Setting the guardrails, striving for excellence
As Canadians go about their days, few are aware of the quiet force running in the background, a force that is crucial to the functioning of society: associations.
Whether people see a doctor, hire a licensed contractor, consult a financial adviser or buy a home, these interactions are informed by the associations representing these professionals, says Tracy Folkes Hanson, CAE, president and CEO of CSAE, Canada’s national organization delivering the knowledge, resources and environment to advance association excellence. “If I want to sell my home, I know the process is regulated by real estate associations. If I need surgery, it is reassuring to know about the standards that are upheld by the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians.”
Associations are instrumental in “putting in the guardrails that people don’t necessarily see but that are foundational to just about everything we do,” she notes. “To that end, they work with the doers in their membership, for example, the real estate agents, dentists, doctors, lawyers, electricians or play therapists.”
As a collective voice representing a common purpose, “just about every profession, trade and industry has associations,” says Ms. Folkes Hanson, who explains that associations build evidence-based policy positions from member intelligence, navigate government relationships, and achieve outcomes that shape regulation, standards and professional practice across the country.
“Association executives have the opportunity to achieve an incredible impact on society. This extends to how public policy gets shaped, how things are governed and how Canadians are protected. ”
Since associations are among Canada’s most active and credible policy voices, “association executives have the opportunity to achieve an incredible impact on society,” she says. “This extends to how public policy gets shaped, how things are governed and how Canadians are protected.”
The executives who lead associations are running some of the most strategically complex organizations in the country, yet the profession of association management itself is almost entirely invisible, Ms. Folkes Hanson notes. “You’re building community, public policy and public trust, so strategic leadership is at the heart of running an association.”
Balancing governance, leadership and strategy – and building required operational guidelines – are elements of a roadmap that help ensure continuity, she suggests. “This tees you up for success. It gives you the ability to move forward but also to adapt. Associations need to keep their fingers on the pulse of what’s happening in the world – including geopolitical, economic, technological and behavioural trends – as part of their longevity.”
CSAE has been in operation for 64 years; other Canadian associations are considerably older. The Canadian Manufacturers’ Association, now known as Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, for example, was founded in 1871; the Engineering Institute of Canada dates back to 1887.
Governance structures of associations typically include a “board of volunteer leaders, who are responsible for protecting and directing the organization,” says Ms. Folkes Hanson. “This is paired with an operations or management team, responsible for executing the strategy and daily operations. These two have to come together seamlessly.”
As associations strive for excellence to allow their members to succeed, CSAE “has to lead by example as well as empower association leaders with the tools for success, including the networks, resources and insights that drive the sector forward,” she says.
“Associations touch every fibre in the fabric of Canadian society, and the work they do changes the world for the better. This makes association management as a profession a kind of unknown, unsung hero.”
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