In this sea of change we call the Graphic Arts Industry, if there was a way to grow the benefits and value your organization could deliver to your customers and prospective customers would you not leverage that opportunity? If there were ways to protect your margins today and gain access to resources to grow them in the future would you not do the same?

Among the plethora of the resources available today are the graphic arts trade associations. Some argue "too many organizations", others speak volumes of the value they receive from each, and those arguing "lack of worth" exist for sure. BUT one thing is clear: When working with an association, you "Get out of it" what you "Put into it".

Our observations of successful managers, as well as our experience with associations and their membership for the last twenty years, point to the inescapable conclusion that the more you participate and the more active you become, the more benefits and value will accrue to your organization. Value, by the way, that you can deliver to your customers.

When successful managers collaborate as contributing association members, that association’s ability to "foresee" issues, opportunities and threats – and provide tools for its membership to address each – is greatly enhanced.

One example has been the rising challenge in finding and keeping effective employees. In Michigan, competition for employees with other industries along with declining skills and aptitudes in candidate populations had made for a growing problem.

The issue came to the fore in late 2001. The governing board at the Printing Industries of Michigan (PIM) convened a group consisting of association members (this is where the - you "Get out of it" what you "Put into it" idea comes in) to explore how best to meet the challenge and provide its membership with the tools and resources necessary to do so.

During the research phase of the project another association affiliate (Printing Association of Florida) in collaboration with PIA announced a campaign to brand the industry (Print: The Original Information Technology) and its availability to all affiliates for use in their efforts to re-invigorate interest in our industry.

While not quite complete as of this writing, taking advantage of that group’s effort in concert with PIM’s research locally, resulted in a deliverable for Michigan’s membership that will essentially be a roadmap for their efforts to gain access to the types of employees needed.

There are those who have and will argue the merits of the associations in general. There are those who have and will argue the value of such campaigns. And although there may be merit in each of these arguments, this much is certain: those members whom actively collaborated in the research phase of the project have already reaped rewards from the process.

They are already "Getting out of it what they put into it” and then some.