President's Message

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.

What's on my mind ... (Laura)

January – it really is here, isn’t it?  Last year I alluded to the flip of a calendar page, and suddenly we are two weeks out from that event.  Have you gotten used to writing (or typing or texting) “2014” yet?  The start of a new year indicates fresh beginnings, and so as we roll out an exciting year of new speakers and events for our membership, I hope you will not have to miss a single one. 

I’m currently working with a cohort of 35 mid-level leaders in a 12 month development program.  It is immensely satisfying to watch these leaders responding to content and seeing them take on professional development as a serious commitment.  One critical success factor for any development program inside an organization is that is must be aligned with the mission, culture, and work processes of the organization.   You might have a fabulous leadership development program based on best practice, solid research, and organizational analysis, but if it is not reinforced by these organizational elements, it will fail.  Alignment…respects the visible and the intangible frameworks within the organization. 

So I’ve been thinking about alignment (can you tell?)  I want these leaders to think more deeply as they mature in leading others, and so this term “internal alignment” has bubbled up.  I must preface the next few statements with the disclaimer that this is surely not a new construct, but simply an articulation of some personal ideas about alignment.

My thought is that internal alignment is a state of meaningfulness that is achieved when one’s work and life is aligned with one’s personal mission and values. When you are satisfied down to your core through the work in which you are engaged, then you know you have internal alignment.  Conversely, if what we are doing is not supporting our personal mission (which is founded on our personal beliefs and values), then we need to put a plan in place to move us to where this will be possible.  Paraphrasing Steven Covey, no one wants to be the person who discovers late in life that they have spent years getting to the top of a ladder that turns out to be leaning against the wrong building.

I hope this New Year finds you solidly and completely internally aligned, and that this year will be one of great contribution for you.  Dust off that personal mission statement, or get busy writing one – and ensure that your ladder is indeed leaning against the right building.

What's on my mind ... (Carol)

Alignment….I love it.  While my focus has been, and will continue to be, on breaking down silos in organizations, that really is the essence of alignment.  How can you have alignment if people are thinking in swim lanes without intentionally aligning ideas, projects, technology and focus?

I am very excited about this GOOD year, and our Leadership Team that is focused on bringing value to our members.  We have taken your survey feedback to heart, and hope to have some new concepts in meetings and networking to unveil, along with the traditional outstanding guest speakers and relevant topics.  Our first 2014 Leadership Team meeting was full of energy, and some great ideas.  Should be a great year!

It is fun being co-President with Laura.  So far, it’s been a great partnership, and with help and guidance from Pat and the Advisory Group, we should survive our co-Presidency for 2014.

As always, please let either of us know if there is anything you feel we could do to make certain that your membership adds the value to your professional development that we hope it does. 

Happy New Year!!!

Musings from Laura...

Excited!  Engaged!  Wouldn’t you love to hear those words come out of your mouth when someone asks you about your work? It seems what I heard myself say as I dashed to the finish line of 2013 is a different “e” word...exhausted!  While I am fully aware that the divide between 2013 and 2014 is just a flip of a calendar page, there is something satisfying about checking off the final tasks of a year, winding down over the holidays, and leaning into the promise of a new year.

To Pat and the 2013 leadership team, WELL DONE.  Thank you for setting the stage for 2014 and all the hard work that made 2013 such a great year for our organization!  Your commitment and dedication carries on in 2014, and I know Carol and I will be relying on your experience and expertise throughout 2014.

When it comes to GOOD and 2014, I AM excited and engaged! First, it will be the advent of the new leadership model for our organization with two of us sharing the role of president. I am a huge proponent of the model.  In the lives of busy professionals, being able to share in the workload is definitely a win for GOOD and a win for the co-leaders, and hopefully will allow more people to step up in the future.  As the first pair through, Carol and I will do our best to work out the kinks!  

Second, it looks like we’re going to have a great year of programs in 2014.  I can’t say a lot more until things are firmed up, but I believe the speakers and programs will be, well, exciting and engaging!

More Musings from Carol...

Laura said the THANK YOUs well to Pat and the 2013 Leadership Team, and I add my voice as well.  Each of the 2013 programs was excellent, with relevant content and terrific speakers.  We have a tough act to follow.  But I applaud the efforts that went into designing the new leadership structure, and believe it is a perfect way to share the workload and the excitement as the organization continues to grow.  

Our new VPs and their committees will be bringing new programs, communication and membership processes to make sure that the GOOD network continues to evolve and provide value to the members.  Laura and I would like to thank these folks in advance for what we know will be great work!

It has been great getting to know Laura, and learning from Pat, and I think the concept of co-presidency is off to a great start.  As Laura said, there will be kinks, so we ask your forgiveness now for any “kinkiness” you may experience.

GOOD is an amazing organization, with one of the more active and involved membership I’ve seen in a professional organization.  Laura and I will do our best, along with the rest of the leadership team, to continue the fantastic heritage.

Here’s to 2014!

Where has the year gone?  It seems like just a few minutes ago that I was introducing myself as the 2013 GOOD Network President.  

Here we are, well into November.  And what a year it has been!  Record numbers in our membership.  Large and energetic attendance at our meetings.  Good, engaging, compelling speakers, including our very own at the June Best Practices session.  More volunteering than ever to help in leadership roles with an eye on 2014.  Classy, quality people throughout the GOOD Network.  

It has been great to be along for the ride.  Those of you who know me (and by now, I think that's most of you!) know that I have enjoyed being your President.  In fact, it has been so much fun that I won't go away in 2014.  I look forward to passing the baton to co-presidents Laura Newcomer and Carol Anderson.  They bring with them experience and insight that can only build upon what has already been done.  And they will have a lot of help!

I can't avoid mentioning our wonderful hosts, those at Goodwill who make our meetings run so smoothly in the terrific facility they provide for us.  I look forward to seeing all of you there for networking, fellowship, and Scott Tannenbaum on December 13.

Pat Brown

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE