ODNC Beacon Volume 1, Issue 3 May 1, 2003 Editor’s Welcome ODN Chicago and its Board lost a long-standing, well-loved member on March 19. Marcia Liebrecht was Secretary/Treasurer of the ODNC Board as well as a first- rate consultant and a friend. We’re grateful to Tom Fahy for sharing his memories of her, below. The Board elections are complete and we have a terrific team, guaranteed to add new energy to the great things ODN Chicago is already accomplishing. See who they are on page 3. We have some stimulating articles inspired by recent ODNC events. Read articles inspired by: Peter Koestenbaum, Page 2 Barry Johnson, Page 4 Jim Gilmartin, Page 5 Ed Johnson and Dick Whitney, Page 8 Finally, this issue introduces two new features. Learn about upcoming events in the area in Our Members Recommend... on Page 6 and meet our newest members on Page 10. I hope you find it all interesting and valuable. -Christine Buss, Editor Reflections in Memory of Marcia Liebrecht I have known Marcia since 1999. I came to know her first in her role as an executive, later when she was a graduate student at Loyola University Chicago and eventually as a colleague, consultant and organization development professional. Over the years, I came to know Marcia as a good friend. Marcia was a natural leader in every arena of her in life. She had abundant energy, passion, intellect, spirit and a generous, loving heart. As an executive, Marcia had high standards. She expected the people around her to be competent and she expected results. More importantly - she expected high integrity from those around her. Marcia stood up for what she believed and told the truth about her experience -- and she expected others to do the same. Marcia was known for her ability to challenge the process and to hold others accountable for the commitments they made, but equally as well for her ability to inspire the respect, love and loyalty of those around her. Many of us knew Marcia’s strong commitment to fairness and justice and we also knew the very tender part of Marcia that had a soft spot for the "underdog." She was a mentor and role model for many of her colleagues. Many people who worked with or for Marcia over the years became lifetime friends. Marcia held an MBA from the University of Chicago which served her very well in her years as an executive. As she began to contemplate the next phase of her career, she discovered that she wanted to learn more about organizational psychology and leadership and how to help organizations achieve the results they needed while maintaining a healthy environment for human beings. She came to Loyola University Chicago to do a second master’s degree in Organization Development. I had the privilege of being one of her teachers for several courses in the program and, as is often true with my adult students, I learned as much from her as she learned from me. One of the most wonderful things for me to watch was how Marcia allowed what she was learning to shape her as a person - as well as, a professional. She was open to questioning her own assumptions about how the world works and about life in general and she allowed her learning to help her engage with life in a new way. She had special affinity for books on human development, leadership and spirituality. Learning was feeding her soul which in turn would help her to nourish the world in her own unique way. Not surprisingly, Marcia quickly assumed a leadership role in the program and the larger organization development community. After she graduated the master’s degree program, she applied to and was accepted into the PhD program in social psychology. She was a natural born teacher and hoped to obtain a full-time teaching position at the university level - researching, writing and teaching in social psychology. Of course, anyone who has known Marcia for even ten minutes knows that academic learning alone wasn’t enough for her. She wanted to translate her learning into pragmatic action in the world. She had a compelling vision of the work she wanted to do - a clear sense of purpose and a quiet commitment to following that dream. Marcia took a number of risks in her life to ensure that she could do the work that she felt was important. I believe that Marcia saw her work as an extension of her unfolding spirituality - a true vocation. Marcia co-founded a consulting group at Loyola designed to help her colleagues get "real world" consulting experience while finishing their degrees. She was elected to the board of directors of the Chicago chapter of the National Organization Development Network, began to work almost immediately as consultant or coach in a variety of settings and co-created, along with Wendy Grossman, a leadership development program for executive and professional women. Marcia’s clients spoke not only of the depth and power of her work but also of her insight, integrity and authentic presence as a coach and consultant. Integrity, as always, was her hallmark. Over the years, we became friends. We often had dinner together and would spend hours talking about everything under sun from the latest news to the meaning of life. She often shared stories of her large and loving extended family and of her growing up years. It was clear to me that she very much loved her family and felt surrounded by their loving support. I remember especially well the joy and sense of fulfillment that Marcia experienced in her role as mother and grandmother. After Marcia was diagnosed with cancer last year, year, we talked about the possibility that it could be terminal. I asked her to talk a bit about how she was feeling on the inside and how I could best support her. She told me that she was optimistic and hopeful about her prognosis, but if the cancer was terminal, she would die with no regrets. She told me she had lived a rich and full life; that she knew she was loved and that she had loved. She said that her life was filled with abundance and that she was grateful for all that life had offered so