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Aim and Stats
Now in our fifteenth year of operation for our "OD" sessions and the third year for our "BTA" sessions, the aim of both is to continue to foster an appreciation of InThinking
within an emerging network that is developing inside Aerojet Rocketdyne and beyond. Dates for future "OD" and "BTA" sessions along with additional "thinking" opportunities for 2014 can be found in this announcement.
OD + BTA Stats
For an update on OD and BTA statistics, this month's invitation is going out to 2200+ partners in the U.S., as well as fellow InThinking partners in Australia, Austria, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Chile, Dubai, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the U.K. Taken together, these individuals represent over 600 organizations in this list of nations, from elementary schools and senior high schools to colleges and universities, from one-person consulting firms to GenCorp, United Technologies, GM, IBM, General Electric, NASA, Bechtel, Kuwait Energy Company, Philips Electronics, and The Boeing Company.
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Welcome First Timers
Your names have been added to this announcement list by virtue of your attendance in our series of InThinking Roadmap seminars, workshops, and overviews within Aerojet Rocketdyne, or attendance at the annual In2:InThinking Network Forum, through a personal request, from you or a friend. Welcome to our thinking networks.
Click either link below to send me the name(s) and e-mail address(es) of anyone you would like to have added to this mailing list, or let me know if you would like to be removed. Thanks!!!
ADDITIONS
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Meeting Notice Service - OD and BTA
If you'd like to receive meeting notices on your Microsoft Outlook schedule for upcoming Ongoing Discussion conference calls and Better Thinking About... webinars, reply to Bill Bellows at william.bellows@rocket.com and your name will be added to our meeting notice list. |
International Participants
Our conference call sessions are toll-free within the U.S. and Canada. Several international participants have been able to connect toll-free using Skype for a VOIP connection, which we now recommend to others calling in from outside (or inside) the U.S. and Canada.
First, you'll need to establish a Skype account at www.skype.com. Once Skype is set up and functioning correctly the only thing that is different when connecting with our "InThinking Roadmap" conference call sessions ("OD" or "The New Economics Study Sessions") is the use of a pass code and security code. For our "OD" sessions, these numbers are provided once the "participant survey" is completed. For the "The New Economics Study Sessions," these numbers are provided in an email from Tim Higgins, who hosts these calls. In either case, when prompted by Skype to enter these codes, use the keyboard not voice option and be sure to turn off the computer's microphone, otherwise the numeric keys don't function. If the microphone is left on when the codes are entered, Skype's automated operator will reply with "number not recognized," as no number has been transmitted. Also, please note that the "pound key" in the U.S. (#) translates to the "hash key" in the U.K.
New users of Skype are encouraged to perform a conference call test in advance of the scheduled "InThinking Roadmap" conference call. Contact Bill Bellows to arrange for a test call. |
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Good morning from the Los Angeles campus of Aerojet Rocketdyne, located in Canoga Park, California, on the western end of the San Fernando Valley.
Aerojet Rocketdyne's InThinking Network welcomes Henrik Minassians, from Northridge, California, to lead our eighth Ongoing Discussion conference call of 2014 on August 21st and 22nd and also our 176th session since we began in January 2000. As for a topic, Henrik has selected "To Link or Not to Link - Lessons in Collaborative Designs," in his first time with us as a Thought Leader.
I was introduced to Henrik in 2012 by Ariane David, a mutual friend, over dinner, where we were joined by Ravi Roy, our Ongoing Discussion Thought Leader in May. As with Ravi, Henrik has a keen sense of systems and a growing appreciation of W. Edwards Deming and his "System of Profound Knowledge." In addition to his "OD" appearance this month, Henrik appeared as a speaker at the In2:InThinking Network's 2013 Forum. Link here for a details of his keynote session, "To Reflect or Not to Reflect: Can the Public Sector Shift Paradigms?"
