Restructuring Resources to Fuel Dynamic Change.

This month marks my second anniversary as ASAE's staff president and CEO. Although I'm still considered somewhat new in the position, it's obvious that there has been a lot going on at ASAE since my arrival. Reflecting upon the dynamic changes that have transformed our profession during its history, my two-year experience is a wake-up call to the new velocity with which organizations are compelled to make those transformations.

We recently published the article "State of Our Society" in all of our section newsletters, updating you on the kinds of programs and projects ASAE intends to provide in order to keep members--and staff--on or ahead of this steep curve of change. Here I'd like to share with you our significantly restructured staff organization, created to support ASAE's internal priorities based on the goals and mega issues identified by our strategic plan.

The restructuring mirrors our focus on key initiatives in six operational areas: professional development, public policy, marketing and communications, finance, member resources, and electronic communication and technology. Representing a consolidation of the former eight, the six current divisions are each managed by a staff vice president, working in tandem with the chief operating officers of our three corporate entities (ASAE, ASAE Foundation, and ASAE Services, Inc.).

By consolidating divisions, we accomplish better coordination of processes--and the synergy that comes from staff working on interactive teams within divisions.

The new economy both allows and demands open access to information, value-added membership defined by individual requirements, and strengthening of organizations through strategic partnerships. ASAE's staff is working to achieve these new imperatives by interacting with focus groups, committees and councils, hot groups (working groups of impassioned people sharply focused on an ultimate goal), and their respective ASAE corporate boards to explore new programs and opportunities for you and your members. They have several top priorities.

Restructuring information access and delivery. To ensure that ASAE's valuable information is available to all of our members, we've eliminated the barriers to interest sections beginning July 1, 2000 (see "ASAE Up Front," July 2000, for details on Open Access). Our most recent restructuring, resulting in the new electronic communication and technology division, also underscores our commitment to the value proposition of information.

Developing more expansive strategic partnerships. We are broadening the scope of possible business alliances and collaborative ventures, whether with dot.com companies or product and service vendors. These alliances include the building of new strategic partnerships with our allied societies--where collectively nearly half of the total membership is not presently affiliated with ASAE. So important are these relationships that we've dedicated a new staff position to the development of allied partners, recognizing the time it takes to properly orchestrate these mutually beneficial arrangements--one at a time.

On the international scene, we are creating similar alliances with other countries' societies of association executives and have already formalized our first agreement, offering dual membership to members of the European Society of Association Executives.

Shifting staff to priority areas. Like many of you, we are putting far more time and treasury into technology, constantly striving for the most efficient and captivating electronic contact with our members and serving as a credible broker for new business relationships on the Web. We've increased staff and volunteer resources in the advocacy arena and responded to the imperatives of knowledge management by enlarging our professional development team and their curriculum of offerings.

We are tremendously excited at ASAE headquarters by the new synergy created by the staff-volunteer partnership. We're inspired by a strategic plan that reflects the vision needed in an era of rapid change and that enjoys the support and ownership of our volunteer leaders. Perhaps it's time to consider your role in this evolving environment. Not only will you be a partner in moving your professional society forward, but you'll be participating in dynamic changes in the entire profession that ASAE represents.