John Finney discusses his year as IABC's chairman - International Association of Business Communicators - Interview

Finney took office as IABC chairman at last year's international conference. Since that time he has helped steer the association into many exciting new ventures, seen membership grow at record-breaking numbers, and created new alliances with the IABC Research Foundation, and affiliations with other associations, He's also traveled the world - and much; much more. What's the secret to his success? Here are his words...

GG You're winding down a very productive year as chairman of the IABC executive board. What do you feel are the highlights of your term of office?

JF It is difficult to choose, there have been so many highlights during my term as chairman. Each and every opportunity to interact with members and leaders has been a highlight for me. I know that sounds like a "politically correct" answer, but it's true! Everyone has been so gracious and welcoming that you can't help feeling honoured and humbled by the experience.

From sharing centre stage with my family during my inauguration at the international conference in Los Angeles and launching a new chapter in The Netherlands, to delivering the closing remarks at our critically acclaimed Chapter Leaders Institute in Ottawa and hosting a half-day workshop for prospective members in Kuala Lumpur - the highlights have been many and memorable.

GG The business plan was launched in October 1995 - as you assumed office, it was nearing the end of its second year. What do you see for the future as this plan evolves? Any major changes or revisions?

JF As chairman of IABC, it's a great temptation to make your mark by introducing a pet project or enacting a personal agenda. But this isn't my association - it's yours! You have simply honoured me to represent you this year. As such, I felt it was important to build on the achievements of my predecessors Mike Heron and Don Bruun, ABC, and of our president and CEO, Elizabeth Allan, ABC, CAE, in staying the course outlined in our business plan.

I feel very comfortable with our business plan, and the positive direction it maps out for IABC. I continue to be impressed with Elizabeth's vision and leadership, and the excellent supporting cast we have at headquarters. The board reviews the plan at each meeting and, thanks to a wealth of information and analysis from staff, we are able to make course corrections as needed. The plan is dynamic. We treat it as a "living" document.

The results speak for themselves. Our membership continues to grow at a record pace. Our chapters are healthy. We have introduced new manuals and a new seminar series. Member surveys indicate growing support and satisfaction with IABC and our expanding menu of programs, products and services. We're in a financially stable condition with the ability to invest money from our program development fund into new programs for members.

I have a great deal of confidence in the current business plan, and I think it is the perfect blueprint to build momentum as we approach the next millennium.

GG With emphasis on creating new products and services to increase non.dues revenue, how successful will this be in producing income sufficient to provide products/services to members without raising dues?

JF When it comes to the issue of dues, my philosophy is quite simple: "A dues increase if necessary, but not necessarily a dues increase."

In other words, I think everything should be done to pursue non-dues revenue and to reduce costs before instituting a dues increase. Our primary goal is to bring the most value possible to members for the best price possible. No one ever likes co see prices go up. That conversation can easily dominate discussions at chapter meetings, district/regional meetings, and executive board meetings, taking time away from developing programs of value to members. The executive board does, however, have a responsibility to review our dues level at least annually to ensure the financial viability of our organization.

Thanks to the vision, dedication and hard work of previous boards and our headquarters staff, we have been able to build up an appropriate reserve and set aside a few extra dollars to invest in new programs. At the same time, we have added many, many new products and services for our members and leaders. Key items on that list include: a sophisticated Web site with exclusive member-only services; an online Leader Centre as information and tools to help our chapter leaders provide better value for members locally; Communication World Online with articles you won't find in print and an exclusive "Ask the Expert" interactive feature; and our first-ever environmental scan, a joint project with our IABC Research Foundation, to help clearly identify trends and implications for communicators. And we have accomplished all of this - and more - without a dues increase since 1989!

Can this continue? I would like to say "yes," but the reality is costs are increasing. We have maximized many of our non-dues revenue sources while the demand for new, customized services continues to grow. We recognize more members are paying their own way these days, but at the same time I believe the value of IABC membership has increased significantly over the past nine years. What is important to me is that IABC demonstrates not only how we have added value since 1989, but also how any future dues increase will pay dividends to members.

As stewards of the association, the board and staff have developed a five-year financial scenario to mirror the goals and objectives of our business plan. The scenario continues to invest existing resources in new products, programs, and services, and includes a potential dues increase to replenish our program investment fund. Whether this dues increase comes to be, and in what amount, remains to be seen and decided.

