Building a Compelling Identity
How To Communicate And Deliver On Our Unique Value
Summary
Committing to a clear and compelling identity helps position associations for growth. It is the fuel for a unique value proposition and compelling offerings to make joining an indispensable decision. Some organizations' visions or missions differ markedly from how the organization actually operates. It can sometimes feel like two different worlds: what is said and what is real.
We cannot afford this misalignment. Without a clear connection between why we exist (purpose), what we offer (value agenda), and how we operate (culture), we will struggle to understand and meet our member’s needs. Leading associations can close this gap by defining and communicating a clear identity. This article will show you how.
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How Do You Create Value?
“One of the great myths about organizations is that they are standalone entities that are somehow separate from the people within them. When in reality, it is the people who bring an organization to life and give it purpose.”
Victoria Wilson
Identity is the shared understanding of an organization's purpose, values, culture, and capabilities, and how these elements together guide an organization's behavior. Identity can be communicated as a profile that answers questions like:
Who are we?
What value do we provide?
What do we do uniquely well?
Who do we want to be in the future?
Organizational identity is important because it affects how we position our associations to solve problems, identify possible threats, craft strategy, and communicate with a single voice to our diverse constituents. It’s so important, a well-designed and implemented identity can influence the attitudes and behaviors of our members.
In contrast to brand identity, some elements of organizational identity include:
Purpose – What the organization is about | The reason we exist
Value proposition – A promise of value to the customer | Expressed through offerings
Culture – The shared perspective of an organization's culture
Capabilities – What we do uniquely well to deliver great value
We can build our identity through storytelling, analogies, social evaluations, and establishing alliances. The focus of this article is how to create an identity profile to sharpen your association’s value proposition and position it (with clarity) to follow-through on our promises.
Assessing Your Association’s Identity
“Only by creating a coherent and complete identity can organizations thrive in uncertainty, contribute to the world, deliver superior value, and create meaning for their people.”
Alexander DiLeonardo, Nikola Jurisic, Bill Schaninger
To assess an association's identity using the questions "Who are we?", "What value do we provide?", and "Who do we want to be in the future?", you can follow this approach:
Who are we? This question helps define the current state and core characteristics of the association. Assessment method:
Review the association's mission statement and bylaws
Analyze membership demographics, common interests, and trends
Examine the association's history and key milestones
Differentiate between official language and how people really feel
Example – The American Library Association (ALA) might answer this question as: "We are a diverse community of librarians, library workers, and library supporters dedicated to promoting and improving library services across the United States."
What value do we provide? This question focuses on the association's unique contributions and benefits to its members and society. Assessment method:
Survey members about the benefits they receive
Analyze the association's programs, services, and initiatives
Compare the association's offerings to similar organizations
Example – The National Education Association (NEA) might respond: "We provide advocacy for educators' rights, professional development opportunities, and resources to improve the quality of education for all students.”
What do we do uniquely well? This question helps us understand with clarity our skills, resources, capacities, and capabilities to ensure we can achieve our mission and execute our vision. Assessment method:
Test knowledge and use of mission, vision, and values with members
Articulate your 3-6 differentiated capabilities
Define how your capabilities work together as a system
Example – The American Imaging Association might answer: "We invest in skills, technologies, and practices to design and deliver best in class learning."
Who do we want to be in the future? This question addresses the association's aspirations and long-term goals. Assessment method:
Review existing strategies and future-oriented planning documents
Conduct workshops or focus groups with members and leaders
Analyze trends in the field and potential areas for growth or change
Example – The American Medical Association (AMA) might answer: "We aim to be the leading voice in shaping the future of healthcare, driving innovation in medical education, and promoting equitable access to quality care for all patients."
Here is an example for a fictitious Apple Growers Association (AGA):
By using this profile as a framework, associations can gain a clearer understanding of their identity, assess their current state, and align their future direction with their core values and member needs.
As you can see here, moving beyond (while complementing and supercharging) our mission, vision, and values, we can develop an identity that is not only usable, but something we can leverage to differentiate (and act on) what we do.
A Compass Needs An Anchor
“By understanding, celebrating, and harnessing the power of that collective identity, an organization can create a fulfilling and positive work experience for its employees and support its quest for market leadership and exceptional products and services.”
Victoria Wilson
Who we are is what we do.
Identity is a sometimes ambiguous term for such an important concept. The traditional (or standard) identity package is mission, vision, and values. These serve as anchor and compass, but are not nearly enough.
We also need sound strategy emphasizing focused choice, consistent alignment, and the capabilities to execute with responsibility. Together with culture, capabilities, and a value proposition to help position our offerings, we frame our identity as indispensable.
Overall, our leading associations will be grounded in a sound, compelling, specific, and focused identity. Building on our mission, vision, and values, our identity becomes what we do, how we do it while offering direction for how we uniquely create value and make impact.
I lead the product community; we are a learning community because we believe great relationships help us create the value our members want. Remember, product-led growth fuels connection. Join the product community and flip your destiny.
About the Author
James Young is founder and chief learning officer of the product community®. Jim is an engaging trainer and leading thinker in the worlds of associations, learning communities, and product development. Prior to starting the product community®, Jim served as Chief Learning Officer at both the American College of Chest Physicians and the Society of College and University Planning. Please contact me for a conversation: james@productcommunity.us