I've been a member of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) since the early 70's, having started with the Chicago Chapter when I was working with Walgreens. It is my professional home.

I studied business in school but had suddenly found myself thrust into the role of “trainer.” My department was staffed with other folks with business experience and a fair sized collection of English majors. Instinctively, I knew there had to be a science behind what we were trying to do. ASTD was close but “No cigar.” I found it at ISPI.

Beyond the help in the day to day business of performance improvement there was also something bigger. We have just passed the Jewish New Year 5770 and it reminded me that there is a Jewish tradition called Tikkun Olam. It is a Hebrew phrase that means, "repairing the world" or "perfecting the world."

The expression is used to indicate that a practice should be followed not because it is required by Biblical law, but because it helps avoid social chaos.

In the big view, that seems to me to be what undergirds ISPI. (How’s that for Mega?)

So, to sum up, for me ISPI equals repair of the world, plus a network, plus friends, plus counsel, plus learning, plus resources.

In the immortal words of “A-Team” leader Hannibal, "I love it when a plan comes together."

L’shana tova,

Jim 
Jim M. Schultz CPT

James M. Schultz, CPT graduated from the University of Denver (BSBA-1969, MBA-1971). Joining Walgreens Store Operations in 1971, he moved to the Human Resource Division in 1973. As Division VP, Performance Development, his responsibilities covered a wide range of H.R. areas- training, management & executive development, productivity improvement, knowledge management, human factors engineering, human resource planning and information systems. Jim now lives and works in Denver, CO., running his own public & private human capital development consultancy, Pretty Good Consulting, Inc. He currently serving as the Front Range Chapter President and on the 2010 Conference Committee. He may be reached by email at Jim@PrettyGoodConsulting.biz.