Spotlight on Peter O'Neil
As Assistant Executive Director for the American Industrial Hygiene Association, Peter O'Neil is responsible for managing day-to-day operations of the 12,000 member international trade association. In addition to Peter's primary responsibilities including oversight of membership, education and meetings, laboratory quality assurance program, marketing and product development and general office operations, Peter is co-chair of the GWSAE CAE Advisory Council and serves on the US Chamber of Commerce Institute Board of Directors.
We recently had an opportunity to discuss Peter's approach to association management and the unique challenges associated with running a multi-disciplinary organization.
Q: AIHA represents a relatively multi-disciplinary industry. Does this present any particular challenges or opportunities? I tend to be a "gut-instinct" decision-maker. However, of all the association's I've served, I have never had as much access to data (or been as overwhelmed as I am at times) as I have at AIHA. I have learned that this data is truly invaluable and can help make informed decisions. This can save an organization from the starts and stops which - while important for learning purposes - can be painful and expensive. Q: How does AIHA define success as an organization? What metrics are used to evaluate performance? How are new initiatives judged? A: As a scientific and technical association with members who demand large quantities of data at their disposal, we use a wide variety of metrics. Naturally we have a strategic plan but we also use ongoing surveys to test where we stand and how we have improved (the ASAE Operating Ratios report, among others). Q: What member and market research does AIHA conduct? How has it informed your decision-making? A: AIHA conducts a major membership needs assessment survey every three years. Additionally, we conduct a wide variety of annual surveys including one that gauges customer satisfaction, another for our annual meeting attendees, and various others. At AIHA we don't suffer for lack for data! Q: AIHA also has a relatively high number of members within their first five years of membership. Does retaining these short-tenure members present a particular challenge to AIHA? Do you have a plan in place to retain this critical segment of membership? A: We enjoy a 91% retention rate, although I anticipate that if we fail to do more to engage our newer, younger members, we will be in danger of losing them. Our retention plans have always been a bit ad hoc, to put it nicely. In the coming year, our newly reformed and staffed marketing department will be paying particular attention to this critical area. Q: What are AIHA members telling you about their communication preferences? How are you trying to accommodate these preferences? A: Our membership, as is the case in most associations, provides us with some generation-based conflicts when it comes to communications. That is… our more tenured members want to receive information the "old fashioned way" while our newer and typically younger members would like to receive information electronically. The challenge here is to strike a balance between member satisfaction and keeping costs in line. We continue to print our four-color monthly magazine but, this year, we have taken our monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal online. We no longer print our membership directory but will, upon specific request, print one for a member. With 12,000 members, you can imagine we are very careful how many times we'll do this. Q: How do you feel about the concept of "membership being everybody's business?" A: Well…I agree. But in practice, this sentiment has not been shared by most of the staff members with whom I've worked. There are certainly associations out there that abide by this rule-of-thumb but unfortunately I think that it is rare. Q: What are the largest challenges facing AIHA in 2004? What is AIHA focusing on most diligently in 2004? A: One of the subjects that we are dedicating ourselves to is attempting to gain a better understanding of our non-member customers and our member's buying/participating habits. As for challenges, ours are typical of most associations. Dwindling volunteer time (particularly difficult for a scientific and technical association), trying to do more with the same (or less), keeping an eye on our reserves and ensuring they don't evaporate in this complex economy… along with myriad other things I shudder to think about! Q: AIHA has a robust non-member customer base for its programs and services. How are you approaching these customers in terms of developing relationships and understanding their needs? A: With the assistance of McKinley Marketing, we are just now beginning to address this important issue. Ask me next year and I'll tell you! Back to Spotlight Articles |