April 16, 2018
The professions of information management and information governance continue to evolve to meet the needs of a business environment where information is relied upon to help organizations make optimal decisions that impact their businesses, communities, and the world at large.
ARMA International is also evolving to meet the needs of these converging professions. The ARMA Board of Directors is pleased to unveil the organization’s new vision and mission:
ARMA’s New Vision:
To be the driving force that enables organizations to harness the strategic power of information
ARMA’s New MissionTo empower the community of information professionals to advance their careers, organizations, and the profession.
These changes came about as the ARMA Board met for its annual strategic planning session last month. During this session, the board took a deep dive into ARMA’s goals and its longer-term vision and mission statements to determine if they still accurately reflected the organization, whom it serves, and where the profession is heading.
“The exercise was an honest assessment of this organization, where it needs to be tomorrow to continue to lead the profession and their practitioners,” says Ryan Zilm, incoming board president. “What we found were statements that no longer reflected the aspirational goals and philosophies of this organization. The results of this exercise are a new vision and mission for the organization that will serve as our north star for the next three to five years, as well as a slightly revised set of goals for the coming year.”
ARMA’s Goals for Fiscal Year 2018-19
- Employ progressive and sustainable technologies
- Provide an exceptional membership experience
- Improve the satisfaction and success of regions and chapters
- Increase the size and engagement of membership
- Increase visibility and influence of the organization
- Facilitate professional opportunities for current and future members
Next Step: Defining Our Pillars
With the new vision and mission defined, ARMA will look to its membership to help it define its pillars – those key deliverables that will allow the organization to fulfill its mission and achieve its vision.
“Our members have told us in several feedback opportunities the top benefits of joining ARMA – why they turn to ARMA,” says Jocelyn Gunter, CEO. “In an upcoming survey, we will ask our membership to prioritize and define their top four pillars from the list of 10 (below) that make up our brand. We are a member-driven organization, so member input is integral.”
Listed below (in alphabetical order) are the top 10 benefits of membership, according to the most recent input from ARMA members:
- Access to resources to further my career and/or organization
- Access to/contact with solution providers
- Certification preparation and continuing education
- Credibility of brand/being a part of positive change
- Current news, events, and industry trends
- Free and discounted content and events
- Industry standards and best practices
- In-person training opportunities (locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally)
- Networking with mentors, professional peers, and industry experts
- Volunteer opportunities/leadership skills
Members should look for a survey from ARMA in the coming weeks.
“This is an exciting time for ARMA as we look to the future and unveil our new vision and mission that will lead the board in its goals and will lead headquarters in their execution of those goals,” says Zilm.
