When I look at these numbers, I do not feel inspired to make a ton of resolutions. Yet, I continue to make them each year…and many times, I’m making the exact same resolution as the previous year.

Why do most of us fail at our resolutions?  

Unrealistic expectations play a big role. If I resolve to exercise five days a week in 2020 when I currently make it to the gym only a few times per month, I’m not setting myself up for success. And, when I fail this unrealistic expectation, it will likely make it harder for me to go to the gym altogether. 

If you’re creating new year’s resolutions for your personal or your professional life, make sure to set realistic expectations…ones that do not require an overhaul of your schedule and current processes or lifestyle. As with my approach to exercise, association and nonprofit staff can approach cleaning up their organization’s data with simple steps that break an overwhelming task into more manageable pieces.  

According to Dr. Marcelo Campos, a lectured at Harvard Medical School, it’s helpful to answer these five questions when creating and sticking to your New Year’s Resolution. Let’s apply these questions to the goal of eliminating dirty data in an organization…and keeping it that way: 

1. Why do you want to make the change? 

Dirty Data is everywhere. Forbes finds that 84% of CEOs are concerned about the quality of their data and Gartner measures the financial impact of poor data on businesses at an average of $9.7 million per year. It’s crucial that your team can trust and rely on your organization’s data. This is important from not only a compliance and regulatory standpoint, but also so that you can make data-driven decisions about the types of programs, events and activities that you should invest in to provide the most value to your members. 

Bad data can hurt an organization’s reputation, make you miss out on opportunities to engage members, and result in lower revenue when communication is not accurately aligned to the audience.  

2. Is your goal concrete and measurable? 

As we’ve already discussed, this is incredibly important. Ensure that you’ve put a goal in place that is both realistic and measurable. 

Consider how much time that you and your staff currently spend on ensuring that your data is accurate and is consistent across your systems and tools? Ideally, your AMS serves as the single source of truth for your organization and is synced with all other technology platforms regularly. If your making data hygiene a priority next year, be sure to account for the time that will be involved in keeping your data clean.  

Additionally, while clean data is a continuous goal rather than an item you can cross of your list, create a list of milestones and dates that help you confirm you’re making progress.  

3. What is your plan for dirty data? 

Now that you’ve committed to good data hygiene for 2020, it’s time to implement a plan of attack. There are generally three types of dirty data: 

• Inaccurate data: information that is out of date or was entered incorrectly 
• Inconsistent data: when data fields are missing or are formatted differently across records 

• Identical data: where a single contact has multiple records 

Your data hygiene plan should include steps to not only protect against all three types of dirty data but have scheduling times to routinely scrub your data and consolidate any duplicate records. Want to learn more? Check out our Data Hygiene Guide. 

4. Who can support you as you work toward change? 

Creating a data hygiene plan can be an overwhelming activity, especially when you have multiple years of dirty data to review and clean up. Create buy-in across departments and teams to help you fix bad data more efficiently and ensure it stays that way. 

There are a wealth of tools and resources that can extend your team’s limited resources. Look into an Integration Platform as a Service (iPaas) solution that allows your organization’s data to flow across systems as well as manage duplicates, create data filters and more. 

5. How will you celebrate your victories? 

Each time that you move closer to your goal of eliminating dirty data, take time to reflect on the experience and celebrate your success. This can be as simple as a shout out in your monthly team meeting where people share their recent wins and accomplishments. You can also bring in lunch for your team or plan an offsite activity when they finish surveying your membership and consolidating/updating all records in your AMS. 

Regardless of your journey, it’s important to remember that getting rid of dirty data is not a destination, but rather a journey of behavior change and regular maintenance. Be patient with yourself and your team, and don’t be surprised if there are setbacks.  

Are you ready to get started on your dirt data resolution? Well…you’re in luck.  

Watch This On-Demand Webinar 

The post Resolve to Clean Up Your Dirty Data in 2020 appeared first on Personify.

Personify’s EPiC Program

What goes in to becoming an EPiC Specialist, which stands for someone who has Exceptional Potential early In their Career? The EPiC Program a year-long rotational program at Personify with rotations in three departments, with four months spent in each one. EPiC Specialists develop new skillsets in each department and become crucial members of the team throughout each rotation.

As a member of Personify’s inaugural EPiC class, I can share that I have learned so much over the past months of being an Epic Specialist, not just about who I was professionally but as a coworker, employee and mentee.

