Worcester Local Area Group

On May 9, 2007 twenty seven persons gathered in Worcester, comprising present, past, and prospective Learning Group members to explore the idea of an ODLG Worcester local area group. The meeting was convened  and led by Mike Halperin of Fallon Clinic and Virginia Swain of the Institute for Global Leadership.

Those attending found considerable value from the meeting, and there was much enthusiasm over having a continuing group to provide learning and networking that would supplement the current ODLG offerings and be especially accessible to those in Metro Worcester area. Accordingly the Coordinating Committee
has approved our first local area group (and is very interested in applying this model to other regions). The Worcester group is currently presenting bimonthly program meetings  and has started a branch of our Mentoring Program.

Next Worcester program meeting

What: Three Levels of Learning
When:
September 10, 2008, 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM (first 30 minutes networking)
Location:  Fallon Clinic Training Center, 640 Lincoln Street, Worcester
Parking: Available at the location free
Public Transportation: The location can be reached by WRTA buses 23 and 26, but you will need a ride back.
Cost: Free for members; $20 for nonmembers
RSVP to:
worcester@learninggroup.org

The September 10 Worcester meeting will be "Three Levels of Learning". Participants will have their choice of three discussion groups: "Mentoring," "Team Building" and "Organizational Learning". Those attending each section will determine the focus of the discussion, while benefiting from the expertise of the subject matter experts facilitating. Following the small group sessions will be whole group discussion on lessons learned, commonalities, and ideas for further learning.  

This program is designed for those working in OD and related fields, as well as those interested in issues generally applicable to the world of work. Those attending will learn new ideas, share experiences, thinking and interests, obtain opportunities for further learning, be able to make connections, and experience the power of Learning Group shared learning and community.

“Mentoring” will be facilitated by Polly Silva. Polly is an independent consultant specializing in organizational learning and development. She has been a business lecturer at Albertus Magnus College, Eastern Connecticut State University, Albertus Magnus University, and the University of Hartford. Previously, she held management positions at MCI, Performance Engineering Corporation, and the Arlington (Virginia) County government. She has a Ph. D. in Adult Learning and Human Resource Management from Virginia Technical University. Since joining the Learning Group in January she has become active in the Worcester Local Area Group, working on program meetings, membership, and the Worcester branch of our Mentoring Program; she was the winner of our August 2008 Member Recognition Award.

Possible topics for this section include mentoring vs. coaching, individual vs. group mentoring, formal vs. informal mentoring, characteristics of good mentoring programs – and whatever you want to talk about. For the draft outline for this section, click here.

“Team Learning” will be facilitated by Debora Bercume. Deborah is Principal of Bercume Associates, which enables people and business to be their best. She has over twenty years of experience working with professionals to achieve personal and professional fulfillment. Her clients have included American Cancer Society, Bertucci’s, Cambridge Health Alliance, Clariant Corporation, Cutler Associates, EMC Corporation, Massachusetts Department of Human Resources, Panera Bread, Parametric Technology, Southbridge Savings Bank, Straumann Manufacturing, and Westborough Bank. She has received certifications through the Institute of Professional Empowerment Coaching as a Certified Executive & Leadership Coach, a Master Core Energy Leadership Certified Coach, and a Certified Coach Trainer.Deborah presented on “DiSC Indra” at our August 2008 “Four Models for Conflict Resolution” program.

Possible topics for this section include coaching for learning, action learning, kaizen, challenges to successful team learning – and whatever you want to talk about. For the draft outline for this section, click here.

“Organizational Learning” will be facilitated by Hugh McGill. Hugh is Process Evaluation Coach at AstraZeneca and Principal of HVM Consulting. He has over twenty-five years experience in organizational understanding; his business experience started on the production line and grew to supervisory and management responsibilities. He teaches in the leadership graduate programs at Northeastern University and Cambridge College and sees himself as a guide and a catalyst to help individuals reflect on their experiences and to use that knowledge towards their own personal growth.  His accomplishments include implementing successful production operations in both start-up and established companies, designing and implementing organizational restructuring, ISO 9000 implementation and change management, and guiding individuals and teams to sustainable productivity and holding held human resource and manufacturing leadership positions in private, public and employee-owned companies. A former member of our Coordinating Committee, Hugh co-facilitated the section on “Conflict Resolution” at our March 2004 “Communities of Practice” meeting.