As for his focus as an Ongoing Thought Leader this month, Henrik begins his Thought Piece (link to the 8.5x11 format) with these ideas:
Democratic governments are designed to implement the collective preferences of their citizens. Therefore, citizens expect to see that government officials utilize taxes effectively to achieve common public goals. In order to meet the expectations of their constituents and to justify both their purpose and their services, public agencies in the United States and other democratic countries are focusing on measuring government results through both strategic means and the design of performance measurement initiatives.
Utilizing performance measures to evaluate the results of government action has become ubiquitous in public, private, and nonprofit organizations. There is a wide range of possible reasons for the rise of the use of performance measures in the public sector, including limited fiscal resources, citizen demands and, ultimately, limitations that fragmented democratic systems create with the oversight of public bureaucracies. Thus, performance measures have been established as a formal process to determine whether public programs are actually successful in delivering specific value that can be both measured and, subsequently, presented cogently to constituents. Clear justification of programs, enabled by valid assessment through effective performance measurement, can become a public sector management tool that ensures continued funding of particular programs.
The Thought Piece continues with these comments,
Fundamentally, the use of performance measures is to assess outcomes of public programs within an integrated network of players. In the case of Los Angeles County and the participation of all departments in the design and dissemination of performance indicators, one might argue that accountability is being achieved. However, the real missing link in the performance chain is the lack of integrated indicators that would allow the measuring of overlapping functions, outputs, and, ultimately, the outcomes of multiple departments. Close analysis of the Program Summary and Performance Measures published by Los Angeles County reveals elements of accountability (at least to the County CEO and the Board of Supervisors) representing the extent of performance by each department. However, this report -- in common with too many others -- focuses on the size of the forest and the number of trees without taking the systemic nature of the forest itself into account.
What is missing, mainly, are the linkages between county departments as well as between community and external groups, and contractors and providers to the overall performance of a network of participants. The main reason for the death of Gabriel Fernandez is that the larger network of participants shifted the responsibility to other departments and agencies instead of working collaboratively. One suggestion is to have performance indicators that link the performance of community-based organizations (acting, at times, as contractors) to the performance of various county departments. This could be achieved by creating vertical and horizontal indicators that, when linked, would encourage more and better collaboration.
Link here to download Henrik's Thought Piece.
Link here to register to attend.
Contact Henrik by e-mail at henrik.minassians@csun.edu with any questions or comments you would like to share with him in preparation for this OD session.
Biography
Henrik Minassians is the Director of Regional/National Educational Partnerships & Services for Graduate & Professional Educational Services and Programs at The Tseng College, California State University, Northridge. He also teaches courses in Public Policy and Administration at CSUN. His research interests include implementation and evaluation issues in higher education and health care policy. His applied research has focused on accountability programs in higher education and the effectiveness of indicators used for performance measurement. Henrik has written on the implementation of public programs in higher education and healthcare.
Before coming to CSUN, Henrik worked as a senior research associate for the higher education program at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, New York. Recent publications include: Performance Reporting: "Real" Accountability or Accountability "Lite" (2003); Reporting Higher Education Results: Missing Links in the Performance Chain (published by Jossey-Bass, 2002); State Performance Reporting Indicators What Do They Indicate? (In Planning for Higher Education, 2002); Performance Reporting: The "No Cost" Accountability Program, (2002); Linking State Resources to Campus Results: From Fad to Trend, (2001); Performance Funding and Budgeting: An Emerging Merger? (2000); and Myths and Illusions: The Media and AIDS Policy (with Stella Theodoulou, 1996); "Good Cities and Healthy Communities in the United States" Journal of Urban Design and Planning (with Zeynep Toker); Core Concepts in American Government: What Everyone Should Know The chapter titled "Bureaucracy" (with Lawrence Becker).
Henrik has experience working for public agencies as well as not-for-profit organizations. In addition, he taught public policy and American politics courses at State University of New York-Albany. He currently teaches public policy classes for the MPA program. Henrik holds a Ph.D. in public policy from the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Policy and Affairs at the University at Albany-SUNY.
