Learning From Change Masters.

I'm dying to let the cat out of the bag: In two months, ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT will look quite different. We're redesigning the magazine, which has been "wearing the same clothes" for essentially 10 years, and I can hardly wait for you to take a peek.

It's on my mind not only because we're currently immersed in making design-change decisions, but because sometimes I jokingly think we should rename the magazine ASSOCIATION CHANGE.

In many respects, mastering change is what "Macrochallenges for a Microstaff," our cover story, is all about. Leslie Murphy, CAE, like the other executives interviewed for the story, describes the juggling act that keeps her engaged. Success, she says, is arriving at the "balance between managing the processes that keep things going and staying abreast of what's going on in your industry."

In "Made-to-Order Marketing," Kerry C. Stackpole, CAE, sets the stage with this description:"...Emerging association-like organizations and virtual communities are changing both the landscape and nature of competition." Maybe we should rename the magazine ASSOCIATION METAMORPHOSES. In what is clearly a new marketplace, associations are needing to discover new ways of establishing competitive advantage. Stackpole shares his thoughts on building member loyalty by managing the individualized relationships with each of your members.

Debra Rosencrance describes how the American Academy of Ophthalmology is retooling its annual meeting in "Less Work, More Value: The Internet's Impact on Meetings." Online registration, advance course ticketing, a "faculty room" on the Web site, and so on--all are contributing to a meeting experience that gives more value to participants.

The Internet seems to leave nothing untouched, so I recommend that you catch "CyberSavvy Marketing," which accompanies our Insurance & Financial Services Directory 2000. In this article, several association executives offer advice about selling your members association insurance and financial services online.

Transcending the "comings and goings of volunteer leaders"--that is, creating a strong framework in a structure built on constantly changing leadership--is a challenge Gail G. Kincaide, CAE, writes about in "Building an Effective Board-Staff Partnership." At the heart of Kincaide's leadership vision is a partnership model built on mutual respect and shared responsibility and accountability.

OK. So we rename the magazine ASSOCIATION TRANSITIONS. The perfect issue in which to feature "Suddenly CEO," our story about how three association executives served as interim CEOs--a role requiring significant finesse. In the accompanying "Preparing for a New Position," Randall Scott, CAE, offers advice on how to jump into a new job.

Lead. Juggle. Engage. Change. Learn. We probably could justify tweaking ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT'S name every issue, a kind of tongue-in-cheek bent knee to the omnipresence of change. Instead, in two months we'll debut our new "wardrobe"--one that fits well and lets us move gracefully--with a name that has been working for 50 years.

Editor in Chief

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