A Roadmap for Associations: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going With Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE

Full Transcript

Interviewer (00:00):

Hey, Bill, do you mind if we ask you some questions?

Bill Sheehan (00:03):

Sure.

Interviewer (00:07):

Is this your first time at the D2L headquarters?

Bill Sheehan (00:10):

Actually, it’s my second time in two weeks, so I’m happy to be back.

Interviewer (00:14):

How was the travel here?

Bill Sheehan (00:15):

Absolutely perfect. I’ve been traveling for 30 years, and these last two trips to Toronto have been phenomenal.

Interviewer (00:25):

You live in Delaware, right?

Bill Sheehan (00:26):

I do.

Interviewer (00:27):

If someone’s visiting Delaware, what would you tell them to do or see?

Bill Sheehan (00:31):

I would highly suggest that they visit the town of Lewes. It is straight out of Hallmark. Beautiful shops, wonderful restaurants, gorgeous views of the ocean. It’s the first town in the first state, and you really, if you’re ever go into Delaware, I would highly recommend spending a full day in Lewes, Delaware.

Interviewer (00:49):

Nice. What do you take in your coffee?

Bill Sheehan (00:51):

I just take it black. Thank you. Thanks.

Interviewer (01:02):

So where did you get your start in associations?

Bill Sheehan (01:05):

Well, I must say, I think I had the sweetest gig ever. My first foray into the associations was director of marketing and communications with the National Confectioners Association and the Chocolate Manufacturers Association.

Interviewer (01:20):

And what drew you in?

Bill Sheehan (01:22):

Well, two things. One, being a fan of confections was helpful, but I saw this job to be a director of marketing and communications, and I was always fascinated with business in general. And this really provided me an opportunity to not work with just one company, but hundreds of companies in the confectionery industry. And so it was just a wonderful foray into the association space.

Interviewer (01:51):

And what keeps you interested?

Bill Sheehan (01:54):

Well, the wonderful thing about associations is they were really formed to do three things: To protect, promote, and advance an industry. And I get excited on helping associations do that, both internally and externally by making sure that they’re strategically doing the right things to increase efficiencies within the association staff themselves and then helping associations see where they can make their mark on the industry externally. So it’s a wonderful industry to be part of.

Interviewer (02:29):

Now, what’s the best piece of advice someone gave you early on in your career?

Bill Sheehan (02:35):

That’s a very good question. My boss at the Confectioners Association, he said, “One idea can change the world, so always stay curious and keep learning.” And that has always resonated with me, that if you do have an idea that you think is relevant, to go ahead and follow that idea and work with folks and collaborate with others to see if it’ll happen because if you don’t, it’s really a wasted opportunity to make your mark.

Interviewer (03:16):

What’s the best piece of advice you’d share with someone today?

Bill Sheehan (03:23):

Well, an old football coach once told me that well done is better than well said. And I think what he meant is that if you say something or you commit yourself to something, make sure you follow through and get it done. Don’t just talk about it, but really apply your skills and produce a good product.

Interviewer (03:48):

Huh. Football coach. So you’re a sports guy, Bill?

Bill Sheehan (03:51):

I am a big sports guy.

Interviewer (03:52):

Favorite sport?

Bill Sheehan (03:54):

American football.

Interviewer (03:55):

Oh, favorite team?

Bill Sheehan (03:57):

Would’ve to be the Washington Commanders. I’ve been in the Washington DC area for 40 plus years, and I’ve been a fan of theirs for a long, long time.

Interviewer (04:04):

Favorite player?

Bill Sheehan (04:06):

Joe Montana. Definitely Joe Montana. Joe Cool. You know, no situation was ever too much for him. He always had the control of the team and that instilled confidence in his players and they wanted to play for him. So without a doubt, Joe Montana is my favorite player.

Interviewer (04:24):

What’s a trend in the association space that you’re really excited about?

Bill Sheehan (04:29):

Well, there’s actually two and one plays off the other, but it’s really digital transformation and digital engagement. I think with all the technologies available today, it’s really opening great opportunities for associations to really reach a wider audience, provide products and services when their members need them, how they want to get to them and when they need them. And so I think with this digital transformation that associations are going to be a huge beneficiary of this technology movement.

