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Mentorship has no expiration date. The most effective mentors are defined by relevant expertise and perspective, not seniority, and everyone benefits from being both a mentor and a mentee. Even executives gain from outside guidance, while reverse mentoring keeps leaders current and engaged. There's a common belief that mentorship belongs to the early days of a career: the new hire learning the ropes, the recent grad finding their footing, the emerging leader stepping into big

The economy is growing. The stock market is near record highs. Inflation is fairly low. So why do 49% of organization CEOs think their members will face a worse economy over the next year? That gap is the main finding of Association Laboratory's Looking Forward 2026 research. It comes from 124 top leaders at U.S. trade and professional organizations. The news says one thing. The people running these organizations say another. Here is what the data shows and what you can do ab

We recently welcomed a new hire here at AOE and the experience reminded us just how much those first few days shape how an employee feels about a company for years to come. As we built out the onboarding plan, we realized these insights are especially timely for other organizations navigating the hiring process. A thoughtful onboarding process does more than introduce people to their desks and logins. It signals that you value their time, their growth and their contribution.

Artificial intelligence has moved from buzzword to working tool, and it is steadily changing how firms operate. In this second installment of our blog series on AI bots, we turn our attention to personalized AI agents: systems that tailor their responses to individual users and contexts. The most significant shift on the horizon is the transition from generalized company bots to individualized AI agents. Soon, organizations will start equipping employees or teams with a dedic

Artificial intelligence is no longer a trend or far-out concept; it's a practical tool reshaping how we work. AI chatbots, in particular, have moved from simple website pop-ups to sophisticated assistants integrated into daily business operations. These intelligent agents are now found on both sides of the corporate coin: enhancing customer service with 24/7 support and empowering employees by automating routine tasks. This dual application is driving a significant transforma

In our first installment of 2026 Social Media Trends for AEC Marketers, we looked at the first four trends from Hootsuite's 2026 Social Media Trends report and what they mean for architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) social media marketing. To recap: Trend 1. Culture and attention are fragmenting—understanding target audiences. Trend 2. Cozy, meaningful and audience-specific content—telling meaningful stories. Trend 3. AI-enabled workflows, with authenticity still

Social media marketing in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry does not look like social media for consumer brands. The subject matter is more technical, and target audiences are usually organizational decision-makers, association members, recruits and/or stakeholders in the built environment, not impulse shoppers. So when a major trends report lands, the real question is not "What's new?" but "What actually applies to my corner of the industry?" It

Most teams are great at getting things done. We answer the email, hit the deadline, push the project across the finish line. That kind of drive feels productive, and it is. But somewhere in all that motion, something quieter gets squeezed out: the time to simply think. At AOE, we call that time "wonder." And we have come to believe it might be the most undervalued part of our work. Our thinking here is shaped by the Working Genius model, a leadership framework created by Patr