01/04/2023

A Last Look at Leadership in 2022

The new normal means more challenges

Entering 2023, there’s a lot to look forward to: Hope that COVID-19 has moved further away in the rearview mirror, that the supply-chain crises that disrupted so many industries (and the associations that serve them) might abate, and that perhaps a recession can be avoided. (And if not, that associations have learned a few lessons about how to address it.)

But lest that seem too rosy a perspective, I know from looking back at 2022 that there will be plenty of challenges to address in the coming year too. This post rounds up some of what I wrote in the previous 12 months, but it may also serve to point to some of the unresolved issues association leaders may face in the next 12.

The war to keep talent continues apace. Leaders are facing the effects of at least two workplace disruptions: the “great resignation,” where increased job openings and more remote-work options are prompting many workers to move on; and its grumpy cousin, “quiet quitting,” where dispirited employees are disengaged from their jobs. More than ever, it’s clear that leaders need to create a culture that hears out employee concerns, projects openness to change, and works to keep its best people. Workplace consultant Amanda Haddaway told me that “the associations and nonprofits that are doing really well in retaining their people are the organizations that have invested and really intentionally created workplace cultures that work for their employees.” That effort will likely need to continue into 2023.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.