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The Power of Association
by Robert Dunne

If we're to harness the power of our right to associate then rotomolders need to recapture their spirit in playing active roles as members.

For Americans, it is easy to forget that the right to gather together and talk among friends, neighbors and colleagues is still considered a punishable offense in many countries, an offense that even today lands people in jail. It is this great power derived when many people band together to achieve a common goal that strikes fear among many political leaders. Benjamin Franklin, however, understood this power and turned it into a force for good. His Junto association of tradesmen met weekly to build their own businesses, talk politics and think about how to improve the quality of life in their city and their country. Their impact lives on in the institutions they helped establish such as the public lending library, volunteer fire department and the educational academy now known as the University of Pennsylvania. Their association had a clear purpose.

As rotational molders, we enjoy the opportunity and ability to boost our businesses through the power of association just like Ben Franklin did. In fact, we associate so much that a whole slate of trade associations is available for support in operating our businesses on every continent where we operate. From global organizations such as the Association of Rotational Molders International and the Rotational Molding Division of the Society of Plastic Engineers to regional associations such as the Association of Rotational Moulders Australasia and the Association of Rotational Moulders of Southern Africa, among others, there is no shortage of conferences, seminars or other opportunities to share important knowledge within the industry. But beyond comparing notes on rising costs and exchanging ideas about how to hide the parting line, just what is one's purpose in joining an association? How do our missions as business executives compare with the mission statements of these associations? And what role do the members need to play for an association to not only function but also to thrive?

Membership

Joining a professional association or being permitted to join by one's company often signifies an important milestone in the career of an eager and enthusiastic rotomolder. It's an opportunity to earn credentials, discuss business issues that only other rotomolders truly understand and make yourself more valuable to your employer. With company-paid dues, the cost should never outweigh the benefits. Business owners must consider other issues such as the ratio of molders to suppliers, business development opportunities, recruitment and retention and even whether the cost of dues is returning any tangible value. As a lifer in the industry with a company involved in the founding of ARM, I've enjoyed participating in association events while at every level of my career. I've come to look forward to meeting "arch rivals" in business as friendly colleagues in an educational environment and understand there is much we can learn from each other and far more we can accomplish for the industry as we work together. In a relatively small industry, it is these enlightening, educational interactions among colleagues that we may value most from our memberships. Sales leads from an association Web site are certainly welcome but relying on any association to drive our business development efforts is unwise. Supporting research and development of new materials and applications offers potential long-term rewards but if the investment is borne evenly among members of all sizes then how exactly would any rewards be fairly allocated? Some welcome the access to research yet others wonder whether these investments need to be under the association umbrella at all. It seems many members join with a clear purpose in mind but that purpose can differ markedly from member to member.

I've seen over the years how our expectations as members change along with the economy and the competitive environment. When we're doing well, we enjoy speaking at conferences about our success. When times are tough, we question what we're getting for our membership dollars. With changing ideas about what we want as members, keeping pace must seem quite a tall order for any association management team. Our purposes for joining simply do not always mesh with the purpose of an association's existence. And that is why associations that establish a mission based on a purpose that fills a need is likely to succeed over the long term despite economic ups and downs, as it is in sync with its membership.

Defining A Clear Purpose

Many of the most passionate discussions I've participated in at rotomolding and other industry events involve the roles of the myriad trade associations. Some argue their singular purpose is to act on and follow the direction of their members. But what if the members cannot agree on a single direction? As some associations try to appeal to an ever wider and more diverse range of large and small rotomolders, academics and suppliers, arriving at a consensus becomes more and more challenging and the value and ROI derived from a membership becomes harder to quantify. Others counter associations need to act on behalf of the greater good of the entire industry - non-molders included - even sometimes at the expense of some of its own members. But who is to decide exactly what most effectively supports the "greater good"? It seems the very concept of a trade association today is caught between its implicit objective of serving its members and its internal needs for growth and economic sustainability. This inner conflict threatens the value of an association and its relevance.

As Franklin noted, there is strength in numbers and the power of an association in advancing its agenda is directly related to the numerical size and the financial standing of its membership. While an association focused on growing a large, diverse membership may be highly effective in achieving political aims, it becomes less effective when addressing issues that affect the direction of the association. Global expansion, for example, offers opportunities for associations to add new members and promote rotomolding worldwide. While the associations stand to gain from globalization, some members question how this helps their businesses succeed and whether their dues might be allocated elsewhere in service to existing members on a regional or local basis. Even developing the worthwhile educational programs that most members see as the essential service of an association may be impacted by global changes in the membership rolls. For example, seminar programs may be diluted to accommodate members lacking technical knowledge or otherwise altered to fit in ancillary subjects that appeal to a diverse membership at the expense of core programs in manufacturing, management and marketing. Without a robust, focused educational component, the value of participation in association events declines substantially. It seems an association's mission may need to balance numerical size, geography and growth with its educational core to arrive at a clear purpose that delivers the most good for its members at the greatest efficiency.

Consider the purpose of the Red Cross, for example. It is well-known and highly regarded for its service as the nation's premier emergency response organization. Red Cross volunteers care for victims of war, natural disasters and other emergencies. In fact, its mission is to prevent and relieve suffering. This clearly defined purpose with a stated mission enables all of its members to move in the same direction. Among donors, it also instills confidence that their donations will be used to advance the purpose they support. Its commitment to its mission and its track record for remaining true to its mission despite the enticing opportunity to leverage its brand into other areas play a key role in driving the success of its life-saving endeavors. If it were to stray from its primary purpose, the success of its emergency deployments would likely decline along with donor support. Similarly, a trade association that strays from its core responsibility is likely to alarm its members and ignite a heated discussion reminding management about its mission and purpose.

