Reshaping ARRL Objectives, Refocusing ARRL HQ Structure is New CEO’s Goal

[Steve - K4HX]

From the ARRL Letter:

Reshaping ARRL Objectives, Refocusing ARRL HQ Structure is New CEO’s Goal

02/07/2019
A plan by ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX, to reshape and reorganize the management structure at ARRL Headquarters will go into effect on Monday, February 11. The ARRL Board of Directors endorsed the plan during its Annual Meeting on January 18 – 19 in Windsor, Connecticut.

“I see ARRL as a membership association, a business, and a 501(c)(3) public charity. As CEO, I intend to strengthen all three aspects. And all three must remain in balance for ARRL to function effectively,” Michel said.

“As a business, ARRL is not just QST magazine, The Handbook, DXCC or the VEC program. We can’t allow ourselves to continue to think within those traditional parameters.” He continued, “ARRL’s businesses are not membership, publishing, and advertising. ARRL’s businesses are value creation, value delivery, and advocacy. I plan to architect ARRL along those lines. To quote Steve Jobs, ‘More important than building a product, we are in the process of architecting a company that will hopefully be much more incredible, the total will be much more incredible than the sum of its parts.’” Michel said.

The reorganization has three key components. The first major change is the creation of a management council (MC). The MC will be a deliberative and generative body to discuss ideas, operations, and long-term planning for ARRL. The group’s goal is to foster horizontal lines of communication within the organization. Direct horizontal lines of communications are much more efficient than “up, over, and down,” Michel offered.

The second key change, Michel said, is the addition of a Product Development Manager. This individual’s responsibility will be to create new ideas for products and services, create pilot programs to quickly test those ideas, and then — if the pilot programs are successful — transition them to operations. “The motto in startups is to fail fast,” Michel said. “Let’s innovate like a startup.”

Third, he said, is creating the position of a Marketing Communications Manager. “Our brand works with our traditional members. It is not working for newly licensed hams,” Michel said. “If we are to create a demand for the value we bring to Amateur Radio, we need a coordinated and consistent message, across all forms of media that resonates with current and potential members.”

In conjunction with its support of this reorganization plan, the ARRL Board of Directors also endorsed a proposal to create a new Lifelong Learning platform that will establish ARRL as an educational leader in Amateur Radio, and the purchase of a modern association management software system that should dramatically improve ARRL members’ experiences.

“These are big investments the Board is making in ARRL, and a strong positive vote of confidence that we can deliver,” Michel said. “They are giving us the tools to be successful.”

[K1JJ]

There sure is a lot of arm-waving on the podium about corporate concepts and modern age management techniques.  (2/07/2019)   Basically he is saying the ARRL is an old dinosaur needing new ideas.

“ARRL’s businesses are not membership, publishing, and advertising. ARRL’s businesses are value creation, value delivery, and advocacy."  Oh, spare me!! Is this what it took to wow the board to get the job?

Is this the same new CEO they have been looking for or has this guy given up and moved on?   Was it Tom Gallager beforehand who spearheaded the AM BC transmitter project?  I'm confused.

The key is that I hope as they pass thru the League in their "save the world" career hopping they are all AM-friendly.  Though it takes a long tenure to develop the jaded AM attitude of the long past guard, so we are probably OK.
T

[KK4YY]

The ARRL will now focus on developing an agile framework to mega-dynamically enhance an infinitely reconfigurable feature set and dynamically leverage and iterate goals which lead to the aptitude to redefine virtually capabilities while fiercely monetizing emerging schemas.

What could go wrong?

[Opcom]

The ARRL will now focus on developing an agile framework to mega-dynamically enhance an infinitely reconfigurable feature set and dynamically leverage and iterate goals which lead to the aptitude to redefine virtually capabilities while fiercely monetizing emerging schemas.

What could go wrong?

#1: used the word "fiercely". It's over.

[K9DXL]

The ARRL will now focus on developing an agile framework to mega-dynamically enhance an infinitely reconfigurable feature set and dynamically leverage and iterate goals which lead to the aptitude to redefine virtually capabilities while fiercely monetizing emerging schemas.

What could go wrong?

#1: used the word "fiercely". It's over.
[/quote]

Try to work in "scalable", "synergy", and "at the end of the day"

[AG5UM]

I hope this ARRL letter is some kind of a ridiculous JOKE!!
It is just a Joke is'nt  it?
He said :
 "ARRL's Businesses are not Membership...",
"ARRL's businesses are value creation",
His conclusion :
 they need to purchase "modern association management software",
I say : NEXT Candidate please!!
AG5UM

[K1JJ]

I hope this ARRL letter is some kind of a ridiculous JOKE!!
It is just a Joke is'nt  it?
He said :
 "ARRL's Businesses are not Membership...",
"ARRL's businesses are value creation",
His conclusion :
 they need to purchase "modern association management software",
I say : NEXT Candidate please!!
AG5UM

Amen!

I actually checked the date to make sure it wasn't a classic League April Fool's joke...

They got me good back in April, 1965.  If you look at that QST issue, you will find an "Invisible Paint" article. The author said there was a new paint out that made a tower invisible. Just be sure to paint the coax too or the neighbors will think it's an Indian rope trick.

I got excited as a 13 year old Novice. I thought this was the answer to my tower in a residential neighborhood.  I called and called all the paint stores. They thought I was putting them on, but I was serious, cuz if the League printed it, it must be true.

So here we are many years later and I'm still not sure.

T

[Opcom]

I guess we will wait and see how the new CEO's mission statement is carried out.

[W2BX]

Ugh!... sounds like one of those many "team building" meetings I had to attend before I retired. 

[Detroit47]

Sounds like more BS. They will still behave like Kings and dictate to the serfs. They cater to everyone except fools paying dues. That is why I left them I can't see myself giving them any money.

John N8QPC

[Pete, WA2CWA]

More enlightenment:

Steve's initial post was February 10, 2019

At its January 17-18, 2020 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors did not re-elect Howard Michel, WB2ITX, as the ARRL Chief Executive Officer. So how much of his plan, if any, would actually be put into affect, remains to be seen.

So, if you're looking for a new job, are highly opinionated, and have great visions for the future of amateur radio and the ARRL, there is an opening for a new CEO:

http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-seeks-a-new-chief-executive-officer