At a recent meeting of AMC (Association Management Company) colleagues, I had a chance to deliver a presentation highlighting the new easy to access tools available as a result of the ASAE Foundation’s latest research initiative, ForesightWorks.
The mix of new and seasoned association professionals in the room seemed to instantly recognize that the ForesightWorks project was different from previous environmental scanning or trends monitoring projects.
The key differences included:
- ForesightWorks is an evidence based research project.
- ASAE partnered with true futurists who conduct trend watching as their full-time job!
- This is not another book. Rather, the ForesightWorks project resulted in a series of 41 initial Action Briefs that summarize clusters of trends centered around a key Driver of Change.
- The researchers are actually already scanning for the next series of four to six new Drivers of Change. This project is not stagnant.
- The tools associated with the ForesightWorks project are easy to digest.
Feedback after the presentation included that busy association executives were appreciative of the fact that the Action Briefs are all formatted in a similar structure that spans just four pages of data. This was not a research book that was going to collect dust on a nightstand while waiting to be read.
The standard elements of the Action Briefs include:
- Page 1 Summary, Forecasts, Key Uncertainties
- Page 2 Supporting Trends, Data, Related Drivers of Change
- Page 3 Strategic Insights, Timing, Potential Alternative Futures
- Page 4 Taking Action, Who Will Be Affected, Info About ASAE ForesightWorks
My impression of the success of the session was validated when several of my colleagues found me after the session to tell me they already downloaded the “Why Association Need Foresight” and “Drivers of Change” (list of 41 Drivers with summary descriptions) free whitepapers from the ASAE bookstore.
Download your copies of the white papers today. Once you’ve had a chance to read the material, share a copy with your Boards and start the journey to creating your association’s path to the future
