Executive Vice President's Message
Fundamentals of a Good Organization

Many of you – our members, volunteers, and other customers – have senior level positions with your respective organizations.  As such, you routinely deal with major time constraints, tight budgets, and other stressors.  The fact that you are reading this column means you have some level of investment in Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), and receive value from our association’s products and services. 

In his new book, The Six Fundamentals of Success: The Rules for Getting it Right for Yourself and Your Organization, Stuart Levine outlines six elements for establishing a culture of growth.  These ideas mirror our operating principles at CLSI:
 
* Add Value.  People who join associations such as CLSI want to obtain knowledge.  They will not remain committed just to be part of a group.
* Communicate, communicate, and communicate.  While people join organizations to be kept informed, they do so also to make sure their own voice has resonance in the field.
* Deliver results.  A vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.  (Japanese proverb)
* Conduct yourself and business with integrity.  CLSI enjoys a stellar reputation, in no small manner, because of our consistently outstanding performance in this area. “Always do right – this will gratify some and astonish the rest.”  (Mark Twain)
* Invest in relationships.  Forging strong and lasting relationships is truly a core success of CLSI.
* Gain perspective.  Understanding the balance between the many issues and opportunities, while not losing sight of the big picture, is critical.  We should not be afraid to admit that we do not have the answers, and not be afraid to ask for help.

I would like to add one more fundamental to Mr. Levine’s list:  Show gratitude.  “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it.”  (Anonymous).  Thank you for your continued participation in, and support of, CLSI.

Glen
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