Internet Association: This Association CEO Has Style

The Internet Association  (opens in a new tab) has seen its rep grow pretty quickly since it launched in 2012. But its CEO is drawing attention for reasons other than his skill with online policy issues.

See, Michael Beckerman is a stylish guy—and when Modern Luxury DC released its recent “Men of Style” roundup, Beckerman was at the top of the list  (opens in a new tab), joining foodies, electronic music stars, event planners, and development firm CEOs. Clearly, in that list, an association head stands out.

Beckerman, who put in time on Capitol Hill before jumping into association management, described his style this way:

You have to meet the norms of Capitol Hill, but still represent your industry, with uncompromising flair, he says. You can still be polished without being buttoned-up.

Excuse us, but we feel a little underdressed in comparison.

Expert Mediation

Do you consider yourself an expert at work? http://t.co/Wvxhq3ulLw  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) #cae  (opens in a new tab)

— Maria Huntley CAE, MAM (@mariahuntley1) April 9, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Becoming a trusted resource, or what some might call an “expert,” doesn’t happen overnight. And even some longtime professionals don’t feel they’re experts. IntrinXec Management’s Maria Huntley, MANM, CAE, relates an experience she had at a recent conference where the speaker asked the audience members if they felt like experts in their field.

“Let me tell you, when you are sitting in a room full of association management professionals who are often expected to be a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ and most of our job descriptions don’t mention anything about being an ‘expert’—this question created an overwhelming silence that was very powerful to me,” she wrote.

(It’s OK, the speaker then explained; most people don’t consider themselves experts.)

Read some more food for thought from Huntley on what it means to be an expert over this way  (opens in a new tab).

Other good reads

What if your email system was so smart that it knew you wouldn’t want to read a message until later? The new version of Mailbox  (opens in a new tab), perhaps the 800-pound gorilla in the email revamp space, promises exactly that. Really.

Speaking of revamps, the popular social scheduling app Buffer got a mobile update this week, complete with a neat little feature: The iOS app will now allow you to “re-buffer” social media updates  (opens in a new tab) that have proven successful with readers.

There are plenty of ways to ensure your community stays strong, but you may want to heed some advice from Diane Greenhalgh of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. She recommends treating your community as “co-producers” of your content  (opens in a new tab).

Instead of focusing on Facebook likes, focus on shares. That’s what Colleen Dilenschneider suggests on her Know Your Own Bone blog  (opens in a new tab).