Interviewer (05:04):

And what do you think is the biggest challenge associations are up against today?

Bill Sheehan (05:08):

Well, that’s an excellent question and there’s many, but I think one that resonates with all of them is really capturing the attention of their membership. I think we’re in an attention economy right now, and with all the technology and all the information that’s available, it’s very difficult now for associations to rise above the clutter. And so I think what’s going to be a challenge is how do we capture their attention and keep their attention throughout the course of their membership within the organization? So I think that associations are really going to have a hard time making sure that they’re capturing the attention of their membership base.

Interviewer (05:56):

And what’s the one thing you’d love associations to know?

Bill Sheehan (06:00):

Well, that lends itself to capturing the attention. Right now; and COVID actually brought this to the forefront; and I think we’re coming out of this, but for the first time in association history, we’re all in the same boat at the same time with the same problems. And what I mean by that, the entire ecosystem. The ecosystem being made up of the association themselves and their staff, their membership, and then the suppliers that provide service to that. We’re all experiencing a lot of the same issues and same problems. We need to lean on each other. And I would want associations to know lean on the suppliers, lean on your board, lean on your members to help you advance your cause and mission.

Interviewer (06:48):

And what made you choose D2L.

Bill Sheehan (06:51):

Well, when I was approached by D2L, and I’ll look at it like a Venn diagram, and there’s three things really right now that are affecting associations and keeping them up at night. One is increasing non-dues revenue, another is increasing member engagement, and the third is remaining relevant. And if you put all those circles together in that little middle there is where D2L sits and I think we’re uniquely positioned to satisfy all of those concerns of an association through our learning platform and services. So for me, this was a perfect fit.

Interviewer (07:26):

Thanks, Bill. Are you ready to start the show?

Bill Sheehan (07:28):

I am and welcome to Learning by Association. Today we have a very special guest joining us to shed light on the journey ahead for associations. We’re honored to have Tracy Folkes Hanson, the CEO of CSAE, as our guest. Tracy brings a wealth of experience and insight into the intricate landscape of association management And she’ll share thoughts on the topics that is the forefront of every association’s leader’s mind: the roadmap for associations, where we’ve been and where we’re headed.

(08:03):

Associations play a vital role in connecting professionals, advancing industries, and fostering collaboration. However, as Tracy will illuminate, associations are facing a tidal wave of change. Membership demographics, member expectations, staff turnover, emerging tech. These factors and more are putting pressure on what associations do and why they do it. Throughout our conversation, Tracy will delve into the challenges and opportunities that associations encounter in this rapidly evolving landscape, from adapting to shifting demographics and member needs, to harnessing the power of emerging technologies, Tracy will provide invaluable insights into how associations can navigate these turbulent waters and emerge stronger than ever before.

(08:48):

Hi, Tracy. How are you doing?

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (08:49):

Well, thanks, Bill. How are you?

Bill Sheehan (08:52):

I’m doing well. It was great seeing you up at the symposium earlier this year. And I was just thinking, I’ve been in the industry for 30 years now and it’s flown by, but I was just looking at this thinking how much our industry has changed over those years. It was amazing. I just thought when I took a step back and saw what you were doing, bringing the volunteer chairman with the association executive is so important in this day and age. But boy, I was thinking, boy, associations certainly have changed over the years, haven’t they?

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (09:31):

Yeah. What’s the old adage? They’ve come a long way. Yeah, I think so. When I think of my own organization, we’re 60 plus years old, incorporated for 60 plus years, but we started in the early ’50s. But we’re a baby. CSAE is a baby compared to a lot of other associations, particularly trade associations or even professional associations that all came together a long, long time ago. And the definition of an association is a group of people that come together around a common purpose. So in those days, we didn’t have the technology that brings us together in a very different way now. So you can just imagine the smoky back rooms and the brandy sniffers or whatever-

Bill Sheehan (10:24):

Sure.

