Recently I saw a post in the Connection Café that was asking questions about what companies were doing with company vehicles, car allowances, etc. It was something that had come up recently in my own company so clicked through and read the thread. ( Connection Cafe - Company Vehicles ) The original post was made on 8/1/13, and in the span of a week there were 12 responses. I even threw in my own two cents…but what is most impressive is the great responses and feedback provided by all of the participants. This is a prime example of the power, and VALUE of CFMA membership. Over the past few years I’ve used the acronym IKE (Information, Knowledge, and Education) to describe what it is that ‘we’ want. Members need AND want IKE. Both Headquarters and chapters deliver a myriad of opportunities for CFMs to acquire IKE.
To me, the greatest membership value point (and the one that is most underutilized) is the member-to-member IKE exchange. I know that I have ‘abused’ my relationships that I’ve developed through my CFMA membership for my own, and my company’s benefit. That is what makes CFMA, and its members such a unique organization…the willingness to share IKE with their peers, without question, and looking for nothing in return. This principle is what the Connection Café was built upon. It’s a way to access the knowledge and experience of more than 6,500 members and the more than a million years of experience that they have.
So to all of you IKE-sters out there, thanks for being a part of all of our continuing education! Keep using the Café to both acquire and distribute the information, knowledge and education that helps construction financial managers perfect their craft.