I’ve got a hundred million reasons to walk away
But baby, I just need one good one to stay
After 42 years as the first pioneer in association consulting, I had to walk away. In all that time, I discovered there is ONE reason why anyone joins or works for an association and that is the same reason they leave you.
Today I unveil the truth about professional associations and online communities and debunk the misconceptions that have been circulating for far too long. If you've bought into any of the following myths, get ready for a reality check – because I'm about to set the record straight!
Let’s start with misconceptions and weak excuses that have been masquerading as truths:
We know who our members are. We are an association of, for, and by (fill in the blank with the name of your industry), such as coaches, engineers, nurses, etc.
We don’t know why members churn through and leave us in less than five years. We know they are still in the industry.
If we create more products, more events, more emails, and more opportunities for members to donate their time and talents, they will stay longer.
Now, I get it.
These myths are like the gospel of the events and conventions industry, but that’s precisely why they are so misleading.
If you are hungry for the real deal, the unfiltered truth, and a genuine aha moment, I’ve got just the thing for you.
Click here for the full issue of Associations Evolve & Beyond 2025. It’s more than 40 tough love articles written by an invitation-only cadre of the most experienced, wisest, intensely practical, and wicked smart communicators. I was honored for the third year in a row to write for the annual issue of Associations Evolve, a mind-blowing, game-changing annual publication released in December by Angela Shelton, CEO of Answers for Associations, in collaboration with Belinda Moore, Director of Strategic Membership Solutions.
This year’s issue achieved more than 1,000 downloads by the time I got the link this morning, and I’m in the VIP section with all the other writers, invited to participate in this year’s issue. With more than 100,000 associations worldwide and millions of online communities that include the word “belonging” in their about pages, look for the reach and impact of this publication to go around the world several times before your first coffee break next week.
Why Do They Leave You? What Will Make Them Stay?
My article starts on page 82 in the Membership section —I’ve Got a Hundred Million Reasons To Walk Away - But Baby, I Just Need One Good One To Stay.
Association members join for one key reason, and that same reason often drives them to leave. Each individual’s motivation varies—be it money, mentorship, or safety—and associations must continuously listen and adapt to these evolving needs. Failing to do so leads to disconnection.
My authority and wisdom come from decades of experience, great triumphs, devastating losses, lessons, and confidential conversations gained in more than 2000 all-day meetings across the past 40 years for the boards of directors, executive committees, strategic planning workshops, certification business building retreats, and week-long immersion experiences called conventions, expositions, and transformative learning communities.
This year’s edition of Associations Evolve goes deep into how technology, particularly AI, is reshaping everything about associations and online communities. How is it possible for associations to connect better with and among members with fewer people and fewer layers of complexity? How is it possible for me and other association executives to leave association employment and build fast-growing, highly engaged online communities that outperform earlier versions of ourselves?
My business completely changed and expanded to be globally connected when I created the community for Gifted Professionals and Communicators with an Australian colleague who headed up the certification arm of an international association of business communicators.
The Reason They Come to You is The Same Reason They Leave You
The list of The One Main Reason why an individual joins your community is as long as the number of people in your organization because there is no one-size-fits-all reason. On the plus side, systems and technologies help us listen, remember, and align all of our actions and communications with that one, most important reason for each person.
The Biggest Lie in Associations is They Know Their Members
It takes human insight, wisdom, and AI technology to capture data at every “touch” and to remember 100% of what happened in every conversation, every inquiry, and every comment.
The one reason for the relationship for each person changes with the transitions in their life. That’s why sophistication is both high and necessary for customer listening, and remembering, then acting swiftly on what the customer tells you. Just like a heart monitor or diabetes monitor, the association that has not figured out the critical nature of monitoring the continuous feed of data and the dialogue with each person—that association may already be in deterioration. Members want authentic, individually addressed dialogue—not chatbots, scripts, or automated messages.
Read the whole Associations Evolve & Beyond article, starting on page 82. Read the whole issue to find truths about professional associations and online communities. Come back here and put your questions and further thoughts in the Comments section. Also, you can open a conversation with me by email and join the weekly conversations in the LinkedIn Group for GPC. I encourage you to follow me on Bluesky Social at georgiapatrick.bsky.social or go to the search bar and type Georgia Patrick.
Wow!!! Dynamic invitation which I intend to accept.
Associations Evolve & Beyond is thick with thoughtful --tightly edited, articles. No ads. Just the most respected thought leaders in the association world, globally. The book comes out annually and has more than enough meat on the bone for every association to use it as a playbook for 2025. It takes several hours to digest because each article is the equivalent of a $10,000 consulting session by each person invited to write for this year's issue. That's a $400,000 gift to the association industry from the publishers (Answers for Associations).