--- title: "Daily Buzz: Measure Your Online Community’s Maturity" id: "45900" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-measure-your-online-communitys-maturity" published_at: "2019-03-11T20:44:04+00:00" modified_at: "2019-03-11T20:44:04+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/03/11/daily-buzz-measure-your-online-communitys-maturity/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/03/11/daily-buzz-measure-your-online-communitys-maturity.md" excerpt: "With the right strategy, an online community should be growing and maturing. Also: Build high-performing teams by focusing on employees individually." taxonomy_category: - "Learning" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "community engagement" - "member interaction" - "Membership" - "NextGen" - "online communities" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: Measure Your Online Community’s Maturity “Growth” can mean a lot of things. When it comes to your online community, new users tend to be the benchmark. But [Marjorie Anderson from Community by Association (opens in a new tab)](https://communitybyassociation.com/2019/03/10/community-growth-isnt-all-numbers/?) says that’s often not enough. “While that, to an extent, does indicate growth, it doesn’t show how the online community is maturing or how it is lending to the growth of the association as a whole,” she says. “It doesn’t show how community members are evolving through their interactions or how engagement is being affected as a result.” Instead, Anderson says to look at whether new voices are emerging and joining the conversation. “In professional associations, this can be especially valuable as your association looks for ways to engage the next generation of members looking to get involved and show what they know through networking, knowledge-sharing, and conversation,” she says. Seeing an increase in connections at your association and being asked by other organizations for strategy tips are also signs that your online community is both growing and maturing. “If you haven’t already, take a good look at your metrics and see where you can adjust them to show direct ties to moments of deeper engagement and connectivity between your members and the association and start communicating those out,” Anderson says. “By shifting your mindset about online community growth, you are delivering on shared value that goes far beyond an increasing number on a dashboard.” ### Forget “One-Size-Fits-All” Professional Development > If companies want to get the most out of their employees, they’ll need to customize their development plans[https://t.co/bH8SQpKTzk (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/bH8SQpKTzk) > > — Harvard Business Review (@HarvardBiz) [March 10, 2019 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz/status/1104889591511900163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **If leaders want to build** **high-performing teams,** they need to focus on team members individually rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, [says Sydney Finkelstein on Harvard Business Review (opens in a new tab)](https://hbr.org/2019/03/why-a-one-size-fits-all-approach-to-employee-development-doesnt-work) . “The exceptional leaders I studied don’t leave it to HR to create career progression programs for their team members. Rather, they personalize their coaching, support, and teaching efforts,” he says. “They don’t just track the big learning opportunities granted to their employees. They also understand the nuances of how people are growing week by week and month by month and adjust their actions accordingly. As a result, they keep their teams engaged and excited.” Finkelstein recommends organizing important employee info into a spreadsheet, where leaders can monitor and track individual progress. Then, engage and work with team members one on one to help meet their goals—and yours. ### Other Links of Note **Feeling frazzled at work?** *TechRepublic* explains the [warning signs of a dysfunctional work culture (opens in a new tab)](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-10-warning-signs-of-a-dysfunctional-work-culture/) . **A speaker’s success** is about more than his or her presentation. Eventsforce outlines what planners can do to [make the most of a speaker’s time and involvement (opens in a new tab)](https://www.eventsforce.com/blog/6-tips-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-event-speakers/) . **Avocados and basketball**—the perfect pair? Avocados From Mexico, owned by the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association, just became [the official avocado of the Milwaukee Bucks (opens in a new tab)](https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/avocados-from-mexico-becomes-the-official-avocado-of-the-milwaukee-bucks/) . (kyoshino/E+/Getty Images Plus) [Jeff Hsin](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) Tags: [#community engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/community-engagement/) [#member interaction](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-interaction/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) [#NextGen](https://associationsnow.com/tag/nextgen/) [#online communities](https://associationsnow.com/tag/online-communities/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastThe Future Is Watching: Engaging the Next Generation of MembersJuly 23, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/07/23/the-future-is-watching-engaging-the-next-generation-of-members/) - [VideoAllison Isch, PMP Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/allison-isch-pmp-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoASAE’s The ExchangeApril 24, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/24/asaes-the-exchange/) - [VideoAmerican College of Emergency Physicians: ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation ProgramSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-college-of-emergency-physicians-acep-geriatric-emergency-department-accreditation-program/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2019%2F03%2F11%2Fdaily-buzz-measure-your-online-communitys-maturity%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !