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Winning Communities: The Big Picture

November 13, 2012 By

The Winning Communities Big Picture involves big players from each aspect of a community. We strive to create partnerships among Winning Communities, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS), the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, community leaders, elected officials and businesses. These partnerships ultimately lead to better communication in order to accomplish similar goals.

The NCAA has been in the news lately and not always with positive stories. Working with Winning Communities is one way the NCAA can improve its reputation in the media and generate positive news stories. The NCAA strives to emphasize the student in the student-athlete, and I’d like to take that one step further by underlining student leader over athlete.

In places without a college or university, I look to the National Federation of High Schools to step in and provide those student leaders to improve the community. We give them great, practical responsibility as leaders of a public process developing a Community Vision/Action Plan. They learn valuable skills as they work with community leaders as peers during the process.

The “Big Picture” also involves using the resources of leadership centers, such as the Greenleaf Center. These centers can hone in on specific skills that help student athletes develop into leaders within the community. Watch this video to learn more about their instrumental role in making this a successful project.

The process could not be successful without the help of elected officials, businesses and community leaders. These individuals bring the expertise needed to teach student leaders the valuable skills they will take away from the project. It is also important for the individuals to gain a sense of community unity from the project. With the addition of leaders in different fields and industries, the process is guaranteed to represent the different aspects of the community.

Is this something that can make a difference in your community? We think it can! Feel free to contact Winning Communities if you think we can help :)

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Filed Under: Community, Community Projects, Greenleaf Center, Leadership, NCAA, NFHS, teamwork, Vision Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Is Fear Holding you Back?

October 18, 2010 By

Recently, our refrigerator quit working. I sighed as I thought of having to replace my refrigerator. After sitting on the phone for 30 minutes with my appliance manufacturer, and getting to the wrong department, I finally asked for a referral from one of my neighbors, and called a local appliance repair company, who was able to set up the appointment for the next day.

The repairperson, also the owner of the company, came out to my house, analyzed our refrigerator and repaired it without a problem. During the process, we started talking about the future. I asked him how his business was faring this year. He said it was doing pretty well, and we talked about how with the economy, more people were repairing what they have instead of replacing their appliances and household items. (I could see his point, and was glad to have paid $190 for repairs instead of $1100 for a new refrigerator!)

He also mentioned that he could actually use two additional people, but that he wasn’t going to hire them right now because he didn’t know what the future would bring. He said that he was comfortable enough with where he was and that he could keep on going at the same rate and support his family, even though he really wanted to expand the business.

I got to thinking: that’s two people and two families who don’t have the opportunity to earn an income now because of this indecision. If you multiply that times 1000 businesses, it’s no wonder we’re stuck in this economy. We don’t like the direction we’re going in, but we’re too afraid to change anything.

Does the football coach instill fear in the minds of his team when they take the field because the headlines say how much the opposing team will dominate? The answer is no. True leadership will build confidence based on the ability that the team has.

How many times do we hear the words fear, confusion, consumer confidence or other words in today’s media or conversations? Are these words of doubt holding you back in your business or in your community? What are you doing about it?

 We’re waiting for times to get better, instead of making them better right now.

Filed Under: Change, Community, Community Issues, Fear, Leadership, Unemployment Tagged With: , , , ,

Meeting Overload – How Group Meetings can Hinder Getting Things Done in your Community

September 2, 2010 By

Whether you work in a corporate setting or for a government entity, I am sure all of you have experienced “Death by Meeting,” which is actually a title of a book by author Patrick Lencioni.

Calling a meeting is a great idea for organizing collective power to get things done, but when the group spends most of its time meeting and little of its time acting, they have a problem.

I have seen this repeatedly when working with cities, towns and counties to initiate a vision and action plan. The key players are excited about the possibilities of improving their community, so they call a group meeting. They discuss. They take notes. They leave the meeting feeling invigorated about the future.

And then…nothing.

They schedule another meeting for the next month. The next time the group meets, the same topic may come up again. What has progressed since the last meeting? Nothing. If everyone is on board, why isn’t anything happening?

I have discovered several reasons for this inactivity that comes from meeting overload:

1) No written game plan. In order to reach goals, you need to have a written game plan for how you will achieve a specific objective or objectives. For communities, we call it the Winning Communities Strategic Vision & Action Plan. Someone needs to formalize the group’s goals, write them down, and distribute them to the group.

2) No list of action items. The game plan needs to include a variety of concrete, actionable items. For community vision plans, an example would be to form a steering committee, designate a communications point person, hire a consultant, find funding sources, etc. Without a list of action items, your goals will remain just that — goals. Brainstorm on all possible action items that the group must complete to achieve the goal(s).

