the goals that define success for each pillar. When you have clear tactics for each pillar, you will be more prepared to lead board members in talks about what success means to you.

DEFINE SUCCESS

By creating tactics for each pillar, you’ll also be able to set up defined metrics for each pillar, which will lead to measurable results (e.g., X percent increase in net revenue over X years, X number of new strategic partnerships, X percent membership growth). Outline and document each tactic your committees will employ to stay focused on the designated goals. Be sure this is clear so the committee work is purposeful and driven by results.

MEASURE

The final step is the most important: Measure results against your defined metrics and deliver information to your board at the most strategic level. Keep board members’ focus on the pillars identified early in the process. Don’t let them evaluate the tactics. Keep them out of the weeds and focused on the long-term success of the organization and your strategic plan.

When we hear about associations experiencing year-over-year exponential growth, the common factor in every case is strategic board governance. When you employ these four steps, your board will be operating more strategically in no time.

How often do you talk about cultural alignment with your people? How could you integrate that into performance reviews?

This article was originally sourced from Associations Now.

I have written a lot about the need to design our organisations around the needs of the employees. I see this as part of a digital mindset that we need to be adopting if we want our associations to thrive in the 21st century. The world has changed (permanently) and individuals are expecting us to run the organisation and meet their needs at the same time. So we should.

That being said, I don’t want to imply that organisations should just pander to the needs of every single employee. While I like the customisation and the long-overdue focus on employees, I also firmly believe that organisations should have clear and intentional cultures. It’s a line in the sand, and something the organisation should defend, which means ultimately it’s not an either/or of employee-first or organisation-first. Instead, there should be an alignment between the individuals and the organisation around those cultural ideals.

So yes, we should be supporting our individual employees to develop and grow as leaders based on their unique individual needs, but we must also recognise that their unique and individual growth needs may actually grow them right out of our organisation.

Zappos is getting a lot of attention for their adoption of the holacracy system of self-management. About a year into rolling it out, they realised that not every individual who worked there was really cut out for self management, so they offered three month’s severance pay to anyone who wanted to leave, and 14% of their people left. That’s cultural clarity. It’s not that those 14% were poor performers. They just didn’t align with self-management, which is a cultural pillar at Zappos. They got clear that trying to “develop” those individuals in ways that was fundamentally misaligned with where they were headed was a mistake.

We need the discipline in our organisations to get clear like that and have the tough conversations with individuals who are not aligned. It means more people need to quit, and it means more people need to be “coached out” (no one wants to say “fired” any more). These separations are a good thing. It is called “good turnover” by some of the organizations I’ve studied, and I think it’s a natural part of healthy systems.

But in associations we tend to value loyalty, even it if is blind loyalty. Just like for our members, we proudly distribute trophies for working 10, 15, or 25 years at the same organization, without ever once evaluating if there is a clear cultural alignment. We need to change this.

And the first place you’ll start changing this is in your performance review system. I’ve got a whole month of posts about performance reviews coming up in the fall, so I won’t go into too much detail now, but performance management conversations should be tackling the individual/culture alignment issue. It’s not about rating the employee as a 5 or a 4. It’s about letting them get clear what direction they are headed in and then making sure that aligns with what the organisation needs. When there is alignment, the performance of the system goes up, and that’s what “performance” reviews should be about.

How often do you talk about cultural alignment with your people? How could you integrate that into performance reviews?

This article was originally sourced from Association Success and was written by Jamie Notter.

New guidance issued by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) will make it easier for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to access the superannuation system, the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST) said today.

AIST Executive Manager, Governance & Stewardship, Eva Scheerlinck said that the guidance encourages funds to look at more flexible approaches to identification requirements – including accepting alternative forms of identification where possible.

“Currently, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have difficulty accessing their superannuation benefits due to the rigid structure of identification requirements – many of which can be difficult to access,” said Ms Scheerlinck. “Promoting flexibility is an important step in creating a more inclusive superannuation system that caters to all members.”

