Chapter Twenty One

Developing and Managing Programs, Products, and Services

Mariah Burton Nelson, MPH, CAE

People who have a bad habit of accumulating too much stuff are called hoarders. Organizations that have a bad habit of accumulating too much stuff are called—associations.

That's a little joke—but isn't there a ring of truth? Associations do tend to “hoard” programs, products, and services, even outdated and unpopular ones. Associations sometimes make undisciplined decisions about what to create in the first place. It's not easy knowing what to add to a portfolio of products, what to discard, and when.

Why is wise product management difficult?

First, unlike corporations, associations do not consider the bottom line the most important ...

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