far. I will never forget those words. As usual, Marcia was, in her courageous way of being - a true teacher - who, in a nutshell, said what it is ultimately all about. Loving and being loved. I am grateful for having been a small part of Marcia’s life and her circle of love. I will my miss my beautiful, soulful, courageous, powerful and loving friend. I pray for God’s blessings on Marcia, her family and all of us. - Tom Fahy Koestenbaum - Afterthoughts Peter Koestenbaum’s stimulating presentations on February 26 and 27 offered us a chance to encounter one of the deepest and most inspiring minds available to us today. Below, Barbara Golden describes Peter’s invitation to connect deeply with the material and with each other. Jim Weihrouch offers us a lighthearted way to remember the Leadership Diamond® and apply it to our lives. Koestenbaum’s Challenge When was the last time you measured the depth of your mind? Your conversations? Your responsibility? Peter Koestenbaum came to ODN Chicago to give us a framework for asking those questions. He has encapsulated his life work in what he calls the Leadership Diamond®, for the purpose of deepening leadership thought and the capacity for meaningful leadership conversations in business and in life. Peter has had six decades to consider these issues and put them in practice. He started as a young child fortunate enough to escape Nazi Germany in World War II. He has spent his life being educated in thought. Peter is a superior thinker and has won many awards for excellence in teaching. His Diamond is a brilliant confluence of early to current thought in philosophy, psychology, theology, and even music. Peter explains that the Leadership Diamond is for measuring the quality of our leadership, the depth, the profundity of our conversations, and it is for getting us away from superficial conversations to more profound conversations. His hypothesis is that the more profoundly you reach into the heart of the human psyche, the more effective you are, the more impact you have, the better hearing you will get, the more attention people will pay to you, and the more credibility you will have. The Leadership Diamond is a map of the leadership mind. It has continents, mountains, weather, valleys, rivers, cities, pollution, clean air, deep seas, shallow seas, animals, people, it’s a total map of the way your mind works. Peter asks, which parts of the map are illuminated for you, which are in the shadow, and which ones are in the dark? Which parts have you visited and which parts have you not yet seen? More interestingly, which parts of this map don’t you even know exist? That’s very useful, because you may say to yourself, "Maybe I should travel." And travel is what we are inspired to do with Peter’s work. - Barbara Golden (Tapes of Peter’s talk are available from ODNC (See page 4). Sounds True, www.soundstrue.com, also has recordings of Peter.) The Leadership Diamond® and The Wizard of Oz For those of us fortunate enough to hear Peter Koestenbaum’s inspiring talk about his Leadership Diamond® (see above) in February, I have thought of an easy and fun way to remember the four vertices of the diamond based on the movie classic The Wizard of Oz. While watching the movie The Wizard of Oz, I’ve thought the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion seek traits that would make a balanced person. The Scarecrow wanted a brain, the Tin Man, a heart, and the Lion wanted courage. While riding the train home after Peter Koestenbaum’s presentation, I realized the characters from the Wizard of Oz wanted the traits that were on the Leadership Diamond®. The Scarecrow’s desire for a brain represents the necessity for reality. The Tin Man wants a heart, or ethics, and the Lion wants courage. Before Koestenbaum’s talk though, I never thought about what Dorothy brought to the table. That night, I realized that Dorothy brought vision! She has the vision that she can get home. Along her journey to the Emerald City, she also has the vision that the three characters she picks up can get what they seek from the Wizard of Oz too. Dorothy can’t make the adventure alone; vision is not enough without a brain, a heart, and courage. As Peter Koestenbaum pointed out, sometimes we find a balance of these four traits between two leaders within an organization; often one person might not be strong in all four of the traits. Pitfalls and perils fill the adventure faced by the Dorothy and her band: nasty talking apple trees that throw their fruit, fireballs thrown by the Wicked Witch of the West, poppy fields, and flying monkeys. I’ll let you draw your own analogies to some of the business situations individuals and companies face today. The foursome also gets timely help from Glenda, the kind Witch of the North. Upon arriving in Oz for the first time, Dorothy and her crew appeal to the great and powerful Wizard for the traits they seek. The Wizard tries to get rid of them by sending them back on a seemingly impossible journey to get the Wicked Witch of the West’s broomstick. The group is successful, but when they come back to see the Wizard, they uncover him as a mere mortal man! However, the Wizard does have something to offer. The Wizard gives the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion trinkets symbolizing the traits they thought they were lacking. The irony is that each character already had the trait they sought; the Wizard just gives them permission to exhibit the trait by awarding ceremonial gifts. The Scarecrow already has brains; he is the one that comes up with the idea on how to get in the Wicked Witch of the West's castle when Dorothy is a prisoner. The Tin Man is actually kind and caring, even before he gets his heart. (I cannot remember a scene where the Lion is actually courageous before he gets his medal though!) Finally, Dorothy always had the ability to get home, just by tapping the red ruby slippers together. Could it be that many of us have the traits of ethics, courage, vision, and