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Judy McCoy Incoming International
President’s Remarks
As we head to the starting gate, I have several people to thank: First and most importantly, my family. My immediate family is not here this evening. My husband Chuck is home in Bellingham, WA, running our company business in my absence (somebody has to do it!), and my sons are home with their families which include very small children. We are already making plans for them all to be here with me next year in New Orleans. I do want to publicly thank my husband Chuck for sharing me with IAAP over all these years. And to my sons Charley and Brent, special thanks for working your wedding dates and baby births around my IAAP schedule. I joked with them as they grew up that those life events needed to be planned around IAAP conventions and meetings. They did very well over the years with only just a couple of close calls. Here tonight, I want to thank my parents for traveling so far from the Great Northwest to be here this evening. Dad: Thank you for sharing your business expertise and answers to my leadership questions over the years. Years ago, Dad supported an “Ask Bob” column in my chapter’s newsletter, where members could ask workplace questions and read all about it in our local chapter newsletter. Thanks, Dad! And Mom, thank you for sharing your trait of kindness and caring. To my sister Jan, a member of the Bellingham Chapter, thank you for all the years of travel, following me around to so many IAAP events, and sharing your input as we drove down the crazy road to this destination today. You know, it’s been very easy “rooming” with my twin. It’s like rooming with yourself! As a member of the International Board of Directors the past 5 years, I had the opportunity to serve with great leaders. At this time, I want to thank those leaders for their friendship, leadership and inspiration along the way: Ollie Jo Bozeman CPS/CAP, Shelia Brownfield CPS/CAP, Jo Peay, Kay Enlow CPS/CAP and especially immediate past president Sandy Chandler CPS. Your positive energy is a powerful resource. Thank you all. I would be remiss if I did not thank my hometown chapter in Bellingham, Washington. Thank you for your support and encouragement all these years. You were right. Along the IAAP road, you told me “anything’s possible.” You told me if you believe it, you can achieve it. You are proof positive that motivation moves people. Thank you all for your unending support. In March, I met with the incoming Division presidents at our Kansas City Headquarters. There we mapped out our route in the coming year. These leaders already know that opportunity starts right here, right now. To get the best, give your best. You CAN make it happen. Thank you all for your support and leadership. Thank you for being here tonight. Now, are you ready for the question? Are you ready to join me as we begin our journey together to move this association forward in the 2007-2008 year? It’s an exciting time to be a member of IAAP, and I want to take you on a road trip you won’t soon forget! As we get started, and as a small business owner myself, I want to share some insight I feel drives our roles as members and leaders of IAAP. In an article I once read about thriving small business owners, they were asked the secret of their success. Their responses included some comments that are probably not news to many of us here today. They had familiar rings to them such as: “Give more than what is expected.” Whether for a customer, employee, friend or family, work to exceed their expectations. They said: “Believe in what you do and what you say.” Life is an opportunity – you make your own success or failure “Be ready and flexible to change.” I don’t have to tell any of you here this evening that technology is changing at a rapid speed, and is a driving force in the workplace today. It’s interesting how these basic “business” secrets are the ones we use as we perform our administrative roles in the workplace as staff…and the same ones we should use as we network and volunteer our skills as members and leaders of IAAP. Tomorrow, our association leaders across the board will hear how using these basic business secrets and working together with the support of our Headquarters staff, we can all become more successful as the top leaders of our association. And… it all begins right here in Tampa! Speaking of working together, my task as a leader connecting with our incoming division presidents began with a topic I emailed them last fall. That email addressed the use of division and chapter themes and branding. I want to take a moment to make a brief u-turn to identify what branding is and why I feel it’s so important for our association’s identity today as we move forward into the new year. Coming from the great northwest, I know how cowboys use sizzling hot irons to brand their livestock. They do this to create a visual symbol to distinguish one herd from another. It’s how they protect their product. Today, branding goes far beyond the pasture. Branding is a mental imprint of product value, stuck in the mind of a buyer… and for us…a brand is an emotional connection between the seller (our leaders, chapters, headquarters staff, etc.) and our buyers (our members, prospects and their employers). And, branding affects us all. Think of the TV commercials we see. They influence what we buy, the cars we drive, the clothes we wear and the food we eat. IAAP is no different. In IAAP we have something to offer and marketing is an important component of our success.  