100609
CORE VALUES-- REALLY?
by Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT, Cincinnati, OH
Stumbling along in the tucked-away info in CSI Wiki, I tripped over the following:
CSIS CORE VALUES: [side questions are my initial reactions]
Foster innovation and creative thinking: In whom? In what ways? Just within CSI?
Honor and embrace our diversity: Just within CSI? With other organizations? Within construction industry?
Encourage personal and professional growth: CSI members only? Related agencies, groups?
Make knowledge-based decisions: About whom? What? Regarding?
Strive for cooperative solutions: With whom? Within CSI only?
Promote stewardship of the environment: More important than specifications? In construction industry? In communications?
Promote and recognize individual and team excellence: What teams? Who/ How?
Celebrate camaraderie: How about just promoting or providing Why celebrate?
Keep promises, and trust others will do the same: To membership? Anyone else?
Value the needs of those we serve: Value is one thing; meeting or assisting is another
Now I do not know who authored and posted this list, but my reaction, while running through them, is that many questions arise-- and the fuzziness could be sharpened to really reflect CSIs values. This is not meant as sniping, but just as a sincere but different approach [with apologies to whomever conceived the list]. My revised list of value names and comments:
PROMOTE Foster innovation and creative thinking: Really go after innovation in thoughts and actions or members and organization overall.
HOLD Honor and embrace our diversity as a given: Broaden this concept to all persons, allied groups, and whole construction industry
STIMULATE Encourage personal and professional growth: Provide viable programs for CSI members and all construction industry entities
MAINTAIN/ESTABLISH programs using Make knowledge-based decisions: Implement strategic plan elements and widen CSI purview and image
DEDICATE EFFORTS to Strive for cooperative solutions: Draw upon business-like pragmatism, expertise, innovation and imagination of members
Promote stewardship of the environment: Contribute to and facilitate proper documentation of environmental concerns
FREELY AND CONTINUALLY Promote and recognize individual and team excellence: Due reward fosters increased effort and better results
REVEL IN INCLUSIVE Celebrate camaraderie: Actively create opportunities to increase level of personal relationships
KEEP PROMISES, and trust others will do the same: CSI should be prepared to always keep its word and its ability to deal with others
ADDRESS Value the needs of those we serve:
Fundamental part of membership contract; listen to and be of value to members at all levels
Its understandable that a plan is an overall scheme and not something with myriad detail [a plan implementation force is necessary! how else do the plan directions get meaning and done?]. But at the same time, is there a reason why such items as this list cannot be stated in forthright and distinct terms [much more in the imperative idiom of specifications]? Cant we be more forceful and direct in such lists which in turn could be used as lighthouses for quicker and more direct actions, programs and considerations? – by the plan implementations force?
Maybe we can project a more imposing image and more action-oriented approach in this manner, so outsiders can better see our resolve and determination to make changes and take meaningful action[s]. OK, fuzziness is more a function of politics, whereas CSI is a function of better service, better image, wider purview and elevated assistance to all who can benefit from our actions, programs and expertise-- guess maybe you can call that, leadership!