Looking ahead, our Better Thinking About... webinars continue next month, with a focus on "Causes", hosted by Gipsie Ranney on Thursday, September 11th, from 11:30-1pm PT.
Link here to register to attend this webinar in advance of the announcement.
Cheers...
Bill
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The W. Edwards Deming Institute's 2014 Conference - October 17-19
"Innovation for Success - Creating a Foundation for Leading in Business and Education"
The W. Edwards Deming Institute, in collaboration with California State University, Northridge presents a weekend conference on innovation, the foundation for the future. Link here for details. Speakers from business and education will share their journeys with Dr. Deming's teachings and the powerful impact they had on their lives, businesses and communities. Join us for an introduction to Dr. Deming's transformational philosophies, compelling personal stories from industry leaders, and moderated speaker panel discussions. You will also have an opportunity to meet with conference presenters, family members of Dr. Deming, and other attendees who are successfully using Deming's teachings in their organizations. You'll leave with new knowledge and inspiration to create a more successful future by leading through innovation today.
Join in at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys, California for this exciting Conference, and the preceding Pre-Conference event with David Langford, to continue the learning and hear the success stories of educators who are using this approach.
The registration fee is $425, with an early bird rate (before August 31st) of $375 and a student rate of $250.
Scholarships
Student Scholarships
Fall Conference scholarships are available for active students. The scholarships cover $225 of the student registration fee. The application deadline is Friday, October 3, 2014
Named Scholarships
A limited number of named scholarships are available for conference registration fees and travel/lodging for out of town events. The maximum award is $1,200. To be eligible, you must demonstrate an interest in the teachings of Dr. Deming and have a background suitable to the event for which you are seeking scholarship support. Applicants must submit the online application form by Friday, September 12, 2014. Late applications will not be accepted. - Lola S. Deming Scholarship
- Pluma Irene Scholarship
- Dorothy Deming Scholarship
Scholarship Application Process
To apply for a scholarship, complete and submit the online application form. You will receive an email advising you of the status of your request once the Scholarship Committee has reviewed your application. |
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Leader of One, by Gerald Suarez
"Endorsements like these are seldom needed. Heed this one, read, study, and learn. Gerald Suarez is the future."
Russ Ackoff
Gerald Suarez, our inaugural "Better Thinking About..." in February 2012 on the topic of Leadership, has released his first book, titled "Leader of One: Shaping Your Future through Imagination and Design." Find it on Amazon at this link. Link on the book image to learn more about Gerald.
With endorsements from two of his mentors, Stephen Covey and Russ Ackoff, Gerald has fulfilled his dream of "writing a book that reflects my philosophy and experiences in the White House, the boardroom, and the classroom and to pay tribute to the major influences in my thinking."
This 18-chapter book offers a 4-phase "methodology" that consists of a cycle of activities that "work together in a holistic fashion"; Contemplation, Desire, Design, and Creation.
Gerald offers this advice at the outset:
Becoming a "Leader of One" and taking on the challenge of shaping your future is not easy. Transformative efforts never are. The task ahead will feel overwhelming, but commitment to initiate and sustain action, no matter how small, will move you closer to a new and desired reality.
There are no short cuts. Every building begins its steps upward with a single brick, every marathon race with a single step, and every book with a single word. The same can be said for every minute of your life, so seconds count. The first steps are always the most difficult, but each one will bring you closer to "there." |
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August 21st - 22nd OD Details
Please join us for one or all of this month's series of OD conference calls. As always, you are invited to participate for as long, or as short, as you can in one or more of these sessions, Options 1-4. Note that these conference calls are "conversations, not presentations," which vary from session to session, due to a variety of causes, such as who participates, what questions are asked, and what learning transpires. This diversity is captured every month, as the calls are recorded, with links to these audio files shared with all who register to attend.
