SIM Boston is a not-for-profit professional association of key information technology leaders dedicated to:
- Ensuring the alignment of technology and business as a valued partnership
- Encouraging the creation and sharing of best practices
- Fostering the innovative business use of technology
- Championing technology management and leadership skills development
- Attracting future generations of technology professionals and leaders and promoting programs of education directed at them
- Collaborating with the technology industry to shape its direction
- Supporting policies and legislation that stimulate innovation, economic development and technology job creation
- Serving the community and our industries through giving, volunteering and outreach
The professional network our members have established over the years is a result of relationships based upon trust, openness, and mutual respect. Ever since its founding in 1977, SIM Boston has taken great pride in maintaining decorum for knowledge sharing and participation that is unencumbered by commercial bias.
SIM Boston believes that technology leadership comes from many disciplines, including practitioners, academics, consultants, and vendors. As such, the SIM membership criteria allows for both senior level consumers as well as providers of technology products and services. Membership acceptance is based upon the candidate’s impact upon and contribution to professional practices that advance the business value of Information technology in the organizations we serve. SIM Boston encourages the members to actively engage in all facets of our chapter in order to gain the most value from their membership.
SIM Boston understands the value of networking to build professional and personal relationships. We expect our members, affiliates and committee members to be proud of their personal and company’s accomplishments and to share valuable experiences and insight. Incidental promotion of products and services, in the technology marketplace, is a natural occurrence in established personal relationships among professional colleagues.
The Code serves as a guideline for members, affiliates and committee members subject to broad and responsible interpretation by elected SIM Boston officers. Non-compliance with these codes of conduct could potentially lead to dismissal from participation in SIM Boston, as outlined in the Chapter by-laws.
This Code of Conduct is reviewed annually by the SIM Boston Executive Committee to evaluate relevance to actual experiences and to highlight areas needing further clarification.
General Expectations:
Lists of SIM Boston members, chapter meeting attendees, conference attendees, or other similar documents published by SIM Boston may not be used for the purposes of broadcast or cold call solicitation without the written consent of SIM Boston. Sales and marketing brochures may not be distributed at any SIM Boston event without the written permission from the SIM Boston leaders in charge of that event. Such promotional materials can discreetly be given to individuals attending the event upon request of the receiver.
No one, belonging to or affiliated with SIM Boston may use the SIM Boston logo, or other means of identifying the SIM Boston brand, in any documentation without the written consent of SIM Boston.
No one except those who were past or current SIM Boston members in good standing may reference their past or current SIM Boston membership in documents such as resumes, biographies, or company profiles.
SIM Boston actively promotes the sharing of ideas and intellectual capital among its membership. We encourage this exchange by publishing papers and reports submitted by members and partners; forming working and special interest groups to exchange information and best practices.
When such activities are contemplated, the following principles must be observed:
- The focus of such activities must be primarily intellectual and not commercial. Any reference to products and services offered by the author or participant must be incidental to the focus of the document or activity. All activities are expected to be highly professional and objective in tone and content.
- Initial availability of the offering should be made through SIM Boston who will only communicate offerings that meet these guidelines. Once a member has opted to receive a document or participate in an activity, future communications with that member regarding the document or activity are appropriate.
Constituency Expectations:
The following outlines the expected behavior of the various constituencies involved in or associated with SIM Boston:
Members:
Members are expected to participate in SIM Boston activities for the purpose of knowledge sharing and networking, rather than for selling. SIM Boston members who feel they have been sold to without their consent have the right to request the seller to stop and can report such behaviors to the appropriate Chapter Board members.
SIM Boston encourages members to invite guests to selected events. It is a valuable recruiting and promotional method. Prospective members, those in a position to promote SIM Boston, such as the press or dignitaries, and social guests are normally welcome and must be approved by committee chairs. Guests typically must meet the attendance criteria for the event to attend. Guests should not be invited for the purpose of selling to other Boston SIM members.
SIM Boston Members in Transition are encouraged to use the network they have established with their fellow members to help them in career counseling and job search. SIM Boston and SIM National have specific programs to help members in transition and may assist with broadcast emails on their behalf.
Members in doubt about how to handle a specific situation should seek advice by reaching out to officers@simboston.org, rather than taking matters into their own hands.
SIM Boston Co-Chairs and Leaders:
SIM Boston leaders, either elected or appointed, have the additional responsibility to manage SIM Boston activities for the good of the Society as a whole, rather than any individual or organizational gain. This should be the foremost criteria when conducting SIM Boston business such as event planning, topic and speaker selection, communications to members, and selection of vendor partners/sponsors.
Participation at any level on a committee does not provide added opportunity to market to practitioners.
SIM Boston Sponsors:
SIM Boston Sponsors are an integral part of our chapter's ecosystem. Our chapter is appreciative of the sponsor’s willingness to devote resources and understands its obligation to give the sponsor appropriate exposure to the membership in accordance with established agreements. SIM Boston members are encouraged to show their appreciation to SIM Boston sponsors by taking an active interest in products and services that may be of use to them.
SIM Boston has an established sponsorship model that is based upon non-intrusive marketing allowing practitioners to solicit information voluntarily from each other as well as sponsors/vendors. This gives the SIM Boston member the choice to visit booths, pick up promotional materials, and interface with sponsors in a way that best suits their needs. All signage, advertising, formal promotions, speaking engagements, and events are expected to be in good professional taste and are subject to SIM Boston pre-approval.
SIM Boston limits participation in this program and is careful to select reputable partners that provide intellectual value on topics of interest to our membership and show they can cooperate in the demeanor expected in this Code of Conduct. SIM Boston values these partnerships not just because of their financial contributions to our Mission, but more importantly due to their intellectual contribution.
SIM Boston Speakers:
Effective speakers are critical to the success of SIM Boston’s program offerings. SIM Boston genuinely appreciates the willingness of experts to share their insights and experiences in a positive, open way. Speakers are expected to provide content of primary value to the audience rather than the presenter’s organization. This applies to all speakers who volunteer their time or are paid a fee or honorarium.
Speakers are welcome to proudly discuss accomplishments of themselves and their organizations, if it is part of a learning message. Direct sales pitches or marketing presentations that include one-sided promotion and/or competition bashing are not appropriate, regardless of the stature of the speaker. This same demeanor and professional courtesy is expected of the SIM Boston audience members that participate in commentary or question and answer sessions.
Copies of speaker’s slides at the speaker’s discretion, can be shared with the participants who have requested them through the SIM Admin staff. The slides should contain contact information for the attendees to contact any sponsors directly.
SIM Boston Academic Affiliations:
SIM Boston is glad to support reputable academic and not-for-profit organizations in our field, and from time to time will sponsor workshops, working groups and discussion forums in conjunction with them. SIM Boston does not support using these organizations as a front for personal commercial interests. SIM Boston members wishing to promote activities of academic or not-for-profit organizations should do so through the approval of the SIM Boston Board officers.
SIM Boston Professional Alliances:
SIM Boston has and will continue to reach out to other professional organizations where we mutually gain strength and synergy. This applies to vertical alliances with other technology-based professional organizations, as well as horizontal alliances with groups similar to SIM Boston representing other key functional activities within a company.
While SIM Boston respects the rights of these professional organizations to operate under their own codes of conduct, it is expected that members and affiliates of those organizations will operate under the SIM Boston Code of Conduct when participating in jointly held events or in informal networking with SIM Boston members as a result of the alliance.