Strategically Entrepreneurial: Diane Wessman, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
Association professionals are used to wearing many hats: leader, communicator, strategist, and entrepreneur, to name a few. It takes a high level of organization and drive to be a successful association entrepreneur, but Diane Wessman of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) manages her responsibilities with aplomb.
As Vice President of Operations for RAIC, Diane’s many responsibilities include overseeing financial planning, human resources, marketing and communications, and product and service delivery, to name a few. But despite a full plate, she never loses sight of the most important area of RAIC: its people. She prioritizes members, volunteers and staff, by ensuring everyone has the tools and capabilities to innovate and accomplish their goals.
Her own priorities in the near future are to finalize a strategic HR plan, formally recognize employees and volunteers, and showcase the talents of Canadian architects on the national and international stages. Read on for more insights into Diane’s leadership style.
Association Adviser: Your professional background is in human resources and operations. Tell us how you chose those fields, and how you found your way to the association community.
Diane Wessman: I decided to pursue business as I had an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to explore this avenue. I centred my academic research on strategic human resources management and focused on organizational behaviour and balanced scorecard theory (organizational and HR performance).
After being an entrepreneur abroad for 15 years, I decided to return to Canada in 2013 and began my journey in the not-for-profit realm. I was fortunate to have been placed in positions that encouraged intrapreneurship and innovation in my different roles of membership services, marketing, business development and now, operations (which encapsulates many different areas). The key to my success was having a mentor who supported and entrusted me with new challenges and allowed me to test out my ideas.
AA: As Vice President of Operations, your job includes many responsibilities: business development, financial planning and administration, facilities management, honours and awards, human resources, marketing and communications, membership and affinity programs, overseeing information systems and technology, and product and service delivery. How do you manage such as large task list? How do you prioritize each area?
DW: I am very strict about how I manage my time and prioritize my tasks. I try to start my day on the right foot by setting aside about 90 minutes for focused personal time before I sit down at the computer. I also get involved in the community as much as I can, though this has proven challenging for the past year and a half.
There is a lot to manage in operations, but I am fortunate to have a very committed and knowledgeable team at all levels of the organization to support my portfolio. At the RAIC, we set very clear and measurable organizational and individual goals using a balanced scorecard framework. This allows the team to stay focused and prioritize work that drives our strategic priorities.
AA: What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?
DW: Being a leader involves many important qualities and there are several leadership styles that can be effective in different organizations. As a starting point, I would say that good leadership must start with compassion. From my experience, if you truly care about your team, you will gain their commitment and loyalty. To move the organization forward, however, you need to create a culture of trust, innovation, creativity and learning. With the future of work, it’s important to approach people’s jobs less as having a static role (“job description”) and more about providing opportunities for leading and collaborating on different projects.
AA: What do you hope to achieve in your role at RAIC in the next year?
DW: To be available to support staff and committees on all projects that are underway so we can meet our organizational goals for the year. Success in this area is a team effort and requires interdepartmental collaboration and flexibility.
In my portfolio, the priorities are conducting a holistic review of our programs, building out our standard operating procedures and revamping our website. The ultimate goal is to continually enhance member experience and engagement by delivering greater value through quality practice resources, education, advocacy, community-building and affinity programs.
AA: What are RAIC’s goals over the medium-term – the next three years?
DW: This organizational goal will be clearly articulated in our 2022 strategic planning session where we will set the direction of the organization for the mid-to-long term. That being said, my own professional goals for the next three years based on our current priorities will be to finalize a strategic HR plan that includes an employee and volunteer appreciation program, to build the RAIC architectural community and to more effectively showcase the high calibre of Canadian architecture both in Canada and internationally.
AA: In terms of your job, what keeps you up at night?
DW: I really try not to take work into bed with me but if there is anything that keeps me up, it would be working through a new idea or project. Ideas tend to come to me when I am relaxed, either in the middle of the night or when I’m out in nature. New ideas can really consume my mind and I become quite energized by them, which compromises my sleep at times.