My EPiC Rotations

I started my rotation in Human Resources, learning the ins and outs of a company and understanding what it takes to create a strong corporate culture and environment within a company. My first rotation helped me understand how to interview candidates for jobs, recruiting best practices and how to create a team of happy employees at Personify. I am convinced that everyone should work in HR at some point in their life to understand just how impactful they are to driving the company’s culture and that they are the foundation for the organization’s success.

My next two rotations had me join the marketing team, initially in Brand and Communications and then in Demand Generation. My daily activities include managing social media, creating content and learning the ins and out of the tactics and execution of a marketing campaign. As part of the marketing team, I learned how much work and persistence goes into the daily upkeep of a corporate brand. I was given countless opportunities for new experiences that I never thought I would be doing. From planning our annual Sales Kick Off meeting, planning and attending PersoniFest, our annual user conference, and helping create content for social media–I had multiple experiences that helped me grow.

I was faced with challenges and tasks that helped me grow in my career. Throughout the rotations, I interacted with departments across the organization where I need to hone my project management skills and develop close relationships with new teammates. I didn’t just learn about Human Resources and Marketing, I learned life skills that I will take with me wherever I go. While I developed tangible career skills, I learned a lot about myself as well—including how I best work with others, meeting deadlines under pressure and managing my daily tasks.

Reflecting on my Experience

As a recent college grad, job hunting was a daunting task that sometimes seemed impossible and, without truly knowing what I wanted to do, I was afraid that my job search would be an uphill battle. Then I found the EPiC Program. This program is perfect for someone who isn’t quite sure what they want to do but are looking for exposure to multiple teams and projects.

As I am closing this chapter as an EPiC specialist, I am reflecting back on how many opportunities I had to learn and grow in this program. I discovered what I really enjoy doing and the environments that help me thrive and grow. The EPiC program allowed me and my colleagues to better understand how different departments and teams come together to build a successful organization.

I was able to take the skills I already had and further develop them. I would encourage any  growing organization to create a program like this one that helps young professionals try on different career opportunities and expand their areas of expertise. I feel as if I can take on the world now because of my experience and opportunities as an EPiC Specialist here at Personify.

p.s. Personify is hiring. Check out our job openings!

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As someone who has worked in marketing and membership longer than I’ll ever admit publicly, ASAE’s Marketing, Membership & Communications Conference, kicking off later this week in Washington D.C.’s Walter E. Washington Convention Center is among my favorite events of the year.

In addition to having the opportunity to connect with association professionals the topics discussed are always top-notch. Each session is uniquely targeted to address the needs of marketing, membership and communications professionals as they look to optimize their efforts across the various stages of the membership lifecycle, from acquisition to retention.

There are no shortage of amazing opportunities for learning but here are the five sessions I’m looking forward to the most this year:

Thursday, June 6^th:

Viral Business Starts at Home

9:00AM – 10:00AM

We know both from our research into young members and anecdotal feedback from clients that few things are as effective in building buzz and in the acquisition of new members than word-of-mouth endorsements from peers. In his keynote, entrepreneur Johnny Cupcakes will share what he learned from the launch and success of his own business but also the implications for associations who need to ensure their staff will engage with their brand on a deep-level for an exceptional member experience.

How Issue Advocacy Can Increase Member Engagement

2:45PM – 3:15PM

We’ve seen in our own Personify Community how advocacy can only drive an organization’s mission forward by mobilizing members in support of a specific cause but also serve as an important opportunity for engagement. I’m looking forward this session, which will dive into issue advocacy and how associations can leverage social media and digital tools to further the reach of their advocacy campaigns and engage members.

Bringing Member Personas to Life – Hollywood Style

3:30PM – 4:15PM

What kind of marketing person would I be if I didn’t use this opportunity to plug my own session? Personas have become a critical component in the success of marketing teams, but often they’re authored in response to a single situation or in the context of a specific need. How can we take our understanding of personas to the next level and given them new life? I’ll be taking a trip to the TV stages, writer’s rooms and Hollywood studios for this exciting session. You don’t want to miss it!

Friday, June 7^th

Making a Splash With an Integrated Campaign

10:15AM – 11:00AM

At Personify, we’re big fans of the integrated campaign. This session will share a real-world example of how one organization leveraged an integrated campaign to stand out among brands with flashy booths and global name recognition to make themselves not only relevant, but cool!

