Preserve the Core: When the Industry Rejoices

Bob Dolibois is the Executive Vice-President of the American Nursery and Landscape Association. Bob's 30 years of experience in association management - 18 at the helm of ANLA's staff - offer a unique national perspective on association management and business to the association. (Disclaimer: In the interest of disclosure, Bob is my boss. BUT I would still say all these nice things. He's a pretty impressive and interesting guy to be around on a daily basis!)

When the industry rejoices, ANLA rejoices. When the industry bleeds, ANLA bleeds. Guess how ANLA is doing right now. Right along with our member businesses, ANLA is striving to preserve our core. Doing so means having a proven conviction about what your "core" really is. ANLA periodically determines that core based on a strategic assessment of what is working well and what we think is happening in the near future that would affect what is working well today.

During our last such review several years ago, ANLA concluded that our core remains representing the industry's interests before government and providing access to unique knowledge to our member owners and senior management that will increase their bottom-line and personal fulfillment in their businesses.

Even before the current downturn, ANLA concluded that the networking and educating functions of our mission needed to include enhanced internet operability, offering members the chance to exchange ideas and learn without getting on a plane or spending bigger bucks on hotel meals and beds. That thinking led to the new www.anla.org and our Knowledge Center.

When the downturn hit us significantly this year, the leadership sought to preserve our core and still build for the future. They decided to continue to expand our internet presence and to reduce our traditional program footprint of face-to-face learning...in this case postponing our highly-regarded, market-proven tour series. There's a risk in postponing a proven winner and spending precious funds on a newer venture. But when the economy turns around--and it will--ANLA will be well-positioned to lead the industry in this rapidly expanding medium of communication.