by Alison Lemke and Stan Dublinske
"Would you tell me which way I ought to go?" asked Alice.
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get," said the Cat.
"I really don't care where," replied Alice.
"Then it doesn't much matter which way you go," said the Cat.
—Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865)
Unlike Alice, ASHA is clear about its destination—a standard of excellence that will ensure that members value their affiliation with ASHA and its programs, products, and services. To get to this destination, ASHA has developed its "Strategic Pathway to Excellence" through a comprehensive strategic planning process. This effort relied on participation by members and volunteer leaders, and as a result, ASHA has developed a strategic management process that will guide its activities for the next several years.
Three Steps to Excellence
Step 1: Vision and Mission
The first step along the pathway is ASHA's new vision and mission statements (see sidebar at left). These statements reflect the Association's purpose—to support members through activities that include advocacy, professional publications, promotion and dissemination of scientifically based research, public relations, and other valuable programs, products, and services.
Step 2: Core Values
The second step on the pathway is articulation of ASHA's core values. These values serve as the Association's guiding principles and beliefs and form the foundation on which staff and members acting on behalf of the Association complete our work. The following values were identified: excellence, integrity, diversity, commitment, responsiveness, member-centricity, and research-based practice. These values will be increasingly evident to members as they access ASHA's programs, products, and services.
Step 3: Four Themes or "Pillars"
The third step on the path is the commitment to four themes or "pillars of excellence." The pillars are the main areas of focus in which the Association must excel to achieve our vision and mission.
ASHA's four pillars of excellence are:
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"Two Professions, One Discipline." ASHA comprises two distinct but integrally related professions that make up the discipline of communication sciences and disorders. Through education, members will better understand the relationship of the professions to each other and the discipline, and the value of a discipline-wide approach to advocacy and other professional activities.
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Scientifically Based Professional Practices. Already a leader in this area, ASHA will redouble its efforts to generate, disseminate, and translate research into the clinical practice of audiology and speech-language pathology. As a result, members will be able to integrate external scientific evidence, their clinical expertise, and the client's values and perspective into clinical practice.
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Advocacy. Advocacy efforts will target increased professional autonomy and educate professional, administrative, legislative, regulatory, and general audiences about the value of our clinical services and the quality and professional standards on which they are based.
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The Member Experience. ASHA's programs, products, and services will be customized, responsive, accessible, accurate, timely, and valuable, with the goal of increased member satisfaction and the establishment of an open, collegial, and more personal relationship between members and the Association.
Implementation
Enhancing the member experience while growing and sustaining the professions and the discipline will be achieved through an emphasis on making the pathway a reality in day-to-day operations (see sidebar on page 21 for expected results).
The strategic pathway will guide ASHA's priorities in its work to enhance member services. In 2008, resources have been allocated for work on all four "pillars." Special emphasis is being placed on ASHA's technology infrastructure. Continued improvements in this area will increase members' access to professional resources on ASHA's Web site, enhance our certification process and continuing education services, and expand opportunities to generate non-dues revenue to keep member expenses to a minimum.
ASHA is committed to making our journey along this pathway a successful one. To learn more about the Strategic Pathway to Excellence, contact Alison Lemke, vice president for administration and planning, at bigbrick@iowatelecom.net, or Stan Dublinske, senior advisor for planning, at sdublinske@asha.org. Information is also available on ASHA's Web site at Strategic Pathway to Excellence.
