Deliberate strategy provides immediate benefits
Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report July 2016
STLE’s board of directors keeps society on steady course by endorsing 2016-2019 strategic plan.
Advancing innovation in tribology and lubrication engineering is one of four strategic goals in STLE’s strategic plan.
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / 4774344sean
FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, STLE has been guided by a three-year strategic plan. At the most recent board meeting in late May, STLE directors endorsed a plan refresh that commits the organization to another three-year cycle with emphasis on continuity of goals, program expansion and performance indicators tied to member satisfaction.
This deliberate approach puts STLE in the mainstream of modern association management practices, according to the experts at McKinley Advisors, a Washington, D.C.-based, association consulting firm. Using this methodology also is making STLE more valuable to its individual and corporate members.
McKinley tracks the big picture in terms of association management through its annual Economic Impact on Associations (EIA) study. The latest report is based on responses from 250 associations, including STLE. The second-largest category of respondents, about 15% of the total, is the science and engineering sector. Three overall trends from the EIA study mesh with STLE’s reliance on a multiyear strategic plan.
The first of these trends, according to the study, is that, “Associations have shifted focus from short-term solutions to more deliberate strategies that bring promise of growth. In previous studies, we have seen increasing stability that indicates a strong future for the association community.”
STLE has been part of this movement since 2013, when our three-year strategic plan was created. The plan is based on four broad strategic goals:
1.
Improve expertise of technical professionals.
2.
Advance innovation in tribology and lubrication engineering.
3.
Be a global advocate for tribology and lubrication engineering.
4.
Operate using best practices in association governance and management.
This strong organizational foundation established in the original plan and now extended through 2019 is keeping STLE focused on becoming a globally diverse and relevant organization that understands and meets the needs of its members.
Trend No. 2, as described by the McKinley study, involves member services: “Sixty-five percent of respondents are currently expanding or expect to expand programs and services in 2016. Expansion of programs and services is by far the most expected change for associations in 2016.”
The most pertinent example of STLE’s participation in this trend is a commitment to expand technical education programs. This decision was made as a direct result of member research conducted in support of the strategic plan. The first part of this initiative, which is known as Education 2.0, was a signature accomplishment of the 2013-2016 strategic plan. It identified the technical areas in which lubrication industry professionals must be knowledgeable.
A top priority of the 2016-2019 strategic plan is developing an education program based on the Body of Knowledge already established by Education 2.0. A more robust education program will improve workforce expertise—our primary strategic goal—and support the goals of membership growth and global outreach.
McKinley’s third trend syncs with STLE’s intent to establish key performance indicators and track member satisfaction. According to the EIA study, “Professional associations are more likely to conduct member/customer satisfaction research, needs assessments and market identification studies.”
Since the strategic plan was adopted in 2013, STLE has been tracking member satisfaction on an annual basis. This data is being gathered with the help of Association Laboratory Inc. (ALI), which specializes in association research and consulting. The most recent ALI survey points to an impressive level of STLE-member satisfaction—87.2% of members who participated in our most recent survey rate their overall satisfaction with membership as high. This member satisfaction index remains a key indicator in the 2016-2019 plan.
One other indicator is noteworthy. The registration count for the 2016 Annual Meeting, held in Las Vegas in May, was 1,625 participants. That represents a 35% bump from the average meeting attendance in the 2010- 2012 period, just prior to adoption of the Strategic Plan.
These positive indicators put STLE in a strong position as our new fiscal year begins this month. STLE’s board, chaired by President Ali Erdemir, is working to harness the planning process in support of greater member value from the organization. While many new ideas and programs are under consideration, one thing will not change: STLE’s commitment to deliver on the organization’s Connect/Learn/Achieve value proposition.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.