By William C. Griese

Jul 26, 2016

At the Intersection of Technical Committee Work and Career Enhancement

In January, ASTM International launched the Leadership Connection, a web resource to help ASTM members leverage their technical committee experience toward building career-enhancing leadership skills. In this Q&A, William C. Griese of the Tile Council of North America and a winner of the 2013 ASTM President's Leadership Award, discusses how his membership in ASTM has benefited his career and his employer.

How has your involvement in ASTM International and participation in ASTM committee meetings contributed to your professional development?

On being hired by my company, the Tile Council of North America, I was immediately asked to become a member of ASTM International. Throughout college, and during an internship with a third party testing laboratory, I had used ASTM standards, so I was intrigued by the opportunity to have a behind the scenes look at how these standards were written. Little did I know, my ASTM membership would offer so much more!

ASTM provides great opportunity to a young industry professional looking to establish a reputation. For me, it has been invaluable to have the opportunity to lead, progress and influence some of my industry's most important initiatives. In doing so, I have been able to interact with a group of professionals ranging from scientists to engineers, to marketing vice presidents, to CEOs and owners, all of whom I have had the rare opportunity to call my peers. For sure, networking is one of the most important benefits ASTM has to offer, and some of my closest industry relationships have been formed during ASTM meetings.

Most important, participating in ASTM meetings has given me the knowledge base, confidence and credibility to make a difference. Public speaking and consensus building are a hundred times easier when you have expertise in a particular field. What better way to become an expert than to have a passion for a topic, voice your opinion, volunteer to find out more and become a leader of a work item? The ASTM process allows any of its members to do so, and for me, it has been the key to learning how to steer a diverse group of individuals and interests toward a common goal.

LAs a recent recipient of the ASTM President's Leadership Award, can you explain how leading an ASTM task group or subcommittee has helped to cultivate your leadership skills?

ASTM International committees operate with a harmonious balance of regulation, due process, staff involvement and flexibility. The latter two components, the human factors, make leading an ASTM committee a fulfilling experience. Of paramount importance to the cultivation of leadership is learning how to appreciate the political and technical aspects of any given initiative while still operating within a fair and balanced framework. The ASTM experience facilitates a chairman's development in this regard. When I became chairman of ASTM Committee C21 on Ceramic Whitewares and Related Products early in my career, ASTM staff was instrumental in teaching me the right way, the first time, how to run meetings. Thus, I was able to focus predominantly on developing relationships and vastly expanding my technical knowledge base within my field.

Did you have a mentor or another member that helped you get acquainted with ASTM and the operations of your committee? Were there other ASTM training programs that you felt were helpful in acclimating you to ASTM?

My biggest mentor in getting me acquainted with ASTM was my boss. He nominated me as chairman of Committee C21, which meant a lot at such an early stage in my career. Initially, he participated in all of my meetings and invested his time in making sure I developed the skill set and confidence to run meetings. Also instrumental in my development was the former chairman of my committee, who still serves as vice chairman today.

As far as learning the ASTM regulations and getting to know the staff, my initial visit to ASTM headquarters for the two-day officer training program was a helpful and memorable experience.

What advice would you give to a new member who is attending an ASTM International meeting for the first time?

Don't be shy! ASTM provides a stage for anyone who is interested in gaining exposure and becoming a leader. This is uncommon in other professional settings. Everyone's input is valued, so if you have a suggestion or would like to contribute to an initiative, speak up.

In addition to the personal leadership benefits you have identified, are there benefits that also transfer to your employer resulting from your involvement in standards development?

Yes, participating in ASTM is a great way to keep abreast of outside initiatives that might have an impact on my company or industry. Furthermore, by participating in ASTM committee meetings, my company has expanded our horizons and been able to pursue new opportunities that we never knew existed. ASTM presents an opportunity to take ownership, be proactive and play in entirely new arenas.

William C. Griese is standards development and green initiative manager at the Tile Council of North America in Anderson, S.C. He is chairman of ASTM International Committee C21 on Ceramic Whitewares and Related Products and of Subcommittee C21.06 on Ceramic Tile, and he is active on Committee E60 on Sustainability as well as the ASTM Committee on Technical Committee Operations. Earlier this year, Griese was one of two recipients of the 2013 ASTM International President's Leadership Award and was cited for outstanding committee leadership as the chairman of Committee C21, for technical guidance through key tile industry standardization initiatives and for advocating the importance of C21 standards in the United States and abroad.

What You'll Find at the Leadership Connection

ASTM International's new online Leadership Connection pages provide several tools for ASTM members to realize the leadership potential in their involvement in consensus standards development. New and longtime members will find:

Technical committees will discover how to:

Finally, video and other links for employers will help them discover the bottom-line benefits of standards participation.

Make a plan today to set aside some time with the Leadership Connection and begin to capitalize on the commitment you make to voluntary consensus standards development through ASTM International.