Welcome to Connex, the Power of Connection. If you missed our National Conference in Denver, you missed a lot! Most importantly, PRSM is now Connex. This rebrand is a significant plank of our Connex2023 strategic plan. Our new name and brand underscore the cultural shift our association is undergoing toward a culture of innovation.
Connex’s Culture of Innovation. Building and maintaining a culture of innovation is challenging for an almost 25-year-old organization. In the January/February issue of Harvard Business Review, Gary Pisano discussed “The Hard Truth About Innovative Cultures.” Pisano mapped out challenges to successfully building and maintaining an innovative culture: allowing for the risk of failure, remaining open to experimentation, facilitating collaboration among the team and remaining flat enough to avoid hierarchical bureaucracy. As Connex continues to innovate, we’ll need to keep these hurdles in mind.
Connexion: Local. Our National Conference will remain the lynchpin of Connex’s event lineup. However, moving forward, what once was the PRSM Mid-Year Conference (MYC) will be replaced by local Connexion events across North America and Canada. This move toward local Connexions was years in the making. Our Connex team considered member feedback, conference attendee feedback, board guidance and industry trends in concluding that Connex member needs would be best served by a local event offering. Your Connex team is aware this is a significant change. And, to make the 2019 local Connexions successful, we’ll have to recognize the challenges Pisano noted and use strategies to mitigate these challenges.
Balancing the risk of failure with innovation. Moving away from our traditional MYC format is a risk, which must be mitigated by the Connex team executing the events. These new events cannot be a copy of previous association functions. Your Connex team will innovate and tailor Connexions to the local markets where the events will take place.
Remaining open to experimentation. Not all Connexions will look the same. In 2019, Connex will conduct disciplined trials of varied formats in different markets.
Collaboration will maintain innovation. In developing the local Connexion frameworks, Connex staff relied on member feedback, event planning committees and Connex Board direction. And, as we execute these events in 2019, we’ll monitor feedback to deliver the best possible event experience. Collaboration across Connex event stakeholders will mold our local Connexions
into a powerful part of the Connex event lineup.
The vision for Connexion: Local. Connex On Demand. In all facets of business and society, customers are calling for services and products on demand. The Connex event lineup should be no different. So, in 2019 and beyond, we are bringing Connex to you — in your market.
Let’s Connex. I’d love to hear your thoughts about Connex. Email me at byanek@connexfm.com or message me on Twitter @byanek.