Possible topics for this section include learning organization, communities of practice, action learning – and whatever you want to talk about. For the draft outline for this section, click here.

 - - -

We will have notes on the August 7 "Careers and Work" Worcester meeting posted here soon.

- - -

Meeting notes for June 3, 2008

The June 3 Worcester meeting features Paul Kampas of Kampas Research on "A Visual Language and Framework for Organization Diagnosis and Design". We learned a new methodology for understanding organizations and change management, as well as for examining the place of OD inside organizations. For the presentation piece, click here. Notes soon!

- - -

Meeting Notes for April 3, 2008

Our April 3 meeting was "Shared Learning in Three Areas of OD". Participants has their choice of small group discussion on one of three topics: "Culture Change" (facilitated by Anne Perschel of Germane Consulting), "Leadership Development" (facilitated by Dan Nicholes of the Center for Business and Industry at Worcester State College, and "Team Building" (facilitated by Leslie Zobler of Fallon Clinic). Following these was a whole group session on lessons learned and ideas for follow up. We will notes and documents posted soon.

Meeting Notes for January 10, 2008

Our January 10 meeting was on "Dialogue". It was facilitated by Jim Murphy, a member of our Coordinating Committee and the Chief Learning Officer of Management 2008. We will have notes and documents posted soon.

Meeting Notes for November 27, 2007

Virginia Swain led the November 27 meeting on "Why Mission Statements Matter". Co-founder of the Worcester Local Area Group, Virginia is CEO and Director of the Institute for Global Leadership. Participants received an overview of and experiential learning on the mission statement process and how it helps us dig below the surface of our lives and refocus on our core values and principles.

Virginia began by asking why those attending had come. Some of the answers were as follows:

  • The company I work for is doing some work in this area, but I am also interested in defining my own personal mission.

  • I am doing workshop on these issues.

  • I am seeking an example of a mission statement.

  • I am a Learning Group member new to the Worcester meetings.

  • The location is convenient to me!

  • Being in transition, mission is a topic relevant to me.

Virginia then cited two of her influences in her work on mission issues:

Virginia's chief interest has been the question "Why am I here?" She notes that there are three categories of people, based on they feel about that: traditionalists, modernists, and cultural creatives. It is with the third of these that her work is most focused on.

Cultural creatives are people who are in service to others. Mission statements, which provide goals, objectives and action steps are a great aid to them.

Virginia then gave us an exercise: to write down one word that best describes you. A way to see what our mission should be!

We then considered the first handout, "The Seven Stages of Transition". Based on Life Changes, by Sabrina Spencer and John Adams, this model can be applied to individuals or organizations. The seven steps, which lead to a new vision,  are as follows:

1. Losing focus

2. Minimizing impact

3. Chaos

4. Letting go of the past

5. Testing limits

6. Searching for meaning

7. Integrating

The different stage of this transition cycle requires different styles of leadership, as shown in the second handout, "Personal/Institutional/National/Global Life Cycle Model". Adapted by Virginia from the life cycle model of Arlin Rothauge, this identifies the following needs:

  • Formation requires a leader with creative growth, who can establish a tradition.

  • Stabilization requires leader who is a manger who can both conserve and innovate, securing a sound future.

  • Decline requires a leader who is non-judgmental, a healer, teacher and companion.

  • Chaos/death requires a leader who models letting go and forgiveness, as a parent, teacher and companion.

  • Renewal/birth requires a leader who is a catalytic and entrepreneurial, with resilience and imagination.

Virginia described the role of celebrations at the different steps, an idea she developed from work she did at the United Nations. A ceremony she arranged was so moving that it "converted" an opponent of the change effort.

