Message from ISM LA Past President, Mathew Stramer
"Change is the only constant” - Heraclitus of Ephesus.
Dear ISM Los Angeles Members
It’s a new year for the board at ISM Los Angeles and not only has the board changed, but we’re making changes! ISM and ISM Los Angeles (ISM-LA) are among many other volunteer organizations facing a challenge in shifting attitudes towards participation by the generation named the Millennials.
Simply put, the Millennial generation doesn’t network in the same manner as either the Boomer or Gen X generation. Consequently,
organizations like The Rotary Club, APICS, The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), and ISM are challenged to innovate and adapt, or fail. Put another way, membership is in decline and we have to do something about it.
However, the good news is ISM-LA is determined to remain relevant and return value to our members through professional development and continuing education while also creating fresh venues for networking opportunities. To be sure we aligned with our members’ desires, we reached out to our 120 ISM-LA dues paying members at our 2014 June Event or on Survey Monkey to answer 15 questions geared to determine potential value drivers and the efficacy of the ISM-LA current program.
RESULTS
We are using this data to take ISM-LA in a new direction and we are going to:
But at the end of the day, we also need your help. Every member has a responsibility to help us grow members. Please actively reach out to potential members, especially young professionals. We cannot do it without you!
And we ask you to volunteer. There is no better way enhance the value you derive from the organization than by being an active member of our affiliate. Attend the meetings, take some training classes, network like a fiend and get out
there!
I look forward to getting to know more about each of you during my term as president of ISM
LA. Wishing you great success in your endeavors and I'll see you at our next meeting!
Best
regards,
Mathew Stramer
Past President, ISM LA 2014-2015
"Change is the only constant” - Heraclitus of Ephesus.
Dear ISM Los Angeles Members
It’s a new year for the board at ISM Los Angeles and not only has the board changed, but we’re making changes! ISM and ISM Los Angeles (ISM-LA) are among many other volunteer organizations facing a challenge in shifting attitudes towards participation by the generation named the Millennials.
Simply put, the Millennial generation doesn’t network in the same manner as either the Boomer or Gen X generation. Consequently,
organizations like The Rotary Club, APICS, The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), and ISM are challenged to innovate and adapt, or fail. Put another way, membership is in decline and we have to do something about it.
However, the good news is ISM-LA is determined to remain relevant and return value to our members through professional development and continuing education while also creating fresh venues for networking opportunities. To be sure we aligned with our members’ desires, we reached out to our 120 ISM-LA dues paying members at our 2014 June Event or on Survey Monkey to answer 15 questions geared to determine potential value drivers and the efficacy of the ISM-LA current program.
RESULTS
- 64 members responded!! We learned that 55% of paying members didn’t attend a single meeting in 2013-2014 and 65% of these members cited traffic & scheduling conflicts as reasons not to attend the events. 46% of respondents indicated higher likelihood of attendance if events were located closer to them. Networking Opportunities, Professional Development, and Seminar Topics ranked as having the greatest value to ISM-LA members, followed by Continuing Education. (Coming soon, we will have these items posted on this site for your review.)
We are using this data to take ISM-LA in a new direction and we are going to:
- Rotate monthly networking events through the ISM-LA territory in locations like Pasadena, Monrovia, Beverly Hills, and Long Beach, ideally simultaneously.
- Hold monthly WebEx meetings to meet the Continuing Education CEH requirements.
- Communicate directly to the ISM-LA membership through a monthly email and by way of our LinkedIn page, Click Here:
- Aggressively recruit new members through Corporate and University outreach programs.
But at the end of the day, we also need your help. Every member has a responsibility to help us grow members. Please actively reach out to potential members, especially young professionals. We cannot do it without you!
And we ask you to volunteer. There is no better way enhance the value you derive from the organization than by being an active member of our affiliate. Attend the meetings, take some training classes, network like a fiend and get out
there!
I look forward to getting to know more about each of you during my term as president of ISM
LA. Wishing you great success in your endeavors and I'll see you at our next meeting!
Best
regards,
Mathew Stramer
Past President, ISM LA 2014-2015
