--- title: "Thursday Buzz: Future-Focused IT Team" id: "43159" type: "post" slug: "thursday-buzz-future-focused-it-team" published_at: "2018-06-28T20:20:47+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T22:14:52+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/06/28/thursday-buzz-future-focused-it-team/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/06/28/thursday-buzz-future-focused-it-team.md" excerpt: "To keep up with a rapidly changing world, your IT leaders need to think more like CIOs. Also: Reconsidering the CEO’s role in membership." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "C-suite" - "Membership" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Thursday Buzz: Future-Focused IT Team Is your IT leader more focused on running a smooth tech operation or on forward-thinking digital strategy? The DelCor blog makes an argument that an organization’s IT leader, whatever his or her title may be, should have several of the [same competencies as a CIO (opens in a new tab)](https://www.delcor.com/resources/blog/your-association-must-have-cio-level-skills-to-achieve-digital-transformation) . For instance, you need an IT leader who “spots emerging possibilities in your market and throughout the association community from a technology perspective,” writes David DeLorenzo. “A visionary thinker, an association CIO sees how these developments might influence your organization and members.” Your tech leader also needs to be adept at handling change. He or she should understand “the dynamics of change management, including why people resist change and how to encourage adoption.” And they’ll need the charisma and know-how to motivate the association. ### CEOs and Membership > Someone asked, shouldn’t membership departments focus both on the members and on the mechanics of membership? Yes, and the most successful [#associations (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/associations?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > focus on members 80% of the time and on the mechanics of membership 20% of the time. [https://t.co/aAXJVv9z2b (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/aAXJVv9z2b) > [#ASAE (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASAE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Amanda Lea Kaiser (@AmandaLeaKaiser) [June 28, 2018 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/AmandaLeaKaiser/status/1012336118472298496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **In an association,** who holds more responsibility for membership than the director or VP of membership? According to a [recent Smooth the Path post (opens in a new tab)](http://www.smooththepath.net/2018/06/26/what-association-ceos-need-to-do-about-membership/) , it’s the CEO. “CEOs have a tremendous impact on each member’s perceptions of the association, member culture, and membership metrics,” writes Amanda Kaiser. “Why? Because the CEO determines the focus of the membership department.” Kaiser goes on to discuss the two different focuses of the membership department—either on serving members or on the mechanics of membership. ### Other Links of Note **Infographic of the Day:** *MarketingProfs* shares a graphic illustrating [how to manage office upheavals (opens in a new tab)](https://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2018/34862/how-to-manage-change-at-work-infographic) . **Communities can generate a lot of momentum for nonprofits.** A *Forbes* contributor shares helpful [steps for building a community (opens in a new tab)](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2018/06/26/the-five-steps-to-building-a-community-for-your-nonprofit/#2c0452ad5878) . **Facebook beefs up Stories.** The platform adds reactions and group chat to Stories, [reports CNET (opens in a new tab)](https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-stories-adds-group-chat-and-reactions/) . (Cecilie_Arcurs/E+/Getty Images Plus) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. 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