Sometimes it feels that time is passing us by, not at a steady walk or slow jog, but in a full-on sprint. Things are changing so quickly that it is difficult to keep up.
It is hard to believe it has been two and a half years since I was offered this amazing opportunity to serve as AME’s president and CEO.
I still recall why I chose to volunteer on the AME Southeastern Region board of directors nearly a decade ago. I remember SE region board member Glenn Marshall telling me about this organization I should get to know. He introduced me to the AME mission and the many passionate volunteers; I was immediately hooked. After talking with one of AME’s founders, Doc Hall, I knew this was where I belonged. From volunteer to CEO—it has been a dream. It is my #whyAME.
AME’s focus on people-centric leadership cultivates a culture of excellence. We strive to listen to one another’s ideas, draw upon each other’s expertise, and seek ways to collaborate as lean practitioners to improve our individual skillsets and organizational performances. As a community of continuous improvement professionals and thought leaders from all industry sectors, we have learned that the breadth of our work reaches new horizons and yields stronger outcomes when we continue to foster this collaborative approach.
If your #whyAME moment is yet to come, I encourage you to begin by attending an in-person or virtual event. If you are looking to deepen your company’s implementation of lean thinking and processes, you might join an AME consortium. We will connect you with a local peer-to-peer network that works together to accelerate lean-CI process among member organizations.
Are you a senior leader? The AME Champions Club is exclusively for the “Champions of Excellence” in a facility. The principal benefit of a membership in the AME Champions Club is the unique opportunity to meet and network with others who are equally passionate about developing cultures of excellence and discovering innovative ways to empower employees.
We even strive to help you “improve the way you improve” with the newest version of our AME Lean Sensei® tool. It enables your organization to benchmark practices against distinguished AME Excellence Award recipients. Yes, we even have a health care version!
There are more ways to get involved than I can share in a single letter. I am so proud to serve this forward-thinking organization. My #whyAME continues to grow as we develop new methods to strengthen our organizations and industries.
I would love to hear your #whyAME. Visit our LinkedIn page, where this newsletter will be posted, and drop a comment with the hashtag #whyAME. You can also tell us in Dallas this October at the AME Dallas 2022 International Conference.
As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.
