People like to name things. And then try to figure out what the name means. This really applies to our generations – from the “Baby Boomers” (that’s where I fit in) to “Generation X,” then “Generation Y” (albeit changed by someone to the “Millennials”), to the newest generation, “Generation Z,” or “Founders”, neither of which seem that descriptive.

I propose we name generations based on how libraries are organized.

The Canadian Society of Association Executives offers a designation called Certified Association Executive (CAE). It’s a course I’ve been taking and it’s helping me learn some valuable lessons about continuous improvement.

When associations excel in meeting the needs of their members, you can be sure that it doesn’t happen by accident. Hard work, dedication and persistence are part of it for sure. But without a decent strategic management model, those things won’t get you very far.

Managing a not-for profit association sure isn’t easy. As we’ve seen, a good board helps. You’ll need an effective Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a committed group of professional staff too. But even with those things in place, there are plenty of things that can go wrong that will prevent an organization from maximizing its potential.

So you’ve established your board and made sure they know their stuff – the legal and financial duties the work involves, the training they’ve had or will be getting, the code of conduct they’re expected to uphold etc. etc. (for more on this, see my last post). But what do effective boards actually do?