 3) Persons responsible. For each action item, assign a person, persons or group responsible for making it happen. Whether it’s the local marketing firm to promote the community vision project and mail out postcards to residents, or the local banquet center who will be hosting the kickoff celebration, your group needs to determine what parties are responsible for which items. Don’t forget to notify those individuals or groups that they are responsible for the action! We find it helpful to make a chart of these action items, activities and persons responsible to keep the group organized.

4) Timetable for achievement. Always include an anticipated completion date for each action item in the game plan. Try to work backward from the end goal, and determine how long it might take to finish the action. Remember that your team can be working on some goals concurrently for maximum efficiencies. Finally, have an overall completion date for your entire project or group. This motivates the group to continue and to achieve more.

5) Designate a leader. If your group has trouble staying organized and keeping individuals motivated to complete the action items, I recommend hiring a consultant or designating a leader to keep things on track. Give this person the role of facilitator for the meetings, and allow them to communicate with all members of the group throughout the process, to keep projects and activities rolling and moving forward.

6) Continue the communication. Remember to call a meeting when necessary, but use other communication tools such as email and phone conversations in between meetings to connect with specific members of the group. This will ensure that you can get questions answered or action items crossed off your list without having to wait for the entire group to meet again.

Now that you’ve got some tips for organizing your meetings and structuring your group’s goals, you’re on your way to the ultimate goal – and that is getting things done.

Filed Under: Community, Community Meetings, Leadership Tagged With: , , , ,

What is your excuse?

August 24, 2010 By

What is your excuse?

“It is the end of our fiscal year…”
“I am retiring in a month…”
“We are already doing a big community festival…”
“We already did a study last year…”

These are just a few of the excuses I have heard from community leaders who are not committed to doing anything to promote change in their villages, towns, cities or counties. The people who make excuses for why they cannot get something done are often the ones who never achieve the success they seek.

At Winning Communities, we are looking for individual city, town and county leaders who “get it” and are ready to step forward, roll up their sleeves and make it happen in their community. We are looking for individuals who see the potential for greatness in their community, and who believe they can achieve it with a little bit of effort. Finally, we are looking for those who are ready to rally others to the cause by simply calling a meeting.

One of my favorite quotes is this:

“The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly.” John F. Kennedy

That is what we are called for today in our communities. Are you one of the few who feels compelled to lead and take action? Come on! Your community is counting on you.

Filed Under: Community, Leadership, Vision

Why Communities Need More Leaders

July 8, 2010 By

Many individuals make up a community. Many of these individuals serve in leadership roles, such as the mayor, chamber of commerce executive, community foundation board or county commissioner. Yet how many of these people have convened others to develop a Vision for the community’s future?

In most cases, the aforementioned leaders must deal with immediate and legitimate concerns within their own organizations. For example, a mayor may face cutbacks due to diminished funding, mandates from the state government, parks and recreation expenses or infrastructure issues. A chamber of commerce executive might have concerns about decreasing membership, programs or sponsorships. County commissioners might worry about drainage or fixing county roads. A community foundation president may be concerned about the declining stock market that devalues the foundation’s assets.

 

All of these leaders are leading their own organizations, but who is looking to the future of the total community? Who is convening people to talk about the community’s vision future five years from now, and its plan for growth and prosperity?

 

As I mentioned in my last blog post, comprehensive plans, such as those for land use or zoning, do not help to paint a picture of the community’s vision and possibilities for the future. A vision and action plan involves a much broader picture of all areas of the community – from infrastructure to recreation, health care and technology. Every community should not only have such a vision plan, but also involve all of the community’s leaders and ordinary citizens in the process.

 

The community of Crawfordsville / Montgomery County, Indiana is doing just that. With the help of Winning Communities, they have organized a leadership team, which includes the typical government leadership but also includes students and representatives from the school corporation. This shall be the first “pilot program” involving both adult community leaders and student leaders. Because of the common issue of brain drain in many communities, I believe that involving students in the process of helping make their community better will not only instill in these students future leadership qualities, but will enable them to take a part in building their own future.

 

When I was a chamber of commerce executive back in Marietta, Ohio, I used to believe that being a good leader was having the best Christmas parade in the state.  Now I know that being a true community leader is much more than that. Leaders have the double task of leading their organizations and convening people to lead their communities into the future.

 

And I know that, if you are the mayor, foundation president or county commissioner, you will not find this leadership role defined in your job description, but it’s your duty. As I mention in my book, it’s not leaving your comfort zone, but expanding it to include concern — not just about those issues related to your job — but concern and commitment about the growth and success of your communities. And that role has a much greater and lasting impact. Your community depends upon it!

