BooneThink

In exercise physiology, as in other academic majors, the idea that all college teachers are working on behalf of students, that is good intentions, is often lost in other concerns. Perhaps, it isn’t so obvious that traditional values, even those recently acquired, set the direction of each day, much less the obvious definition of who we are and what we believe is important.

Okay, so with that understanding, what is the problem of not honoring a professional organization? The problem is that good intentions per se aren’t enough. College teachers need to be on the right track with contemporary thinking, especially that of the ASEP organization, leadership, and the professionalism of exercise physiology.

Most leaders love to make strategy, but it is vision and values that spawn strategic action. The absence of a vision will doom any strategy — especially a strategy for change. A true vision shapes assessment and promotion, and behavior towards professionalism, partnerships, and investors in the future. Having a vision is a more powerful tool for leading an organization than any market analysis or spreadsheet.

But defining the right vision, the right expression of what ASEP wants to accomplish, and articulating the values that govern how the organization operates are not easy or painless. As with all organizational development, evolving from one idea to the next is hard work.

The first step in visioning is to assess your organization, your industry, and your sector of the economy. What do you do uncommonly well, and how do you fit into the changing landscape of exercise physiologists as healthcare professionals? For me, it is obvious. For others, it is much slower in coming around to the understanding that exercise is medicine.

Hence, ASEP matters…