7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don't

by American Society of Association Executives

Some organizations perform better than others, despite facing comparable opportunities and circumstances, says Jim Collins, best-selling author of Good to Great and Built to Last , in his foreword to 7 Measures of Success . He goes on to say that, every association can deliver better results to its members. And that was the intent behind the rigorous multiyear study carried out by the ASAE and The Center for Association to identify the factors that set great associations apart from the rest. Using the matched-pair research methodology pioneered by Jim Collins and his partner Jerry Porras, the research group compared 15 years worth of data from nine pairs of associations to uncover seven commitments consistently honored by the great associations that set them apart from the merely



With the purpose of providing readers guidance and inspiration to reach new heights, the book presents the research on these seven factors with stories, data, and analysis. The result is a thorough-going exploration of what it takes to make a good association into a great one.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction

138 pages, Hardcover

First published August 23, 2006

About the author

The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) is the essential organization for association management, representing both organizations and individual association professionals.

Reviews

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes the concepts of Built to Last and Good to Great and applies them in the association arena. For for-profit executives transitioning into association leadership it provides a quick snapshot of similarities and differences. The two main benefit of the book are: 1) its contextualization of strategic business leadership concepts into the not-for-profit world and 2) it's validation or debunking of commonly held assumptions of conventional wisdom within the association management profession. An added bonus is that you can read this in a waiting room or on a short-plane ride. It's perfect for the busy executive.

[Marna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific book for association leadership!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread this seminal work with an aim to update it 20 years later.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is basically the nonprofit version of Jim Collins' Good to Great. It even references the key points of Good to Great several times. The meat of the book was only about 40 pages long and wasn't entirely insightful. I was looking for discussion of more specific actions that helped these associations become remarkable. Without these details, the book is pretty dry.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of very helpful, data-driven information to digest. It is proving very helpful as I work with a group that is creating a new association. This is a book I'll refer back to a lot in the coming months and years.

[Alyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for inspiration, but not earth-shattering revelations.