3 Ways Associations Can Live Dangerously in 2013

What if 2013 was the year of living dangerously for associations? What kind of changes would we see?

Fear is such a pain. It saps our energy; develops more of the same old thing. Fear creates doubt in the place of excitement. Fear sucks. 

And yet, when we drill down into why many decisions are made the way they are in organizations, we find fear at the root. Or the budget. But the budget only reflects priorities, so we're back to fear and why it kills in the most uninteresting ways imaginable. 

Fear in associations creates decision making that kills by boredom, repetition, and a disregard for changing societal landscapes. 

So what if we lost our ability to fear for a year? 

1. Experimenting With The Membership Model: A new pricing structure...the Freemium model...a new membership type...virtual membership... what options are you offering your members? Do you have several ways your members could get and stay involved with your organization. In a year of living dangerously an association would try something new with their membership model. What do you think? Are you ready for a new Blogger/Social Media Ambassador Membership type? What would the requirements for that member be? What would they receive in return? 

2. Identifying Better (READ: Kick Ass) Member Benefits: Is your magazine worth it to me to be a member? Do you have varying levels of benefits I could choose from at different price levels? Do I have options as a member for each level of membership? Does your organization provide me with ways I can easily BUY MORE ENGAGEMENT? Identifying some smart member benefits for on-boarding new members and thrilling existing members would fit in well in a year of living dangerously for associations.

3. Taking a Deeper Look At The Annual Meeting: Do you need it? Is it what it should be? Could there be a dramatic overhaul that refreshes the Annual Meeting? What if you invested more? Invested less? What would the most ideal Annual Meeting look like for attendees? Start from scratch. What could you do instead of an Annual Meeting? Several events? Should your Annual Meeting take place with a different format? What if you had to do it without a budget? What if you had all the money you needed? Associations who were taking up the mantle to live dangerously would take a chance with their Annual Meetings recognizing they could have a huge impact be doing more than allowing for small "tweaks" to their meeting. 

Happy New Year's Eve! What do you think? What else would associations do in a year of living dangerously?