Making difficult choices is never easy. But if you have a program or service that consistently doesn’t deliver the desired outcomes, leaders may have to make that choice. Maybe it’s a newsletter that no one ever reads or a long-cherished program that members used to flock to but don’t anymore. Maybe it’s a meeting that leaders want but members don’t. Based on key metrics and financial performance, it’s time to cut the cord.
With finances remaining challenging for many associations, leaders should take a good hard look at every program and service and, with the help of association staff, conduct an in-depth audit. This audit will cover every aspect of each program and service to determine whether to keep or toss, similar to a good house-cleaning exercise.
Questions to ask:
- Is the program consistent with your organization’s mission?
- Does it align with the organization’s strategic goals?
- Is it consistent with member needs?
- Are members actually using the program or service, such as webinars, job boards, publications, meetings, or satellite meetings?
- Has it outlived its usefulness?
- Is it financially successful?
Tactics to use:
- Review the metrics: Has the program resulted in increased engagement or an increase in membership numbers? Has the program consistently received high marks from attendees in terms of the knowledge delivered? If the service is a publication, review the readership statistics as far as open and click rates and determine whether the content is strong enough to rationalize continuing it.
- Review the costs: Has the program produced a successful financial result? Having one bad year may be due to a number of factors: the weather, timing, competition with a similar meeting, topics not relevant, etc. But if the negative results are the same year after year, it’s time to dig deeper. Is your meeting consistently held in a location that’s too difficult for attendees to get to? Is it held in an unfavorable location? Is the location too expensive? If one of your meetings is international, is it something your members have asked for? If your costs exceed your budget, it may be time to consider cutting it. If the service is a publication and the budget is underwater, think about ways to decrease costs. If it’s still offered in print, make it an e-publication instead.
- Funding: If the program has relied on outside sources for funding, either partially or totally, and that funding has declined, it’s time to decide whether it should continue.
- Pet projects: Was the program or service a pet project of a leader or founder that was created years ago that the current board just can’t let go of due to a historical fondness for it? If that’s the case and the program is no longer effective or financially solvent, it’s time to let it go.
- Rising tensions: If continuing or removing the program creates a hostile environment or division within the board, it may be reasonable to ask the question why and then determine whether it’s best to discontinue it for the sake of unity.
- Keeping the organization from moving forward: If holding the program or continuing the service is stopping the organization from pursuing other, more viable or financially successful efforts, then it’s halting progress. Perhaps it’s the cost of continuing the program that prevents the association from investing in newer, better ideas that members want. Whatever the reason, it’s a good idea to make sure the program aligns with member needs.
However, before permanently doing away with any program or service, make sure you have thoroughly reviewed the costs and benefits of doing so. Study ways to improve it first by either cutting costs, revamping the program by offering different content, new and improved speakers, or holding it in a different location. Determine if the program or service could have been marketed better. Maybe give it one more try.
The important thing is to be analytical about it before making any decisions that could permanently affect the association for years to come.