Personal Productivity: A Key Opportunity for Association Growth

Much has been said about the lack of productivity and the effect it has on the health of economies now and in the future.

While individuals can do little to influence productivity on a corporate or national scale, they can do much to improve their own personal productivity.

Associations are uniquely positioned to help their members advance in their careers or grow personally by offering value-driven programming tailored to professional and personal growth.

Why Associations Should Prioritize Productivity Programming

Once upon a time, people were able to not only gain employment but, as part of that employment, gain access to training and education that helped them continue to grow their productivity and value by deepening their expertise.

Those days, unfortunately, are far behind us.

Productivity offers a competitive advantage

The simple first step of getting a job is increasingly problematic. As a result, the demand for employment increases, and the competition for jobs has never been so fierce.

That should prompt people to think about value. What value do they offer? What is their level of perceived productivity that differentiates them, favourably, from the competition?

Arriving at the interview, whether personal or virtual, with concrete examples of acquired productivity is a definite asset. Doing so goes a long way to answering the ultimate of questions: “Why should we hire you?”

Associations can address this need by offering continuing education programs that focus on:

1. Training and skill development
2. Networking opportunities
3. Classroom experience

But wait. There’s more.

Productivity exists on many levels

Productivity is such a deep and broad area of competency, that the need for such programming doesn’t only exist at an employment or career level.

In addition to professional, or career-oriented productivity, there is also the issue of highly personalized productivity – growth in areas of much-needed competence, as in the ability to form and retain relationships, or simply make sense of our environments, to gain meaning, in our lives.

Associations Create Connection and Value

The loneliness epidemic has taught us many things. And one is that being with other people, sharing a common experience and learning together, helps us connect and form those all-important bonds.

Through tailored programming, associations can address these needs while delivering value that strengthens member engagement.

Bottom Line?

Associations should examine their existing programming and consider critically if it is truly filling the needs of the marketplace.

As the future unfolds, people will come to the understanding that they will need to invest in themselves, to not only acquire information, but knowledge, to deepen their sense of value, both to themselves, and to others.

Productivity programs can help people do that.

And, Associations can grow, through value-driven membership, and creative, revenue-generating programming, that meets a vital need.