--- title: "The Building Blocks of a Great Place to Work" id: "61403" type: "post" slug: "the-building-blocks-of-a-great-place-to-work" published_at: "2022-07-18T17:00:35+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:08:15+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2022/07/18/the-building-blocks-of-a-great-place-to-work/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2022/07/18/the-building-blocks-of-a-great-place-to-work.md" excerpt: "The American Society of Clinical Oncology has had flexible schedules and results-oriented work in place since before the pandemic. The policies are the foundation for staff well-being and success in accomplishing ASCO’s mission." taxonomy_category: - "Operations" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » The Building Blocks of a Great Place to Work Part of the Deep Dive[No Going Back](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/no-going-back-remaking-the-association-workplace/) If the culture at the American Society of Clinical Oncology were to be given a meme catchphrase, it would likely be “They [understood the assignment (opens in a new tab)](https://www.intheknow.com/post/understood-the-assignment-tiktok/) .” Started by the TikTok crowd, the phrase generally conveys the idea of going above and beyond expectations. “We really strive to create what we hope is an exceptional place to work,” said Paula B. King, SHRM-SCP, chief human resources officer and vice president at ASCO. “We call our way of working ‘ASCO works.’ It has some tenets to it: It’s about how we interact with our colleagues, our members, our donors, our stakeholders. We make an effort to be cohesive, intentional, inclusive, action-oriented, empowered, trustworthy, and accountable for everything that we do.” Those core values come together in an approach to association management that prioritizes autonomy, flexibility, and feedback, with the goal of helping staff do their best work for the ASCO community. ### Pandemic-Ready Workplace Even before the pandemic, ASCO staff could work wherever they needed—including at home—to get work done. When COVID-19 hit, the organization had the tools in place to support fully remote work and help staff transition to it with ease, King said. “Our technology was in place to help us achieve that balance. Our employees already knew how to connect from home and were able to do so well ahead of the pandemic,” she said. Unlike many other organizations, ASCO has not required employees to return to the office as the pandemic eased. The office is open, but whether an employee comes in depends on the kind of work they need to do. “We all understand our way of working,” King said. “What’s important is how we are providing support to our customers, which are our members, our donors, our stakeholders. We leave it to our managers or supervisors, our employees, to handle their work in the best way that meets our members’ needs.” [Rasheeda Childress](https://associationsnow.com/author/rasheeda-childress/) Rasheeda Childress is a former senior editor at Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/rasheeda-childress/) Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## More in this Deep Dive - [A Workplace Focused on Results](https://associationsnow.com/2022/07/18/a-workplace-focused-on-results/) - [Building the Future With Maximum Flexibility](https://associationsnow.com/2022/07/18/building-the-future-with-maximum-flexibility/) - [New Rules to Support New Work Options](https://associationsnow.com/2022/07/18/new-rules-to-support-new-work-options/) - [A Skill-Set Revamp for Leaders](https://associationsnow.com/2022/07/18/a-skill-set-revamp-for-leaders/) - [How to Future-Proof Your Association](https://associationsnow.com/2022/07/18/how-to-future-proof-your-association-2/) - [Finding Remedies for Employee Burnout](https://associationsnow.com/2022/07/18/finding-remedies-for-employee-burnout/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/no-going-back-remaking-the-association-workplace/) ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Industry Partner Edition-Helping Associations Thrive in the Age of AIJuly 16, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/16/associations-now-presents-industry-partner-edition-helping-associations-thrive-in-the-age-of-ai/) - [VideoSkip the Search. 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