Three Next Practices for Next-Level Association Boards

By Jeff De Cagna AIMP DAIG FRSA FASAE

What will it take to move your association’s board to the next level of performance?

To answer this question, the Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community Dialogue Report, which was released in July 2025, offers nine recommendations for the association community, boards of directors, and the individual contributors who serve on or collaborate with them. The FAB Report also shares 18 “next practices” that associations can adopt to elevate both board and organizational performance. Next practices are forward-looking approaches and ideas designed to challenge and liberate associations from their orthodox beliefs, i.e., the deep-seated assumptions we make about how the world works, while inspiring future-adaptive ways of thinking and acting

In this post, I want to highlight three next practices from the FAB Report that decision-makers in all associations can begin implementing right away. While acting on these next practices requires neither bylaws amendments nor adjustments to policy statements, they do demand an affirmative choice by association boards to think differently about their purpose and the nature of their work today and in the years ahead.

•Board-ready information—Board-ready information provides boards with the essential content and context they need, communicated in a clear, reasoned, and thoughtful manner, to facilitate the best possible work from all contributors and the most effective decision-making for the board. Creating board-ready information requires a shared understanding between boards and the myriad contributors to their work about the necessary inputs into intentional learning and decision-making, and how best to present them for maximum impact by expanding beyond text to include audio, data visualization/infographics, and video among the options.

•Dissent as an intentional learning resource—Rather than fearing dissent, association boards can position it as a powerful source of new learning by designing an equitable process for sharing contrarian or divergent perspectives that push back on orthodox beliefs, ask more challenging questions, and infuse the board decision-making processes with fresh thinking. All voices have the right to be heard as association boards try to navigate a world of accelerating systemic upheaval, risks, and problems. Enabling dissent as an intentional learning resource is critical to nurturing genuine collaboration among boards, staff partners, and other governing contributors.

•Governing intent—The board’s governing intent is a specific expression of the outcomes that association boards will work to achieve through stewardship consistent with organizational purpose and consonant with strategic direction. By clarifying their governing intent, boards can better devote their attention to what matters most, direct their energy toward high-value work, and more wisely use their individual and collective time resources. In addition, crafting governing intent creates meaningful visibility into the board’s most important long-term priorities and provides contributors with deeper insight into how to frame all issues for board conversation and decision-making.

By adopting these three next practices, association boards can shift the orientation of their work toward the future by creating more powerful dynamics for inclusive collaboration, intentional learning, and effective decision-making. They also can create a stronger context for implementing more next practices to continue taking board performance to the next level in 2026 and beyond.

Jeff De Cagna AIMP DAIG FRSA FASAE, executive advisor for Foresight First LLC in Reston, Virginia, is an AI critical thinker, association contrarian, foresight practitioner, governing designer, stakeholder and successor advocate, and stewardship catalyst. Jeff serves as the curator and editor of the Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community Dialogue, presented in partnership with re:Members. In 2019, Jeff became the 32nd recipient of the Academy of Leaders Award, ASAE’s highest individual honor awarded to consultants or industry partners for their exceptional contributions to shaping the future of the association community.

Please join Jeff on Friday, November 7 at 9:30 am for VSAE’s monthly seminar, “Shaping the Future of Association Boards: Nine Recommendations for Action” at the University of Richmond’s Jepson Alumni Center. Following the seminar, Jeff will speak at lunch on “Three MORE Next Practices for Next-Level Association Boards.” Please register today!