recognizing reality already within us, just waiting to flourish? The next time you have trouble remembering the vertices of the Leadership Diamond® (reality-brain, ethics-heart, courage, and vision), just think of the Wizard of Oz. If you can avoid it, don’t let someone send you off to get the equivalent of the Wicked Witch of the West’s broomstick-and don’t send anyone else off to get the broomstick either. Don’t go alone into the dark forest, but find others whose leadership strengths compliment your weaknesses. Finally, be like Glenda or the Wizard (after he’s uncovered as a mortal man) and help find and nurture those positive leadership traits within yourself and others. - Jim Weihrouch Jim Weihrouch is the author of Joy at Work. Jim’s email is JW2050@aol.com. ODN Chicago Board Election Results The results are in. We have a host of new Board members for ODN Chicago. The great news is, the Board has gotten a bit larger, with more people and more energy to continue to make ODN Chicago an organization full of life, learning, and opportunity. in the past year has been a lively one, including: The addition of regular suburban monthly meetings The start of this newsletter The first ever Impact Awards (applications available, see page x!) Several exquisite Special Events including the recent Barry Johnson Polarity Management The first two events, Bruce Mabee and Toni Hupp, in the new Skill Builder series of presentations by members Who knows what will be possible with the addition of this new energy?! In the list of Board members below, newly elected members are indicated with (two year term). Co-Presidents: Neesa Sweet (continuing) Joe Merton (two-year term) Secretary: Deborah Shearer (two-year term) Treasurer: Marilyn Carter (two-year term) Communications Team: Svea Christensen (two-year term) Jim Picard (two-year term) Kathryn Nathan (two-year term) Christine Buss (continuing) Learning Team: David Jewell (two-year term) Dennis Kleper (two-year term) Wayne Kriemelmeyer (two-year term) Lori Muehling (two-year term) Barbara Golden (continuing) Member Participation Don Kumler (two-year term) Jim Sweet (two-year term) Gina Wylie (two-year term) Community Service Ross Schifo (two-year term) Mentoring Malcolm Fraser (continuing) We congratulate the newly elected members! We also wish to thank those members of the Board who are retiring for all their contributions: Gabriele Eaton-kept monthly meetings flowing with great speakers Connie McKinley-kept the board honest by bringing a view that bridged the polarities Carol Michelini-acted as Alliance Rep and faithfully recorded board meeting minutes Trudy Scharaga-Popuch-staffed the welcome table at monthly meetings month after month And of course we say farewell to Marcia Liebrecht, who passed away on March 19, after contributing richly not only to our organization but to our hearts. - Christine Buss Polarity Management and OD Practice-ODN/C Special Event, March 28 "One of the first crucial steps in any change effort is to get clear which issues are problems to be solved and which are polarities to be managed." This simple, yet provocative and even revolutionary premise is the core concept of Polarity Management, Barry Johnson’s approach to OD consulting. Barry started Day 1 of his 2-day workshop by saying that lots of change efforts, strategic planning, etc. go wrong by systematically targeting a goal and trying to get there. That is, we don’t like a situation (e.g. customer dissatisfaction), we would like more of something else, (e.g. happy customers), we do a gap analysis (what needs to happen to get there), and boom, we go after it. But, if the goal we are pursuing is actually part of a polarity, the other end of which is important to us also (e.g. happy, rested staff), then we may not have the luxury of simply going after the one value. We may need to monitor an active process of keeping the two values in dialogue with each other. One of Barry’s real advances of the polarity concept is to teach that many values that we espouse actually also have a shadow side - the problems that get created when we pursue this end of the polarity too single-mindedly (e.g. burned out staff, lack of value-added service to the client when we slavishly pursue their preferences, when we fail to educate them if their goals are unrealistic or miss the underlying causes of the problem, etc.) Barry said that sometimes clients will realize how genuinely fearful they have been of the (unspoken and partly unconscious) negatives of a goal they’ve been single-mindedly pursuing (but somehow never been terribly successful at achieving). He said they often feel a kind of nausea when they realize how ambivalent they have been. But this painful confrontation with self makes possible truly meaningful, more complex change efforts. Barry has applied and is currently applying these sophisticated approaches to understanding the change processes of groups in conflict around the world - in South Africa, the Middle East and other locations where different cultures come into conflict over their differing visions of right and wrong. When people can come to realize that their respective cultures actually represent differing emphases on a polarity that needs to include both perspectives, mutual understanding can begin. Barry has also developed some very rich and sophisticated tools for analyzing and managing polarities. Some of these tools are available from watching the video of the day (see below), from Barry’s book, or through interactive Polarity Management CD training (details at polaritymanagement.com). Barry will be offering Day Two of his workshop on May 9, specifically focused on applying these principles to change efforts we are currently involved in. If you missed Day One, you’ll want to see the videotape (available from ODN Chicago, see this page) before Day Two. I attended Day One and I still intend to find a way to view this tape. The workshop was so content rich - including perhaps the most genuinely