Executive Vice President's Message

The holidays are over, and the new year is a reality. 2005 looks to be a very exciting year for Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). We have a new name and a renewed focus by our Executive Offices staff and volunteer leadership on the important issues to advance our vision and mission.

I would like to spend a few lines in this column discussing the strategic planning process here at CLSI. There have literally been books written about the failure of companies to effectively manage the strategic planning process, with some authors quoting that as many as 90% of all corporate strategic plans fail to achieve their desired results. Typically, the failure of strategic planning is not in idea generation, but in the successful execution of those ideas. We have made substantial progress on our CLSI Strategic Plan and its supporting tactics. Key decision criteria by our Board of Directors and Strategic Planning Committee continue to focus on delivering a plan that is broad enough to establish our long-term direction, yet specific enough that we can measure the progress, execution, and delivery of our promised results, as well as be held accountable to them. I am excited by the crystallizing effects that these efforts have had in focusing our staff and volunteer leadership on our future direction as an organization. Please look for further updates in this column for specifics about CLSI’s strategic plan once it is formally approved by the Board.

Thanks for the marvelous support you have provided during my first 60 days at CLSI. As always, comments are welcomed. I hope to see you in Baltimore at the 2005 Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute Leadership Conference in March.

Sincerely,
Glen [ return to top ]