Here is today's question for the 2010 AAPA Board of Directors candidates, followed by answers from each of them (listed in alphabetical order by office):
The AAPA Board of Directors has chosen to be a strategic board rather than an operational board. In your opinion, what is the difference between the two (strategic vs. operational)? How do you see yourself functioning in the strategic environment?
President-Elect
Treasurer
Director At Large
Patti Pagels MPAS, PA-C: "Strategic boards are interested in the future. They anticipate changes that can affect the membership, work to develop goals that focus resources to resolve these changes, and ensure that the staff is organized and adequate to meet the needs of the membership. Operational boards are concerned with day-to-day operations of the organization. They tend to be focused on the short term, are often engaged in putting out organizational fires, and spend little time on long-range planning. I believe it is my role to work with the membership and the board to define a long range mission."
Robert Wooten, PA-C: "The strategic board develops and maintains a leadership culture that moves the organization forward.The strategic board doesn't dictate the answers but makes sure that the right questions are asked as goals and strategies are developed. Strategic board members should be knowledgeable, sustain trust and be nimble in order to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Operational boards can be slow moving and bogged down by micromanaging. Operational boards generate lots of reports but lack related plan focus. My leadership experience has helped me to recognize the need to function in a strategic environment and manner and to ask the right questions in order to gain the correct information to develop a strategic plan."
Linda L. Contreras, MPAS, PA-C: "An operational board focuses its attention on keeping the organization alive with no real long term goals. A strategic board utilizes internal and external expertise and judgment to explore multiple options and then sets up an action plan with clear goals, measurable outcomes and defined time lines. The AAPA Board of Directors has made huge strides in going from one that gets "down in the weeds" (operational) to discussing issues "from 30 thousand feet" (strategical). In the past year we have developed a strategic plan that has over-arching, visionary, and long-term implications for our organization and the PA profession. We could not have done this if we were still functioning as an operational board."
Bruce Fichandler PA: "A purely operational board concerns itself primarily with the day-to-day operational issues of running an organization. A strategic board looks beyond those aspects and for the most part it looks to the future, working to put the organization and the profession in the strongest possible position down the road as opposed to just today. I do think the treasurer in particular has more of an operational role than other board members in terms of reviewing monthly financial statements and dealing with the budget on a more intimate basis. At the same time the treasurer does have to be able to look at the budget strategically and look to see how we can best manage our financical resources to address both the short and long term needs of the Academy. Finally, the treasurer is involved with all the other issues the board deals with and so they must also be able to deal with those items in a strategic manner."
Michael C. Doll, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA: "A strategic board actively, outwardly and frequently investigates ways to improve itself with the thought that better is never good enough. This is especially important in the current health care reform environment. By having a strategic board, we will be better suited to adapt to change and be able to position ourselves to be part of the health care future. A strategic board is more offensive in mindset; whereas an operational board is more defensive in thinking and function. As a strategic board member, I will have a forward thinking and team work approach that will allow me to hear from and to work with other people."
Lawrence Herman MPAS, RPA-C, DFAAPA: "This is perhaps the most important characteristic of the current AAPA Board of Directors. This team must contain talented individuals with robust skills sets and must be positioned to make global, strategic decisions that, in turn, utilize the expertise of staff, consultants, committees, councils, liaisons and members to benefit our patients and profession fully. Without a strategic approach, the board becomes bogged down in the minutia of day to day activities. The health care landscape is changing rapidly, and AAPA is at a point where we are on the verge of escalating the profession to a heightened level that would allow us to not simply follow, but to become true decision-makers and for the first time impact the future of patients, health care, and our profession. This is an exciting time to be involved in health care and I honestly cannot imagine a profession other than ours that is better positioned to impart change."
Sandra Keavey MPAS, PA-C: "Operational management is an approach that produces a good or service in a manner that optimizes efficiency and quality. It involves managing the process that converts materials, labour and energy into outputs goods or services. Strategic management has a grander vision of performance and permanence. Performance of DOT exams, acheiving prescriptive practice, military commissioning and AAPA fiscal independence are all examples of issues where a strategic approach was used to acheive the goals of the Academy for the benefit of its members. My function in this environment is to help other board members in acheiving these goals by being an energetic and enthusiastic participant."
Next Thursday: In reviewing the Academy's 2010-2012 Strategic Plan, which of the seven goals do you believe is the most important and why?
Each Thursday between now and April 1 (the day voting begins) and throughout the voting period (April 1-30) we'll be posting a question on PA Pro NOW for each of the candidates to answer. We encourage you to join the discussion by posting your own questions, comments and opinions about the future of AAPA and your profession.
