Yes, I am one of those people who like winter-the snow, the slush, children making snow people and angels, fires in the fireplace, and even the cold wind. Are those of you in warmer climates smiling? It is to your states and countries that we flock to "get away" from the cold, snow, and gloomy days. Yes, I love winter. For me, winter is a time when the earth takes a much needed rest. It goes on hiatus and prepares for its next performance.
I anxiously await the coming of spring, not because I want to see the winter go but because I relish new beginnings-to see the changes that come about in my garden, the trees bud, and the promise of what is to be. During the winter months, I look at the snow covered earth and remember the beautiful flowers of last year. I yearn to get back to my garden and look forward to seeing a whole new landscape, bigger and better than the year before. I love my memories of the past, but my thoughts and plans for the next season are the future.
As I look at this changing season, my thoughts move to other changes that will affect the world around me. The changes in healthcare, the changes in association and business management, and the challenge that the NAON Executive Board has to keep NAON current in the marketplace.
I am reminded by reading articles on association management that what worked yesterday does not necessarily work today and likely will not work in the future. We may be affected by diminished resources-resources that represent revenue but also the resource of volunteers. I have seen personally since 9/11 that people are more careful with their "extra" time. They are more appreciative of what lies closest to their hearts and are holding their volunteer time to a minimum. When I ask people to volunteer, I also ask them to give thought to spirituality, home, and job first and if they are called to serve at this time, it be only when these other aspects of their lives are in alignment.
Many articles have been written about association sustainability. One that I find particularly insightful was written by Jeff DeCagna. His article on the ASAE Web site, titled "Beyond Pretend and Defend," offers his recommendations on how to anticipate future needs and initiate the practice of forward thinking to keep an association relevant. He challenges associations
that if we are to help our organizations move beyond pretend and defend and toward a way of thinking that is more in concert with current and emerging realities; to articulate a next set of core principles on which association leaders willing to articulate and initiate the future can base their judgment and decision making, and in the process bring their associations more fully into the 21st century. (DeChanga, 2004)
DeCagna asks us to consider six principles for the future of associations and concludes that only our imaginations will limit what we can achieve.
1. The association lives from the outside in. Associations are living, breathing networks of their members. Members whose energy and intelligence are at the leading edge of the profession. I ask you-Is this the role of our special interest groups? Are they the barometer of change in our clinical practice; are they one of the driving forces behind telling us what members need from NAON ? As we look toward developing new member services, are you reaching out to your volunteer leaders? How are you keeping connected? As NAON goes green with our NAON News and other programs and services, are you staying connected by updating your contact information and e-mail address in your online member profile?
2. It all comes down to knowledge. It is vital that an association's products and services reach the marketplace to ensure knowledge transfer is taking place. An interesting point to consider in the development of new products and services specific to NAON is: Where does the knowledge flow begin? The answer: From YOU, the orthopaedic community. The model followed by the NAON Education Committee and NAON Evidence Based Practice & Research Committee embodies a process of eliciting knowledge from the outside in. NAON's education tandem is composed of clinical experts who are seeking further knowledge from YOU the experts, our members. NAON needs you to help take our education to the next level.
3. Social capital is your best investment. The NAON Executive Board and association management team are smart, capable people who are drawn to the sustainability of NAON, drawn to the mission of advancing the art and science of orthopaedic nursing. I strongly believe that as elected officials, the executive board is entrusted by the membership to manage NAON and ensure its sustainability. We are called to make decisions not with political overtones but with the trust, shared values, and mutual cooperation that led our members to elect us. Basing our decisions on financial, physical, and intellectual capital serves to only strengthen the member relationship and the organization.
4. The small is as important as the big. I very often correspond with many of NAON's general members. In a recent e-mail, one member mentioned that she was honored that I, the president of the association, had e-mailed her. My response was, "On the contrary, it is I who am honored that a member took the time to answer my e-mail. I am a NAON member who just happens to be your president." As a member of the executive board I can say with all honesty that we want, need, and value input from every member.As we look ahead at how to structure future congresses, the delivery of education materials, networking for practice issues, and spreading of the NAON mission, I ask each of you to step forward and bring your ideas to the table for discussion. Your executive board has an open-door policy-We want to know what your needs are and what practice areas of interest are.
5. Diversity is essential to survival and success. I recently was reminded of the diversity in nursing through an editorial in one of my community's newspapers. The article stated that the nursing community on Long Island (where I am from) is composed of 50% of minority nurses.How is NAON contributing to the needs of a diverse membership? How is NAON educating its members on providing the highest standards of care to an equally diverse patient population? I invite you to ask your colleagues in the nursing community for ideas on how we can address diversity needs of both our members and our patients. Diversity includes practice settings and generational differences. The future of NAON is dependent upon staying relevant to all, including those new to nursing or orthopaedics?
6. Experiment more, plan less, and act with confidence. In his article, DeCagna challenges the reader by saying, "Strategy isn't a plan-It is a never ending process of discovery and learning and one that association leaders need to embrace."
In the mid 1960s, when the strategic plan model was first introduced as a management tool, the operating environment was stable and predictable. A strategic plan takes the mission and goals of an organization and converts them into an action plan-structured, predictable, and measurable by results.
Although I fully agree that every organization needs an instrument to evaluate and plan for programs, services, and budgets, I cannot help but think that organizations such as NAON also need to be fluid and flexible, especially during challenging economic times.
As you consider the future of NAON and your growing role in the association, ask yourself: Will NAON be an organization that keeps its thoughts and strategies alive through memories, or will we be that cutting-edge organization that uses its incredible resources, talents, and forward thinking to give momentum to the future and future leaders? NAON, just like my garden, is an ever-changing landscape, and I look forward to new blooms and blossoms.
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