Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability

Journal or Book Title: Fisheries

Volume/Issue: 9

Page Number(s): 507-510

Year Published: 2016

Like people, organizations—groups of people working together toward a common purpose—come in all varieties. Whether you joined the Boy Scouts or Brownies, pledged a sorority or fraternity in college, obtained a job, or acquired membership to a professional society such as the American Fisheries Society (AFS), you have probably been a part of an organization at one point or another in your life. Similarly, we (the authors) have been associated with many organizations, and each of us feels as though we have been shaped both personally and professionally by our involvement in these organizations over time. Serving in a leadership role in an organization, however, like many of us have done, comes with its challenges. Not only should you be knowledgeable, work well with others, and have vision and good communication skills, but you should also be flexible and adaptable—all hard traits to master! For, as time goes by, people and, thus, organizations go through periods of change. Sometimes, change occurs because an organization wants to change to either augment its mission or remain competitive with similar organizations in changing biological, physical, and social environments. Other times, change occurs because an organization has to change if it wants to excel or simply survive. At the bottom line, change occurs, so organizations need to prepare for it rather than fight it. Organizations that can be flexible in, and appropriately choose to adapt to, times of change will flourish while those that cannot will likely become obsolete and, ultimately, perish.

DOI: 10.1080/03632415.2016.1220222

Type of Publication: Journal Article

Publisher: AFS Press