7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don't

Some organizations perform better than others, despite facing comparable opportunities and circumstances, says Jim Collins, best-selling author of Good to Great and Built to Last, in his foreword to 7 Measures of Success. He goes on to say that, every association can deliver better results to its members. And that was the intent behind the rigorous multiyear study carried out by the ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership: to identify the factors that set great associations apart from the rest. Using the matched-pair research methodology pioneered by Jim Collins and his partner Jerry Porras, the research group compared 15 years worth of data from nine pairs of associations to uncover seven commitments consistently honored by the great associations that set them apart from the merely good:

A customer service culture

Alignment of products and services with mission

Data-driven strategies

Dialogue and engagement

CEO as a broker of ideas

Organizational adaptability

Alliance building.

With the purpose of providing readers guidance and inspiration to reach new heights, the book presents the research on these seven factors with stories, data, and analysis. The result is a thorough-going exploration of what it takes to make a good association into a great one.

The ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership s Measures of Success Task Force, led by Michael E. Gallery, PhD, CAE, comprises a large group of volunteers and staff who worked for nearly four years to collect, review, and process data and then write and edit the manuscript. Jim Collins acted in an advisory capacity, helping the task force to implement the matched-pairs methodology.

ASAE is a membership organization of more than 22,000 association executives and industry partners representing more than 11,000 organizations. ASAE members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world. ASAE is the preeminent source of knowledge, learning, community, and advocacy for the field of association management. ASAE s publishing imprint, Association Management Press, reflects the ASAE mission by publishing relevant, reliable content focusing on helping professionals tackle their organizational leadership and management challenges.