We already have one logo (or brand) with a value statement, Turning Jobs Into Careers. Tonight, I want to use this logo as an example, along with its perceived value statement as the core of our IAAP Brand Building for the new year. So keep this in mind as we go through the rest of our time together in Tampa. As I mentioned in writing to our incoming division presidents last fall, when I joined this association, as a new member I was bombarded with a multitude of themes. We had a main theme for the association as well as themes for chapters, Divisions, Districts, Administrative Professionals Day, Annual Meetings, International Convention, special events and more! I was totally confused. There were logos and concepts that didn’t begin to connect or partner with the International theme, nor my perception of where our association was headed. A few years ago, the International Board realized just how confusing it all was and began steps to simplify our overall branding. As a Board we realigned Administrative Professionals Day to use the current year’s international theme. And, while District Directors guide leaders in their specific Districts, as members of the International Board, they also make decisions affecting all members worldwide. Therefore, we determined that the Districts would support the current International theme rather than select their own for each separate district. As I moved through my term this past year, it was now the time for me, based on this history, to choose a theme for 2007-2008. Many ideas came to mind, but nothing really revved my engine. I had some words I liked, but how to come up with a visual was very difficult. At one point, I had a conversation with Executive Director Bretthauer and he asked what I thought about the Turning Jobs Into Careers logo…and if there was a way to tie my theme with it…to “complete the branding” so to speak. In this effort, my theme would help tie and confirm the brand of “Turning Jobs into Careers” with IAAP. After that conversation, it didn’t take me long to realize…it could work! His question was the fuel I needed as I approached the starting line for the coming year. His question validated where I was heading all along. And the ideas began driving through my head that day…and it hasn’t slowed down since. So what are those words? I was watching TV one afternoon and saw one of the recent Toyota commercials. I’m sure many of you have seen it… the ones where at the end of the ad, they state boldly… “Toyota…Moving Forward.” Moving forward…Hmmmmm. I loved it….Moving Forward. I picked up the phone and called my son, Brent (my personal consultant by birth), who is a marketing design engineer and branding guru. He and I had bantered back and forth over several months as I struggled to come up with something to motivate our members. That afternoon I eagerly asked him “What about Moving Forward? He thought for only a very short second, and calmly replied, “That’s cool mom, but the ‘in thing’ to do today is to ‘turn it around’ to ‘reverse that statement,’ so instead of saying Moving Forward, it would be: Forward Moving.” And he added (with his great knowledge of 31+ years), “That’s who YOU are Mom! And, that’s who YOUR association is. You are not just moving forward...you ARE forward moving! Wow, out of the mouth of babes.
So, Turning Jobs Into Careers
is a street sign, and for the year 2007-2008, the word My next step was to present this theme and the common brand concept to the Incoming Division Presidents. I’m guessing by chuckles I just heard, that some of you who already heard the focus of your presidents at recent Division Annual Meetings are probably having a huge “AH-HA” moment right now as you recognize the partnering and new common brand already in place as we begin the year. I am so happy and proud to work together with our Divisions and chapters as we drive through the year together. By working with a mutual brand, it will be a fun, united way to promote various chapter and division programs and activities all year long. It kind of brings a whole new meaning to the words, “We are driven!” As we prepare to leave the starting gate in the new year, I want to share three signs, or “Rules of the Road” to focus our sights on as we move down the highway:
FORWARD THINKING:
The International Board will work over the course of the next year to assist chapters and divisions to achieve excellence and success. I will work with the Board, Headquarters staff and a Sub-Committee chaired by President-Elect Theriaque to advance the strategic planning process and develop an alternative to IAAP’s existing recognition program. The goal is to shift emphasis away from a numbers-based to a values-based incentive program designed to recognize levels of excellence achieved by our members, chapters and divisions. The Sub-Committee plans to seek extensive member and leadership feedback from all levels of the association during the development process before recommending a new recognition program to the International Board of Directors. The resulting program will then be approved for implementation during the 2008-2009 IAAP year. IAAP will continue to strengthen its outreach to businesses, corporations and organizations that influence the profession. In response to surveys of our members, IAAP will focus on areas to assist in this effort by creating an outreach program 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 to discuss the benefits that IAAP can provide.
