Looking back: outgoing board chairman John G. Clemons, ABC, APR, reflects on his term.

At IABC's international conference in June, John G. Clemons, ABC, APR, spoke with Communication World editor Gloria Gordon about his year as chairman of the association's board of directors.

Gloria Gordon: When you assumed the chairmanship of IABC, you expressed that you were intent on focusing on the new IABC. What was wrong with the old IABC?

John Clemons: I don't necessarily think there was anything wrong with the old IABC. I just think that we needed to take another look at some of the systems and processes and ways in which we do things at IABC. IABC went through a financially challenging period. After we took a look at our finances, we said, "Why don't we look at everything that IABC does? Why don't we look at accreditation a little differently? Why don't we look at programming a little bit differently? How do we increase the value of membership to all of our 13,000 members--how do we increase the membership value overall?" It meant looking at those established programs and systems, then deciding how we can improve them.

GG: What steps have you taken to launch the initiatives that would change or alter IABC, other than what you've just mentioned? Is there anything specific you'd like to mention?

JC: A couple of things. One is coming up with a more effective way to evaluate the performance of our president, making sure that she is accomplishing established goals and meeting those goals yearly. Also, we are developing internal operations programs for the executive board and for the district. Overall, we are closely examining the whole internal governance issue.

During my year as chair, we've also taken a fresh look at the global issue. How do we globalize our products and services for IABC and meet the needs of all of our members, not just here in North America, but outside North America as well? We put together a global task force that was led by incoming chair-elect Stephanie Griffiths. Stephanie and the task force reviewed our products and services, such as Communication World. On the international conference: How do we get more international speakers to come and share some of their wisdom with our membership? How can we internationalize the brochures, the seminars? As mentioned earlier, we've set up a governance work group that is responsible for taking a close look at how IABC operates internally and what we should be doing differently to streamline the operations of IABC to make it even more nimble in increasing membership value.

GG: What do you see as the most pressing issues for the future, both for IABC and for the profession?

JC: I think one of the main challenges or priorities for IABC is revenue generation. How do we generate more revenue to sustain IABC today and in the future? That's the first thing. Another is the globalization of products and services to make them palatable for all of our membership. We have a lot of information and good research that's available not just to academicians in our membership, but also to others who may be interested. It's getting our name out there, creating greater awareness for our research foundation. That's very important. We need more innovative programming. As you know, we've started webinars, which have been highly successful for IABC, and we want to continue doing that.

GG: Looking back on what you've learned, how do you see IABC building for the future in addition to what you've already begun?

JC: One of the best things we've done is in the area of succession planning, selecting our future chairpersons on the basis of competencies, what they bring to the table for IABC, their skills and knowledge, their professional' background.

GG: You've certainly done a lot to get IABC back on the right track. Anything specific you'd like to comment on?

JC: We initiated monthly e-mail "Flash Reports" to members. These reports let everyone know, on a couple of pages, the status of IABC, where we stand at the moment. We've also offered a "new ideas initiative" on the web site where people can post their ideas. These can include a business case or a brief model on their ideas, the budget or other suggestions on how we can improve IABC operations. Annette Martell introduced "Swap Shops," where district and regional directors discuss issues before the board meetings. That way, we are generating ideas, we're looking at trends, we're looking at issues and we're ahead of the curve in how IABC should operate and what's best for our members.

GG: With the pressing needs of your employer and as the top leader for IABC, how have you prioritized your time to meet their and your expectations?

JC: You just mentioned a keyword, "prioritize." I am very organized. I plan ahead and look at what I have to do and set those priorities. From the moment I took office, however, I told the board that family is first. The second priority was my employer, Nextel. I had to do a good job to maintain my involvement in IABC. Third is IABC. As much as I love IABC, my priorities are family first, job second, IABC third. But that does not diminish the importance of IABC. Maintaining balance between the three priorities can be a real juggling act!

GG: How did you become involved in IABC?

JC: I began my involvement with IABC with the New Jersey chapter some 20 years ago. However, a former chair really introduced me to IABC. She invited me to a meeting in Atlanta and I was hooked. I became involved and started as newsletter editor. Then I participated on the multiculturalism committee. From there, it was just going up. I served on the board. I disappeared for about a two-year period and then came back to IABC. It's in my blood.

GG: How have you seen the profession evolving during the time you've been in the communication arena?

JC: Communicators going forward will have to do more with less. They will have fewer resources in terms of staff as well as economic resources to do their jobs, so they have to be even more innovative and steadfast in accomplishing their goals.

I see technology making a difference in how communicators operate. We need to be more savvy about how to use it to reach our respective audiences. I think we also need to stay on top of the game by being actively involved in IABC and using all of the resources available, including the research.

GG: How would you describe your style of leadership?

JC: I truly believe in teamwork. Nothing is accomplished by an individual. It takes a team to be successful in IABC, in your job, even in a family. I tried to encourage that team spirit in the executive board, the executive committee or any group involvement with IABC. I also believe that when you support people and encourage them, they can do amazing things. This board has been outstanding. And they helped me. I know as a result of this board's efforts that we do have a new IABC. There's more energy, there is more excitement, there's more promise for the future.

GG: In summary, what do you consider your greatest accomplishment or disappointment (if you had any), during your term of office?

JC: I wish we could have made greater strides on the globalization issue. We have a wonderful plan in place. I'm going to be handing off that plan to Chair Annette Martell to continue to work on implementation. That's going to be exciting for IABC in the future. I predict better days for our association--the new IABC.

Note: John recently launched CLEMONS COMMUNICATION, a communication consulting business primarily focused on strategic internal communication. He can be reached at [e-mail], 703-779-8008.