Building Lasting Relationships: How Meaningful Connections Can Help Your Business
While some effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have lessened over time, its impact on how we connect with one another still remains relevant.
The strength of the relationships you build in association management is central to the success of your business. While technology offers ways to streamline communications, having additional opportunities to connect with your clients or stakeholders in person will make all the difference in measurable outcomes.
You will notice that companies are increasingly encouraging more in-person meetings and events. They are seeing more of an opportunity to enhance employee performance and client satisfaction.
It is important to reflect on your current strategies and adapt them to better meet the needs of your clients and team members.
Increase In-person Collaboration
When working toward a common goal, there is not much that can replace in-person collaboration. This will look different for each association you manage, but there are a few universal truths about the positive outcomes of in-person collaboration to keep in mind:
Immediate feedback:
- In-person collaboration offers your association members the opportunity to provide immediate feedback and potential solutions to problems, reducing communication delays and enabling you to reach your goals faster.
Clear Conflict Resolution:
- Engaging in conflict resolution through a screen can lead to miscommunication and increased frustration. When collaborating in person, team members are able to send and receive non-verbal communication cues that allow them to convey their feelings and intentions more clearly.
Proper Team Building:
- Team building happens through shared experiences. When you create an environment where your members can both celebrate their successes and work through their failures, you are giving them room to learn from one another and build morale. This time shared in person often leads to more of a positive impact on your business.
When your members feel valued, they will be more likely to participate and make their voices heard. Ultimately, scheduling in-person gatherings will streamline their engagement.
While virtual events, webinars, and social media are all valuable tools for association management, the key to creating meaningful connections lies in how they are translated to in-person interactions. Are we facilitating authentic engagement or only pushing out information? Creating opportunities for members to actively interact, share insights, and collaborate on projects can lead to stronger bonds that will impact the long-term success of your associations.