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people face many challenges in accessing superannuation including verification of identity, communication and literacy issues, different cultural practices and relationships, and life expectancy differences.

Identification problems for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people start at birth – with many births not recorded in the official register resulting in no birth certificate being available. Changing of names and incorrect recording of birth dates or spelling of names has also proved challenging for First Australians when trying to prove their identity.

Ms Scheerlinck said the guidance was developed in consultation with the financial services sector and other Australian Government agencies.

“While there are still a number challenges for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in regards to superannuation and retirement outcomes, this work is evidence that with a collaborative approach

between Government, industry and those experiencing difficulties with accessing their superannuation, some of barriers around super and identification can be removed,” said Ms Scheerlinck.

Further media enquiries: AIST Media and Content officer, Sarah Goodwin 0401 769 296

AIST is the peak industry body for the $650 billion not-for-profit super sector which includes industry,

corporate and public sector funds.

This media release was sourced directly from AIST.

AMA FAMILY DOCTOR WEEK, 24 - 30 July 2016

Your Family Doctor: Invaluable to your health

Family Doctor Week is the AMA’s annual celebration of the hard work and dedication of Australia’s GPs – your family doctors.

Each year, the AMA reminds the community of the vital role played by local family doctors in keeping Australians healthy.

Having a trusted family doctor is good for your health. People who have an ongoing relationship with a family doctor are shown to have better health outcomes.

This year, the theme for Family Doctor Week is Family Doctors: Invaluable to your health.

During Family Doctor Week, the AMA will issue media releases highlighting the vital role played by family doctors in preventative health, aged care, and end of life care, and raise contemporary health policy issues such as the Medicare rebate freeze and general practice training and funding.

The AMA encourages local media to make contact with family doctors in your town, suburb, or local community to hear their stories about the joys and the challenges of providing quality health care in your area.

State and Territory AMAs can help you find local family doctors. Please contact:

NSW Lachlan Jones, 02 9902 8113

Victoria Felicity Ryan, 03 9280 8753

Queensland Rachael Barr, 07 3872 2209

Western Australia Robert Reid, 08 9273 3018

South Australia Eva O’Driscoll, 08 8361 0106

Tasmania Ned Worledge, 03 6223 3333

ACT Peter Somerville, 02 6270 5410

NT Fiona Thomson, 08 8981 7479

Follow all the action on Twitter: #amafdw16, #nomedicarefreeze

This media release was sourced directly from AMA.

Calls for the government to assist in transforming the digital economy.

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), which represents organisations in Australia's digital ecosystem, has outlined four key areas the new Coalition government must prioritise in order to help transform Australia to a digital economy.

AIIA CEO Rob Fitzpatrick congratulated the Turnbull-led government on its election but warned Australia's prosperity hinges on continued technological innovation in order to create jobs, grow the economy and improve global competitiveness.

"Digital technology is advancing rapidly, from smart phones that monitor your fitness, measure speed, height and distance, and remotely manage home thermostats and lights, to the way we manage our crops, cattle and mines, research cures for disease, manage city congestion, and deliver services to the most remote parts of our country. Without a doubt, digital technology will underpin our entire economy," he said.

In order to lead this innovation revolution, Fitzpatrick points to four key areas of focus:

1. Development and maturity of Australia’s digital talent and skills base

In order to grow and develop a data-driven workforce, the AIIA suggests a coordinated approach to STEM education, encouraging further diversity (women and mature aged workers) and improved opportunities for information and communications technology uni graduates.

2. Business adoption and integration of digital technology

Digitisation can improve many aspects of a business and while large corporations are educated and equipped to handle this transformation, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can struggle.

"They [SMEs] lack awareness of what options are available to them and they lack the capacity to implement changes even when they identify them, limiting the ability to grow their business," Fitzpatrick said.

The AIIA encourages SMEs to take advantage of proposed tax cuts to invest in the development of their digital capabilities, education and training resources.

