AuSAE - Aligning Individual Employees with your culture

Aligning Individual Employees with your culture

21 Jul 2016 10:33 AM | Deleted user

I have written a lot about the need to design our organisations around the needs of the employees. I see this as part of a digital mindset that we need to be adopting if we want our associations to thrive in the 21st century. The world has changed (permanently) and individuals are expecting us to run the organisation and meet their needs at the same time. So we should.

That being said, I don’t want to imply that organisations should just pander to the needs of every single employee. While I like the customisation and the long-overdue focus on employees, I also firmly believe that organisations should have clear and intentional cultures. It’s a line in the sand, and something the organisation should defend, which means ultimately it’s not an either/or of employee-first or organisation-first. Instead, there should be an alignment between the individuals and the organisation around those cultural ideals.

So yes, we should be supporting our individual employees to develop and grow as leaders based on their unique individual needs, but we must also recognise that their unique and individual growth needs may actually grow them right out of our organisation.

Zappos is getting a lot of attention for their adoption of the holacracy system of self-management. About a year into rolling it out, they realised that not every individual who worked there was really cut out for self management, so they offered three month’s severance pay to anyone who wanted to leave, and 14% of their people left. That’s cultural clarity. It’s not that those 14% were poor performers. They just didn’t align with self-management, which is a cultural pillar at Zappos. They got clear that trying to “develop” those individuals in ways that was fundamentally misaligned with where they were headed was a mistake.

We need the discipline in our organisations to get clear like that and have the tough conversations with individuals who are not aligned. It means more people need to quit, and it means more people need to be “coached out” (no one wants to say “fired” any more). These separations are a good thing. It is called “good turnover” by some of the organizations I’ve studied, and I think it’s a natural part of healthy systems.

But in associations we tend to value loyalty, even it if is blind loyalty. Just like for our members, we proudly distribute trophies for working 10, 15, or 25 years at the same organization, without ever once evaluating if there is a clear cultural alignment. We need to change this.

And the first place you’ll start changing this is in your performance review system. I’ve got a whole month of posts about performance reviews coming up in the fall, so I won’t go into too much detail now, but performance management conversations should be tackling the individual/culture alignment issue. It’s not about rating the employee as a 5 or a 4. It’s about letting them get clear what direction they are headed in and then making sure that aligns with what the organisation needs. When there is alignment, the performance of the system goes up, and that’s what “performance” reviews should be about.

How often do you talk about cultural alignment with your people? How could you integrate that into performance reviews?

This article was originally sourced from Association Success and was written by Jamie Notter.

Strengthening Trans-Tasman Connections: AuSAE and Tourism New Zealand Business Events Renew Partnership

Association professionals across Australia and New Zealand have even more reason to explore trans-Tasman opportunities. AuSAE is proud to announce the renewal of its longstanding partnership with Tourism New Zealand Business Events, celebrating 11 years of collaboration.

For over a decade, this partnership has strengthened connections between the two countries, helping associations expand networks, share knowledge, and deliver world-class events.

Toni Brearley, CAE, Chief Executive Officer at AuSAE, said:

“Our partnership with Tourism New Zealand Business Events has opened doors for association leaders to plan unforgettable events and connect with peers across the Tasman. Together, we’ve created opportunities, shared knowledge, and elevated the experiences of our members and their delegates. This partnership reinforces our commitment to fostering strong trans-Tasman collaborations, helping associations innovate, grow, and deliver outstanding value to their members.”

Helen Bambry, Business Events Manager at Tourism New Zealand, added:

“Partnering with AuSAE means we can directly support association professionals in bringing their next international business event to New Zealand – offering assistance, funding, and support to ensure exceptional experiences for both organisers and delegates.”

Watch the Tourism New Zealand Business Events video

What this partnership means for you

For Australian associations:

Receive expert guidance and support to bring conferences or member events to New Zealand.
Access funding assistance through Tourism New Zealand Business Events.
Expand your network and build partnerships with New Zealand peers and industry leaders.
Deliver international experiences for members and delegates just across the Tasman.

For New Zealand associations:

Strengthen professional connections with Australian association leaders through AuSAE’s network.
Share expertise and collaborate on professional development, governance, and member engagement initiatives, and more.
Gain visibility within the broader association community in Australia and New Zealand.
Access opportunities to host international association events and delegates in New Zealand, boosting local engagement and knowledge exchange.

About AuSAE:

The home for association professionals, the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) is the leading - and only not-for-profit, member-based - organisation supporting association professionals in Australia and New Zealand. For 70 years, AuSAE has been a trusted partner for those working in associations, providing professional development, support, and networking to help association leaders achieve organisational goals, advance their careers, and strengthen the wider sector.

About Tourism New Zealand Business Events:

Tourism New Zealand Business Events provides expert guidance, funding, and support to attract conferences, incentives and corporate events to New Zealand.

--- ends ---

For more information about AuSAE, please contact Toni Brearley, CAE:
Toni Brearley, CAE
Chief Executive Officer, AuSAE
E: toni@ausae.org.au
T: + 61 458 000 155

To apply for funding and support to host a conference in New Zealand contact Helen Bambry:
Helen Bambry
Business Events Manager, Tourism New Zealand
E: Helen.Bambry@tnz.govt.nz
T: +61 415 933 325

The Australasian Society of Association Executives

Contact us:

Email: info@ausae.org.au
Phone: 1300 764 576 (within Australia)
Phone: +61 7 3268 7955 (outside Australia)
Address: Unit 6, 26 Navigator Place, Hendra QLD 4011, Australia