The 2008 Digital Now conference theme is Delivering Value in a World of Choice.
“Choice”–There appears to be a recent upswing in the cloud about the degree of command and control that association professionals are comfortable relinquishing. To enable choice means, to me, loosening the control functions of our practices, policies, procedures, and operations. To allow the existence of a rouge facebook page for example. Forgoing control is a concept many of us might struggle to embrace–especially those in the professional development arena where sometimes control presumes quality.
However, it is apparent that our members have prolific choice. Google your industry specific terminology. My results for “College/University Housing” totals a combined 705,000 hits. Even when taking the mass media out of the choice equation—Google Scholar reveals 3,000 items. That is 708,000 other choices our members can make to meet their needs for information, resources, and networks. There are 430 groups on Facebook with “college housing”. All are not serving the same population as our association, but there is certainly choice for access to resources, information, connection, and belonging.
Calling upon graduate school psychology: Maslow in the 40’s outlined that the need to associate (belong) and to succeed (esteem) is a deficiency need. Otherwise, a need in which the individual does not feel anything if the needs are met, but feels anxious if the need is not being met. When you meet members needs to belong and succeed it is not inherently as noticeable as when you fail.
Are you forcing your members to make choices by allowing/creating deficiencies and not meeting needs?
How does choice relate to degrees of control in your organization?
How do you (or do you?) balance the need for control?
How do you utilize technology to mediate control and choice?
@Digital Now Readers: More profound comments on the role of choice in our associations are worth pondering prior to attendance at the 08DN conference. I recommend Jeff DeCagna’s insights on being generative and creating a tradition of choice.
