Dear IAMC Members and Prospective Members,
      Professionals today are able to command an exhaustive array of technology to research, communicate, and process work. Most of us execute a scope of work that was assigned to at least three jobs a few years ago. I enjoy the gusto of such duty, but I also know that we lose some humanity in performing at this level of efficiency ... and with it can go some of the "art" of the deal.
      How often have you conducted a negotiation without sitting across from the other party, getting to know that person enough to work out the best outcome? Will asset management soon be simply a computer analysis and e-mail consent as to form and terms? I think not. Where value added matters, we will still find the time and place to apply art to our deals, management and pursuit of corporate vision.
      That is why IAMC is founded, formatted and furthered through direct personal contact to hone the craft, get the facts and listen to the nuances. While IAMC uses technology to make things more fluid, it's IAMC people who make the difference.
      Collectively, IAMC can give you the edge that the guy on the other side of the table may never know. Members can learn from each other through threads of research and experience using IAMC Interactive on the Web, but more importantly they share directly through calling someone who's been there. Helping in committee work hones idea management skills in a low risk environment. And Forums are not conventions for the masses wandering from trough to trough. Instead, they're collegial gatherings with high focus on what matters most to you professionally: your work next week and your shareholder's value.
      If it's done in an accommodating atmosphere, all the more stimulating. At the upcoming Professional Forum in October in Texas, you may note that the weekend is getting full. We have moved the Research Roundtable to Sunday to fill out the day with the leadership program. Time is too valuable with our multiple jobs not to use every minute we can together. In fact, I'll fly out Friday night. Like most of you, while my family is number one with me, this is one event I can't miss. It helps me win at work, and that will get me home on time most nights so I can mentor those two teenaged boys and still have time for my sweetheart Sarah.
      Make a difference in someone's life today and everyday. Pass it forward.

Charles McSwain