How to Capture the Attention of the Generation Z Constituent

2:45PM – 3:30PM

Another Personify-led workshop that you don’t want to miss! Our young member research looked not only at Millennials but also the emerging Gen Z audience. While Gen Z may bring new energy, ideas, and opportunities, they also bring the NOW Effect: information must be mobile, transparent, and delivered in real-time. Personify’s VP of Marketing, Teresa Zimmerman will dive into the art and science behind creating compelling campaigns that resonate with Gen Z. With a focus on content, social media, analytics, and more, we’ll share the necessity of using the right and left side of your brain when marketing to younger generations.

We look forward to seeing you in our sessions and on the show floor! If you’re attending ASAE MMCC please stop by booth 121 on the show floor. We’d love to hear what you’re learning and what’s resonating!

The post 5 Sessions to Check Out at ASAE MMCC appeared first on Personify.

Offering continuing education opportunities makes your organization more engaging to your members and encourages participation in all that your association has to offer. Today, we’re taking a look at how your association—and its members—can make the most out of an integrated LMS and AMS.

We’ll show you how your association can:

1. Choose an LMS that allows you to be the center of learning for members.
2. Help your members display their achievements in their member profiles.
3. Provide social learning opportunities for your members.
4. Recommend more courses for your members through your AMS.
5. Keep your members updated on additional learning opportunities.

Providing the best possible learning opportunities for your association’s members begins with selecting the right LMS. Choose a highly configurable software system that can satisfy your members’ unique learning needs.

1. Choose an LMS that allows you to be the center of learning for members.

Your association should aim to provide your members with courses and materials that are tailored to meet their specific professional needs. Select an LMS that allows you to be the center of learning by tracking all of their continuing education, even if they take it outside of your association.

It’s likely that your members are already using your AMS to connect with other members, register for your events, and find new ways of engaging with your association. Your next goal is to be seen as the provider for their lifelong education. When your AMS and LMS are integrated, your members will have a lifelong view of their continuing education (CE). They’ll also be able to track their CE with features such as:

• Self-reported learning. Make sure that your LMS allows your members to self-report any education and CE earned outside of your systems. By offering them this feature, they will look to you as their main source for their CE information and tracking.
• Migration of existing continuing education earned. If you’re transitioning from one LMS to another, you’ll want to make sure you can migrate your member’s existing transcript records (credit earned at a minimum) into the new system.
• Lifelong transcript. A transcript that tracks all of your member’s education is invaluable for professionals to report their CE to their respective board and/or employer. Typically a three-year history is required for tracking CE.

The right association LMS can transform your members’ experience with continuing education and encourage them to participate in more of the activities and opportunities that your association has to offer, both online and in person. If you’re thinking about selecting or upgrading your LMS, you can check out Web Courseworks’ guide to association LMS features.

Once you’ve found an LMS with all the right features for your association, you can integrate the system with your AMS so that members can showcase their achievements in their courses on their member profiles.

2. Help your members display their achievements in their member profiles.

Your members’ profiles within your AMS are important locations for making valuable professional connections, as they often contain information indicating each member’s levels of certification and areas of expertise. When your AMS and LMS are integrated, your members will be able to show the courses they have completed on their member profiles.

Make sure that your association management software provides a positive user experience by allowing members to indicate their achievements on their profiles with badges or other representations. This way, other members can gain insight into their colleagues’ certifications and specialties. They may even be encouraged to participate in continuing education courses themselves!

Member profiles that contain information derived from your LMS are just as helpful to your association’s team as they are to your members. Automatically updated member profiles help you clean up your data in your AMS and better understand your members’ current goals and interests, as well as:

• Their certifications. In certain fields such as healthcare, course completions are accompanied by certifications necessary for professional advancement. For association members in these fields, having their certifications displayed on their member profiles is highly important to their professional standing.
• Their course completions. Knowing which courses your members have completed in the past helps your association create the courses they’ll want the most in the future, as well as recommend to different members the right courses based on their demonstrated interests.
• Their goals. Your members will likely complete courses in the areas of their fields where they would like to develop new or stronger skills. This indication of their goals can help your association plan the right events for your members and facilitate the most helpful professional connections among them.

In addition to using your association’s LMS and AMS to provide your members with opportunities for individual professional development, you can also use your software systems to bring them together in person and online for social learning opportunities.

