Learning by Design

In many associations, communications and marketing are treated as instinctive—we hire smart people, trust their judgment and assume their collective experience will carry the day. But recent years have exposed the limits of that approach, with rapid change, fragmented attention and high-stakes moments demonstrating that effective communication is about more than individual talent. It depends on whether the organization has intentionally built shared capability to communicate with clarity, consistency and purpose.

Communications and marketing work best when they are treated as learned skills that live across the organization. The work may sit with a dedicated team, but the impact is shaped by many hands: staff who write, leaders who speak, volunteers who represent the mission and members who share and respond to values. When communication is left to instinct, quality varies by person and moment; when it's taught, practiced and reinforced, associations build trust that holds under pressure.

Unsurprisingly, professional development is a practical partner in this work. The communications and marketing function sets standards, priorities, and messages, and professional development professionals help internalize them throughout staff and constituents.

Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE's Center for Association Leadership.