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (10:25):

… and what that was like. And it was really about partnering and coming together to advance whatever needed to be advanced for the particular sector or industry at hand. So associations played a really critical role. In the early days, and clearly because of the longevity of many associations, that has held true for a very long time.

Bill Sheehan (10:48):

Yeah. And I’m going to date myself too, but I was present at the advent of the internet. I remember when the fax machines … You’d stick a piece of paper in a machine and you’d fax somebody and you thought, “My goodness, isn’t this great? Aren’t we advanced?” And when I look back on that, and even before our times when these associations were formed back in the early days a 100 years ago, really to protect the industry and to protect the individuals involved in that industry. And it really became the original social network. Right?

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (11:24):

Yeah. Absolutely.

Bill Sheehan (11:25):

You got together once or twice a year.

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (11:27):

Great terminology.

Bill Sheehan (11:28):

And I’m sure membership renewal rates were great back in the day, and engagement was good because you mail a magazine and they looked forward to it. But I think the premise in today’s associations are still the same, where you’re serving a purpose, to your point, to protect, promote and advance the industry or the professions that they’re in and technology. When it came on board, I remember that when the World Wide Web became this big thing, associations used to say, “Oh, no one’s going to buy something over the internet. We’re still going to get checks and phone calls for credit cards, and no one’s going to use the internet. They’re not going to have a dialogue with us that way.” And lo and behold, that certainly changed things, the technology on how associations were collecting money and engaging with their members. And I’m sure you’re probably experiencing some of that now with the members of your organization too. Do you see that at some of your meetings and conversations? Are you hearing? How do we stay ahead of this technology curve to make us relevant?

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (12:43):

Well, I think what’s really interesting is you’ve got to look at different points in time. So no comment on where I was when I first saw a fax machine or if I’d worked before I ever saw a fax machine.

Bill Sheehan (12:59):

Understood.

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (13:00):

I do remember push button hold buttons on phones, so we’re probably fairly similar, but that was technology. Telephone was technology at one point in time. It was new technology at one point in time. So I think that if you look over the continuum of time, things are always changing, things are always evolving. Hopefully things are continuously improving. And I do think that when something new comes into play, so the internet or email, you can communicate by writing. You don’t have to pick up the phone anymore. I don’t know about you, but I think we have a whole generation of people who are afraid to use the phone because they didn’t have to. They could text to each other.

Bill Sheehan (13:48):

Absolutely. Yeah.

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (13:49):

So I think when those things are introduced, particularly in organizations that have some longevity, that there’s always that initial aversion to change. That, “I don’t understand it. I don’t know it.” We don’t know what we don’t know, and we never give ourselves enough grace in those moments that it’s time to learn it or it’s relatively easy to learn and adapt. I think we saw great adaptation over the last few years with certainly the greatest disruptor of my life and my career being the pandemic.

(14:26):

But when we look at things like technology as association leaders, we’re not the ones creating the technology. I’ll leave that up to the Facebook gurus and the-

Bill Sheehan (14:39):

The D2Lers, right?

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (14:41):

Of the world. Yeah, exactly. What I need to be able to do as an association or someone who works in an association, an association professional, I need to be able to figure out how to leverage the technologies that are going to help connect our members and build that engagement and build that community. Technology isn’t new. It’s always been around. The actual thing and what it can do for us is where that golden nugget potentially lies. And the only other thing that I will say is it feels like technology changes every 20 minutes. There’s always something new. I don’t think we have to know all of it. I think we need to not be afraid of it. We need to start having dialogue and figuring out how things work. AI is a perfect example of that right now. The new thing that’s not on the horizon because it’s here right now. So you’re right, it has changed us.

Bill Sheehan (15:41):

Yeah. And you bring up a good point. COVID, to me in my experience and seeing what was happening to associations worldwide, was that I really think for the first time in history; and at least association histories; we were all in the same boat at the same time with the same problem. The world shut down.

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (16:04):

Yeah.