valuable use of PowerPoint slides I have yet experienced - that there was no way to absorb all the gems in one sitting. The organization is also planning to bring Barry back to repeat this cycle in the near future. I thought, before going into this workshop, that I knew pretty much all there was to know about polarities. After all, I received a lot of my OD training at the same Cleveland Gestalt Institute where Barry also was trained. But he has refined these tools to where they have a power and complexity I did not realize was possible. I am excited about Day 2 and encourage any of you who feel drawn to this approach to find ways to hang out with Barry and his wonderful, powerful approach to OD practice. - John Madden Tapes Available! Have you ever gone to an ODNC meeting and missed something a speaker said? Many of you have asked us to videotape presentations for just that reason. So we did. Just to see how this is going to work, we taped both Peter Koestenbaum and Barry Johnson. Peter Koestenbaum's packed house, you-could-hear-a-pin-drop talk includes a comprehensive introduction to his Leadership Diamond, his first person stories of its development and use, and the group’s fascinating discussion. Barry Johnson's sell-out Polarity Management Course included the kind of up- close-and-personal material you don't get in the book or the computer tutorial. Barry was spellbinding as he wove an introduction to the Polarity Management model and its use with stories of its application. Peter Koestenbaum Leadership Diamond $40 plus shipping (let us know if you'd rather pick it up) Barry Johnson Polarity Management $100 plus shipping for non-attendees $75 plus shipping for attendees at Polarity Management To purchase or for info, contact 773 561-4919 or odnchicago@aol.com. * Shipping costs may vary An ODR Perspective: Pain Drives Change Pain drives Change! Jim Gilmartin raised this principle in our January meeting on Strategic Thinking. Jim suggested attendees read Daryl Connor’s book, Managing at the Speed of Change. Given my familiarity with the contents of the book--and some of the body language I noticed in the room, I wanted to offer another voice on the subject. You may, or may not, agree with Connor’s position on change, but understanding it may offer new insights and tools for your toolkit. First, Connor’s work is grounded in understanding major organizational change- defined as a significant disruption to established patterns of expectations. The list of changes with the potential for being ‘disruptive’ is often long. Some are not always recognizable in advance. These changes can trigger dysfunctional behavior in individuals, work groups, teams, departments and whole organizations. The continuum for dysfunctional behavior runs from mild irritation and passive resistance to loss of life through suicide and violence in the workplace In Connor’s Managing Organizational Change (MOC) architecture, the change "solutions" (new computer system, reorganization, new/revised performance systems, merger, etc.) are referred to as remedies. Daryl indicates that organizational changes often fail because planners and implementers oversell the attractiveness of the remedy and do not concurrently balance the pain side of the change equation. Several OD practitioners, including ODN founding member, Richard Beckhard, have written about the need for dissatisfaction with the status quo as a prerequisite for change. In Connor vernacular, pain is defined as a critical mass of information that justifies breaking from the status quo. Pain can be current or anticipated. Examples: · What has worked in the past isn’t working now (or won’t work in the future). · An opportunity that could be realized is (or will be) at risk. · If you don’t lose weight, you are a candidate for heart disease. · Remember why you started your degree program. · We see consolidation in the industry coming within the next five years, and we want to manage the process versus be managed by the process. So we are putting the company up for sale. The last example was given as a pain message to a group of employees who were absolutely stunned at the idea of selling the family-oriented utility they had worked at for years. That particular pain message may have played well at the Board level, but it did not provide the motivation for thousands of employees to jump on board and move this change along. Dysfunctional behavior shortly followed. The amount and timing of the information required to engage and sustain individual, group, team and whole organization efforts over time varies by the frame-of-reference and pain tolerance of each level of an organization. For some people, the first message of the potential danger or opportunity is all that’s required. For others, they may not "hear" the message for a long time, if ever. For still others, the initial enthusiasm may recede over the long haul. Someone is needed to remind people of the answers to the why change question. Pain management is a key skill for advocates, change agents, and sponsors. Pain management is ‘the process of consciously surfacing and orchestrating key information over time in order to generate the appropriate level of pain to discontinue the status quo’. Think of this as the communication-planning-and- delivery process--ideally with a feedback loop directing subsequent actions. To some OD practitioners, Connor’s terminology is uncomfortable--even confrontational. However, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. If you look closely, the principles underlying the terminology can provide additional insights and tools for your change tool kit. Like Jim, I also recommend the book. Carol Lischalk is President of Creative Interchange Institute, Inc., a consulting and research organization specializing in organizational change, development, and renewal. She has used many of the ODR principles, approaches, and tools. She can be reached at 847.358.2100 or ciiclisch@aol.com. HELP WANTED-Alliance Representative