President's Message

The GOOD Network had a great 2015!  

2015 successes to celebrate include these and more:

• GOOD  has 48 corporate/159 individual members. 
  
• About 550 attended the great programs at Goodwill.
• 2016 programs are scheduled for a year of growth. 
• GOOD financial position is strong; but membership renewals provide for our speakers and meals. 
• GOOD doing good debuted with 2 volunteer events.
• We had a successful social event for members.  
• The highlight of the year was winning the Outstanding Regional Network Award at ODN      (The Organization Development Network).

Thank you for making the GOOD Network great!  Your active participation and support are highly valued.  Together let’s welcome 2016 and the GOOD 2016 volunteer leadership team!  

Happy Holidays,

Vicki

Are you as amazed as I am that 2015 is drawing to a close?  What a GOOD year it has been so far, and more still to come!

Friday we completed our second GOOD doing good event supporting our amazing host and partner Goodwill.  It is a wonderful program to encourage reading by young children. 

Goodwill schedules volunteer readers in elementary classrooms, and then provides each child with their very own book from Goodwill! 

Should you have books that your children or grandchildren have outgrown, please consider donating them by bringing them to the next GOOD meeting. 

We will have a donation bin near registration for books or any personal or household items that you may bring to donate.  What an easy way to serve our community and support the mission of Goodwill; providing jobs.

So far this year we have renewed our commitment to diversity in our presenters and in our workplaces.  We have learned how to show the return on the investments that our clients make, ensuring our continued influence.

We once again marveled at the talents among our members at our annual best practice meeting.  And we took a fresh look at meeting design to ensure meetings that we lead are highly effective and efficient.

Dr. Charlene Rousseau will lead us October 16 focusing on Coaching for Performance: Leader as Coach.  We are looking forward to a very interactive learning experience, and we are counting on you to participate with us.

Another important event at our October meeting: we will be voting on the GOOD Leadership Team for 2016!  We are delighted to begin the leadership transition process earlier to allow for an enhanced learning and communication process. 

Your vote is important, and you will want to meet our new Leadership Team.  We do still have openings for volunteers in 2016!  Or start considering if  perhaps 2017 will be your year to contribute to GOOD as a leader.

Thank you for your support and your feedback, which gives us direction to continue to craft GOOD to meet your professional development, service, and networking goals.  Our members are the network that makes it GOOD!

We look forward to seeing you at GOOD on October 16^th.

Thank you for being a part of GOOD,

Vicki

July 12, 2015

What an amazing presentation by GOOD Members at our Annual Best Practices program in June!  Seven OD professionals taught us and inspired us with their areas of expertise in the profession we love.  If you have not presented for GOOD members (previously or lately), please start now to consider speaking next June.  The most challenging part of this meeting is selecting from so many terrific topics submitted!

Speaking of 2016, surely you realize that 2015 is now past the half way mark.  Again in August members will have the opportunity to speak to current and past GOOD LT members about leadership roles in 2016.  We will do our best to give you a ‘realistic job preview’; along with all we have gained from the privilege of guiding the GOOD Network to and through another amazing year of growth and success.

Chuck Mallue will guide our thinking about meetings at our August 14 GOOD meeting.  Imagine the pressure on the leader of a meeting where meeting effectiveness is the topic!  Since OD practitioners are known for focus on processes and continuous improvement, this meeting will meet our needs.  Consider the return on investment for your client group when you lead more effective meetings!

Thank you to GOOD Network founders who had a vision for OD professionals in the Orlando area.  Thanks to their vision and hard work, and the work of all the GOOD Leadership Team members since then, we have an incredibility opportunity to learn and teach, to mentor and to be mentored, to serve and to be served, to network and to build relationships.  What a gift from former and current leaders!

See you in August,

Vicki Lavendol, SPHR

This annual program is a success each year as we GOOD members are share their best practices with us.  The roster this year looks amazing again; keeping us all thinking OD!

We always leave this meeting truly impressed with the talents and expertise of our members.  We look forward to seeing you there!  It's not too late to register (hint, hint).

Friday will also be a chance for you to speak directly with our Leadership Team members about their roles and their teams.  Please consider if you would like to step up to a leadership role in GOOD in 2016; roles come in all sizes.

Please let myself or any member of our Leadership Team know how we can best support you?  Our team feels privileged to represent GOOD members in 2015. 

See you Friday to learn from GOOD members,

Vicki

Dr. Jack Phillips was amazing April 24 as he gave a high level overview of the process to calculate ROI on OD initiatives in organizations.  Reaction, Learning, Application, Impact, ROI are all valuable levels of evaluation addressed; ROI conservatively reports the value of OD in the language of CEOs and CFOs. 

