From Transaction to Transformation

Summer marks a time when we celebrate transitions by participating in commencement celebrations and new beginnings. These transitions mean we leave communities and have opportunities to become members of new communities.

In June, my family celebrated the high school graduation of my son. In the fall, he will begin his first year of college. This exciting transition to a new community made me consider ways in which we participate in our various communities and take advantage of the opportunities they present.

How we connect, collaborate, and contribute to our communities is, in part, shaped by our alignment with the mission and purpose of the community. For instance, interactions can be transactional, characterized by exchanges in which we seek tangible benefits.

Transactional interactions are an important, pragmatic, and efficient way to meet short-term goals. For example, in the statistics community, submitting an abstract to a conference or workshop might be a transactional interaction, if you attend the conference solely to make a presentation.

While such interactions are necessary and important, there may be further opportunities to build community lurking within them. Transformational interactions, characterized by a shared commitment to the long-term well-being of the community, can help foster our own well-being while we invest in others in the community.

The ASA’s strategic plan puts forward three main themes: Enhancing the Diversity and Breadth of Our Association; Increasing the Visibility of Our Profession; and Ensuring the Future of Our Profession. It is our deep connection to these themes that motivates us to invest time, effort, and resources into growing and sustaining our association.

How does this play out in our profession? If you are attending an ASA-sponsored event such as the Biopharmaceutical Section Regulatory-Industry Statistics Workshop, Fall Technical Conference, 2024 ENVR Workshop, WSDS 2024, ICHPS 2025, or a chapter-sponsored event, I encourage you to set an intention to help make the event transformational for you and others by taking the following actions:

• Participate in discussions and be an active listener
• Ask thought-provoking questions
• Make time to meet new colleagues
• Leave the event with at least one commitment to follow up
• These all help build relationships and foster future opportunities.

Transformational interactions do not necessarily require in-person events. As another example, the online ASA Community provides an accessible platform for active participation. Investing time in sharing your expertise has the potential to be transformational for you and your (new) colleagues.

Over the coming weeks, I encourage you to respond (either individually or to the group) to an ASA Community post that requests help on a topic for which you are knowledgeable.

Writing for an ASA publication is another transformational opportunity. Consider sharing your expertise by submitting a column for CHANCE magazine’s “One Thing About … .” This column invites contributors to share their unique perspectives on statistics and data science. Recent columns have touched on ethical practice and the rhetoric of statistics. You might even consider asking a colleague to join you in writing the article.

Another way to help transform the ASA community is by nominating or supporting the nomination of a colleague for one of the many awards offered by the ASA. If you had the opportunity to attend the awards ceremony at JSM, you helped us recognize the diversity of accomplishments by members in our community. Nominating or supporting the nomination of a colleague for an award not only honors their achievements but also strengthens our community’s recognition of outstanding contributions.

Also, consider volunteering for a chapter or section activity. We are an association of more than 15,500 members, the “Big Tent,” so sections and chapters provide an excellent opportunity to begin making connections and building your community. (Richard Zink’s June article provides a great entry point.) Alternatively, build your network by reaching out to members of the Council of Sections Governing Board or Council of Chapters Governing Board.

Transformational interactions require the support of both personal and collective growth. In this spirit, I am instituting a series of new member meet-ups with the goal of investing in the professional development of new members. The first is scheduled for September 12 at 4 p.m. ET. If you are new to the ASA and would like to learn more, be on the lookout for announcements about these meet-ups.

In addition, I want to encourage everyone to share their perspectives on how we should move forward to ensure there are opportunities for meaningful interactions available to all members of our community. There are several ways you can provide this input. In last month’s issue, the Mentoring Working Group asked for input about building communities of practice. If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to review the article and respond to the request for input. Early in fall 2024, we will be distributing a member survey. Speak up! Your feedback can drive positive change. Finally, I am always interested in hearing from you, so share your thoughts with me.

Shifting our focus from transactional to transformational interactions can be challenging. But it demonstrates a shared commitment to the goals of the community and can be hugely rewarding. By prioritizing transformational interactions, we are stronger as a profession and better equipped to address complex and long-term challenges such as membership growth.