One of our complaints about strategic planning is that it generates weak strategy. How many associations out there could sum up their current strategy as “last year plus three percent.” Too many.
Of course, we’ve also actually heard an association exec say “Yeah, but how much innovation do we need in the association community? We know what our work is: meetings, education, advocacy, etc.”
This lack of creativity is criminal!
I was reminded of this in reading a post on the Signals v. Noise blog. Their post was about web design, and the frustration they have with people who copy their designs (and then give a similar excuse: “well, there are only so many ways to design a web page.”).
They debunk that myth with the following image.
The wristwatch is a very simple thing to design, with very specific limitations and parameters. But design flourishes. As Jason says in the post:
As a web designer you have a lot more options and variables and possibilities than a watch designer. Build something that’s yours. Make something you can call your own. Make your own mark. Cut the excuses and be a designer.
Feel free to substitute the word “leader” for “designer” in that last sentence.
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