Because Jack literally wrote the book (actually many books) on ROI he supports any industry, sector, or non-profit organization with actual case studies where the methodology was successful applied.  

Jack generously provided all attendees with a customized ROI workbook for GOOD and process maps of the ROI methodology.  He even provided every attendee with a copy of his book written specifically for our profession: Measuring the Success of Organization Development.  Several attendees received additional books from the library Jack brought to Orlando specifically to share with the GOOD Network.

The ROI Institute is offering the ROI Certification in Orlando May 18-22.  For details, please click on Workshops and Conferences page on the GOOD website.  GOOD members and guests receive a 30% discount on this 5 day certification that will change how you think about your work and your organization.  You will successful articulate the value of OD interventions in dollars.  Career enhancing!

May 2 our first ‘GOOD doing good’ event was a great success!  12 members and guests served 36 hours at A Gift for Teaching.  What a great feeling to serve great non-profit organizations that need volunteer support!  What a great way to build relationships with other GOOD members; doing good in Orlando!

June brings our annual Best Practice event.  This is a member and guest favorite program each year as we learn what GOOD members are doing successfully, directly from them!  These are snapshots of practices, initiatives, interventions, and data gathering.  We always leave this meeting truly impressed with the talents and expertise of our members.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Best wishes for the end of the school year, and the Memorial Day weekend to make summer official!  Please let myself or any member of our Leadership Team know how we can best support you?                  

Our team feels privileged to represent GOOD members in 2015.  We are already thinking about 2016!  Please consider if you would like to step up to a leadership role in GOOD in 2016; roles come in all sizes.

See you in June, 

Vicki

Our first GOOD meeting of 2015 with Stephon Williams was inspiring.  Reflecting on diversity helped us realize how far we have come and how far we have to go in terms of personal, professional, and ethical responsibilities. Our GOOD Book Club is reviewing one of the books that Stephon recommended at their meeting on April 9.

Our first networking and social event in March was a good time.  We enjoyed getting to know our gracious Goodwill partners, new and prospective GOOD members, and members of the 2015 leadership team; no program involved! 

Plan to join us for the "GOOD doing Good'' Community Service project on May 2.  We would like to be known for the GOOD we do in our community.  

On April 24, GOOD Network is privileged to have Jack and Patti Phillips address us.  They are renowned for their work on ROI.  As OD professionals, proving the ROI of our work can be one of the most challenging aspects of our work.  Register now; we expect to be at capacity for this practical event.

Reach out to your leadership team anytime you have GOOD ideas to share, and please consider sharing your best OD practices at our June 12 meeting.  See you April 24.  Thanks for being a part of the GOOD community!

 Vicki

2015 is here, and GOOD is ready!  Thanks to the invaluable perspectives offered by our members in August 2014, we have clear direction for our future.  

If you missed it, members led, facilitated, and offered insights on GOOD purpose, meetings, programs, offerings, and leadership.  Some recommendations were implemented in 2014; with others ahead in 2015. 

My primary responsibility is to keep us focused on your recommendations for future success. Our talented and enthused Leadership Team is fully committed to executing your great ideas.   

I welcome your feedback at any time; directly to me or to any of our Leadership Team Board Members.  Our goal this year is to serve you well in 2015.

You won't want to miss our February speaker who is everything our members requested!  Plus meet our LT members.  I look forward to seeing you there. 

Vicki

 

Closing out a great year!

Whew!  That’s my final word on 2014.  Almost 12 months ago we embarked on a new year full of possibilities for our organization, and indeed the year has not failed to deliver.  In addition to a great lineup of speakers and programs, we hit the pause button to give you, our members, an opportunity to weigh in on the future of the GOOD Network. Your participation and insight has been invaluable to the leadership team and has given us the fuel we need to reshape our team and committees to support an expanded membership experience that is now poised for the future.  

As I depart my position as co-president, I must say how grateful I am to have been afforded the opportunity to serve such a dynamic and engaged membership!  Your professional commitment to the OD community is inspiring and your enthusiasm for the meaningful work we do embodies the spirit of our GOOD Network organization.  I look forward to serving on the advisory board in 2015 and seeing you all in our bi-monthly meetings. 

Laura

Yes, Laura, it was a “whew” year!  I am so excited about the coming years for GOOD, based on all of the great ideas and palpable energy from the members. Many thanks to Pat Brown for stepping back into the VP Programs role this year, and providing us with a terrific lineup of programs. Thanks also to Bill Fowler for stepping back into the VP Membership role for 2014.  And to Kathryn, Michelle, Steve Humphries and Goodwill – thank you for your hospitality at the bi-monthly meetings. Carol Emmett kept her dual hat as Treasurer and Website manager even while vacationing overseas – what a commitment. And Erica, Steve, and Jerry – a pleasure serving with you and learning from your wise insight.  Kristin – you rock as a recruiter. You all have done a LOT of work and Laura and I are so grateful.