3. Delivery of high performing, competitive digital infrastructure; and

Fast and reliable internet is essential to digital economic growth. The AIIA urges the government to accelerate the roll-out of the NBN and 5G wireless technologies.

"It is an undisputed fact that Australia is falling behind in broadband speeds, and the delay in improving our infrastructure is putting our economic prosperity at risk," Fitzpatrick said.

4. Digital transformation of government.

A recent study by Deloitte Access Economics revealed 40% of the estimated 811 million annual federal and state government transactions are still effected through traditional channels.

"This past election itself has been a great example. With electronic voting in place, we would have known the outcome of the election far sooner and the electoral process would cost fewer taxpayer dollars to run in the long term," Fitzpatrick said.

Despite the advent of digitisation, the global finance industry is limping into the technological age, still reliant upon decades old services and fee structures.

According to a recent survey, 64% of traditional financial service providers don't feel well prepared to engage with digital natives and 50% of fintech companies only feel reasonably well prepared.

This article was originally sourced from Finder.

Entries are now open for VTA’s 27th Australian Freight Industry Awards that acknowledge and reward the excellence of freight and logistics operators nationally.

The prestigious AFIA awards, hosted by the VTA and proudly sponsored by TWUSUPER and VIVA ENERGY, are among the most coveted accolades in the freight and logistics industry, recognising achievements that have helped shape the transport industry.

Award winners will be announced at a Gala Dinner at the Crown Palladium Ballroom on Saturday, 3 September, featuring entertainment from some of Australia’s most popular acts.

The VTA is welcoming entries to the awards and registrations to attend the Gala Dinner from members and non-members, as the VTA pays tribute to freight and logistics organisations that have demonstrated excellence and helped improve the standards of the industry.

Six major awards will be presented and for the first time the FTA will recognise a nominee that has introduced a policy, program or technology innovation that improves sustainability through waste reduction or resource recovery through the creation of the Australian Transport and Logistics Waste award.

The categories include:

• ‘Investment in People’ (sponsored by Logical Staffing Solutions)
  
• ‘Best Practice Safety’ (sponsored by Zurich Financial Services Australia)
  
• ‘Application of Technology’, the Shaun Owen Memorial Award (sponsored by Transport Certification Australia)
  
• ‘Australian Transport and Logistics Waste’
  
• ‘Young Achiever of the Year’ (Sponsored by Viva Energy Australia)
  
• ‘Personality of the Year’ (Sponsored by Victorian Government, Department of Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources)
  

Being a new category, sponsorship opportunities exist for the Australian Transport and Logistics Waste award. Please contact the VTA for sponsorship enquiries.

VTA Chief Executive Officer Peter Anderson said the awards night and black-tie gala function is a showcase of the professionalism and initiatives of those within the transport industry and for them to be recognised in front of their peers and families.

"As the peak freight and transport industry association, the VTA is proud to acknowledge those who are contributing to our objective of engaging in improved safety practices, the utilisation of advanced technology and implementation of the many efficiencies that lead to increased productivity," Mr Anderson said.

"I encourage all companies and individuals within our industry to participate in the awards nomination process to give them a chance of having their significant input recognised during this glamorous night of tribute to our industry participants.

"The annual awards gala belongs to our transport and logistics people and is an event to be celebrated amongst industry peers, distinguished guests and in front of a packed ballroom of family and friends."

The presentation of awards will be followed by a spectacular stage show featuring some of Australia’s iconic entertainers.

Headlining the entertainment will be Daryl Braithwaite, one of Australia’s most successful pop stars who was the lead vocalist of Sherbet when the band formed in the 1970s. His subsequent solo career has been outstanding and he still has many fans rocking to his number one hit of the ‘90s, The Horses.

Braithwaite will be supported by outstanding performances from the Jersey Boys Tribute Band, who will have Crown at fever pitch with Oh, What A Night and more of the Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons’ chart-toppers, plus The Matt Hetherington Band and The Voice Australia 2015 contestant Sarah Valentine.

Nominations for the awards can be made by companies or individuals on their own behalf or by their industry peers.

