What makes TLT a success?
Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report October 2013
Content changes every month, but good ideas endure.
TLT is a critical part of STLE’s value proposition because it consistently provides readers with extraordinary technical content on a monthly schedule.
IT’S SAFE TO SAY that TLT is STLE’s best argument for the value of this organization. In fact, we don’t need to say that because respondents consistently tell us that when we conduct member satisfaction surveys.
So this 10-year anniversary edition is the right time to salute the many individuals and organizations that have created a product that earns this recognition and that has been a success since October 2003. The acceptance of TLT as one of STLE’s signature products is a credit to the careful thought that went into the concept development and the hard work that has been required to execute and adjust that concept through the ensuing decade.
From my perspective, it’s gratifying to reflect on the fact that the members of the STLE Board and Executive Committee 10 years ago were willing to make a bold commitment of resources in order to create and sustain a publishing product that was better suited to the diverse needs of our audience.
STLE leadership has continued to support change by accepting introduction of new publishing options, such as the digital version of TLT, which has opened our content to thousands of additional readers. This bodes well for future success as the magazine heads toward its next landmark edition.
But the anniversary is also a good time to remember that some things do not and should not change. The fundamental value of participating in a society like STLE is the example I have in mind. For individual members and their employers, this comes through education and professional development. STLE’s ultimate benefit is to provide people with the skills needed to compete in a global business environment.
STLE’s new value proposition—
Connect, Learn, Achieve—captures the essence of how our many products and services give members and their employers this competitive advantage. TLT is a critical part of this value proposition because it consistently provides readers with extraordinary technical content on a monthly schedule. While it anchors the “learn” portion of the proposition, education has taken on an entirely new dimension through the establishment of a monthly webinar program. This service is offering thousands of individuals a convenient and affordable opportunity to sharpen and expand their technical skills.
STLE’s role in connecting members blends the traditional venues like our annual meeting and local section events with new connections made possible through online communication. Earning one or more of STLE’s certifications is the mark of achievement and recognition for nearly 1,000 technical professionals.
All of these programs, and others not named but equally important, share one critical element—they are true to a commitment made nearly 70 years ago, in 1944, when STLE was founded. The organizers at that time, who were gathered for a meeting in Pittsburgh, were quite likely inspired by a distinguished guest speaker named Dr. W.F. Jones from the Carnegie Institute of Technology, which is now the college of engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. Jones challenged the group to create an organization that was “devoted to professionals and professionalism in the lubricants and lubrication field.” In response, the organizers built STLE’s foundation on a principle that still makes sense in a far different era: to accumulate and disseminate authoritative scientific information about lubricants and lubrication to the broadest possible audience.
Congratulations to the TLT team for understanding how to make this fundamental purpose of STLE come alive for tribology and lubricant professionals, now and in the future.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.