Bill Sheehan (16:04):

Now, we’ve had economic downturns and we had financial crisis, but it didn’t affect every industry. Sometimes the nursing industry wasn’t affected when you had a financial crisis or the candy industry wasn’t necessarily affected with downturns because everyone loves candy. And so it is known as recession proof. But what COVID, I think, forced is that we got to lean on each other. When you’re talking about the technology, I think it really opened the door for associations to begin to develop and work much closer with their sponsors and their suppliers and the exhibitors, if you will, in the industry. Because prior to COVID; and I can say this speaking as a supplier to the association industry; we always wanted associations to be very successful. The more successful they were, the more successful [inaudible 00:17:00].

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (16:59):

Sure. Absolutely.

Bill Sheehan (17:00):

But now we need you to be successful because if you go away, we go away. And so now it’s a need versus a want. And I think with technology, you’re right, there is so much technology happening in the association space that affects every department. Accounting, marketing, communications, events with augmented reality. So I think instead of associations who now because of COVID; and this is true I think in the history; have always been asked to do more with less. Because although budgets changed during COVID and even staffing changed, membership expectations didn’t. And how do you provide those offerings with less? And I think that’s where the suppliers are raising your hand saying, “How can we help?”

(17:51):

And sometimes it’s tough for an association exec to say, “I would love your help. I’m just too busy.” And so that’s where I think suppliers have to become smarter and say, “Here’s where we can help you.” But I think now what’s happening is I think organizations have to begin to look to that supplier community for assistance. And I mean both time, material and offerings, and not necessarily as, if we do this, we want to be the exclusive sponsor. I really think that association executives need to begin those conversations more with those suppliers and how can you help? And I don’t know if you’re seeing that with your members or even with CSAE itself, but I am convinced that the suppliers would be there to help, and that really formalizes that community much better.

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (18:46):

Yeah, I couldn’t agree more. I use the word partnership a lot. I don’t think it’s a word that could ever be overused because we develop relationships and relationships turn into partnerships and vice versa. But I think it is that relationship between the association and the businesses, the suppliers, the vendors that support the work of associations. There’s knowledge there. There’s knowledge that can be beneficial to both sides. I don’t think it’s just about selling a widget or a product or a service. I go back to my days. I’ve spent a lot of time in the communications arena, spent a lot of time, the first half of my career in the corporate sector, and spent a lot of time as a sponsor of worldwide global events, et cetera. And we always used to joke that at MasterCard, the reason we sponsored the NHL in Canada … We sponsored it in North America, but in Canada, we led the sponsorship because it was about creating the emotional connection that fans had with the game of hockey, and then would have naturally an affinity with a product that was aligned to the thing that they’re most passionate about.

(20:13):

And I think that associations do that. Members join associations or did in the beginning join associations because there was a need, there was then an emotional connection that was built. Then there was community that was built. And I think bringing in our business partners to that community and leveraging the expertise on both sides, I think that’s just a recipe for success for both. I think you say that suppliers need associations. They need association members. Associations need members. If I don’t have members, then I don’t have anything for the supplier. So it’s quite triangulated. We’re all in it together. And I think having open dialogue and working collaboratively and making sure that the association understands what it is that the business partner is trying to achieve, and the business partner understands what’s driving the association and what the true mandate is of the association, there’s magic in that interconnection.

Bill Sheehan (21:28):

Oh, I agree. So well put, and that magic. And I think too, because you have this convergence of technology and content changing in real time and it’s coming from everywhere, and how can it be trusted in this day and age? And I think associations are experiencing multiple problems with that, in that. An association was always with members, and I always used to say this as an association executive. We’re fighting for a share of mind and a share of wallet because every member, if you’re part of a nursing association, a medical association, a pharmaceutical association, you have options. There’s multiple associations within each vertical and the old saying is if you’ve seen one association, you’ve seen one association. They’re not all alike. Every one of them operates differently, even if they’re all involved in nursing and the like.

(22:35):

But you have all of this convergence and you’re fighting for, like I said, a share of the mind, share of the wallet. But now how do you capture their attention? Now it’s the attention economy because we’re bombarded with messages every day; with text and computer and advertisements. How do I capture their attention? I know associations, I’m down here in the states, and they’re struggling mightily of how do I capture the younger generation’s attention and educate them on the importance and actually the critical nature and vital nature of an association?

