With the advent of smartphones, have you found yourself checking work email during your downtime?

I recently took a long weekend vacation, and for the first few days, it was reallllly difficult to not check my work email, forward things along that needed to get sent and respond to crucial things. However, I know I have a good team at the office, and trusted that they would do fine without me. (In case you couldn’t tell, I can be a bit of a control freak/perfectionist when it comes to work.)

In the end, I did not respond to a single email, and, while I did read a few messages, it got easier and easier as the weekend went on to not worry about it.

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Do you check work email when you’re on vacation?

Interestingly, I found the below infographic during my morning interwebs reading.

TALK TO US: Have mobile phones changed the way you work – in or out of the office?

Hello and happy Friday!

Here at MemberClicks, we’re finishing up a productive workweek and ready to rock next week. First, take a look at five of our fave blog posts from the association community this week.

1. Erik Schonher reports on an early finding from the Membership Marketing Benchmarking Survey: 62.5% of associations surveyed reported a renewal rate higher than 80%! This is great news, as it indicates that as the economy improves, association renewals will as well.

2. With the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking on the horizon, Joe Rominiecki shared takeaways from a presentation by Dr. Robert Ballard, who discovered the ship’s wreckage in 1985. Joe writes, When it comes time for long-term planning and developing strategy, an association CEO should guide the board to embrace the anything-is-possible perspective.

3. How does your small staff association onboard new members? David M. Patt shares a few great ideas that will help new members, staff or volunteers become familiar with your organization. Which is your fave?

4. Jeffrey Cufaude’s Facilitation Friday post last week reminded us that as a facilitator, you are part of the environment and how you physically fit in determines how you are perceived. Do you stand with the same few people? Do you stand with your back to the majority of people during casual gatherings?

5. Continuing the conversation started in his book Humanize, Jamie Notter writes how you can get serious about collaboration. Take a long, hard look at the areas of your organization that are supposedly collaborating, and ensure they are openly communicating. Are there ways the processes can be improved? Is the group as efficient as possible?

From everyone here at MemberClicks, have a wonderful weekend!

I know some people who think it’s a point of pride that they never take a vacation. As if it somehow makes them better employees, managers or what-have-you.

To that I say, what??

I’m of the opinion that vacations (or even “staycations”) are of the utmost importance – and not just because I’m a certified beach bum. (Yes, the word “staycation” is a bit played out, but they are still legitimate in my book!)

As important as being in the office an working hard is, time away from the office to regroup and recharge might be almost more important. Time away can provide clarity, inspiration and creativity, and it can make you better at your job.

When you’re constantly hustlin’ hustlin’ hustlin’, it’s easy to get rundown by the pressures of small staff association management. There are tons of little details and huge issues that need to be dealt with, and fewer people to deal with them. Taking time for yourself away from the office does wonders for our mental health.

(In fact, I have a close friend whose company offers unlimited paid time off – yes, you read that correctly – because they’re committed to having healthy employees.)

While unlimited paid time off may not be realistic for the majority of associations and organizations (hey, it’s fun to dream, right?), take advantage of what PTO you do have and get out town for a few days. (Or at least take a few spa days or “me days.”)

I’ve read some studies that say even just planning a vacation is good for our mental health. I can personally attest to that, as knowing a few trips on the horizon can put me in a better mood.

TALK TO US: What’s your dream vacation spot? (For the record, mine is Italy.) (And I’m going there in May!)

Photo Source

Good morning and happy Friday! The first full week of April is almost over, and wherever you are, we hope it’s been it’s a good one (without those pesky “April showers”).

We’re itching to kick off the holiday weekend here at MemberClicks (as well as the return of baseball), so let’s get right to our favorite blog posts from the community this week!

1. Jeffrey Cufaude wants an organization he cares deeply about – ASAE – to fail. And he says you should want the same thing of whatever organization you’re active in. Why? Because to fail means to not be afraid of risk. Of innovating. Of trying new things. The comments on this one are great as well!

2. We all know that it’s easier to talk about innovating and implementing new ideas than it is to actually implement them. That’s why Mark Athitakis says every team needs a conformist. Why? Conformists are generally more concerned with how to get work done than coming up with big ideas, and every team needs a realist – someone who can realistically think about how a new idea will be implemented.

3. Amber Naslund is a busy woman, so I take her posts about balancing travel and home life very seriously. A big takeaway from this post? When you’re home, be home. If you travel a lot, you should savor the time when you are actually at home. Recharge with your family, your local friends, whoever. How do you balance work and personal lives, no matter how often you travel?

4. As a follow-up to his presentation at Great Ideas, Jamie Notter writes how you can bring innovation to life. How, you might ask? Develop the skill of courage, Jamie writes. Change makes people afraid, so the more courageous you are, the more you will be able to push new ideas along.

5. David M. Patt shares a story of a political candidate ringing the doorbell of his home and attempting to engage David but asking what issues he cared about. Although it may be appropriate to ask for feedback sometimes, that’s not always the case. If you’re a speaker or leader engaging people, be careful how you word questions.

It’s tough, it’s scary, it’s intimidating … but we’ve all got to speak in public at least once in our lives. And whether you’re in front of five people or 500, it can still be extremely nerve-wracking. It’s not for nothing that public speaking is the number one fear of Americans.

Here are some tips for keeping your cool while speaking in public:

1. Use appropriate body language. Make eye contact, walk around the room if possible. Use visual aids if you can. Don’t simply read from a script. I know this seems like common sense but it’s easy to fall into this trap when you’re nervous.

2. Be prepared to adjust your speech based on your audiences’ needs and questions. If your audience becomes visibly bored, you may have to switch up your game a bit. Don’t be intimidated.

3. Take pauses. Don’t obliviously keep talking without pausing for air. Natural pauses allow your audience time to absorb information. And they allow you, the speaker, some time to mentally collect yourself.

4. Use humor (if appropriate). Humor and lighthearted jokes interject a sense of human-ness to your presentation and lightens the mood just a bit.

5. Visualize yourself giving the speech. Be clear, be loud (but not too loud), be confident.

6. Remember – the audience doesn’t want you to fail. They want you to succeed. They want to be informed, they want to learn. No one wants to see you stutter, get sick or whatever your greatest fear of public speaking is. Everyone’s got your back.

7. Practice, practice, practice. Practice may not always make perfect, but the only way you’ll ever improve at public speaking is if you continue to practice it.

8. Tough love time: Know when to stop talking. No one likes a long-winded presentation. (