Board Position Would you like to make connections with people across the whole OD/HR community in Chicago? Are you looking for a way to get involved in ODN/C and be part of what makes our organization great? ODN/C is one of six member organizations loosely referred to as The Alliance. Each Alliance organization has at least one delegate (a Board member) who acts as the liaison between the Alliance and his/her respective organization (in this case ODN/C). Our former Alliance representative, Carol Michelini, is retiring from the Board and we’re looking for someone who will join the Board and the Alliance and help ODN/C make the most of the potential for this powerful coalition. The Alliance Rep is responsible for representing ODN/C's goals, programs, and vision to the Alliance and looking for opportunities to partner with member organizations, as well as contributing to Alliance projects, like the current Career Development Day. (See page 7!) The rep also attends any meetings of the Alliance and reports back to the ODN/C Board. The six member organizations include CCASTD, ODN/C, CODE, CISPI, IACMP, and SHRP. If you like the idea of being a part of this coalition and finding ways to use it as a lever to help meet ODN/C’s goals (and your own networking goals as well!), please contact Carol Michelini for more information: Carol Michelini 847/492-8389 Cmichelini@hotmail.com Our Members Recommend... - Upcoming Programs in the Area We’ve added a new feature to the Beacon. Members have a chance to let the whole ODN Chicago community know about upcoming programs they might be interested in. We hope you find it valuable. Feedback welcome. -The Editors Mentoring Skills for Managers, by Perrone-Ambrose Associates Consider your current or upcoming mentoring program; learn mentoring exercises. Monday, May 5th 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $400. Call 312-466-2661 or ngorman@paamentoring.com Just Stories Nationally known storytellers focus on change, diversity and social justice. May 16-18, $40 Divine Word International, Techny, IL Details and advance tickets at 847-272-1100 or www.racebridges.net/juststories. International Gestalt Coaching Program Gestalt theory, concepts and methods to support coaching interventions Four sessions: June 9-13, 2003; July 28-31, 2003; Oct. 27-31, 2003; Feb. 16- 19, 2004. $7750. Gestalt Institute of Cleveland For information: www.gestaltcleveland.org/ptps/gx-intl-coaching.pdf, Ann Van Eron 312-856-1155 or 216-421-0468 Cultivating Yourself as An Instrument for Action, w/Stuart Heller Accelerate ability to create what you want in any given moment. June 13, 2003 9:00 - 5:00 p.m. $300. Sears Tower Conference Center, 33rd Floor, 233 S. Wacker Drive (at Adams, Franklin and Jackson) Call Jackie Sloane 773-465-5906 or jackiesloane@comcast.net Appreciative Inquiry for Organizational Change: Theory, Practice and Application Provides a solid grounding in the theory and practice of Appreciative Inquiry. September 21-25 1:00 - 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday thru Thursday Andersen Center for Professional Education, St. Charles, IL For further Information: Jim Ludema, 630-208-6507 or Jludema@compuserve.com Bernard Mohr, 207-874-0118 or bjmSynapse@aol.com To register: Karen Quigley at 207-761-4221 Career Development Day 2003 ODN Chicago in conjunction with the Chicago Chapter of the American Society for Training & Development (CCASTD) and Roosevelt University, cordially invite you to join is for Career Development Day 2003 Creative and innovative strategies for a thriving career! Benefits: Tactical and strategic advice from career pro’s that you can use - regardless of where you are in your career Learn about emerging employment trends, the impact on the local job market and your career prospects Actively network in large and small-group settings - facilitated by recognized experts Generate and receive over 1,000 ideas to market yourself and develop your career (and other takeaways) Refine or revitalize your resume - with the aid of our resume reviewers Check out the marketplace of ideas at the Vendor Expo Reconnect with old friends and colleagues Meet like-minded professionals from the unique consortium of disciplines we’ve assembled And best of all... focus on your career development while helping others do the same! Breakout Sessions: (Each breakout includes multiple sub-topics). · Career Planning & Development · Understanding and Clarifying Your Personal Goals · Communication Strategy & Impression Management · Personal Branding & Marketing (How to differentiate yourself in today’s marketplace) · Resume Writing Tips · Interviewing Techniques · Compensation & Negotiation Strategies Other Activities: · Panel Discussions on career development, employment trends and continuing education opportunities · Multiple Networking Activities This event will be held on Saturday May 10th at Roosevelt University’s Schaumburg campus. Registration information available online at http://www.ccastd.org/event-030510.html, or contact Oletta Reed ccastd@aol.com, (773) 561-0907. 2003 ODNC Impact Awards A Showcase of Compelling Organization Development Results You're doing some GREAT work... and it's time to let Chicago know it! Have you instituted an OD program at your company that produced important results? We’d like Chicago business to know it. The ODNC Impact Awards are an opportunity to showcase the great OD work in Chicago, to show the business community what a difference OD can make, and to give other OD-ers the chance to learn from your success. Applications are now available. Go on-line to www.odnetwork.org/odnc/2003Awards.htm to get an application form and then tell us about your accomplishments! Applications are due July 1. Applications will be judged by a diverse group of well-known internal, external, and university OD practitioners. We’ll recognize the best OD programs at an awards breakfast in October. Sponsored by: The Graham School, ODN Chicago, Benedictine University Special