The Value of Association

 Hayles and Howe, Inc (H&H) has not escaped the challenges of the economic downturn that started in the fall of 2008.  Like other companies, we have had to adjust to the new economic reality of fewer projects with more bidders and more challenging contract terms.  Unlike many of our competitors, we entered the recession in a relatively strong financial position.  Fiscal prudence by management during the boom times has allowed us to ride out the volatile ride of the past few years.

At H&H, we have a management team that tries to act rather than to react to the changing market. We partner closely with our affiliated company in the UK, Hayles&  Howe, Ltd, as well as our outside advisors for management, financial, legal, HR, technical, safety and risk management advice, recoginzing that we do not have all the answers in house.  We also leverage our relationships with professional associations for education, training, and networking.  And finally, we work with our customers,  vendors and subcontractors, all in the pursuit of providing quality workmanship on time and on budget.

 

So what is the value of joining those professional associations?  Don’t they just have happy hour and pat each on the back?  That’s not my experience.  I am writing this on an airplane returning from the CFMA (Construction Financial Management Association) annual conference in Orlando, Florida, filled with information learned both in the classroom and out.  I return filled with pride in how far we have come since I joined H&H in 1999. We now have processes in place to manage a job from the first sales contact to the final payment and closeout (and sometimes beyond), and we have a group of people dedicated to making those processes work to the advantage of the entire project team from owner to vendor.

Don't get me wrong.  By no means have we perfected our systems, and I am excited to be able to share the insight I learned in Orlando with my colleagues and to see how we can continue to challenge ourselves to perform even better in all areas of our business.  It is through this learning process that we continue to evolve as a company that provides the best to the best by the best.   In future posts, I hope to share some of the specific insights I gained - and what we do with them - in this blog. 

Until then, let me close with the lesson I learned from the first conference speaker, Sam Glenn:  "Organizations get better when the people in them get better - and it all starts with attitude."  At Hayles and Howe, Inc., we believe that "together, it can be done" - and done well.  Membership in professional organizations is one important piece in our constant striving to move beyond “good enough” to “best.”

So what do you think about membership in organizations?  Do you leverage the knowledge and experience of the members you meet there?  What do you consider your most valuable association membership – and why?

Joselin R Martin ,CPA, CCIFP is the Financial Manager of Hayles and Howe, Inc. in Baltimore , MD.  She has been a member of the CFMA since xxxx, and currently serves as Treasurer of the ICCIFP, a related organization that oversees the CCIFP credential.  She is also a member of the MACPA Board of Directors and a member of the AICPA Governing Council.