Dear fellow NAPO members,

The summer season is in full swing, and this year it’s clearly different in so many ways. Most of us are still experiencing virtual events and social distancing vacations, social gatherings, holidays, and celebrations. In that same vein, your NAPO Board has been virtually envisioning NAPO’s strategic direction for 2021 and beyond.

We had our first Virtual Strategic Planning meeting last month. Although Foresight and looking ahead has always played a role during the Board’s strategic discussions, this year that was probably more important than ever. We realized that how we do business can change so quickly, and we need to be prepared. After reflecting on our mission, our accomplishments, and our successes, we identified our 2020-2021 strategic initiatives that will serve as our roadmap for NAPO’s present and future. I’d like to share those with you:

• Strengthen the foundation of our high-quality education program through restructuring and following accreditation standards. Our education program has grown exponentially and we are already ahead of the curve, by offering a complete on-demand program. We want to ensure that what we are developing and delivering to organizing and productivity professionals is innovative, represents the highest standards, and meets the needs of all professionals, from newbie to veteran.

• Expand recruitment activities across all channels to attract and convert new members to the NAPO community. Like me, many of you entered this profession as a second or third career. Now is the time for us to reach out to, educate, and engage with the unaffiliated and the next generation of individuals, those who represent the future of our profession. We seek to establish relationships with other organizations, educational institutions, and businesses so that NAPO is the place one goes to learn about our profession.

• Continue the integration of productivity into NAPO operations and programs and begin to develop and deliver unique benefits. Five years ago, we added productivity to our name and our brand. We’ve made progress by adding on-demand courses, Specialist Certificates, and conference sessions; however, we want to find new ways to engage current and prospective productivity consultants.

• Identify how to build the core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion into our association, as well as implement opportunities and model these values as we advance our mission. We stand behind our previously issued statement — Associations are about bringing people together, and as an association, we’re in the business of people. We believe that the success of our mission relies on the collective efforts of professionals of all races, religions, backgrounds, and orientations. We are the communities we serve. We’re taking a stand in remaining true to our core values that celebrate diversity and inclusion. We bravely and confidently declare our efforts to advocate for civility and stand shoulder to shoulder with all of those calling for an end to injustice in all forms in every corner of the world. We do so peacefully, with respect for our communities and the hope that they can begin to rebuild and heal. We are committed to being an association of and for all people and will seek new ways to make NAPO and all of its programs more diverse.

• Explore the structure of NAPO Chapters to find new and better ways to serve and educate leadership and members on the local level. Chapters are an integral part of NAPO, as over 60% of our members belong to chapters. They are the backbone of our association. We want to look at the governing structure of chapters and identify easier and more streamlined ways for chapters to operate. We want to reduce the demands and expectations on chapters and chapter leaders, regardless of chapter size, and we want them to be successful.

These initiatives are a reflection of our mission and who we are–a strong association whose members represent the best of our ever-changing and growing profession and who are dedicated to helping people and organizations bring order and efficiency to their lives.

As we move into our future, I hope you will continue to recognize and celebrate with me — the value of NAPO, the value of us, AND the value we, as NAPO members, bring to others.

Have a healthy and fun summer!

Warm regards,

Susie Hayman
NAPO President