AuSAE launched in Tasmania

Over 20 CEOs of Tasmanian not-for-profit organisations attended the meeting at the stunning Wrest Point Conference Centre in Hobart with the venue and refreshments provided courtesy of The Federal Group, who sponsored the meeting.

Victorian AuSAE President and Materials Australia CEO Nick Koerbin was in town to deilver the keynote speech. “It was like coming home,” said Mr Koerbin. “I was born and raised in Hobart, so it was a real thrill to share of my experiences as a professional association manager.

“There are heaps of books on managing associations, but nothing compares to your own experiences so I thought I would share some of my own experiences and ideas.”

In his presentation, Mr Koerbin outlined some of the key challenges that face association managers including stalled membership growth, stale programming, member apathy, revolving volunteer leaders, and the pressure faced by assocations to deliver high quality services to members and stakeholders at levels that are often beyond their capcities.

He also discussed “the 20 lessons every association manager should know” and what makes for a high performing association.

Mr Koerbin indicated that in high performing associations:

• Vision for the association is shared and owned by stakeholders
• Strategy is performance based, clear and mapped to ensure boards and employees can turn the vision to reality
• Goals are challenging and make a difference to the way in which work is completed
• Better business practices to ensure member and employee satisfaction
• Strong emphasis on performance measurement using key performance indicators
• Boards of individuals do not allow personal or regional concerns to obstruct meeting the association’s goals.