framework for connecting leaders, advancing associations

our focus: creating meaningful and diverse opportunities that allow members to connect with each other. Every Time.

2024 GSAE Leadership Retreat, September 9-10
Thirty-six GSAE leaders gathered at The Classic Center in Athens, GA for a retreat facilitated by Dr. Damian Kavanagh, CAE. Participants were placed in teams to compete in a “Lost at Sea” session followed by small group work framed by GSAE’s Core Values and to address one of GSAE’s five tenets:

  • Expanding your network
  • Building new skills
  • Solving today’s problems
  • Learning by leading
  • Advancing your career

The participants received two hours of continuing education including exploring current and future trends in the labor market from Kathryn Lookofsky, MPA, Regional Coordinator, Athens, Office of Workforce Development, Community Marketing Tips from Ruby Riesinger, District Director, Small Business Development Center, University of Georgia, and an outline of SBDC’s resources and programs from David Canady.

Thank you to our hosts and sponsors:
The Classic Center Visit Athens GA Levy Hotel Indigo Downtown

 

expanding your network

  • Create interactive introductions
    • Mix it up (live, videos, warm-ups, etc.)
    • Make it personal
  • Create casual connections
    • Empower our membership to create organic opportunities to gather and share
    • Utilize storytelling – promotion, engagement
    • Increase ease of information-sharing – internally and externally
  • Provide networking opportunities
    • Facilitate connections
    • Build into everything
    • Smaller is better in this environment
    • Re-launch the Hyper-local framework

building new skills

  • Format and Structure
    • Flexible programming times – pilot breakfasts, luncheons and happy hours
    • Build in pre/post time for both “flipping the classroom” and reflecting on/implementing  the information shared
    • Breakouts should always include strategies to turn information into knowledge and action
  • Solution-focused
    • Encourage opportunities to form serendipitous pods/cohorts among members

solving today’s problems

  • Ask what’s working continuously
    • Create feedback loops from members to leaders to staff
    • Adjust and evolve
  • Education
    • Utilize our member experts and existing collaborative partnerships
    • Seek out other partnerships with corporate supplier members

learning by leading

  • Share our results every time we pilot a new idea throughout our communication vehicles
    • White papers, lists
    • Slides and videos available intact and edited into bite-sized consumption
    • GSAEtv and its next iteration
  • DOPE – Develop Once, Publish Everywhere

advancing your career

  • Harness the energy of our brand evangelists and our learning experts
    • Encourage interactive exchanges within each program
    • Incorporate physical movement where possible
    • Entertainment is okay!
  • Resurrect the Communications and Social Media Audit Work Group (held over from 2020)

Tactics Captured and Worth Pursuing

  • MasterMinds
  • Problem-solving pods
  • GSAE Prom
  • Hyper local face to face options
  • RFP Workshop for association execs
  • Workshop on employee engagement
  • Webinar on employee recognition