Jeff De Cagna

As association decision-makers continue to navigate this decade’s next 1,000 days and seek the opportunity for their organizations to thrive, they will need to make a series of six tough decisions to anticipate and adapt to the unforgiving conditions…

Last month, I posted the backcasting prompt pictured above to LinkedIn following my late June session at the Virginia Society of Association Executives Annual Conference in Virginia Beach. My sincere thanks to everyone who liked the original post.…

Today is Day 500 of The Turbulent Twenties. To shape the more than 3,100 days remaining in this decade for the better, it is crucial for everyone who cares about the future of associations to reflect on what we have learned so far. Here are three…

In this episode of Deep Dive, we talk to new AMI columnist Jeff De Cagna about how contrarian thinking can help reinvigorate associations with added purpose, why associations have a tendency to think conservatively (small ‘c’), why membership is one…

Association decision-makers must consider where their associations are right now, what they should expect for the rest of this year, and how they will begin the process of reinventing their organizations for the remainder of this decade.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an inflection point for the entire world and a wake-up call for every association: there will be no going back to the pre-pandemic normal and there will be no business-as-usual going forward. Instead, we are already adapting…

By Jeff De Cagna FRSA FASAE, Executive Advisor, Foresight First LLCAs association decision-makers strive to navigate the most serious disruption of our lifetimes, there is a crucial question they must ask: how can we better understand, anticipate,…

Associations need both strategy and foresight, and while they are clearly connected, they are not the same thing.

“In 2014, association boards, working in partnership with their CEOs and senior executives, have a ‘duty of foresight’ every bit as critical as their recognized legal duties of care, loyalty, and obedience.”Five years ago, in the July/August 2014…

This is the second in a two-part series in which I share foundational principles for building future-ready associations. (You can read Part I here.) In Part II, I will discuss three additional principles and offer advice to association…

This is the first in a two-part series I will post this month and next in which I will share foundational principles for building a future-ready association. In Part I, I will explore why the increasingly popular phrase “future proof” is unhelpful,…

It is not hard to understand why many people feel at least some fear about the future. Current conversations on the topic in print and online publications, as well as in both social and mainstream media outlets, typically present only the most…

We must strive to develop a "foresightly perspective" to think beyond the fear of the unknown, understand, and anticipate the future, and act with greater confidence to capitalize on the enormous opportunities unfolding around us.

With a disciplined focused on the future, you ensure your associationwill be prepared for whatever comes next. Click the title to view the article as a PDF.