More Changing the World in 2012

Just in case you  missed them, here are some more truly thoughtful responses to my meme, How Are You Going to Change the World in 2012? (More posts are here.)

Challenge Accepted: Make the World a Better Place (Lowell Aplebaum)

1. For the association world: Collaborate.  No, I am not talking about the ASAE social network platform (though it is a great place to connect with colleagues and get involved).  I am talking about associations working together to work together.  There are so many of us out there, and each association has the things it is REALLY good at, and those areas where we are constantly struggling (and pouring resources) to just tread water.  In 2012 I am going to identify those models I have that are the top 10% of what I see out there, and find corresponding associations that excel in other areas for the potential of collaboration.  If my association can help them with our model of success, and they can help us with theirs perhaps neither would waste so much time or resources in reinventing the wheel.

Why Change the World in 2012? (Eric Lanke)

Elevate the conversation.

Across the board–whether it’s an interaction in the association that employs me, in one of my growing list of volunteer commitments, in my relationship with my family, or even in the activities I choose to fill my reflective time with–I can more consciously be the agent that elevates the conversation one level above where everyone else is focused.

Too much of the time, you see, in all of the circles I’ve described above, we seem so consumed by what needs to be done that we consistently lose sight of why we’re doing them in the first place. And yet the why has to inform the what, or the what begins to lose its meaning.

Meme Time: Changing the World in 2012 (Elizabeth Engel)

How *are* we doing on D&I in associations? Short answer? Not well.

And I can’t change that by myself. And neither can you.

But I can light one candle. And so can you. So that’s what I’m going to do: do what’s in my power to shine a spotlight on diversity and inclusion and where we fail and how we can pick ourselves back up and try again.

I Will Stop the World From Ending in 2012 (Maggie McGary)

Embrace change–or at least shake hands with it. It’s hard to make changes, especially when a situation is comfortable and works well enough. But sometimes comfortable isn’t actually comfortable. It may work and it may pay the bills, but is that really all we want to ask of life? Is ok good enough, or is amazing out there waiting to be had? And how will you know if you don’t try something different? So this year I’m going to go beyond my comfort zone and see if I can’t find amazing, or at least beyond comfortable.

How Will You Change the World in 2012? (Geoff Livingston)

During Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington, I had the privilege of creating a training program that touched more than 350 nonprofits. Teaching and showing others how to use these tools is the best way I can positively impact the world. In 2012, I’d like to personally train or speak to more than 1,000 nonprofits about online marketing best practices.

Wow!!!  Have I missed any posts?  Let me know in the comments – and thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has participated so far.  Nothing will ever get better without each of our individual commitment to do something.  I’m not going to sit around waiting for the world to get better all by itself.  And why should I, when there are so many great people with great ideas for what they can do?  The buck stops with us.  Thank you!