Now consider one of the rotomolding organizations that has a clear purpose. The Rotational Molding Division (RMD) of Society of Plastic Engineers (SPE), as clearly stated on its Web site, exists to promote the scientific and engineering knowledge of plastics by:

  1. Providing a forum for SPE members to exchange information and become informed about rotational molding
  2. Cooperating with and encouraging universities to teach and conduct research relating to rotational molding
  3. Building membership in a field new to SPE

With its clear, narrow focus on rotomolding education, the SPE has set forth a reason for its existence that offers benefit to virtually anyone engaged in rotomolding. Other associations take a more aggressive posture in securing financial and technical assistance for its members from governments and universities and in actively marketing its members to potential customers. But SPE members know there is a clear basis for managing the direction of the organization as times change and new opportunities arise. Some argue offering a narrow range of services focusing primarily on education penalizes smaller companies that lack the staff or resources to navigate the government and university structures in search of aid and support. Others argue offering a wide range of services is prohibitively expensive in terms of a cost benefit analysis since few would partake of all of the services available and larger companies may fret over the forced payment for services that duplicate work already performed in-house. But when considering whether to become a member, the opportunities are apparent and the agenda is clear. While pleasing all of the members all of the time is not possible, it may not be an appropriate mission for an association, either.

Meeting in the Middle

From what I've seen and heard over the years, there is a disconnect among the range of services we value as members and the range of services our industry associations provide or aim to provide. There is a disconnect among the mission statements of the associations and the mission statements of some of its members. The fact that some associations report declines in membership and financial troubles at a time when rotational molding continues to grow on a global scale reflects this point. At a time when molders are struggling to manage costs and battling against other processes, there may never have been a time when banding together with a common purpose of strengthening the rotational molding industry would have a greater impact on everyone's bottom line. As members, it isn't enough to join an association and expect to be funneled sales leads, offered prime speaking slots and handed the secrets to running a thriving enterprise. It is incumbent upon us to voice our concerns (and our praise!) when we recognize an association needs to change its direction to maintain the value of its membership. What members get out of their dues is directly related to the energy and effort they put into their membership. When we all actively participate in association meetings and events and contribute leadership and expertise as committee members, it creates a thriving association with the power to strengthen the industry and all of our businesses. However, while many firms have steadfastly supported associations for decades and their contributions are to be gratefully recognized, we must acknowledge the necessity of recruiting new member companies and growing new leaders while retaining the members that form the backbone of an association. Together, we can achieve what would not be possible by any individual company acting alone. This is the force for good that Ben Franklin envisioned and my hope for the future of rotational molding.

If you have comments or questions, I would love to hear from you. Send comments to Bob Dunne at rdunne1@usa.net or see www.Rotomolding.com/bobdunne.shtml. Meese Orbitron Dunne Co. is the first rotomolder in North America to invest in the Leonardo system. Its parent company, Tingue, Brown & Co., Saddle Brook, New Jersey, has a history of bold moves since 1902 that include pioneering the use of plastics for rotomolding laundry handling products.

  
 

 

When associations develop new programs, launch ambitious initiatives or shift directions, members often question the merits of these moves. But in many cases, management is simply implementing the vision it was hired to promote and advance. To prevent cases where management and membership diverge in their opinions, in-depth interviews with executive director candidates would be in order. An interview for a fictional organization ARMXX might include questions like these:

How important is it for an association to establish mission and vision statements in writing? Once a strategic plan is established, how much direction needs to flow from the membership for the plan to be effectively implemented and how much needs to flow down from management to the members?

What role do you see ARMXX playing in relation to other organizations that serve rotational molders? What relationship among organizations around the world most effectively and efficiently provides the critical educational services molders need? How would you promote cooperation for the benefit of all associations and all rotomolders?

As the potential voice of thousands representing a billion dollar industry, ARMXX may work as a potent force to address legislative issues on behalf of its members. What role do you see ARMXX playing in terms of advancing key legislation, blocking onerous legislation and regulation and supporting favorable candidates in their run for office? What other like-minded organizations or associations would you partner with to strengthen the case?

In prioritizing your agenda, how would you rank the following concerns and how would you support members struggling with one or more of them in their efforts with local, state and national governments?

  • Promoting favorable trade and investment policies
  • Securing trade, technical education and R & D grants, income tax credits and employee credits
  • Implementing lean manufacturing
  • Securing tax abatements on a local basis
  • Training workers
  • Reducing worker compensation and healthcare costs
  • Reducing excessive litigation

Who is mostly responsible for the research and development of materials, equipment and other advances and innovations? Is it the association, private companies, governments or universities?

Who do you see as our primary competition? Other materials, processes and manufacturing methods? Other associations competing for rotomolding members? How would you characterize relations among competing member rotomolders and what would you do to change it, if at all?

With consolidation continuing worldwide, how will you structure the programs and the dues to balance the needs of regional, national and international companies, both large and small? What distinctions would you make, if any, among custom molders, proprietary molders and OEM molders in terms of dues and eligibility for access to member services? What about suppliers and consultants to the industry? And how would you facilitate communication between suppliers and molders?

What role do you see ARMXX playing in bringing its own members together at meetings and throughout the year?

What is the ideal number and interval for association meetings and how would you use the Internet to enhance the value of meetings and/or to minimize travel costs? Would you support member discussion via an online forum?

Describe your plan for bringing more OEMs, purchasing agents, engineers and project managers into the industry to increase the total rotomolding pie and create more business opportunities for all.

Where does outreach to high schools and universities fit in the mix in terms of presenting rotational molding as an attractive career opportunity and growing the next generation of rotomolders?

   

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