Associations operatein ever-changing environments. As a result, association leadership is continually challenged to meet the emerging needs of members. To achieve a greater focus, ASA has utilized the strategic governance approach to planning for the future by identifying an organizational mission, goals and strategic outcomes to better serve its members. Driven by a strategic plan that clearly defines expected end results (outcomes) using a sufficiently plan-focused, flexible and depoliticized governance structure, ASA has been successful in rapidly propelling itself back to its dominant leadership role within the PHCP and PVF industry.
Strategic Governance
Seven years ago, ASA began the move toward strategic governance by establishing a long-range strategic plan during its annual Winter Meeting in Tampa, Fla. Every year since, ASA’s leadership and professional staff have gathered to review and revise this strategic vision to keep the association focused on the future.
Long Range Plan
In late January, 76 volunteer leaders, members of the ASA Board of Directors and professional staff once again gathered to review the association’s long range strategic plan and its relevance and importance. In reflecting over the past seven years, significant progress has been made; and many of ASA’s long-term goals have either been accomplished or are well underway. Participants have expanded the association’s focus to include greater leadership in workforce development, the expansion of business intelligence and forecasting programs and further development of programs to build relationships with customer groups positioning ASA members as “preferred suppliers” to customers.
Planning Sessions
Initially facilitated by a professional consulting firm, the last few years’ strategic planning sessions have been
led by members of ASA’s Executive Committee. This past January, ASA Chairman John Strong, President
Rick Fantham and ASA Executive Vice President Mike Adelizzi facilitated the group’s strategic planning with an overall group meeting in the morning, breakout sessions in the afternoon and a “results reporting” session to conclude the afternoon. Groups were broken out by ASA Division including: Plumbing, Industrial Piping Division (IPD), Young Executives and Women in Industry.
“This year’s strategic planning exercise was of great benefit to all involved not only for the purposes of planning for the short- and long-term, but also for the camaraderie and learning experience. There was a lot of heavy lifting done for ASA during these sessions, and, at the end of the day, an endless number of great ideas emerged as
a result,” Fantham stated.
More Information
For more information, please visit asa.net/About-ASA and click on ASA Strategic Plan.
