When does an organization's attempt at outreach start to diminish the value of being a member of that organization?
That's the question Toronto IABC member Judy Gombita asks on IABC Cafe, a blog for members and non-members alike of the International Association of Business Communicators.
"... are we squandering some (collective) competitive intelligence, in the interest of transparency?" she asks.
A little bit yes, a little bit no. IABC has had an internal discussion area up and running on the Members Only section of its web site for several years now, and the collective intelligence there has been great on a networking and information sharing level. But there hasn't been a lot of discussion about strategic direction for the organization, that I'm aware of (I admit I've been an infrequent visitor to MemberSpeak, so I could be wrong).
As a long-time member, I agree with Gombita that IABC has to protect its intellectual property, and not be too free with its information and internal dialogues. If you open the doors to everyone at no cost, there remains very little incentive to pay membership fees to offset the costs of maintaining a trade association for some 13,000 business communications folks around the world.
On the other hand, IABC has to make some effort to be seen to be relevant in a world where discussion about vital issues can take place anywhere the participants want to have that discussion. I believe a certain amount of openness and "transparency" will stand IABC in good stead.
Having met many IABC members over the years, and at least as many non-members in the PR profession, I can safely say there is at least as much valuable insight outside of the IABC membership as there is inside. That's no slight on IABC. There just happen to be as many smart, influential and imaginative people outside the fold as there are inside the fold. So why not make an effort to engage them in discussion, and maybe even win a few over to the benfits of membership? For every insider bit of information shared in discussions on IABC's blog, there is a corresponding insight from a non-member that may help the organization charts its course in the future.
If the wost thing that happens is that PRSA, CPRS and some other organizations gain some insight into the critical success factors that IABC identifies for its future, that might not be so bad.And who's to say PRSA members wouldn't volunteer to discuss their organization's strategic direction in a public forum?
Who knows, the members of the two organizations might recognize that they face many of the same challenges, and stand for many of the same principles. I'd gladly trade that organizational awareness raising for a few trade association secrets.
But IABC needs to heed Judy Gombita's warning, and make sure there are still many networking and professional development benefits for members or paid visitors only. That's also part of staying relevant as an organization.
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