Techniques for gaining insight and self-awareness help us to determine our mission. But we also need to plan how to create our vision into action. The underlying questions are "What am I? and "Why I am I here?"

We then did an exercise in pairs, each person choosing a defining life moment (possibly not recognized as such at the time) and telling the other about it. The listener then told their reaction and understanding - and we all found that this "feedback" made us realize things that we had not understood before.

In analyzing what it was like to listen to the other person's story, we found that the experience felt meaningful and challenging. The feedback added to our mental model and was a "gift". Knowing who you are enable you to help others find out who they are.

Virginia asked us to consider our idea of ourselves: how it relates to what we were in the past, are in the present and will be in the future. Our mission statement tells us what has to happen for that future to be realized. In conclusion, she asked to reflect on our feedback impacted our understanding of our life purpose.

In reviewing the meeting, those participating found it to be give valuable insight and learning. For more in Virginia's work on personal and organizational mission, see the 2008 IGL event listing and her article "Mission "Possible".

Meeting Notes for October 17

The Worcester October 17 meeting featured Leslie Zobler, Leadership and Organizational Development Specialist, Fallon Clinic, on "A Day in the Life of a Shadow Coach". Leslie described innovation in customer feedback at Fallon and how it is an example of a large-scale organizational change.

A particular highlight of the Fallon system is the "shadowing" of health care workers (doctors, nurses, and other staff) for one whole day. Two persons watch and record all interactions of the care provider with each patient. Data is also collected from patients via a survey.

The shadow data template emphasizes the Fallon organizational standards for customer service. These in turn are based on best practice recommendations derived from research emphasizing that success in health care delivery is very dependent on how the patient perceives the doctor and other providers.

The shadowers thus act as the "eyes of the patient". It was noted that the patient is otherwise always with only one other person (e.g., doctor or nurse) so that this is only way that accurate information on these interactions can obtained.

Feedback is given from the compiled reports to staff. At first, it was feared that those receiving these might be defensive or unreceptive, and efforts is made to make sure that the positive aims of this process are emphasized. But in fact even those getting those most negative feedback have proved to be aware of the value of being able to see themselves as others see them.

The process has thus led to change by providers and their supervisor, in clinic procedures, in the organizational culture, and in the data collection process itself. In addition, those attending were able to provide comments and suggestions that Leslie felt would be valuable for Fallon to consider. The program thus illustrated the Learning Group as a community for shared learning.

Leslie also asked us to consider some other organizational settings in which such shadowing would be valuate. The following list was thus obtained:

  • Service sector (e.g., auto service centers)

  • Stores

  • Colleges/schools/teachers

  • Airports

  • Finance

  • Technology service providers/call centers

  • Executives/CEO's

  • Restaurants (cf. Phantom Gourmet)

  • Social services

  • The court system

  • Police

  • Educational institutions

  • OD consulting

  • Elected officials

For Leslie's presentation piece, click here!

Meeting Notes for August 1

Our August 1 presenter was Gary Segal, featured Gary Segal, Senior Director, Staffing and Development, Fallon Clinic on “Personal Transformation”. Gary explained that his presentation was a shortened version of a two and half day residential program based on the classic workshops of NTL.

Considerable psychological research indicates that our basic personalities, belief systems, and values are former between the ages of eight and twelve. However, significant emotional events can alter these traits.

Gary explained this process by describing some of events that influence his life . He then led us through exercise in which we considered and  discussed our life histories in small groups, paying attention to the time period in which we were eight to twelve. In particular we examined the following and how they affected our personality:

  • Homelife

  • School

  • World events

  • Friends

  • What we were like

  • Family

  • Other

We also discussed significant events since that period and how they affected us. Overall, these are what determines how we see the world.

