Hi All -
Not to worry, the IMA Global Board of Directors Meeting in Seattle was very engaging with lots of progress on behalf of our global members, thanks to the leadership of Chair Sandy Richtermeyer.
So, what is this "fierce conversation" stuff all about? ....
...Fierce Conversations is a book by Susan Scott. In it, she outlines 7 principles of fierce conversations, with some notable quotes being "Have the courage to interrogate reality", and, "The conversation is not about the relationship ... it is the relationship". In basic terms, fierce conversations mean in our context if you really want to act positively in serving members and the global profession, you must engage in respectful but direct conversations with some "give-and-take" to make progress.
A major theme of the board meeting was sustaining growth. We had a great growth year for the fiscal year 2010 ending this past June, growing in members, CMAs, CMA candidates, revenue, operating margin, and our winning spirit of passionately serving members around the globe. We have actually now had two solid growth years. But the question facing IMA, as it does many organizations, is how do we create sustainable, long term growth given all of the challenges?? Your ideas are appreciated here.
One foundational way to sustain growth is to have a board that truly thinks "global" with an enabling governance structure. It starts with board intercultural training, and that was a major element of the board meeting - understanding different cultural norms, identifying "dilemmas" in doing business in various regions, and how to discuss resolutions to those dilemmas. Being truly global is a journey, and the IMA Board of Directors is making tangible progress on that journey. More and more, we are talking about IMA from a portfolio perspective with risks, opportunities and resources in global regions - North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and, Middle East.
What are your thoughts on how an organization sustains growth??
Thanks,
Jeff