Event Barry Johnson Polarity Management Session 2 If you were at Barry Johnson’s first session on March 28, you know how wonderful it was and how valuable. If you weren’t, read all about it in John Madden’s article on page 4. Barry Johnson returns on May 9 for Session 2, in which the class will discuss the application of Polarity Management to situations they’re currently working with. Is it possible to attend Session 2 if I did not attend Session 1? Barry has asked that if you want to do so you either obtain and watch the video of the first session (see page 4 for how to order), or complete a tutorial, available for $75 through his website, www.polaritymanagement.com or 616-233-3291. Time: 8:30 am-4:30 pm Location: People's Energy, 130 E. Randolph St., 21st Floor, Chicago Cost: $99 To sign up: Contact ODN Chicago at (773) 561-4919 or odnchicago@aol.com Align for Competitive Advantage Ed Johnson and Dick Whitney presented a compelling case for aligning businesses internally and externally, at ODN Chicago’s March 26 and 27 meetings. In this article, Ed and Dick provide an overview, answering the question, "Why align?" Alignment could be the single biggest issue facing tomorrow’s successful businesses. Aligning the business internally (across departments, divisions, etc.) and externally (toward the marketplace) is no longer an option. It’s an "ante" and a requirement for businesses that strive for competitive advantage. This alignment crosses all types and sizes of business. The issues are the same, whether the business is a small or medium size local or regional business, or a global enterprise. Businesses that do not have either internal or external alignment are not truly functional. Their businesses are highly vulnerable to competitive pressures as well as their own internal development. They have a low probability of future success, if not survival. They need to re-examine their charter, mission, and approach-to-market with a clean sheet of paper. Good alignment makes good business sense to employees and customers. When they understand, feel, and experience proper alignment from a company good things usually happen. Some of these good things are improved employee engagement, morale and productivity. Additional benefits are increased customer loyalty, increased revenue, and decreased customer complaints. The following paragraphs describe the results of organizations that are internally focused, externally focused and that balance internal and external focus. Internal Orientation - Reactive The business that has a strong internal alignment, without the external marketplace alignment, thinks from the "inside out." They drive their go-to- market process from an internal orientation (business definition, product/service offerings, strategies, sales and marketing activities). Most of their business practices and customer activities and contact tend to be reactive. One such business is a southeastern textile manufacturer which makes a wide variety of products. They pride themselves on their organization structure, their buttoned-up processes, quality control and employee development. But they have never defined market potential and how to cover and optimize that opportunity. Today they find themselves with over capacity and a fuzzy understanding of tomorrow’s marketplace. External Orientation - Proactive Another category of business is aligned with their external marketplace, but is under-aligned internally. They drive their business from an external orientation. Most of their business practices and customer activities and contact tend to be proactive. These businesses often are driving new technologies or have a very successful sales organization. They run the risk of overextending internal organization, processes and support. Marketplace achievement can be short lived. A west coast technology company found that to be the case painfully. Their proprietary technology offerings for a while gave them a market share that was larger than the next three competitors combined. But they had not invested in infrastructure while the stakeholders were reaping the profits. By the time competitors caught up with their technology and offerings, collapse was around the corner. Internal & External - Market Leader Businesses that are aligned both internally and externally are poised for market leadership. They have an internal operation that is synchronized across all functions and levels within the organization. Their businesses are aligned with well defined and understood customer segments. Their charge is to understand how to become even more effective and how to drive to efficiency in investing resources. The risk to these businesses is falling back into a false sense of security, not seeing changes in the marketplace. It is imperative for their continued success to track and trend changes for action initiatives. The challenge for a business is to understand their internal and external alignment. This can be very difficult. The issues are so emotional, political and cultural. But a tool is available to help the effort. Myindshare, a performance improvement group, offers a self assessment tool called Alignment Index. It is a proven evaluation and is completed by participants within 15 minutes, assessing both the internal and external environment. Myindshare then scores the alignment and evaluates possible issues. Additionally, the index scores functional ratings in organization, marketing, sales, processes, and communications. Myindshare’s Alignment Index is available on-line at www.myindshare.com and is free. Businesses find that the assessment is most effective when multiple functions and levels participate. For further information, contact Ed Johnson, edjohnson@myindshare.com, 847-705-0498. -Ed Johnson and Dick Whitney ODNChicago Special Event - May 9, 2003 Topic: Polarity Management - Session #2 Speaker: Barry Johnson Where: People's Energy, 130 E. Randolph St., 21st Floor, Chicago, IL Agenda: 9 am to 5 pm See Article on Page 4 and