Gary also walked us through some of the other parts of these transformation workshops, including the following:

  • The role of peak experiences

  • How we make choices

  • Outcomes as our response to events

  • Fantasy work situations

  • Making an inventory of what we like to do

  • Constructing a self-portrait

  • Examining the roles that we play

  • Considering the constraints that hold us back

  • Forming a support group

  • Keeping a diary

  • Doing a retrospective of the rest of your life

  • Restating the life/work situation

  • Writing a letter to one's self

Gary noted that these exercises are "not for the faint of heart". Going though them requires honesty and courage and may raise privacy or boundary issues. 

For Gary's masterly PowerPoint presentation piece, click here. Warning: You may wish to download before viewing, as the file is so large as to take a long time to access.

Meeting notes for June 19

The theme of this meeting at Worcester State College, facilitated by Mike Halperin and Virginia Swain, was "Our Passions and OD". The pre-meeting recommended reading for the session was Michael Doyle's highly prescient 1986 article "Now is the Time for All Good OD Practitioners to Come to the Aid of 
Their Planet".

Breaking into small groups, those attending discussed the following questions:

1. What are you passionate about?
2. What is the meaning of passion in OD/change work?
3. How would you connect your passions to the levels described by Doyle?
4. What issues are important to focus on?
5. What skills do we need to operationalize our passion?

We then reported on our discussions to the whole group.

On passions, some of the answers that were given were as follows:

  • Be a change agent/dealing with people

  • Being a catalyst for change/coaching

  • Seeing people experience creativity (at the group level)

  • Personal growth in my work/dream analysis in my personal life

  • Total change education/lifelong learning

  • Helping picture see where they fit into the organizational "big picture"

  • Teaching

  • Growing things (organically)

  • Exploring different cultures and appreciating them through understanding

  • Change for improvement/helping individuals and organizations change

  • Being values-driven/integrity

  • Building new things with public purpose

  • Service to patient/collaboration/helping them get to the best place

  • Helping people move beyond where they are

  • Walking, beer

  • Swimming

  • Participatory workplaces and dialogic communication

In relating passions to OD, the following some connections that were were noted were these:

  • OD people are committed to helping others.

  • OD practitioners help systems and the organizations within them become better.

  • Passion with respect to authenticity and objectivity can be "transferred" from the individual practitioner to the organization.

  • You can be passionate about the need for OD!

On connecting our passions to the levels noted in the Doyle article, some observations were as follows:

  • We need to help organizations realize that giving back to the community and the planet is good business.

  • We need to find the energy to change the social structure.

  • We can help people know who they really are and to find inner peace.

  • Climate change is an issue being recognized in the business world and on which OD practices can applied.

  • How can we use our OD tools to influence practical decision making?

  • It is difficult to find metrics that demonstrate the benefits of changes that have had a positive impact on the wider community.

  • Organization capabilities support risk taking.

  • We need to create safe environments to share ideas and to have trust and integrity.

  • Change in role expectations is constant.

As to the skills needed to operationalize our passions, suggestions included these:

  • Story-telling, especially about successes

  • Meeting the new generation and helping them grasp the value of collaboration

  • Building team skills, beginning with children

  • Compassion (giving vs. getting)

  • Identifying connections between mission and outcome

  • Balancing individual and organizational missions

  • Intervention: reframing situations

  • Presencing, listening

  • Entering with compassion

  • Recognizing why are where you fit

  • Awareness to collaborate and learn together

In reviewing the meeting, there was agreement that it was a good learning experience. The hope was expressed that members can help the group to continue and to grow.

Meeting notes for May 9

The May 9 meeting, hosted by Fallon Clinic in Worcester,  featured a World Cafe format, conducted by Mike and Virginia,  for discussion on the issue of change. The first question was, "What drew you here and what would you like to get out of this meeting?" Answers were as follows:

  • I was free.

  • I attended other ODLG meetings and enjoyed them.

  • I was coming from Logan Airport.

  • I came from Boston – comfortable ride.

  • Came to network, has been very successful.

  • Hope to meet new people who are doing inspirational work.

  • Wanted to see some new faces, meet people I know.

  • It is wonderful to see the Worcester group succeed.

  • Mike wanted me.