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (23:14):

You talked about, yes, we can go and get our information anywhere. And the younger generation is much more savvy because they’ve grown up with it. So it’s no different than I grew up with the … I was talking about the push button, the hold buttons on the bottom of the phone. I grew up knowing that as a kid. I knew that my dad had one in his office. It was very fun to go and push the buttons. Not always when there was somebody up on the end of the phone. But my kids grew up with the internet, so my kids grew up in an era of social media. So they know how to use everything.

(23:53):

I believe that as associations, we have to be aware of what the next generation of talent has access to. And the important message for associations to think, and you said this, that associations have always held that place of having or should hold the place of having information and knowledge that is reliable and credible and trusted.

(24:26):

And I think that there’s a lot of literature around younger professionals, hopefully written by younger professionals and not then scrap the literature and start talking to the younger professionals. But I think they’re more loyal to relationships. They’re more loyal to the connection. And so I think that’s part of it. There will always be young doctors, there will be young lawyers, there will be young plumbers and carpenters and play therapists and chocolate makers.

(25:07):

So they want to belong. It’s not that they don’t want to belong, but they want to be connected. They want to have a relationship and I think that’s our focus. And Sarah Sladek has talked about this a lot in terms of where young professionals will place their value and I think if we get that piece right, if we bring them in and let them develop the association that they need or be a part of developing the future association that they need, then we’re ahead of the game if we’re willing to have that conversation.

Bill Sheehan (25:43):

I think you’re right. And you touched on something too, and this is where I think associations have a very unique opportunity to rise above the clutter. And I think that’s, as I mentioned before, being that single source of truth, that the information we provide is trusted, accurate, and complete. It’s coming from an organization of subject matter experts where in essence, raw information can come into the organization and a finished product goes out that has been vetted and researched and approved by subject matter experts. And I think that to me is where associations can cut to the clutter and say, “Hey, you might be getting information from this organization, or you might be getting information from this publication, but where is that information coming from and who’s putting that and what makes them the authority? Because the association is the authority.

(26:42):

And I think too, and you touched on something that is the bane of an existence for almost every association is members join an organization for one reason. It’s just hard figuring out what that reason is. Because you might join the same organization as I did for a different reason. You might do it for education and I’m doing it for networking or what have you. And the quicker you can find that out, the better. But when you were mentioning the younger generation, I think once they’re exposed to an association and particularly it’s members, I think it’s both refreshing and comforting to them to know that, wow, these folks are going through the same things I am. And you can’t find that anywhere else. You can’t find it on a university because you might be the same age and have …

(27:34):

But they’re not in the same world as you are. They’re not experiencing the same … And I think too, if the younger generation, younger professionals can understand that, hey, there’s a whole group out there that can support you and help bring you through this industry together. I think that’s positive. The hard part is for an association to capture that and disseminate that and communicate that and capture their attention.

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (27:58):

Yeah, I think so. And I think that cycle just continues though. I think that as you were saying that, Bill, I think about, okay, when I started my career, I know who my mentors were and most of them were older than me. Most of them had more experience than me. And I think that we look to that. I think now the stage where I’m at, it’s important for me to both have mentors that are older and have more experience than I do. I also think that I can benefit from mentors that are younger than me and are at a different place in a very different world than the way the world was when I started my career. And I do think it is all of that connectedness and making sure that if we recognize that, if we recognize that learning comes in all shapes and sizes, then I think we have an opportunity to do some great things.

Bill Sheehan (29:00):

Yeah, I agree. And I think too, moving forward, we’ve talked about some great things about how associations continually serve their community and now with some of the new concerns coming in for associations of the competition with technology and trying to reach and find the right language to reach that younger audience so they can sustain.

(29:25):

I’d love to start talking about how do we get there? How do we help our associations move into this new realm? And particularly with the fears of AI and concerns around that. But I think it’d be great to talk about some of the ways that how an association like CSAE can really be that lighthouse to help associations move into this new world that’s changing so fast.

