Message from Your STC Director

By James V. Romano

Greetings and Namaste!

In his compelling new book, The World Is Flat, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman describes how globalization has leveled the economic playing field. The role of the Internet, the ability to outsource anywhere (or, as one consulting company calls it, “anysourcing”), and the rapid growth and commitment to learning that we see in places like India and China are turning the old hierarchies and assumptions on their head. To many Indian and Chinese business students who have studied in the U.S., and who customarily would have looked in the U.S. for post-graduation opportunities, B2B and B2C now mean “Back to Bangalore” and “Back to China.” Indeed, opportunity is everywhere, and this is certainly true for technical communication.

As a global organization, STC must create opportunity for all of its members globally. The value package that we offer to members must be tailored, or localized, to meet the varying needs of its members around the world. Examples of “localized” STC offerings would include Webinars offered during a convenient time for Indian members (presumably not 1:00 P.M. - 2:30 P.M. EST, which would be 10:00 P.M. - 11:30 P.M. in Delhi), or more international support for regional or “local” conferences, allowing greater idea sharing and dissemination. These ideas are now being examined and will become part of STC’s Three-year Growth Strategic Plan, which was adopted at the May 2005 meeting of the Board of Directors. Translation: you can expect a strong increase in the value you get from your membership over the next months and beyond, and a more tailored approach to how STC delivers its services to our many local-membership “markets.”

Another area that must be localized is our dues structure. We all know that US $145 has different buying power in Palo Alto than in Pune, reflecting the basic differences in the world economy and the equivalent cost of labor. Thus, if STC is truly to be a global organization, we must acknowledge these differences and “localize” our dues accordingly. I am pleased to report that the STC Board of Directors has approved a localized dues strategy, which we expect to take into consideration during the budgeting process this summer. The outcome will be a dues scale that reflects the local marketplace, and though we cannot state at this time exactly what our Indian members will be paying for STC dues in the future, the Board’s commitment to localizing them represents a major milestone.

Finally, a word about the International STC Annual Conference. I am very pleased to report that the conference in Seattle was a great success, with a final registration of 1,802 attendees (as compared to 2004’s attendance of 1,612 and 2003’s of 1,437). As you can see, STC is on the upswing, and the value of the sessions and learning was reported to be among the highest ever. I can report directly that STC-India’s President, Makarand Pandit, was busy non-stop advocating on behalf of Chapter growth and recognition, and was on hand to receive the well-deserved Chapter Pacesetter award on behalf of the many volunteers and Administrative Council members whose hard work paid off this year. Thanks to all for your selfless contributions, and let’s not rest too long, as our best work lies ahead of us.

James V. Romano is a senior member of STC and President and CEO of Prisma International. He is currently the Director-Sponsor of STC Region-6, which includes the India chapter.

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