I am often asked if IABC is an investment or expense. For me, both personally and professionally, it has been a wise investment that has paid many dividends. And I know I am not alone. Time and again, I meet members and leaders who have honed their skills and found new jobs and business opportunities thanks to their investment in IABC.

I encourage you to keep this in mind, and in perspective, if and when IABC decides to raise dues to enhance our contribution to members and to our profession.

GG Membership continues to grow; do you feel the association will meet its goal of an 11 percent increase this fiscal year?

JF Our membership is the highest ever and it continues to grow in all areas of IABC. Membership is up in the United States and Canada, and has grown even faster in our Europe/Africa and Asia/Pacific regions.

We set an ambitious goal this year to grow our membership by 11 percent. That is double the growth rate of the previous year. And we are on target to meet this lofty goal! I think that says a lot about what IABC has to offer, and of the value of belonging to an international association.

I am confident we will reach our goal, and surpass 13,000 members worldwide - making it a "lucky" number for IABC!

GG The Europe/Africa test pilot just completed its second full year of the three-year test. Do you see this evolving to encompass other regions?

JF I have been extremely pleased with the progress of our Europe/Africa pilot project.

For those members not familiar with this initiative, we decided to make a three-year investment to establish an IABC office in Brussels to build membership in the Europe/Africa region. We are at the halfway point, and the investment is already paying handsome dividends.

We have established an IABC Europe newsletter. We have signed affiliation agreements with the British Association of Communicators in Business (BACB) and with CERP PRO, the Europe Public Relations Association. Thanks to these affiliation agreements, we can cross market IABC membership to more than 23,000 communicators.

In addition, we have also established a developmental chapter in The Netherlands and made contacts in Germany. The office, under the guidance of Sabine Hennsler from Ernst and Young Association Management, has recently mailed an invitation to 500 prospective members, and is working closely with the organizers of the first IABC European conference to be held in Brussels in October.

My hope is that we continue to support this project, and use this experience to establish initiatives in other parts of the world. In my travels this year, I have noticed increasing interest in supplementing national memberships by joining an international association for global networking and knowledge in today's work place. Future growth depends on our ability to forge strategic alliances and affiliation agreements with related associations around the world.

GG How did you become involved with IABC?

JF I became involved in IABC by tagging along to a local chapter luncheon. I had recently joined the communication department at a large teaching hospital, and my boss at the time invited me to the meeting so I could network and learn the business.

I had belonged to other service and professional associations, but IABC was different. I found the association and the people very professional and friendly. I joined the chapter and soon found myself on the chapter board as secretary. I progressed through other board positions eventually becoming chapter president in 1990-91. I met some great people who have become colleagues, mentors and friends - and learned my craft thanks to some great luncheon speakers and IABC seminars.

After a year off to rest, I was invited to join the Canada District 2 board as deputy district director. This was the beginning of my travels with IABC. I set a goal of visiting each chapter in the district during my term - a commitment spanning more than 2,000 miles, four provinces and two countries - CD2 includes members-at-large in Jamaica and the West Indies. Becoming Canada District 2 director also marked my first exposure to the international board and the opportunity and experience inspired me.

I planned to take a year off after my district director role, only to be honoured with the invitation to chair the Chapter Management Forum in Baltimore. To be honest, I assumed that was the end of my volunteer career, and I was content to focus my time and attention on local chapter events. However, nine months later - and 36 hours after I was told my job was redundant - I got a call asking if I would be interested in putting my name forward for IABC chairman. I was both honoured and awestruck by the invitation, and wondered what an unemployed communicator could bring to the position!

Not one to shy away when opportunity knocks, I thought it would be a great experience and the ultimate way to give back to IABC for all it had given me. Besides, I had six months to find a new job. I said yes to the nomination, and I will always treasure the day that Ruta Skelton, ABC, called with the news that my peers had chosen me to lead the association.

I have never looked back. It has been a great year and a fabulous experience. It has given me an opportunity to travel; to speak on behalf of the profession, and to connect with members and friends across the association. And yes, I did get a job. In fact, since that day, I've had two jobs, in two different countries!

The moral to the story, at least for me, is to run to the door when opportunity knocks, and when it comes to IABC, the more you give, the more you receive.

GG What do you see as IABC's major strength? Its greatest vulnerability?

JF I could say our professional development programs, reasonable dues, professional staff, and quality products, but if I had to name one thing that sets IABC apart, I think it is our open, inclusive and welcoming culture.

