Blog & Resources

The ability to anticipate change is not just a skill; it’s a powerful tool that is becoming increasingly essential for association leaders. Association leaders are not just coping with change, they are mastering it, gaining a sense of control in the face of uncertainty.

Anticipatory learning is not solely about managing change; it’s about strategically navigating it. Having a future-focused approach that ensures associations are shaping the future, making adaptability a cornerstone of enduring success is essential.

 By identifying trends that are future-focused for your organization, you become less reactionary to change, and more prepared for future changes. This proactive approach allows association leaders to create a robust framework for education so that association leaders and members are not just keeping up with the current, they are staying one step ahead of their competitors.

One tool to assist with anticipatory learning is the ASAE Research Foundation’s tool -ForesightWorks.  ForesightWorks is an ‘evidenced-based research initiative’ developed and maintained by ASAE. It is designed to assist association professionals in conducting a future-focused environmental scan. ASAE has identified 50 ‘Drivers of Change,’ consistently updated and monitored to ensure they are current for the association community and relevant to the futures of associations. A four-page Action Brief that outlines their long-term implications for associations, key unknowns, and potential action steps for consideration supports each of the 50 Drivers of Change.  Using

Every single day, we do something in our lives to prepare ourselves for the future. It may be as simple as brushing your teeth to prevent cavities or going to the gas station to fill up so that you will be able to transport yourself to where you need to go.

 How often do association executives take time to think about the future of our organizations? How many of us were prepared for the situation that presented itself to us four years ago when the pandemic closed the world? Very few of us thought that a pandemic would cause the chaos that it did. In the blink of an eye, our lives changed.

 In 2017, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) began to publish a research-based program called ForesightWorks, designed to help organizations systematically think through the future of their organization. ASAE had historically issued Environmental Scanning publications, typically out-of-date as soon as the publications were printed. ForesightWorks is different as it is designed to consistently be reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

 ForesightWorks is based on 50 Drivers of Change, signals that have been researched as relevant to our world today and are used in multiple ways.  Four-page action briefs, all of which are laid out similarly, form the basis of ForesightWorks. Page one of the action brief includes a summary of the Driver of Change and several forecasts for what will occur in the near and far term future. Page two contains supporting trends supplied to ASAE from the professional futurist research firm. Page three contains strategi