Measuring success continues to be a stumbling block for many organisations.

Knowing what to track and when can result in wasted time and resources.

1. Be clear on your goals

Understanding where your association is going and what you want to achieve is the key to knowing what you should measure.

All measurement should be directly linked to specific objectives and these need to be aligned to the overall goals of your association.

2. Take a conversational, real-time approach

An annual survey will only provide information captured at a particular point in time. Using a range of different measurement techniques throughout the year will provide a more relevant and useful form of evaluation to understand members’ awareness and attitudes towards key issues.

For example, ‘always-on’ surveys are becoming much more common, which give members an opportunity to offer feedback at anytime, creating a continuous feedback loop.

Using monthly pulse surveys, mystery shopper-style calls to members, and regular focus groups are other ways to gain valuable information from your members.

3. Use existing data

Before jumping to create a new research method to use for measurement, consider what information is currently available and how it can be used to measure against your objectives.

Online analytics are great for understanding what topics and information members are interested in. Talking to people at events will help to build a picture of the ways your members think, feel and behave. Your membership will also have lots of information that can be used to track member preferences and attitudes.

4. Choose appropriate research methods

Deciding on the right research approach to measure success is essential. Be clear on what you want to gain from the results and how the findings will be used.

Quantitative research, such as surveys, will allow you to gain feedback on a larger scale and will provide numerical information that you can use as a benchmark. However, it may not tell you why your members think something or allow you to get under the skin of the findings.

Qualitative research, which include interviews, mystery shopping calls or focus groups, cover smaller sample sizes but give detailed, unrestricted feedback that can be used to develop your association in the way members want.

5. Share your findings and next steps

Sharing results with members is a great way to engage them and encourage take-up of opportunities to give views and opinions.

Findings from research should be communicated to members as quickly as possible, along with an outline of how views are being listened to and the action that is taken as a result.