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (29:51):

Yeah, so I’m always happy to share. My mother would say I’m nosy. I’m naturally curious is the way I say it. So I ask a lot of questions. But for us, just even what we’re doing next week by bringing the team together with the board is learning and an opportunity that associations may not think of. We’ve talked about in terms of attracting the next generation. Do we look at shadow boards or do we look at opportunities like making sure that we’re removing the barriers so that the next generation or so that we are fully inclusive and representative of our organization on our committees, in our volunteer opportunities, things like that.

(30:39):

I think that whenever we have an opportunity to guide a team, there are some really important things that we can do there. I think in terms of how we embrace technology, technology has been around for a long time. It’s normal. It’s been normal for a while. It always evolves. And I think as we go forward, the how do we get there and what do we do … I know for CSAE coming, I just said it, coming out of the membership trends report, one of the things was establishing and communicating; I know you mentioned that earlier; our member value proposition.

(31:19):

So we’re going to spend some time on that. I think everybody should. I think every association should, because it’s in that, that it crystallizes what your purpose is. And if you know what your purpose is, you can articulate that to your members. It’s not just about the features of membership. And yes, that’s an important part of it. If you read the report, people join because of benefits like insurance benefits or cost savings benefits. They join for education, which is a product and a service, but what is the benefit that they get from that?

(31:55):

So if I take a course, if we convince members to take a course and they learn something new, taking the course is the feature that we offer, which is our job. But the benefit is what do they learn from it? And that’s the language. And so if I read an article in a magazine and I learn something new, the feature is the magazine, but the benefit is what I’ve learned from it. If I go to a conference and I meet three people that I didn’t know before, but I can now rely on them as part of my support network, that’s the benefit of being a member. That’s the benefit of being at a conference.

(32:40):

So all of those things we tend to talk about. Even when you look at the trends report. Why do people join? Conference, education, whatever. Why they’re really joining is what conference gives us, what education gives us, what connecting with other people gives us. That’s the language that we should be talking about. We talk about it at CSAE a lot. Our partners like Glenn Tecker who offers the CEO Symposium or leads them for us, that’s the approach that he takes. I know that’s the approach that Gerald Bram, who authored the membership trends report takes. Sarah Sladek does as well. The whole idea of being member-centric or making sure that we’re communicating to our members those benefits, that’s how we do it. You have that [inaudible 00:33:35].

Bill Sheehan (33:35):

And consistently.

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (33:36):

Consistently. Yeah. That’s a good point. And we don’t always get it. I want to be really clear. We don’t always get it right. I’m willing to try something always, and we’ll keep shooting for it, but I don’t think you can go wrong if you’re consistently talking to your members.

Bill Sheehan (33:52):

I agree. Well, Tracy, thank you very much. We talked a lot about how associations started and why they started and how they begun to really had to change with how the demographics and the technological landscape was changing. So I really thank you for that. That was some great information, and I’m really looking forward to our episode two where we’re going to actually talk about how we can help associations move into this new frontier.

(34:23):

Next time on Learning by Association

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (34:26):

Culture isn’t driven. It’s certainly supported by, and the tone is set by the leadership, but it’s embraced and then it really belongs to the people.

Bill Sheehan (34:39):

Don’t forget who you are and why you were formed, and you’re still going to always be relevant in this industry.

Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE (34:48):

Yeah, I think that comes down to value proposition and making sure people understand what that is and that you can … It goes back to the elevator pitch, right? What’s your 30 seconds? This is who you are. And it’s not the 30 seconds when you’re standing at the booth, when people are coming by. It’s your 30 seconds when you’re at your barbecue on Saturday and your friends say, “What is it that you do?”

Bill Sheehan (35:16):

You’ve been listening to Learning by Association, a podcast where we delve into the ever-evolving world of associations and the challenges they face in navigating the currents of change. This episode was produced by D2L, a global learning innovation company helping organizations reshape the future of education and work.

(35:35):

To learn more about our solutions, please visit www.d2l.com and don’t forget to subscribe, so you can stay up to date with new episodes. Thanks for joining us, and we’ll see you next time.