IAAP International Board Defines Association Long-Term Direction and Emphasis

(Recap of strategic planning session Nov. 3-4, 2005)

 

On November 3-4, 2005, the IAAP International Board met with the headquarters staff managers and association consultant, Jeffrey Cufaude, in Kansas City.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the future of the association and its direction and emphasis through the year 2010.  In advance of this strategic planning event, IAAP headquarters sent an e-survey to more than 15,000 Professional Members to gather feedback.   More than 2,500 responses provided key information in the strategic discussions that ensued.

 

Familiar themes emerged from the survey, including:

• the importance of networking

• providing quality education and training at a reasonable price

• finding ways to strengthen leadership at the chapter and division levels

• the need to increase IAAP’s awareness within businesses, corporations and organizations

The IAAP International Board and staff analyzed workplace trends, how these trends affect administrative professionals and implications this may have for IAAP and found that: 

• Administrative professionals embrace more responsibility with the same or less resources in their workplaces.

• Necessary skills to remain key contributors to employers are constantly changing.

• Problem-solving, management responsibilities, functioning as a generalist with the need to master multiple skill sets, and serving as the center of a communications network are all challenges for which admins seek solutions and assistance. 

Administrative professionals want IAAP to provide solutions in a way that does not add further distraction to the hectic demands of an information-filled and understaffed workplace.  The survey results and the analysis of this work environment served as the backdrop for the strategic discussions that followed.

 

The strategic planning team identified the various individuals in the administrative workforce.  Within the “administrative” job title there are many types of workers with varying skill sets and attitudes toward their careers. There was a consensus that IAAP cannot be “all things to all people” or should try to serve everyone who has an admin title.  After considerable discussion, the group agreed that IAAP should focus its programs and services on the “Career-Minded Administrative Professional.”   The planning participants defined “Career-Minded Administrative Professionals” as those who:

• take pride in their work and profession

• have a definite interest in furthering themselves and their employer organizations

• pursue professional development and access to information networks as part of a life-long improvement process

• advance the image of the profession in the business world through their professionalism and positive influence

• realize the value of membership and being active in an association like IAAP

The strategic planning team then engaged in a candid discussion about the quality and consistency of our chapters.  Many IAAP chapters are providing top-notch personal and professional development programs, and have strong leadership and succession planning.  However, some chapters demonstrate a lack of strong and relevant educational programming, a lack of succession planning for aspiring leadership, and emphasize social activities rather than professional development.  IAAP chapter advancement was identified as an opportunity worth pursuing.  In order to provide a stimulus to improve services and programs at the local level, all chapters will be encouraged to adopt the primary objective of serving the "Career-Minded Administrative Professional."  The International Board will direct its resources to support chapters embracing this concept.

 

These discussions helped provide clarity to the planning team as the strategic discussions progressed.  Identifying who IAAP will serve, promote and support in the future provided a foundation from which specific goals and objectives could be determined and later implemented.  The focus of serving the “Career-Minded Administrative Professional” allowed the team to develop the following goals and objectives:

 

1. IAAP shall strengthen chapters and divisions by increasing the consistency and quality of volunteer leadership and encouraging a focus on professional development. 

• IAAP chapters and divisions need assistance in order to develop and maintain strong leadership.  Chapters and divisions also need guidance to determine and improve areas of weakness.  The International Board, division and chapter leadership and headquarters staff will work together to develop models of excellence that will establish key success parameters at all levels of the association.  Areas of focus will include leadership succession planning and quality professional development programs.  To assist in the effort, IAAP headquarters staff will create and deliver online leadership training programs that build on the many existing resources.

2. IAAP shall expand ways members can locate and connect with each other. 

• Networking is consistently identified as a key benefit of belonging to IAAP.  Providing additional networking opportunities and developing communities within IAAP are important priorities. 

• The International Board asked headquarters staff to investigate the acquisition of a new community software system that would allow better and more sophisticated virtual networking than what is presently offered. 

• In addition, staff will research ways that headquarters may assist chapters with their website hosting and provide online technology for an easier and more consistent way to update chapter web pages. 

• District Directors will play a more active role in assuring that chapter websites are current and relevant to career-minded admins.

3. IAAP shall strengthen its outreach to businesses, corporations and organizations that influence the profession. 

• Many members stated in the survey that the IAAP awareness level among businesses, corporations and organizations should be elevated.  In response, IAAP will focus on two areas to assist in this effort:

• Establish a diverse advisory group to assess the future needs of admins and workplace trends.  The group will be composed of executives, HR managers, educators and corporate-sponsor representatives. 

• Create an outreach program to businesses, corporations and organizations and meet one-on-one with key decision makers to promote IAAP and engage their support.  Teams will include International Board members and headquarters staff visiting large metropolitan areas along with local division and chapter members to discuss the benefits that IAAP can provide.

 These goals and objectives will be implemented and further refined over the next three to four years.  IAAP will initiate progress in the 2006-2007 fiscal year.  Serving the “Career-Minded Administrative Professional” will help shape and drive all future IAAP programs, ranging from the enhancement of educational content to the redesign of our website.  For example, one idea discussed was to offer a career assessment tool to help IAAP members determine their specific educational and training needs.

 

The planning team’s final strategic discussion was an honest evaluation of offering chapter memberships on IAAP’s website.  This topic has been discussed by division/chapter delegates at past IAAP conventions.  The International Board believes that successfully offering online chapter memberships is feasible.   Success, however, is dependent on the ability of many chapters to increase their quality standards in terms of leadership and educational programming.  Given our current situation, allowing potential members to join a chapter online would be a “hit or miss” proposition. The new member’s satisfaction level and likelihood of retention would highly depend on the chapter selected. 

 

The International Board will seek input from all levels of IAAP to develop quality standards for divisions and chapters in the near future. This quality focus shall be conducted in coordination with previously mentioned efforts to improve the effectiveness of divisions and chapters.  Meanwhile, the International Board continues to discuss how and when to best integrate online chapter membership into the strategic plan and will provide ample opportunities for member input regarding this issue.  This decision-making model will allow a well thought-out resolution to be reached in the best interest of the entire IAAP organizational structure.

 

The International Board considers this strategic planning session the beginning of a process to continually challenge the status quo of IAAP at all levels.  Necessary improvements shall be made to meet the changing needs of administrative professionals and the workplace.  IAAP remains a responsive organization promoting and elevating administrative professionals through its programs and services.  The value of the IAAP experience will continually be enhanced and communicated to businesses, corporations and organizations that employ our members to garner their support.   Advancing the “Career-Minded Administrative Professional” shall serve as the basis for evaluating all programs and services in the future.

 

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