3. Provide social learning opportunities for your members.

Social learning provides your members with opportunities to learn from one another by gaining new perspectives on the materials contained within their courses. This way, members can benefit from their colleagues’ varying areas of expertise. Use your integrated LMS and AMS to make the most of social learning opportunities for your association’s members.

Social learning can take place online or in person. Whichever approach your association chooses to take, you’ll be keeping your members engaged in the learning process and appealing to their different learning styles. With the help of your software systems, you’ll be able to offer them social learning opportunities in the forms of:

• Discussion boards. Relatively simple yet highly effective, discussion boards within the courses offered through your LMS allow members to offer their individual questions and viewpoints about the course material. This keeps them more engaged with the content.
• Live chats. Opportunities for live chats with other members in a course provide your online learners with one of the most valuable components of classroom learning. Discussing the material helps learners explore it from different angles and increases retention.
• Live learning events. Look for an LMS that allows you to host live learning events for members within the same geographic region. You’ll want to make sure that you can transform any materials used in the live event into online resources for members accessing the course remotely.

Integrating your AMS and LMS is especially important when it comes to conferences and other live events. When your systems are integrated, members will have more convenient options for registration. You’ll also be able to use the eCommerce features of your AMS to offer attendees customized event merchandise designed on a platform like Bonfire, which can help fundraise for your association.

Event tickets and merchandise aren’t the only items you can offer your members through your AMS. With integrated software systems, you’ll also be able to offer them more courses based on those they’ve already completed.

4. Recommend more courses for your members through your AMS.

Your AMS—and especially your members’ profiles—provides your association with comprehensive information on your learners’ professional achievements and goals. Your association can use this information in your AMS to offer individualized recommendations for courses via your LMS.

With the help of your association’s member database, you can further your members’ professional development by offering them the right continuing education courses. These recommendations can be based on:

• Their past course completion. It’s likely that your members will want to develop or improve a skill set through a series of related courses. Recommendations based on individual members’ past course completions within your LMS are some of the most appreciated and effective.
• Their peers’ course completions. As professional expectations in various fields shift to meet new needs, certain courses are likely to become popular among your association’s members. These can be highly effective recommendations as well.
• Their professional sectors. If your association has members in a wider range of professional sectors and subsectors, you’ll likely use your software systems to recommend very different courses to different members.

Personalized course recommendations can help your association re-engage lapsed members and encourage your most active members to participate in more of your association’s offerings. For all of your members, it’s important that you use all of your software—your AMS and LMS as well as your association’s website—to keep your members updated on all of the opportunities available to them.

5. Keep your members updated on additional learning opportunities.

Your members value the insights and opportunities that come with being a part of your association and want to learn as much as possible from their experience. Whenever you add new course offerings to your LMS or develop more ways for your members to learn and grow, make sure that you share these opportunities through your AMS and association website.

Helping your members learn more and reach their professional goals is an important component of your association’s brand and story, so you’ll want to place learning opportunities front and center on all of the platforms that you use to communicate with your members. These include:

• Communications sent via your AMS. Offering courses that your members are sure to be interested in? Select an AMS that allows you to send out automated communication about the new offerings to all of your members. You can also segment your member database and send the communication to the appropriate groups of members.
• Committees and regional groups within your AMS. Some opportunities, especially live learning events that take place within specific regions, may be of special interest to regional chapters of your association or other member-run subgroups. Make sure that these groups are aware of the learning opportunities available to them.
• Your association’s website. Members should be able to visit your association’s website to learn more about the opportunities you provide for their professional development, including in the form of on-demand course offerings. This can encourage current members to register for courses and potential members to join your association.

When your software systems work together to help your association create and distribute valuable learning materials, your members are sure to benefit from the opportunities that you provide. Integrated systems make it easy to expand and share your offerings, facilitating your members’ professional development.

If your association is already using an AMS to manage your members, an LMS to create and offer continuing education courses, or both of these software systems, integrating them can better facilitate your members’ learning. Choose comprehensive systems that make it easy to provide your members with the materials they need to learn and succeed in their specific fields.

Amber Bovenmyer is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Web Courseworks. She’s committed to helping association executives realize the potential of their education programs and turn them into high performing revenue generators. Amber was named one of Madison, Wisconsin’s 40 under 40 and the number 1 LMS salesperson by Talented Learning.

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