A colleague from another professional association once commented to me that in IABC everyone checks their titles and egos at the door and comes together as communicators, colleagues and friends. That is a high compliment in my opinion, and speaks directly to what makes IABC special. The opportunity to join together for education and information - and the desire to spend time together as friends.

This also speaks to what I see as our greatest weakness. Namely, taking our culture for granted and even criticizing our association as "entry level." IABC may be young at heart, but we are mature beyond our years. We are international in scope, and we have an extensive menu of programs, products and services for new communicators entering our field to seasoned professionals who have seen and done it all!

We often don't appreciate what we have until it's gone, and I would hate to see IABC lose its focus on having fun, while providing a valuable forum for professional and personal development.

GG You have had a heavy travel schedule during your term of office. What did you hear from the grass roots about the new vision for IABC?

JF One of my personal goals as IABC chairman was to take the message of IABC to all our members -both those in Canada and the United States as well as those in the other 50 countries we represent. Unfortunately, my employer and my wife were not too keen on having me travel to all the countries. However, I did visit chapters and members in both the Europe/Africa and the Asia/Pacific regions.

It was a rewarding and enlightening experience. We now have more than 1,000 members outside of North America. In many ways they are still pioneers as we struggle to provide these members with the same value for membership that our 12,000 members in North America enjoy. I believe it is time we move beyond simply introducing IABC outside North America and start integrating all our international members into the association.

My travels over the past year have literally taken me around the globe - but it is remarkable how small the world is in a global economy and how our geographic, political, social and cultural differences give way to the many communication issues we have in common. As a result, I have truly come to appreciate the value of belonging to an international association, and how much we truly can learn from each other.

When I started my term, and embarked on my international travels, my intent was to carry the IABC message to our members around the world. Instead, I am bringing a message and perspective back to IABC that I hope will continue to reinforce the value and importance of remaining international - both in scope and spirit. But as we all know, there are two sides to IABC - fulfilling formal duties and having fun! A big part of our culture in IABC is to have fun when we get together as members, friends and colleagues. And, there have been many highlights here too!

Who could forget the Panting Panther Pale Ales in Indianapolis? My first visit to a techno dance bar in Boston - the songs all sounded the same but the people sure were different! Hymn singing in South Carolina. Staring down rhinos in South Africa and eating at the "Endangered Species" restaurant in Manila.

These are just a few of the many fond memories I will treasure of my term as chairman for many years to come.

GG What changes in the profession in general have you observed since you first joined IABC?

JF My job, and our profession, have changed significantly since I first joined IABC in 1988. The emergence of the information age, a global marketplace and knowledge-based economy have opened new doors and opportunities for communicators working with or for organizations.

Information is becoming the currency of business today, and I believe we have a valuable role to play and an important skill to market. As communicators, we have been knocking at the corporate decision-making door for a long time. Today it's open. But are we ready to take our seat at the table? We only get one chance to make a good first impression. To be successful we must be able to talk the language of business, and be prepared to demonstrate the value we contribute to the bottom line.

This isn't a new message, but the emergence of the information age, I believe, has given communicators a new lease on life and a unique opportunity to step into the spotlight. The stage is set. We must know our business lines and perform on cue if we hope to win over our critics.

IABC is changing the way we do business to better prepare our members to seize this opportunity and succeed in the next millennium. I encourage you to take advantage of all that IABC has to offer.

GG In summary, what do you consider your greatest accomplishments - and disappointments, if any - during your term of office?

JF At this stage in my term you always wish you could have done "more." Made more calls to board members, visited more chapters, read more reports - NOT!

However there is only so much you can do in one year and you do the best you can. I am pleased I was able to visit each of our districts and regions during my term. In the electronic age, taking and making time for face-to-face communication can truly be termed an achievement.

As for my accomplishments, I haven't accomplished anything by myself. Everything I have done this year has been the result of a total team effort.

I could not have taken the time to travel without the support and understanding of my family and of my coworkers who stayed behind to fill the void at Windsor Regional Hospital and Watson Wyatt in Detroit.

The dedicated staff at headquarters who are always a phone call or e-mail away, and my colleagues on the board who volunteer their time, many at their personal expense, to serve with me; they were the wind beneath my wings and they deserve all the credit. I'll gladly accept any blame.

Thanks for the memories.

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