Kelly M. Willenberg (kelly@kellywillenberg.com) is President and CEO of Kelly Willenberg LLC in Greenville, SC.
My father is celebrating his 50th year of square-dance calling, which is a significant milestone, because square dancing is not as popular as it once was. As a child, I have etched in my mind when he first picked up a microphone and began his craft. As a square dancer, I realize it takes eight people in a square to perform movements to the rhythm of the music for the dance to be completed. Today I see the “research square dance” in numerous settings across sites, sponsors, and contract research organizations (CROs), where the precision of working together is the key to success. A caller is the person who prompts the dance figures on the dance floor during a tip. Today, we need “callers” to take the lead in our research square dance just as my father has for 50 years.