Filed Under: Community, Leadership, Vision

We Have Done Strategic Plans – Why does our Community need a Vision Plan?

May 11, 2010 By

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
– Proverbs 29:18

 In my book, 90 Days to a Winning Community, I define vision as the vivid, imaginative, creative concept that gives power to people to act and to achieve what they desire.

 Most people are familiar with vision statements. Companies often develop vision statements, which typically appear on company materials or websites. They provide summaries of their aspirations – what the company stands for, the values they strive to uphold and their relationships with customers and employees.

Individuals can have vision statements too. They typically revolve around goals for personal or professional growth, such as staying healthy, increasing knowledge in a particular subject matter, or becoming a good parent, daughter, student, role model, etc.

Most of the time, vision is focused on the future – what we want to become – either as a person, an organization or group of people.

What about your community? Do you know what its vision is?

One of the services I offer at Winning Communities is helping cities, towns and counties across the USA develop a vision and action plan  for achievement. A vision plan helps communities visualize what they want to become in the future — 1, 5, 10 or even 20 years down the road – and get them on a plan of action to get there.

Why is it important for communities to visualize the future?

When we can visualize the result – and paint a picture of our ideal community of the future – one with economic and job growth, a bustling downtown, thriving retail and tourism markets, plenty of cultural opportunities, and an abundant quality of life – and write it down, we are more likely to get there.

A community vision plan  is different from the typical long-range or strategic plans that we so often hear about from government officials. A community strategic plan usually involves more specific plan centered on an initiative, such as a school district, infrastructure, economic development or land use initiative.

A community vision plan  often involves a more collaborative effort from the entire community, and includes much more than a land use document. It features the community’s identity and dream for what it shall become in the future. It analyses the trends, assets, challenges and opportunities of the region. It includes the individual ideas for growth and progress, as well as potential projects or programs. Most importantly, it includes a timeline, holds individuals or groups responsible for making that project or program a reality.

So your community has done (or is doing) a strategic plan. But does your community truly have a vision for what it wants to become in the future? And an action plan to achieve it?

Filed Under: Community, Leadership, Vision

Community Development and Economic Development – Working Toward a Common Vision – Part 1

April 23, 2010 By

The two camps of community development (improving various assets of local communities) and economic development (increasing a community’s jobs and income) actually share many of the same philosophies when it comes to their goals of improving our communities. This has become truer as we see changes in the type of development we seek for our cities, towns and counties.

The old, industrial development model of the 1960s, 70s and 80s exists no more. Back then, our communities challenged themselves with growing from a World War II war machine into industrial cities and towns producing many durable goods. However, with increased automation and many jobs outsourced to overseas partners, our communities now have the challenge of being the industrial powerhouses that they once were, and our communities cannot rely on industrial growth to sustain them in the future.

The current emphasis in our cities, towns and counties is on diverse economic development – bringing in new companies who are looking to expand and create new jobs and encourage local entrepreneurship. However, to achieve this objective, the community must have in place the necessary attributes to encourage economic development. This means the quality of life attributes that make living in that community ideal – such as a quality infrastructure, school system, parks and recreation, public safety, affordable and quality healthcare, opportunities for culture, etc. – need to be present in order for today’s entrepreneurs to seek to “set up shop” in our communities.

We have some advantages in this era with greater resources, such as the latest technology, wealth and a superior knowledge base than in previous decades.  However, in order to accomplish economic and community development in this new era, we need the leaders of today – our mayors, chamber of commerce executives, bank presidents, community foundation presidents, board members and other community leaders – to influence and lead the renewal of action within their communities. 

Does this generation have the same will as a society to continue the economic and community development in our cities, towns and counties, and take on the challenge as our predecessors did? Can today’s leaders be the creative, bold leaders needed to help our communities thrive in the future? I will examine these issues in coming blog posts comparing post WWII conditions with comparative conditions of today. We face challenges, as did the “Greatest Generation.”

Filed Under: Community, Leadership

Leadership and your community

March 31, 2010 By

As I travel throughout the Midwest, I see too much hesitancy. As if the change we see will take care of itself and everything will be OK. If  that attitude was present following World War II, the great country that was built wouldn’t be what we all share now.

Yes, things are tough, but how much tougher were they in 1946? A great deal tougher! What did it take? Leadership – first, leadership of the self.  To go to school, to get a job, probably both at the same time – That’s what our parents and grandparents did. They beat the Nazi’s and Imperial Japan and built an opportunity for those of us who followed.

What are we doing in these challenging days? How are we preparing ourselves and our communities for the future? Are we meeting those challenges or are we hesitant? The old “can-do” spirit will make a difference!

Filed Under: Community, Leadership