I will continue to build on 2006-2007 International President Chandler’s goals to increase CONNECTIVITY among IAAP members across the globe. Networking is consistently identified as a key benefit of membership in IAAP. Providing additional networking opportunities and developing communities within IAAP are important priorities. And, our Headquarters staff will continue working to develop new “Learning and Networking” Channels within the new IAAP Online Web Community, where members with similar interests can network together and share information in areas such as technology, management and supervisory skills. And, to move this effort forward, I will continue my part in the development of our association web community. As the first Alpha-Tester more than a year ago, I’ve worked personally one-on-one with the web developers and HQ staff to assure we built a tool our members will embrace. While here in Tampa, many of you had a chance to attend an educational session on this web community development and some of you were able to visit the demos during the Office Expo. Our web community is nearly complete and the new tools there will help our chapters and members get and share information using the latest technology. Tomorrow our leaders will also see a demo of the new features as well as participate in a question/answer period. Many of you know I have pushed technology since my first election to this Board and I am pleased at the direction and progress we are now making. In fact, my next task will be to speak to our members virtually, via digital snippets linked to the HQ site! So watch for it!! The International Board and Staff will also work to improve our leadership training programs and increase our communications to encourage more members to become more active in our Divisions and Chapters. To assist in this effort, I will work with the IAAP headquarters staff to create and deliver on-line leadership training programs that build on the many existing resources. And I will work to assure our chapters and divisions understand our strategic plan concept of providing information and programs that meet the needs of Career Minded Administrative Professionals. While this is definitely not an issue in all chapters and divisions, it can be an issue for some. There are chapters that have difficulty meeting our mission and purpose, and continue to do things “the old way.” And that includes how they conduct meetings and engage or welcome attendees at their meetings. It’s time to move forward and meet the needs of our members.
This last sign is especially important to me. Many members think that leadership is about position. As sales training specialist Lynn Giuliani coaches, “It is not. It is not the position that makes the leader; it is the leader who makes the position.” Lynn is so very right. As we begin the new association year, whether at the chapter, division or international levels, it’s not about the president. While this may be uncomfortable for some, it needs to be said. It’s about teamwork, it’s about mentoring and it’s about leading. As we begin the new association year, it’s the chapter’s year, the division’s year and IAAP’s year! We in presidential roles across the association are honored to serve in this capacity. Real leadership in IAAP is being the person our members will eagerly follow with confidence. This leads me to the role of president-elects at all levels of our association. At times (not always), their role has been to merely “observe” as the president leads. I feel strongly, as did President Chandler and Past President Enlow, that succession planning is a must. How can we expect our members to step up to volunteer their time to lead at ANY level if they don’t know where the road is going? Those who have led know that there are stop signs, speed limits and u-turns…as well as some very fast races…as we progress through the year. At this time, I wish to re-introduce President-Elect Theriaque. Tia has been my right hand and part of communications since I began my planning late last fall. She knows what I’m thinking, what I’m solving and where I’m headed. And as we begin the new year, the road to success is pretty clear to us both! Together, we will drive our association forward. When she takes office as our president in one year, she will have the experience and knowledge to keep our association on the road. Would the Division and chapter presidents and Division and chapter president-elects please stand. As your example leaders, we encourage you to work together in the coming year…to lead your chapters and divisions forward. Presidents, by working with your president-elect, you will not give away your power. You will empower your leadership. For some, this concept may mean change. And sometimes change is uncomfortable. I ask you to follow my lead. This will assure we move our association on a path of successful training and encouragement for our future leaders. Thank you all. As we prepare to start our engines and head for the starting gate, my hope is that you will pass these three Rules of the Road to your chapters and members not present here in Tampa…so that we can drive the association full circle…together! We’ll then be able to move forward, even faster! Thank you all for your commitment to our association and to 2007-2008 by taking time to be here this week. Tomorrow we will hit the road…and never look back!
In closing, we have one last collective action to take.
Are you ready for the question? Ladies and gentlemen…START YOUR ENGINES!
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Good evening.
What an honor to stand here this evening, to have the privilege to
represent you all as your 2007-2008 International President.
s
Forward Moving will also be a street sign. 
FORWARD
ACTING: 
FORWARD
LEADING: 