President's Message: Setting the Course: Measuring Success through Metrics

By Fernando Fernandez, 2015 PMI President and Director of Codes and Standards, TOTO USA

Goal setting is a necessary objective to benchmark performance whether personally or professionally done. It represents a road map to planning for a successful future. Equally as important are the tactics utilized in determining how to attain the desired goals. A strong organization is one which not only has effective leadership from both the Board and its CEO, but works on developing goals which add value to the organization. PMI certainly reflects this model and has embarked upon establishing organizational goals, or metrics, to enhance value to its members. In this article, I’d like to share with you a behind-the-scenes look at what the Board is working to accomplish.

Within the past few years, you may recall reading or hearing about the Board Development Plan. This was an extended exercise in updating and implementing positive changes in how the Board operates with respect to, size, terms, roles and responsibilities, candidate selection, review of bylaws, engagement with the SAC, etc. The most significant of these is the one the Board is currently involved in which deals with the creation of metrics. Last month’s Ripple Effect cover article contained information from PMI CEO/Executive Director Barb Higgens regarding PMI’s Strategy Map (the PMI Strategy Map was printed in the February issue of Ripple Effect and is available online). We now look to endeavor upon reviewing the metrics, their benefits and which tactics may be implemented to achieve them, all the while, assuring they are linked to the PMI Strategy Map.

Setting the sail in this direction has been a challenging and exciting undertaking. During the recent Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (K/BIS) in Las Vegas, a meeting of the PMI Strategic Advisory Council (SAC) was held where I announced we would be sending a survey to the PMI Board of Directors, SAC, as well as key PMI consultants and staff whereby input would be sought on ranking key metrics, feedback for alternative metrics, and overall general comments on where the group envisions PMI by the year 2020. Our next steps forward will entail outlining a path to develop our strategies and tactics and schedule forthcoming meetings to brainstorm and ultimately reach consensus.

While work is now underway, it is a little early to go into the specifics of each metric, but I can say that the primary theme is to build upon our Advocacy/Outreach (A/O) foundation and implement the metrics within 2015. PMI is notably strong and recognized for its technical prowess. Moreover, in addressing the value proposition to our membership, we must seek to balance out the attributes our members bring to the table and leverage them in an effective fashion. The A/O sector is a prime area and there has been unanimous consensus that the messaging and activities therein must be elevated and communicated to a much wider audience of policy makers, state and federal representatives to name a few. Doing so will undoubtedly continue to strengthen PMI as a recognized leader and influential entity when it comes to safe, responsible, plumbing. The PMI Board is accountable not only to each other but to the organization’s shareholders - specifically in this case, its members. With this marching order, it is my expectation we will build better value, focus, and growth.