Ad on Page 7 to learn more about this Special Event. ODNChicago May Suburban Meeting - Wednesday, May 21, 2003 Topic: Putting the Emotion Back into Emotional Intelligence Speakers: Jackie Gnepp, Ph. D. Where: Hamburger University, McDonald's, 2915 Jorie Blvd, Oak Brook, IL - Directions Agenda: 6 to 7 pm, Open Space; 7 to 9 pm, Program Cost: Free to members, $15 for Nonmembers RSVP: Essential, even if you only think you might come Despite the titles, books by Daniel Goleman and others on Emotional Intelligence focus on social and personal competence. Some include self- awareness, self-control and empathy. Psychologist, coach, educator and OD consultant Jackie Gnepp, Ph.D., likes to focus more specifically on emotion and its value in the workplace. Join her to play the Ultimatum Game and to discuss the role of emotion in negotiation and decision making. We will break into small groups to discuss specific scenarios that involve negative as well as positive emotions, and consider how displaying emotion benefits individuals in organizations. Jackie Gnepp, PhD. Is a licensed consulting psychologist with extensive experience as a coach, educator, manager, and consultant in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. An accomplished educator and facilitator, Jackie has shared her knowledge of management psychology, team building, interpersonal communications and leadership development with hundreds of executives. Through Humanly Possible, Jackie offers leadership development, executive coaching and education, team-building, process consultation, and custom-tailored interventions to optimize working relationships in organizations. ODNChicago May Downtown Chicago Meeting - Thursday, May 22, 2003 Topic: Designing Collaborative Systems Speakers: Dick Axelrod Where: Harris Bank, 111. W. Monroe, 20th Floor, (20C), Chicago Agenda: 6 to 7 pm, Open Space; 7 to 9 pm, Program Cost: Free to members, $15 for Nonmembers RSVP: Unnecessary "If you have every asked yourself, "How can we get the entire organization to support our change effort?" You are not alone. The best way to make change happen in your organization - the only reliable way - is for leaders and employees to come together, understand each other's positions, and use the unique knowledge in the room to help drive the company's effort. In Terms of Engagement: Changing The Way We Change Organizations, Dick Axelrod shows you how to bring people together to get things done. Dick helped revolutionize the world of organizational change when, together with his wife Emily, he developed the Conference Model (Chapter 16 in "The Change Handbook"). He is a contributing author to The Flawless Consulting Field book (Peter Block, et al.) Dick is also the former President of the Chicago Organization Development Association, the predecessor to the Chicago ODN. Join Dick for a stimulating evening as we explore the principles that are the essence of Collaborative Systems. For more on Dick, the Axelrod Group, articles and books, check out www.axelrodgroup.com. Should I RSVP? ODNChicago now offers suburban meetings and special events in addition to our downtown monthly meeting. It is not necessary to RSVP to the downtown monthly meeting, but RSVP requirements for Suburban Meetings and Special Events may vary. If an RSVP is required, that information will be included in the event detail. Welcome to New Members! Here is another new feature for the Beacon. We’d like to welcome those members who joined recently. Please welcome and get to know… John Bishop HeartMath 10729 East Doric Circle Palos Hills, IL 60465 708-974-9490 johnhbishop@earthlink.net Michael Cherry Cherry and Associates 34 South Waiola Avenue, #6 La Grange, IL 60525 708.308.7445 michael_cherry@ameritech.net Louis Copper Process Improvement 9445 Lawndale Evanston, IL 60203 (847) 679-5036 lccopper2@attbi.com Diane K. Ferriss Field Operations Manager Allstate Insurance Company 1515 W. Suffield Court Arlington Heights,IL 60004 (847)788-1766 dferriss@allstate.com Kelly Fidei Manager/Organizational Effectiveness TransUnion Consumer Solutions 1421 Grove Street Evanston, IL 60201 (847) 912-1676 kfidei@transunion.com Maureen Garcia Performance Specialist US Cellular 3476 W. 83rd Street Woodridge, IL 60517 (630) 910-3329 maureen.garcia@uscellular.com Margaret Hayes Mgr Corp Training & Development Kohls Department Stores N56 W17000 Ridgewood Drive Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 (262) 703-1591 margaret.hayes@kohls.com Jon Kaupla Manager - Training & Development Kohl's Department Stores N56 W17000 Ridgewood Dr Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 (262) 703-2314 Donald L. Kumler Principal Kumler Consulting 143 N. Cuyler Avenue Oak Park, IL 60302-2601 (708) 386-0653 Iris Lemmer Kraft Foods 3 Lakes Drive, NF 438 Northfield, IL 60093 ilemmer@kraft.com Ken Lichtenstein SAP America 847-697-1188 KenL321@attbi.com Kathy Lindstrom Allstate Barbara Markoff Collaborative Change Consulting 3940 N. Farwell Ave. Shorewood, WI 53211 (414) 964-5961 FAX: 414-964-5950 bmarkoff@execpc.com Loretta Morrison College of American Pathologists Education Director lmorris@cap.org Tom Navickas Director Global Accounts ACS 1295 E. Algonquin Road Schaumburg, IL 60067 (847) 538-0140 Judith Nicholson Harris Nesbitt 6455 N. Ogallah Ave Chicago, IL 60631 (773) 631-9713 judith.nicholson@harrisbank.com S. Eric Paul Director, Org Effectiveness Motorola 1303 E. Algonquin Rd Schaumburg, IL 60196 (847) 576-1340 eric.paul@motorola.com Kenneth Robinson Executive Coach Next Level Coaching 10300 S. Cicero #344 Oak Lawn, IL 60453 (773)920-1005 kmrobinson@email.com Stephanie A. Scheitler Manager, Organization Development Chicago Transit Authority 800 N. Ridgeland Ave Oak Park, IL 60302 Amy Stewart Corporate Coach Alta Mas Alliances PO Box 1191 Wayne, IL 60184 (708)308-2777 stewart.amy@att.net Alita Tucker 900 N. Kingsbury St #730 Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 670-7885 alitat@acninc.net Jim Weihrouch Author of "Joy at Work" 723 