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A recent privilege to work with an organization trying to move their strategic efforts forward resulted in the following note when we sent them the tightly distilled, one-page version of their plan (excerpted and adapted to the purposes of this blog post):
Topics: organizational development, wheel forward or spiral downward, strategic planning methods, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, Organizational Leadersehip, Executive peer-based advising, one-page planning
The following is a presentation made this past week at the Christian Leadership Alliance's Conference in Dallas, TX. It was part of a summit on Steward Leadership. Portions of what you will find below include input from summit participants.
Topics: process consulting, Foundations of resource raising, fiscal responsibility, board development, Christian Leadership Alliance, Stewardship Development, steward leader, stewardism, denominational funding, associational systems, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, Fiscal Health, Executive Development, Five Stewardship Confusions,
Over the years, we've turned, repeatedly, to the subject of Steward Leadership, especially as articulated in Scott Rodin's book on the Steward Leader. I've been privileged to support this work through some writing contributions to other titles:
Topics: process consulting, it begins with design, Matthew Thomas, steward leader, stewardism, organizational development muse, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, David Van Winkle
We recently hosted a conversation on millennials in the manufacturing workplace and posted the notes from those proceedings here. It sparked some significant response and a wide amplification across a variety of market sectors. It also prompted the following response from Sterling Balstead, GM of the Minnesota facility for Engineered Pump Systems (full disclosure: I serve on the board of the company):
I hired three young engineers in the last two years and work with them daily. Previously, I worked with two other engineers who were 26 and 33 years old. I am [personally] right on the edge of this conversation at 36.
When I think about our younger employees I see we need to engage and work with them differently than older generations, or hold on and hope they change into their grandparents. Our company is used to employees who like or at least tolerate “8 hours per day + lots of overtime and few questions”---“nose to the grind stone”. It also seems important for these same people to “start on time every day”. Overtime seems to be proof of character[upon which] one can build identity. Another obstacle we face is the length of time it takes to train our engineering team. It takes 2+ years of employment to build the competency some of our current white collar job descriptions require, which I imagine is typical of small service based companies. This is a big deal given millennials seem willing to change jobs, locations, and maybe career paths more easily than previous generations. The younger generation seems to desire looser work schedules, working from home, and protecting personal time. I understand and admire some of these concepts.
Your conversation notes seem to highlights millennials liking well communicated goals and performance reviews. It also states they are jaded. I wonder if this is what non-millennials perceive when millennials are trying to make sense of “why” we are so rigid. To reframe the entire conversation positively, millennials may be asking: “who cares what road we take as long as we get to the final destination on time”.
This GM, Sterling Balstead, is paying attention, thinking about the changes needed rather than resisting the tide, and moving forward--not just in technical innovation, but with personnel recruitment and workplace consideration.Topics: process consulting, organizational development, Process Consultation, Organizational Leadership, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, leadership development methods,, millennials in the workforce, Millennials and manufacturing
The Convene Team I chair is blessed with the perspective of several manufacturers. After some recent case studies regarding hiring and some content on millennials in the workplace, it was noted that a great deal of the content they had come across didn't provide practical solutions for manufacturers seeking to hire and engage millennials. Most of the illustrations pointed to other industries like tech, health and service, perhaps more suited to flexible hours, a team culture and a quick succession of challenges. Finding there to be a virtual des
ert of ideas, we decided to gather senior leaders from several companies and pool experiences and ideas to see what might develop. What follows below is a summary of a conversation held on 18 October 2016, in Grafton, Wisconsin, at UFS.
Topics: process consulting, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, Convene Teams,, millennials in the workforce, Millennials and manufacturing
Topics: organizational development muse, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, organizational leaders, Peer-based advising, CEO peer-based advising,, executive leader development
Topics: process consulting, organizational development, the art of agreement, leadership arts, organizational development muse, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, organizational decision making, group process, group discernment, executive learning, polarity management
In anticipation of a new rash of these letters, we repost one of our favorites originally published in 2010.
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Each spring Lorie and I receive about thirty requests to help people we know with their missions trip or service project by making a contribution. We give to one or two each year, usually because we believe in a young person’s potential and want to assist their formative experiences.
But each spring we also marvel at the inefficiency of these projects, the cultural mis-assumptions they perpetuate, how much they seem like mere tourism, and whether there is any real religious or humanitarian benefit. Not that we are opposed to people traveling and gaining experience. We would, however, support a better way should one emerge.
Topics: Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, Whorled Viewz, Fundraising, fund raising, missions trips, peace and justice, service
The shoreline of the Mediterranean sea can be seen from the right side of the jet I’m riding in as I write this. It is beautiful, even from this height.
Topics: process consulting, organizational development firm, leadership arts, organizational development muse, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, executive leader development
Adapted from the previous Design Group International publication The Appriser in 2010.
Topics: Process consultation and design, leadership succession, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, executive leadership development,, business success, leadership legacy
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