How to Be More Productive at Your Association

• 9:30 AM - Meeting
• 10:45 AM - Scheduled Call 
• 12 PM - Lunch
• 1:30 PM - Software Demonstration 
• 3:00 PM - Off-Site Visit/Meeting
• 4:45 PM - Scheduled Call 

If your typical day in the office resembles anything like the schedule above, it can be hard to find the time to accomplish important tasks. Between meetings and travel, finding the time to get things done can present a challenge. Luckily, there's so many technology tools to integrate into your daily schedule to save time and become efficient at what you do in your association.  

Regardless of budget, staff size, or issue area, utilizing savvy, cost-effective technology within your association will boost your productivity and help you maintain focus, helping to propel your association’s vision into reality.  

Productivity Challenge #1

Effectively Communicating with Colleagues 

Technology Tool: Slack

How many times have you sent your coworker(s) a one-sentence email to ask a question? Email is undeniably the leading choice for digital communication between your association and external parties...but what do you use to communicate within your association? Slack is an online communications tool that simplifies dialogue between coworkers. Slack’s instant messaging application helps your staff work efficiently together and saves valuable time. Rather than cluttering your colleague's inbox with unnecessary one sentence emails, you can easily send them a Slack message, and they will be instantly notified.  

Productivity Challenge #2

Managing Your Association's Advocacy Efforts 

Technology Tool: Muster

Advocacy software, like Muster, makes it easy to mobilize and direct members and supporters to take meaningful political action on behalf of your association. Based on our interactions with current customers, we'll take a guess that you've also most likely utilized complicated and confusing digital advocacy tools in your association career. In contrast to other advocacy software solutions, Muster's advocacy software makes engaging your membership in online advocacy straightforward. 

Additionally, Muster’s tiered, size-based pricing model offers affordable advocacy software to all associations, regardless of budget, size, or scope. 

Productivity Challenge #3

Building Community on Twitter 

Technology Tool: TweetDeck

Depending on the size and scope of your association, Twitter may be the focus of your social media marketing. TweetDeck simplifies the multichannel process of the business side of Twitter by allowing you to monitor hashtags and influencers and tweet directly from the platform. Additionally, TweetDeck allows for multiple users to access the platform. You can collaborate with your communications and marketing leaders through TweetDeck. Want to learn more about how associations can best harness social media? Read this blog post. 

Productivity Challenge #4

Designing Visual Content without an In-House Graphic Designer 

Technology Tool: Canva

If your association is lucky to employ a talented marketing coordinator or art director, graphic design may very well be a skill-set that your colleague can contribute to marketing and/or sales material. However, if purchasing the full Adobe suite of design software isn't an option due to budget constraints, consider using the online program, Canva. With both free and paid tiers, Canva is a fantastic alternative for other pricey design software.

Productivity Challenge #5

Cultivating an Innovative Association Culture

Technology Tool: StrengthsFinder 

Bob Ramsey, the Executive Director of the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians contributed to an insightful blog post on our blog detailing the importance of the self-assessment tool, StrengthsFinder. Keeping your association colleagues motivated, inspired, and productive in their respective roles is based on skill-set and personality traits. As Ramsey said, "focusing on your strengths forces you to do more of what you like and are good at doing rather than struggling with improving your weaknesses". Productivity is key to building a thriving association culture with happy and motivated staff members.  

Do you use other tools to become more productive at your association? Let us know in the comments! 

{Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in 2016 and has since been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.}