Wellner Road Naperville, IL 60540 630-355-7133 (evenings) JW2050@aol.com Dr. Pamila Weir 520 Washington Blvd Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 383-4821 pweir@fastmail.fm Krystal Wiedower OD/HR Consultant 2951 N. 88 Street Milwaukee, WI 53222 (414) 456-9191 kwtosa@hotmail.com PDN Update Careers in Transition Conveners: John Grobe (708) 771-2445 Next Meeting: Monday, May 19, 6:00 to 7:30 PM Location: Crossroads Center at the Career Transitions Center (room 21), 711 West Monroe, Chicago Topic: "Career Portfolios," Julie Sells, Career Advisor at DePaul University Careers in Transition - West Convener: Mike Baker (630) 653-5600 Next Meeting: Monday, May 19, 10:00 to 11:30 AM Location: 4320 Winfield Road in Warrenville Consulting Convener: Stephen Harap (630) 852-0223 Join the virtual forum at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ConsultingPDN Creativity/Innovation (Virtual) Convener: Harry Higinbotham (708) 798-2019 Meets virtually at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CIPDN HRDI - Alumni Convener: Jim Krueger (312) 578-8275 x5023 Instructional Technology (Virtual) Convener: Mike Kemmler (847) 530-2399 To Join: Send an e-mail message to: tech-pdn-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Internal Consulting Conveners: Mike Herron (312) 444-3409, Mike_Herron@notes.ntrs.com, and Matt Vosmik Next Meeting: Thursday, May 15, 7:30 to 9:00 AM Location: Northern Trust Bank, 181 West Madison, 7th floor, Chicago (Room Number to be posted in elevator lobby). BYOB (Bring Your Own Breakfast). RSVP to Mike Herron. Topic: Exemplary Practices in Employee Learning and Development; Focus on Importance of Informal Learning, by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning Knowledge Management Convener: Mike Tillmans (630) 584-0134 Next Meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7:00 to 9:00 PM Location: Krasa Center at Benedictine University in Room C on the second floor. For directions and info about programs, see: www.iit.edu/~com535/pdn/pdn_home.html Lake Forest/LakeBluff/Northern Suburbs Conveners: Howard Prager, hprager@lfgsm.edu Ken Phillips & Kristin Phillips Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 28, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Contact Howard Prager for meeting topic and location. Leadership & Coaching Convener: Ed Johnson (847) 705-0498 Next Meetings: Chicago - Thursday, May 8, 12:00 to 2:00 PM Argosy Univ./Chicago, Two First National Plaza, 20 S. Clark St., 3rd Fl. (312) 201-0200 Rolling Meadows - Thursday, May 1, 12:00 to 2:00 PM Argosy Univ./Chicago Northwest, One Continental Towers, 1701 Golf Rd., Ste. 101, Rolling Meadows, IL (847) 290-7400 Ongoing Learning Group Convener: Don Sandel (847) 700-5125 Professionally Speaking & Facilitating Convener: Cyndi Maxey (773) 561-6252 Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 14, 6:00 to 8:30 PM Location: Contact convener for details and directions Topic: Getting Published Part II, Cyndi Maxey -------------------- He took as a premise that goodness was anathema to greatness. "Good is the enemy of great and is why so many things don’t become great," he said. "We don’t have really great schools because we have good schools. We don’t have great companies because we have so many good ones. And when we look back over a life and see if it is a great one, we don’t see many because it is just so easy to settle for a good one." Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (Harper Business, 1994), James C. Collins -------------------- What is ODN Chicago? Our vision is to be known as a dynamic center for renewal for Organization Development (OD) practitioners. Operating since 1975, ODN Chicago is an independent network committed to helping its members develop their effectiveness in improving organizations. We offer opportunities for professional education and development, as well as the active exchange of experience, support and new ideas. Our members include internal and external consultants, corporate managers and specialists, trainers, academics, human resource personnel, and other professionals interested in making their organization, department, or team more effective. We work in a wide variety of environments including business, academic, government, and non-profit. Similarly, our members bring an array of industry and work experience from banking to utilities and from corporate conglomerates to local community organizations 2003/2004 Board of Directors Co-Chairs Neesa Sweet, (847) 266-2677 Joe Merton, (773) 399-8945 Secretary Deborah Shearer, (630) 979-6479 Treasurer Marilyn Carter, (630) 527-2384 Directors Learning Team Barbara Golden, (773) 702-1723 David Jewell, (312) 240-7135 Dennis Kleper, (847) 677-5353 Wayne Kriemelmeyer, (630) 682-8226 Lori Muehling, (847) 576-3343 Communications Team Christine Buss, (630) 848-0292 Svea Christensen, (630) 762-1146 Kathryn Nathan, (773) 274-7487 Jim Picard, (773) 868-9685 Membership ParticipationTeam Malcolm Fraser, (312) 441-8909 Don Kumler, (708) 386-0653 Ross Schifo, (708) 837-0105 Mentoring Jim Sweet, (630) 416-6058 Gina Wylie, (773) 281-4392 Comm. Service Past President/Advisors Dee Burman, (847) 432-4117 Bruce Mabee, (630) 960-0425 Be a Contributor! Have something you’d like to share with the OD community? Maybe you have some great work you’d like to celebrate or some idea you’d like to socialize. What do you know that we’d all benefit from? Send stories between 500 and 800 words as text or Word file to the Editors. Feedback Please! We’re always eager to hear what you think about the Beacon. Please send us verbose email with lots of feedback! We continue to improve with your help! Send comments to: Christine Buss at Christine@cmbuss.com And Neesa Sweet at NeesaS@aol.com Organization Development Network/Chicago 5443 N. Broadway, Suite 101 Chicago, IL 60640 (773) 561-4919 fax (773) 561-1343 odnchicago@aol.com Editors: Christine Buss Christine@cmbuss.com (630) 416-6210 Neesa Sweet NeesaS@aol.com (847) 266-2677