NAPO recognized for its Foresight Initiative!

Annually in November, Association Headquarters (AH), NAPO’s management company, hosts a Leadership Forum for its clients. This year’s theme was “Where Trends Meet Transformation,” and NAPO was at the forefront, as the winner of a new award – “Best Application of Foresight.” This award celebrates the accomplishments and successes NAPO has shown in implementing the concept of foresight into its culture. It provides a venue for us to tell the story of how we are using Foresight to move our association forward.

As many of you know, NAPO, as an association, began talking about the future when we created a “trends wall” at the 2015 NAPO Conference in Los Angeles. So, it came as no surprise that when the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Research Committee identified 46 drivers of change (external forces) important to associations, NAPO embraced them.

In 2017, the NAPO Board identified 25 drivers of change which would have the greatest impact on our association. The following year, NAPO Volunteer Leaders engaged in a foresight discussion during the NAPO2018 conference and provided input on the top 25 Action Briefs that the NAPO Board identified as most relevant to our members.

Since that time, future trends and the concept of Foresight continue to be an integral part of the Board’s strategic planning process, leadership forums, and POINT discussions. Named “Pathway to 2030, NAPO’s Foresight Initiative is critical to the long term health of NAPO and the success of its members and chapters.

NAPO purchased a license for the ASAE Foundation – ForesightWorks Research to help drive conversations. This year, in an effort to raise the level of a futures conversation among our members, our Pathway to 2030 volunteers opened up a dialogue on POINT for those who wished to engage with other strategic thinkers. These discussions focused on five changes that might impact how NAPO engages with its members, the types of services members might need to prepare for the changes ahead, how members will deal with their clients and the types of services members might need to provide their clients in the future. These conversations were:

• Re-working Career Pathways
• Mentoring
• Empowered Women
• Ethical Consumption
• The Aging World

As we move forward into 2020 (I remember when that sounded so futuristic), how have these drivers of changes and trends impacted you? Have you embraced the concept of Foresight? If so, how has that changed the services you provide and the way you work with your clients?

NAPO has paved the way by creating the “Pathway to 2030.” I encourage you to join me in embracing this initiative by participating in future discussions on how you see various trends impacting our careers, our businesses, our clients and our association. There’s no better time than the present to look towards the future.

Wishing you all a healthy and prosperous holiday season and New Year!

Warm regards,

Susie Hayman, NAPO President