Relation-centered Management:
An Approach Uniquely Designed for Membership-based Organizations (MBOs)

Relation-centered management (RCM) is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional process used by volunteer and staff leaders within membership-based organizations (MBOs) to develop strategies that advance the needs, interests, goals, and aspirations of their members, their members’ specially-designed membership communities, as well as their members’ respective fields of endeavor.

While the definition sounds a bit overwhelming, its application within MBOs is actually very simple.

What RCM recognizes is that management strategies are generic in nature. But nearly every one has been uniquely designed for use in a for-profit setting; where the principal goal is to generate sufficient sales to secure greater profit. Few recognize the short- and long-term negative impact of implementing these kinds of transaction-based practices in other settings, like MBOs, where the principal goal is different.

MBOs exist to build and strengthen the capacities and competencies of members individually and collectively. They do this to generate positive and lasting social change for their members, their members’ respective practice settings, and the larger society.

Thus, MBOs require management strategies that are specifically designed to: 1) govern and manage the organization, as well as 2) build and strengthen their specially-defined membership communities.

While every institution needs to develop opportunities that are responsive to their specific audience(s), the means by which they seek to inform, influence, and inspire their engagement differs. For-profit organizations use marketing to capture attention and secure sales.

MBOs, instead, are more successful in generating engagement when they teach their members how to navigate the organization to gain access to that which they need, when they need it, and in a format that works for them. They also encourage their members to reach out when they are unable to secure what they are looking for. In such cases, MBOs then help them make connections with those fellow members that possess the information, knowledge, experiences, or expertise in question. This approach not only empowers members to make the most of their membership, but also inspires them to develop their own comprehensive personalized engagement plans.

RCM approach doesn’t require MBOs to change the way they initially choose the strategies needed to support the development of their programs, products, and services. But it does require volunteer and staff leaders to adapt and adjust those that are transaction-focused to be more relation-centered. Doing so ensures the strategies are more responsive to MBOs’ purpose, scope, focus, and goals; thus generating better and more lasting mutually beneficial outcomes.

But that’s not all.

Incorporating RCM into existing strategies also enriches the way MBOs communicate with their members. Rather than writing from the organization’s perspective, communication – of all types – is drafted from the members’ perspective. By doing so, members are better able to interpret the value of what their MBOs have to offer; increasing their response and expanding their engagement.

No. It simply requires the willingness to: 1) replace existing assumptions with those that reflect MBOs’ purpose, scope, focus, and goals; and 2) adjust existing as well as introduce new strategies and practices designed to achieve MBOs’ priorities, including building a high-degree of social solidarity within the membership.

Specific examples of how MBOs have successfully adjusted their strategies to be more relation-centered can be found in the Melos Institute’s groundbreaking book: The Member Engagement Paradox: Overcoming 7 Obstacles to Build and Maintain Thriving Membership Communities (MEP).

Special training modules and tools – designed specifically to assist MBOs with their volunteer leadership development and member engagement efforts – can be found on our References and Resources tab…available at no cost to you.

Additionally, new concepts can be confusing. As such, we’ve created a Relation-centered Dictionary for Association Management; offering relation-centered definitions for terms specific to a body of knowledge uniquely designed for the MBOs and the association management profession.

Those interested in exploring ways to integrate a relation-centered approach into your existing strategies are invited to contact the Melos Institute directly: 505.428.0268

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