1. Response to Maddie Grant's observation about the closing general session video:
I think this is a huge problem for associations. I have lots of friends in GR, and, as a political scientist by training, I don't think lobbyists are evil. But we have to find a way as a community to own not only the fact that some of community members lobby for funding for alternative energy but also the fact that some of our other community members lobby to prevent the government from raising fuel efficiency standards. We need to own our own shadow.@maddiegrant video is pos but not honest - what about assoc lobbying against alt energy,#hcr etc? Do we own our neg too?#asae12
— Elizabeth Engel (@ewengel) August 14, 2012
2. Response to Romeo Arrieta's tweet about retiring Baby Boomers:
I think this is also a huge problem (obviously). Aside from the fact that there are fewer than half as many butts to fill the seats Boomers will eventually leave, plenty of Xers, tired of waiting, are looking to career alternatives (guilty!). I really don't know how we solve this, but in 5-10 years, it's going to be a crisis.@romeoarrieta Gen X hasn't been mentored for leadership roles, isn't being "brought along" = potential HUGE problem#asae12
— Elizabeth Engel (@ewengel) August 14, 2012
3. Response to Shane Feldman's observation that continuing to add in math is infinity, in life is insanity:
As we can all share more and more with each other more and more seamlessly and on more and more platforms, we all run the risk of social fatigue. Don't make things worse for your members.@shfz one of my new mantras is "attention doesn't scale"#asae12
— Elizabeth Engel (@ewengel) August 14, 2012
4. At the IGNITE session:
Best use of blank black slide ever in "view from my electric chair"This struck me particularly hard because of the session I facilitated the previous day, "We Are the 1%: A Frank Conversation About Diversity." CEOs Pat Natale (ASCE), Pat Blake (ASGE), Greg Fine (TMA), and Kevin Lynch (NIB) had an open, no-bs conversation about ALL types of diversity. I think we tend to focus on race/ethnicity and sexual orientation to the exclusion of many other types of diversity, particularly physical disability. The final question I asked my panelists was one Pat Natale had posed on one of our prep calls: "So what?" Two of the panelists specifically addressed the issue of hiring people with visible physical disabilities. What is your organization doing in this area? Anything?#asae12#ignite - ppl w disabilities don't want to be invisible
— Elizabeth Engel (@ewengel) August 13, 2012
5. At Jeff De Cagna's innovation lounge session on his new book, Associations Unorthodox:
Key assoc problem: half measures, idea fails, blame idea rather than poor execution /viaOh man, how much time have you got? This one is an epidemic in associations. Why don't we execute better, consistently? What's holding us back?@pinnovation#asae12 [TRUTH!]
— Elizabeth Engel (@ewengel) August 13, 2012

2 comments:
Great post as always. Looking foward to your longer post. To Maddie's point, I agree we need to own the bad as well as good, but I'm not sure how in an annual meeting setting. Probably worth exploring in an session.
I loved Valerie's dark slide for Ignite. It was beyond powerful.
Romeo's tweet was spooky for me to read since two other people talked to me about going for leadership roles I'm not sure I'm ready for. Maybe it's confirmation of what my friends said to me.
I don't even know the situation and I'm going to say that you should go for it. There's no other way I know of to know if you're "ready."
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