In this article published by our partners at Boardroom Magazine, Danielle Jacobs, CEO of Beltug, the Belgian Association for CIOs and digital technology leaders, explains that achieving long-term success and sustainability requires Associations to do more than just attract members; they must actively engage them. Offering initiatives that encourage interaction, involvement, and commitment by delivering value to diverse member profiles is essential.
Aligning mission and vision with member values
With roots firmly in the digital sphere, Beltug naturally attracts professionals eager to engage with technological advancements. However, maintaining their engagement requires deliberate and structured effort. It is crucial to align the Association’s mission and vision with the values and needs of its members.
The process starts with understanding the contributions a diverse membership base brings to the Association. Engaging with them should be viewed as a net benefit, delivering significant advantages. A diverse membership brings innovative ideas and fresh approaches, adding new dimensions to peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing across sectors, ages and experience levels. This helps us remain relevant and in tune with all levels of our member organisations, ensuring the continuity and evolution of our Association.
I have been working at Beltug for over 27 years and have witnessed the Association’s mission and vision evolve to adapt to the impact of changing technology on organisations. We started by representing business users of telecommunications; today, we are a broad community of digital leaders, including CIOs, ICT managers, vendor managers, software asset managers, privacy experts, cybersecurity specialists, innovation directors, IT infrastructure managers, IT architects, and more. Yet, our fundamental vision remains the same: to enable peer-to-peer learning and provide a voice for our members in discussions with policymakers. These values effectively create a safe and supportive environment for all members to advance in their careers.
Building upon strengths: Beltug’s approach
Associations should leverage their strengths to create high-impact initiatives. At Beltug, we focus on dynamic learning experiences, access to cutting-edge industry knowledge, and networking opportunities with both peers and seasoned experts. This ensures our members find both immediate and long-term value, fostering their loyalty and active participation.
By leveraging its strengths, Beltug implements its mission in practice through a variety of targeted programmes that:
Create opportunities for members to learn from the expertise and real-life experiences of their peers
Create opportunities for members to develop their expertise through interactive events
Create opportunities for members to gain visibility by co-creating content and events
Create opportunities for members to network with peers of all ages through events and task forces
Because members' needs evolve, Associations must remain adaptable and responsive by continuously assessing and refining their offerings. Our structured approach includes regular polls and an extensive agenda of member activities created each year based on members’ changing priorities. These are complemented with ad hoc events driven by direct interaction with members.
"Because member needs evolve, associations must remain adaptable and responsive by continuously assessing and refining their offerings.."
As our members are active users of digital technologies, the pace of change is rapid, leading to yearly shifts in certain priorities. However, Associations that aim to grow and attract new members must stay attuned to evolving members' needs.
Embedding younger members in the Association’s core
Younger members are a key demographic for us, contributing valuable knowledge and insights into rapidly evolving technologies. In some areas, younger individuals may possess more up-to-date expertise than their older counterparts, so we believe it is crucial to ensure they are represented at the highest levels of our organisation. For instance, the Beltug Board includes two members under 35 years old, and our team spans a wide range of ages.
To facilitate engagement with younger professionals, we offer various membership options that allow organisations to register multiple colleagues. It’s important to involve not only top-level executives and managers but also the “up-and-comers.”
A mixed offer of programmes & initiatives
Our initiatives aim to bring value to members of all profiles and ages. Every year, we survey our members to uncover their priorities, and then design our action plan around those priorities. This shows our members that we are committed to being a member-led Association, motivating them to engage actively with us.
Our D-scover events give participants a chance to explore, discuss, and demystify current topics, such as evolving legislation and innovative technologies. Our task forces bring together members with specific interests and expertise to exchange on those themes. And our interactive events offer participants the opportunity to discuss with others and express their ideas, rather than just passively listening.
In the digital world, professionals of all ages have the potential to grow into leadership roles. We allow them to speak at our events, where they can showcase their technical knowledge and strategic vision to a broad audience. By fostering this early connection with Beltug, they also bring their future organisations into contact with us.
Beltug is also actively involved in outreach initiatives. We have relationships with several universities, collaborating on events, being a sounding board for master’s theses, and giving guest lectures that bring researchers and students into our scope.
Open-minded & agile
Staying open-minded and agile is crucial for any Association. Maintaining an adventurous spirit and a willingness to try— and fail—is key to remaining relevant. To engage members effectively, we can never rest on our accomplishments. We need to keep evaluating the resources, services and benefits we deliver.
Through its approach, Beltug engages with the leaders of today and the future, providing a safe space for high potentials to develop, grow and connect. By fostering this kind of environment, Associations can ensure their growth and sustainability, and pave the way for a thriving future-ready community.
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