A mini-workshop with an actual case study on how the International Sign Association (ISA) worked with 16 affiliated local sign associations in significantly changing ISAʼs governance, membership and financial structures, including reducing their board of directors by half and altering ISAʼs relationship with local sign organizations. Lori Anderson, President & CEO, International Sign Association John Allen, Executive Vice President, Allen Industries Patti King, Executive Director, Arizona Sign Association Glenn Tecker, Chairman and Co-CEO, Tecker International

1. State of Delusion, State of
Confusion…

2. ISA Challenges
• Structure
• Stakeholders
• Resulting environment
– Advocacy, Membership, Governance, Culture

3. Conditions
• History
• Regional Plan
• Culture
• Board Size
• Allegiances
Commitment
• ISA Exec
Committee
• ISA Board
• Regional Boards
• Regional Staff
• ISA Staff
Plan
• Research
• Design
• Development
• Communication
• Implementation

4. Conditions
• History
• Regional Plan
• Culture
• Board Size
• Allegiances
Commitment
• ISA Exec
Committee
• ISA Board
• Regional Boards
• Regional Staff
• ISA Staff
Plan
• Research
• Design
• Development
• Communication
• Implementation

5. Conditions
• History
• Regional Plan
• Culture
• Board Size
• Allegiances
Commitment
• ISA Exec
Committee
• ISA Board
• Regional Boards
• Regional Staff
• ISA Staff
Plan
• Research
• Design
• Development
• Communication
• Implementation

6. Engagement Steps
(2009-2012)
• Executive Committee forms task force
• Develops/conducts research
• ISA Board forms “Study Group”
• 2 “Summits” and Town Hall meeting
• Executive Directors meetings
• Reorganization Implementation Committee
formed, Bylaws Committee tasked

7. Prepared By:
Robin Wedewer
Senior Associate, Tecker
Consultants
(410) 414-5718
rwedewer@tecker.com
Confidential, September 2010
CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE STATEMENT AND
AGREEMENT
This report is the property of International Sign Association (ISA). The
report contains proprietary information of ISA and is solely for the use of
ISA volunteers and staff. This confidentiality and nondisclosure statement
and agreement is for the purpose of protecting such confidential
information from being made available and disclosed to unauthorized
persons.
Member
Market

8. Confidential, October 2010
CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE
STATEMENT AND AGREEMENT
This report is the property of International Sign
Association (ISA). The report contains
proprietary information of ISA and is solely for
the use of ISA volunteers and staff. This
confidentiality and nondisclosure statement and
agreement is for the purpose of protecting such
confidential information from being made
available and disclosed to unauthorized persons.
“Every organization is
perfectly designed to do
exactly what it does.”
-Peter Drucker
’ Decision
making
Industry
Realities

9. The Process of
Informed
Transformation
Reform
Transition
Improvement
LevelsofChange

10. “Organizational
Summit”
March 24 & 25, 2011
ISA Headquarters, Alexandria, Virginia
Research Strategy Learning
Designed &
facilitated by:

11. ISA “Organizational Summit”
Agenda
Thursday, March 24:
12:00 Noon—5:00 p.m.
(ISA offices; lunch will be provided)
• Lunch, welcome and self-introductions – Lori
Anderson
• Introduction: conversations leading up to summit
– John Allen, ISA Chairman of the Board
• Overview: – Glenn Tecker
• Brainstorming: Specifications and
modeling – Glenn Tecker
6:30 p.m. – group dinner in Old Town Alexandria
Friday, March 25:
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
(breakfast and lunch at ISA offices)
• Brainstorming: Specification and modeling –
Glenn Tecker
• Assessing advantages and
disadvantages to various potential
models – Glenn Tecker
• Wrap-up – Lori Anderson
 Involvement
 Understanding
 Ownership
 Support

12. Page 12
Using a flip
chart, draw a picture
of ISA today if it were
depicted as a form of
transportation.
Be prepared to explain what
organizational attributes are
represented by certain
details of the picture.

13. What must any organizational model for the “XYZ” organization
“be”, “be like” or “do”? What must any model of organization for the
“XYZ” organization not “be”, “be like” or “do”?
Design Specifications
Must be / be like / do: Must not be / be like / do:
Transparent
Accountable
Etc.
Unified
Representative
Diverse
Etc.
Advocacy
Strategic
Nimble
Etc.

14. ISA
Possible Organizational Structure
What should the ISA of the
future (whatever it ends up
calling itself) look like?
a. What should membership
structure look like?
b. What should governance
structure look like?
c. What should the program
structure look like?
d. What should financial
structure look like?
 Involvement
 Understanding
 Ownership
 Support

15. Membership
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Regions
Committees
CSO
Example Structure Portrait
State
Associations
Industry Sectors
Staff
Staff
Staff
Example
Only
Special Topics
Groups
Local
Chapters

16. ISA Remodeling
Considering Choices
Model # ____
Advantages Disadvantages
Group recorder:______________
1. Really like it !
2. Like it , but it needs some tweaking.
3. Can live with it, but significant
modification will be required.
4. Really do not like it.
5. No way; not ever!
X = its our group’s model
pp
place
rating
here

17. Engagement Steps
(2009-2012)
• Shared vision created
• Face-to-face meetings with regional groups
• Video, written communications to members
• ISA Board vote
• Membership vote (10-1 margin)
• Regional boards vote to become affiliates

18. Membership Structure
ISA
18
Associate
Members
Direct Sign
Company
Members
Suppliers/Distributors
Direct Members
Affiliated
Associations
Affiliated
Associations
Affiliated
Associations
Affiliated
Associations Sign
Company Members

19. Direct Sign
Company Member
Council
ISA Board
Executive
Committee
Leadership
Development
Committee
Steering
committee
Steering
committee
Steering
committee
15 members (11 plus EC)
•Min of 6 from Sign Companies
•Min of 3 from Supplier/Dist.
• 2 Unrestricted
Governance Model
Affiliated
Associations Sign
Company Member
Council
Supplier/Distributor
Council
19

20. Implementation to Date
• 16 Affiliates
• “Leadership Congress”
• Steering Committee Engagement
• Executive Director Engagement
• Leadership Development Committee
• Board Strategy

21. Lessons Learned
• Go slow to go fast
• Need 100% process buy-in from the top (solid
core of well-respected champions)
• No preconceived notion of result
• Expand circle of stakeholders
• Trust building conversations
• Open to changing along the way
• Create enjoyable, hard working, environment
• Create a clear envisioned future