Reflections
Letter from the President and CEO
Best Practices
FROM: MAY-JUN 2005 ISSUE
We as CGAs are familiar with the words "best practices", but most often as they apply to the business or professional world. Yet, these words can also be applied to the way associations operate. I firmly believe there is no more appropriate place for best practices than within a national professional association such as ours.
Best practices may sound like a large, open-ended concept but in actual fact, following best practices simply means committing to the most appropriate course of action to ensure positive outcomes. The key to any discussion of best practices is to understand why they must be put in place and how to make a commitment to their implementation, at all levels of an organization, be it large or small, for-profit or not-for-profit.
Recently, the CGA-Canada Board of Directors spent some time carefully considering this issue. The Board was led in its discussions by the Association Resource Centre, which has vast experience in assisting associations like ours in using best practices and implementing continuous organizational improvement.
Several characteristics of a top-performing association board were highlighted during the discussion. We focused on key concepts such as ensuring member satisfaction, being proactive, looking at the big picture, working towards common objectives, establishing a board structure based on what is best for members, the constructive resolution of conflicts, and the need for common goals and objectives — shared by all.
Each of these best practices can play a valuable part in the success of an association. That is why I am pleased to report that many of them are already in place here at
CGA-Canada.
They take shape in such initiatives as the Strategic Vision Task Force's long-range plan and objectives for the Association, our on-going campaign to ensure CGAs in all provinces have the same public accounting rights, and our ever-present goal of maintaining a world-class education program.
The benefits of best practices are both tangible and intangible. Going forward, we need to embrace a philosophy of careful strategic planning. We must plan for the future, and the best way to do that is to stay in very close touch with what our members want and need, as they undertake their responsibilities as leading financial professionals.
We must also plan for the future not only with existing members and students in mind, but by considering how best to attract new ones. We need to grow as an Association and we need to try new things to promote growth.
There are times when we will succeed and times when we will fail. But most important of all, we will learn from these experiences and we will grow. And that is what will make us better as an association.
CGA-Canada has an opportunity to set the global standard when it comes to best practices for associations. We need to lead by example, and we are in a position to do just that, especially if we continue to work together and draw upon the strength of our members.
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