I did some strategy work for an association client last week, and to start off the session, I asked the board members in their introductions to share what volunteering really meant to them. Why did it matter? Why was it personally important?

There are a couple of reasons for doing this. First, any time you get a Board of Directors together, I think it's a good idea for them to share something personal, hopefully that others don't already know. Each time you reveal yourself like that, you build trust in the group (assuming the rest of the group doesn't mock you!). We need more trust in Boards because it enables them to move more quickly. So I'm a big fan of sharing new things as part of the work.

The second reason, though, is that strategy is personal. Each one of these Board members had very personal and meaningful reasons for being on the Board. Well guess what? So do all your members when it comes to belonging to the association. All participation is personal. So when you are trying to figure out what is going to drive the success of your association, you'd better understand the personal meaning you have to your members. Don't just settle for "we provide education, networking, and public awareness." That's a start, but that won't differentiate you enough. Not any more.

It's a challenge, of course, when there are so many different flavors of meaning among your membership. But mass customization was identified as a trend in this community years ago, so how are you changing your data gathering and analysis to account for this? Who is taking the time in your organization to develop new language about the value you offer? How are you embracing decentralization in order to cultivate a diversity of experiences for members?

One way to start is to first get really clear on what your personal meaning is. it's not what everyone else wants, but clarifying it will help you listen more carefully to what your diverse membership wants.