Hi All,

So, as you know, we had a wonderful annual conference and exposition in Baltimore - our 91st - which allowed us to learn, network, meet new and old friends alike, and demonstrate again the power in our global community.

With budget approval, we have moved quickly to fill vacant positions to continue on our global growth trajectory, including more headcount facing chapters/councils, corporate development, CMA exam grading (with more than 23,000 active CMA candidates, there are plenty of exams to grade!) and, we officially approved a business plan to expand our European presence.  More on that in later blogs and IMA communications.

Many of us got off the train from Baltimore after 14 hour days and went right back to work.  Is this a good thing??? .... more to follow --->

Yes, this is a work/life balance question and I encourage your input in terms of either your own methods to achieve balance and/or how you as a leader attempt to ensure work/life balance for your team.

Who knows, as we roll out our Leadership Academy, there may even be a webinar on this topic so ... stay tuned since I have dropped a hint!

In my example, we all went right back to work because we have much to accomplish, including large enterprise system implementations that we have committed to delivering in the short term.  We will be delivering a) a new Association Management System (AMS), which will allow our member-first people to use world-class technology to deliver the best member service on the planet, b) a new website with significantly improved navigation and consistency with our branding, and, c) a new learning management system that will allow CMA exam prep and CPE users to better manage their courseware content.  Technology enablement is a key path to sustaining growth, and remember, for the fiscal year ending in June, we expect to have added more than 5,000 net new members and 11,000 CMA candidates in the face of a recession.

But again, your personal and/or business experiences as to how you achieve or attempt to achieve work/life (family) balance is greatly appreciated.  Although I am proud to lead this fine association from a staff perspective, leadership is a journey and not an end point.  I have much to learn - from you.

Thanks,

  Jeff