What excites me most are all of you who have expressed an interest in being part of the GOOD leadership for 2015.  So many of you volunteered, and there is no doubt in my mind that great things are ahead for GOOD next year.

I so appreciate the opportunity to serve as a co-President with Laura, and to work with this exceptional leadership team. Working with Vicki and Laura on the Large Group Intervention process was great, and the whole year has been a wonderful learning experience for me. It’s been a lot of fun as well.

On to 2015!

Carol

That’s right – the GOOD network is for you and needs you! 

This is the season to begin thinking about the coming year leadership – who will step up to take GOOD to the next level.

This year, 2014, is turning out to be a year of reflection and research on the future role of the GOOD Network.   The Network is 11 years old, and as fast as the world changes, we are executing on the vision that was launched over a decade ago.  Is it still the right vision?  Perhaps.  But as OD practitioners know, leadership has to reflect and refresh in this time of constant change.

In August we will come together to ask and answer some fundamental questions about the GOOD Network – today and in the future.  The Leadership Team will use that reflection to guide us in validating or refreshing our vision and mission.

One thing that is abundantly clear now, however, is the need for an engaged membership who actively participates in the work of the Network.  In 2013, we restructured the Leadership Team using a Committee structure in order to involve more members in the programs and processes. 

For the 2015 Leadership Team, we need organizational officers and committee members who will step up, share the work, and strengthen our infrastructure.

We need YOU!

Being part of a non-profit Board or Committee is a great learning experience.  It puts you in the critical position of leading policy, finance and operations.  In the field of OD, we don’t often get that vantage point but we need it to understand what our clients are experiencing. 

Please consider volunteering for a leadership role in 2015.

From Laura

What’s on my mind …

What a fabulous start to our year!  I hope you are one of the fortunate ones who attended our first GOOD Network meeting in February.  Ron Piccolo from Rollins provided an engaging and enlightening session on “Influencing without Authority”.  If you missed it, first, we missed YOU, but I am glad to say that all members have access to Ron’s presentation, available on this website.  I know I came away with a new interest in the subject and have started listening to choice of words to better understand other’s psychological needs.  Well done, Ron!  Well done, leadership team, for the work behind the scenes that resulted in a flawless event.  My thanks to all! 

March…hints of our Florida Spring (lovely); the Flower and Garden Show at Epcot (fun); and that (blasted) lost hour as we turn the clocks forward.  So what is my level of engagement with the change of losing this hour every year?  I am what I would term a “sulkier.”  I do it, but I don’t like it much.  I will debate against any value statement.  I will dread it.  I will be grumpy and need more coffee in the mornings.  I will endure because I must, but I will never be a champion for the change because I see little benefit to me or anyone else.  I might even actively campaign against it (…as evidenced by this message!)

If you’re in the midst of a stalled change effort in your organization, you might want to get a pulse on the level of support among the rank and file.  Leaders can advocate or demand compliance, but it is definitely an uphill battle.  In fact, emotional inertia around a change effort can kill it entirely.  It’s our job in OD to ensure regular, periodic check-ins with stakeholders so that the “What’s in it for me” never gets lost in the inevitable shuffle of change.  If we are really good at this, we may find fewer sulkers, and even convert a few to champions.

From Carol

What’s (not) on my mind…I have no mind right now – I think I packed it in a box.  You see, my family is relocating to beautiful St. Augustine.  Yes, I will stay active with GOOD, and am proud to do so.  This is a great organization and I enjoy every aspect of being a member.  And heck, it’s only a 2 hour drive.

What a terrific kickoff to 2014 we had, with Dr. Piccolo’s presentation and a huge group of attendees.  It blew me away that we had to bring in a couple extra chairs, as the crowd was so big. 

As I read Laura’s note, I thought, what a testament to complementary co-Presidents.  I love….I really mean love….change.  Put me in a process and by golly, I’ll change it.  Put me in a process and tell me I can’t, and I will wander around looking for something else to change.   But my change-resistant co-President is absolutely right.  When change happens in an organization, every single person needs to have the opportunity to touch it, feel it, experience it, vent about it and ultimately make the choice to support it or not.  Every single person, and yes, it is their choice (but sometimes we need to help them make it.)  Let’s multiply that by the fact that, as you can tell from Laura and me, everyone’s tolerance for change is different.  And that’s what keeps us OD folks in business.  We are the eyes and ears of “what’s really happening,” with the tools and resources to intervene.

April promises, like these recent beautiful Spring days, to be an outstanding program.  We are looking forward to seeing you there.