Option - Date/Time (Pacific Time);
1 - Thursday, August 21st, 12:00-1:00pm
2 - Thursday, August 21st, 1:00-2:00pm
3 - Friday, August 22nd - 12:00-1:00pm
4 - Friday, August 22nd - 1:00-2:00pm
The agenda for each option will be:
Opening 15 minutes: Call in and Introductions
Next 40 minutes: Ongoing Discussion
Last 5 minutes: Farewells and Close
Please reply to this note by noon, Pacific Time on Wednesday, August 20th to confirm your plans to participate in one (or more) of these options. If you do plan to attend, please complete the OD PARTICIPATION SURVEY by using the link below...
PARTICIPANT SURVEY
Telecon lines (including a pass code and a security code) have been arranged for those who cannot join us in a conference room at our Canoga Park facility and are provided upon completion of the participant survey.
As always, please forward this announcement to anyone we missed who would also like to participate.
Regards...
Bill |
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Future Ongoing Discussion Conference Calls
Mark your calendars - future Ongoing Discussion conference calls will be held on the following dates (subject to slight changes), from 12-1pm and 1-2pm Pacific Time.
Month, Dates, Thought Leader(s), Topics (link on each session to register):
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Future Better Thinking About... Webinars
Mark your calendars - future Better Thinking About... webinars will be held on the following dates, from 11:30-1pm Pacific Time. Details for how to participate in this webinar series are provided upon registering using the participant survey for each event.
Date, Presenter, and Topic (link on each session to register):
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InThinking Together Seminar
Description: This seminar explores the philosophies of a variety of management theorist, including but not limited to Russell Ackoff, W. Edwards Deming, Edward de Bono, Tom Johnson, and Genichi Taguchi, among many others; as they apply to the management of organizational resources, including ideas, innovation, knowledge, money, equipment, and space. Among the topics of discussion will be the concepts of "better thinking about thinking" (InThinking) and Purposeful Resource Management as well as Purposeful Resource Leadership. The seminar will introduce you to these ideas through a series of questions that are specially selected to create awareness of a new approach to working together, learning together, and thinking together.
Registration Fee: there is NO fee to attend
Prerequisites: there are NO prerequisites
Format: two 4.5-hour sessions over two days, offered as an in-person event
Presented by: Bill Bellows
Schedule for InThinking Together classes in Canoga Park, CA for Aerojet Rocketdyne
Class #CP-2014-09 (to be hosted by College of the Canyons in Valencia)
Part 1 - 11-Sep - 7:00-11:30am
Part 2 - 12-Sep - 7:00-11:30am
Class #CP-2014-10 (to be hosted by College of the Canyons in Valencia) Part 1 - 30-Oct - 7:00-11:30am
Part 2 - 31-Oct - 7:00-11:30am
Register to attend InThinking Together |
The New Economics Study Session
Description: A group of participants assembles, some in-person and some via teleconference, for this 14-hour series. Participants discuss W. Edwards Deming's last book, The New Economics, in which he introduced his concept of a "System of Profound Knowledge." The group reads specified chapters before each session and discusses the meaning and application of the ideas, as well as personal reactions to the ideas. Supplemental reading material become part of the conversations, as do reactions to video tapes of Dr. Deming.
Registration Fee - there is NO fee to attend. In addition, this is a toll-free call from the United States and Canada. International participants are welcome to join in as well, provided they do so at their own expense for the conference call. Aerojet Rocketdyne attendees will be given copies of The New Economics. Non-Aerojet Rocketdyne attendees can purchase copies on Amazon at this link, with used copies selling for $15 and Kindle copies available for $15.95.
Prerequisite - there are NO prerequisites
Format - seven 2-hour sessions over three and a half weeks, presented as a teleconference event
Presented by: Tim Higgins
Schedule for The New Economics Study Session
Class #CP-2014-03
Starting on 8-Sep, seven sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 3:00-5:00pm (ending on 29-Sep)
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