Is purpose enough?

A joint purpose (often expressed as a vision) is what brings interested parties together to cooperate and invest resources (time, effort, and money) in an association. The founding members may consider that cooperating with others is more impactful than not cooperating at all.

Therefore, founding an association to realise the common vision is worth the effort.

Nonetheless, the understanding of the vision is relative and there are 3 good reasons for this.

Culture

What constitutes a “common vision” is subject to cultural interpretation and information asymmetry and can easily be misunderstood. Cultural interpretation can be amplified by linguistic barriers and misinterpretation of terms and expressions.

Time

Over time, changes in the association's micro-environment (members, partners, competitors, etc.) and/or macro-environment (political, technological, sociocultural changes, etc.) will question the relevance of the common “vision” and the actual need for cooperation.

Rotation

Even though international associations are stable working environments, both the “secretariat” and the members (representatives) rotate over time. Newcomers will bring a fresh perspective on the common purpose.

Each international association is unique and a rather complicated ecosystem. People who participate in an international association's life represent diverse cultures, backgrounds, and interests, and people's perceptions of what the association represents vary significantly.

This diversity is not a weakness but where the true power of an association is. Especially if an association accept this reality and becomes a melting pot of all of the different perspectives

Everyone praises purpose as the critical element of an association. But as much as we need a north star to set the course, we also need the necessary flexibility to understand what lies ahead and readjust thecourse, as well as a set of shared values to navigate through good and not-so-good times.

This is how an association can make both destination and travel worthwhile for its people.