Code of Conduct for ISTM Officers and Leaders
Passed unanimously on 15 August 15, 2023 by the Executive Board, led by Gerard Flaherty, ISTM President (2023 – 2025). It was developed by the Policy and Procedures working group chaired by Anne McCarthy, President-elect.
ISTM expects the highest standards of conduct from its Officers and Executive Board members.
ISTM is an international association with a globally diverse membership which spans many countries. Different nationalities bring diverse cultural standards and expectations to their membership of the organization.
ISTM Structure
ISTM was formed in 1991 to promote high levels of education, qualification, and the practice of travel medicine. To that end, a biennial international conference, travel medicine update and review courses and examinations became mainstream components of its activity. The biennial international conference applies particular funding and staffing stresses to the organization, with a year of preparation followed by the more intense activity of the conference year.
In 1995 GeoSentinel was founded as a joint enterprise with CDC Atlanta as a global network of surveillance centers, in which ISTM members also became Site Directors. It was jointly funded by ISTM and a USA Department of Health and Human Services grant (HHS). In 2022, an active research arm was added to GeoSentinel activity, also funded by an HHS grant. GeoSentinel is administered by the Office of the Principal Investigator (OPI) and is assigned staff members by the ISTM Secretariat for administrative support. The ISTM Professional Team also assign working time in varying proportions to GeoSentinel activity, but remain primarily answerable to the Executive Director and Secretary-Treasurer of ISTM.
Relationships between the Executive Board and GeoSentinel OPI
The Principal Investigator and Surveillance and Research Officers of GeoSentinel are appointed by the ISTM Executive Board.
All changes in the GeoSentinel work allocation of the Professional Team staff desired by the OPI are first discussed with, and approved by the Executive Director and Secretary-Treasurer before they are enacted.
The Professional Team
The ISTM staff are the direct responsibility of the ISTM Executive Director and Deputy Director. Staff members have specialist areas of expertise. ISTM ‘Policies and Procedures’ set out the ‘Whistleblower policy’. All staff members may raise concerns by direct access to the Executive Board which will normally take place after discussion with the Secretary-Treasurer unless the Secretary-Treasurer is the subject of potential complaint, in which case the staff may have direct access to the President.
The staff team has a work pattern which includes a constant flow of e-mail enquiries initiated in different time zones due to the international nature of the society. A two-year cycle of work results in high work demands leading up to the biennial CISTM meeting.
Leaders are defined as elected members of the Executive Board, elected Officers of the Society (the President, Past President and President Elect), appointed Officers of the Society (the Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Director), Chairs of ISTM Committees and Chairs of Professional/Interest Groups as well as members of the Office of the Principal Investigator of GeoSentinel, Site Directors and Co-Directors of GeoSentinel.
Effective leaders should cultivate self-awareness, ie, develop a personal understanding of how their style of interaction impacts on colleagues and subordinates. Effective leaders are willing to delegate important tasks and decision-making and seek to enhance their interpersonal skills and will develop a collaborative, respectful management style. Effective leaders are expected to always be respectful in their communications including verbal and written (eg, email). They will give constructive, effective feedback, delivered with cultural sensitivity, affirmation in a safe way (not publicly) and will work to strengthen the self-awareness of their colleagues.
ISTM Leaders therefore are expected to manifest the following qualities:
Respect
Leaders will respect the equality represented within ethnic and gender diversity, and the varying cultural and faith backgrounds. Leaders are expected to be respectful in their understanding of the challenges facing staff and to treat the secretariat in a professional manner.
Courtesy
Leaders will be professional, understanding, and courteous in all their dealings with their fellow leaders and staff members.
Self-control
Leaders will restrain themselves from open expression of anger and frustration. Harassment and bullying behavior will not be tolerated.
Honesty
Effective leaders are expected to be honest in all dealings with their colleagues.
Empathy
Empathy means the ability to feel what it is like to be in the shoes of another individual, particularly when a colleague or staff member is dealing with stressors in their personal life . It takes practice to achieve empathetic skills but is essential for good working relationships. Journeying towards greater empathy is essential for effective leaders.
Handling Miscommunications and Perceived Errors
Where perceived errors or miscommunications occur, the leader should identify the problem with the individual and assist the staff member or fellow leader to seek constructive solutions. If a behavior is recurrent or there is no improvement and line management intervention is required then notification of the Executive Director, Secretary-Treasurer, or Chair of the Executive Board should occur privately. The appropriate steps deemed by ISTM leadership will be taken to address the issues raised. Note, public humiliation (verbally or by email) of a staff member or other members of ISTM will not be tolerated and will be addressed by the Executive Board.
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