Keeping It in Perspective.

• Author: Ezrati, Lester D.

One of the biggest challenges confronting organizations today is keeping perspective -- focusing sufficient attention and resources on short-term issues while planning adequately for the future. For the past 10 months as TEI's President, I have watched the Institute strive to strike the proper balance between the short and long term. I am, concededly, far from a neutral observer, but in my view TEI has accomplished a great deal and has much to be proud of. To be sure, Chuck Shewbridge of the Atlanta Chapter, who will succeed me in August, and the incoming officers and directors face a full set of challenges. Upon reflection, I hope you agree that TEI is moving toward the 21st Century well-deserved confidence.

Last August, TEI's Board of Directors approved a set of goals to guide our actions during the year. From increasing the membership to improving TEI's educational programs to enhancing our advocacy efforts and developing a comprehensive strategic plan, the objectives adopted by the Board were ambitious. I believe it is appropriate to review each of them.

First, TEI sought to achieve growth in the acquisition and retention of members while recognizing the Institute's diversity and encouraging more members to become active in Institute affairs. This is an area where, no matter how much you do and how well you do it, you can always do more. Hence, our Membership Committee made significant progress in streamlining our application process and assisting our local chapters both in identifying potential new members and in establishing effective mentoring programs. We also made strides in "spreading the word" about the benefits of TEI, through the Internet and more conventional means. The result of these efforts -- and the ongoing excellence of chapter and Institute programs -- is the addition of more than 500 new members. The Institute also chartered two new chapters -- in Europe and in northeast Wisconsin -- and continues to look for opportunities to expand to underserved areas.

Where we can do more, though, is in retaining our current members and ensuring that they too appreciate and can benefit from our current activities and programs. We can also do more to ensure that company management understands the benefits of membership. There may not be anything we can do about corporate reorganizations and consolidations, but we can do more to enhance communication among our members (and between them and their bosses), decrease the number of members...