  • We need a formal process for folks for networking in the OD profession in Worcester and Rhode Island.

  • To meet creative people in a non-formal and flexible environment.

  • To understand the practices of dialogue and World Cafe. 

  • The ease of time and location.

  • To have fun.

  • To understand how creativity is integrated.

  • In the hope of establishing a continuing connection.

  • To learn current practices and obstacles.

  • Opportunity to network with other professionals.

  • Connecting with local OD professionals.

  • Opportunity to get fresh fresh ideas.

  • Looking for a job.

  • Looking for new contacts for consulting.

  • Focus on central Massachusetts rather than Boston.

  • To get new contacts.

  • To learn strategies.

  • To get a sense of how the group may evolve.

  • To know if this organization is a good fit for me.

  • To learn different ideas for and approaches to change.

  • To broaden my knowledge of opportunities in Central Massachusetts.

  • To reconnect with the group (involved before).

  • Job hunting - making connections.

  • For a support group in this location.

  • Intellectual stimulation.

  • Meet and create a new network.

  • Fresher ideas to look at issues.

  • Difficulty in getting to Boston regularly.

  • Network - each meeting is different - I learn a lot.

  • Looking for an easily accessible location.

  • People are helpful - I get great tips.

  • Able to go the both groups - Boston and Worcester.

  • All good things come from networking.

  • Learning.

  • To integrate OD work with other work.

  • To learn and teach problem solving skills.

  • Moving from profit to nonprofit.

  • Personal growth.

  • Networking and learning new techniques.

  • Networking and relationships.

  • To meet others and see what we can do together.

  • To learn new things.

  • To learn and get new perspectives.

In the second round the question was "What are the conditions that will increase your personal receptivity to change?" Response were as follows:

  • Freedom from fear.

  • Ability to be as creative as desired.

  • See an opportunity for growth (personal and professional).

  • Having an understanding of the expected change and its benefits.

  • Degree of connectivity - the greater the connectivity, the greater I embrace change, whether in the heart or in the head.

  • AFOG

  • Not wasting the trip - empowering change where the support structure is moving in a positive direction for the right reasons, not just going through the motions.

  • Depends on priorities and capacity.

  • Lower risk.

  • It has a benefit for me.

  • Fear of consequences.

  • If there is a common understanding among the team.

  • If the consequences are greater (if fear is increased).

  • Change is good if I learn a new skill and it fits with my values.

  • If it includes a plan and I know why and how.

  • I like change! Don't need "conditions".

  • I weigh the risks and benefits and evaluate.

  • Sense of possibility.

  • Systems view - need for change, connections among changes, energy for change.

  • Individual receptivity enabled by organizations that are built to change - change is social!

  • Self-organization: capacity of individual and organizations to change.

  • Availability of information and technology.

  • Recreate ourselves individually to support organizational change.

  • Excited about change, new things.

  • "Big picture" strategies.

  • Shake up and move on.

  • Involvement - "people support what they help to create".

  • Knowing why the change is happening.

  • Engagement.

  • Opportunity to help the change.

  • Excitement - "bring it on!"

  • Challenge.

  • Getting unstuck.

  • Trust - to eliminate pain and fear.

  • I thrive on change and get bored with the status quo.

  • When I have a challenge - curiosity about what could be better.

  • I always assume that there could be something better.

  • "The challenge"

  • To be the designer.

  • Sense of wonder.

  • Understanding - not a mystery.

  • Guilt can lead to change.

  • Daunting change can be less positive.

  • When I have partners whom I can talk to about it.

The next question was, "Given the conditions that influence your personal receptivity to change, how can you maximize the success for organizational change?" These responses were given:

  • Give people the freedom to create change from within.

  • Opportunity to look for solutions vs. to implement solutions.

  • Helping people understand and make sense of the change process creates resilience.

  • Embrace the fact that we're already creative - it's a skill; appeal to hearts and minds.

  • Moving toward something new rather than away from something old.

  • Get people involved with where the organization needs to go.