Each nomination must be accompanied by a typed summary of no more than 1500 words outlining why the nomination has been put forward. Supporting material such as charts, publications, diagrams or photos may be submitted with the summary. Nominations will be accepted in hard copy, electronic format or in a USB.

The closing date for entries is Monday, 15 August, 2016.

This article was originally sourced from Big Rigs.

Craig Wallace has stepped down from his role as president of People with Disability Australia.

Wallace announced the news last week in a statement of resignation on his official website.

Wallace wrote that his early resignation will enable him to focus on his campaign roles and to support his family members after the passing of his father.

“I have always said that leadership in the disability rights movement is an earned privilege that should not be carried as a burden,” said Wallace.

“I thank you all for your trust and the privilege of holding a position of leadership in our community.

“Going forward I’m willing to work in a professional capacity to assist PWDA and our Alliance partners in any way I can should this be required.”

Wallace thanked everyone in Australia who supported and engaged with disability rights over the years.

“Disabled people deserve committed leaders whose hearts and minds are on the job and who are ambitious to serve,” said Wallace.

“I will always be loyal to PWDA which has provided me with so many opportunities and which, along with our alliance partners, is the best hope for a progressive united democratic voice for disabled people in Australia.”

Wallace announced on twitter that Bonnie Millen will be the new A/G president.

This article was originally sourced from Third Sector and written by Gali Blacher.

Industry association CompTIA has launched the Dream IT program in Australia to increase women and girls' participation in the IT industry.

"The IT industry offers endless opportunities for women but it has been a challenge for our industry to get that message across to young people. Dream IT aims to address that challenge and introduce young women to the range of opportunities offered by technology careers," CompTIA ANZ executive council member and The Missing Link general manager Karen Drewitt said.

The Dream IT program is a global intiative of CompTIA's Advancing Women in IT Community and was launched in the USA in 2014 and in the UK in 2015. The community consists of both women and men working in IT.

"The local community has shown real dedication in preparing for the launch of the initiative. Involving women in IT is an important issue and I urge everyone to get involved in the cause and spread the message," said Drewitt.

The Advancing Women in IT Community aims to empower women and girls with the know-how and skills they need to launch and grow their own IT careers, according to CompTIA.

“A greater number of women in IT will bring a balance of leadership styles and interpersonal skills to the IT workplace, and help alleviate the growing IT skills gap in Australia and New Zealand," said Drewitt.

CompTIA now has a dedicated Australian Dream IT page with presentation resources available to anyone interested in spreading the message. There is also a career resource centre where girls and women interested can find information on IT career options, tips and testimonial from women currently in the industry.

Former CompTIA ANZ vice chair and Tableau Software commercial sales manager Kellie Hackney said: "Young women are often unaware of the opportunities, earning power, and satisfaction they can gain from a career in IT. We are excited for the Dream IT program to inspire women and girls to explore the diverse variety of opportunities available to them in our industry.”

This article was originally sourced from CRN and written by Samira Sarraf.

Governance Institute of Australia has prepared governance guidance for not-for-profit organisations.

In all instances, your organisation should be complying with the applicable legislation; however, there are sometimes grey areas not specifically covered by legislation, and practices in these areas can vary from minimal to best practice.

It is important to remember these Good Governance Guides are only a guide and not a substitute for seeking professional advice (including legal advice). Many of these Guides provide assistance on how you can develop the key policies and processes required under the ASX Corporate Governance Council’s Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations.

Good Governance Guide NFP — Board structure *New*

Good Governance Guide NFP — Conflicts of interest in not-for-profit organisations *New*

Good Governance Guide NFP — Separation of authority between board and management *New*

Good Governance Guide NFP — Stewardship *New*

Good Governance Guide NFP — Volunteer management *New*

Good Governance Guide NFP — Issues to consider for a chief executive officer who is also appointed as the company secretary

Good Governance Guide NFP — Risk management policy

This article was originally sourced from Governance Institute of Australia.