By Renee Hoekstra, CVS – President, SAVE International
I’m not sure where to even begin, except to hope all of our value family is staying health, both physically and mentally. Everyone is talking about the physical impacts of COVID-19, but I believe this is also taking a huge toll on our mental faculties. I for one know that being online with phone calls, virtual meetings, etc. is quite exhausting. Please remember to get up, get some exercise, take a walk and also think about your mental health.
SAVE International sent out a special email about guidelines for virtual value study workshops and Mike Pearsall, your Vice President / President-Elect, has provided a strong discussion about some key points and how they are impacting his organization in the transportation industry. The only thing that I would like to focus on is keeping our value study approach and our successful outcomes intact. It is very important that you have established a plan and protocols to ensure successful outcomes. I implore you, as your President, to take the time to follow and accommodate the SAVE guidelines into the way you do business by developing the special approaches that are required to ensure a successful workshop and to show our industry that we are getting the same fabulous results whether the workshop is in-person or virtual.
One other area where I have been getting quite a bit of feedback is related to our 2020 Value Summit in June. There is so much uncertainty right now and I believe it is going to continue through June. Please be aware that we are monitoring, on a daily basis, all details related to the Summit. My expectation is that we will have a much better idea of what is going on by the end of April. I ask you to continue to be patient and know that we have your and SAVE’s best interests at heart.
On the flip side, let’s talk about the great things that are occurring within SAVE. The VM Guide has been professionally edited and graphically finalized. We should, as promised, have it ready for distribution by June. As you know, we have our Tiger Teams that are diligently working to provide our membership with data, tools and direction to aid our Board and our members to continue to improve the value of our organization and the services we provide. Just as a reminder, the Tiger Teams are:
- Government Toolbox
- What Does the Member of Tomorrow Look Like
- How Do We Market Value – Spreading the Word
- Why Get Certified and Why Use a Certified individual
I am so excited about the outcomes of these teams. I think this is going to lead to some exciting directions for SAVE. The goal is to have all this information available to members by June. These are challenging, but also exciting times.
I also want to thank all of you who volunteered to run for a Board Director position over the next two years. We have an amazing number of individuals running for the Board. What I want you to remember is that when you receive the notice for a vote, it is important that you respond and cast your ballot for the person(s) you believe will provide the leadership we need at SAVE. I am encouraged by the number and quality of individuals – thank you all!
This article is a little short this month, but let’s all continue to focus on the best way for the Value Methodology to thrive in the current world of change and uncertainty – and above all, focus on staying healthy. My best to all of you.
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