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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 2400+ 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. |
Additional Reading
Beginning in 2009, a series of articles have been prepared for the Lean Management Journal (LMJ) to share InThinking insights with the Lean community. This month's feature LMJ article,
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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 Doug Stilwell, from Urbandale, Iowa, to lead our ninth Ongoing Discussion conference call of 2014 on September 25th and 26th and also our 177th session since we began in January 2000. As for a topic, Doug has selected "Trust as a Systemic Structure for Innovation in Schools and Organizations," in his first time with us as a Thought Leader.
I was introduced to Doug in 2009 by David Langford, a mutual friend, during one of David's Four-Day Quality Learning Seminars. At the time, Doug was beginning his role as superintendent of the Urbandale Community School District in Urbandale, Iowa. We've remained in touch through the years, often meeting at the annual conference of the W. Edwards Deming Institute. Doug will present at this year's conference, set for October 17-19 in Van Nuys, California, on the topic of his Ongoing Discussion with us. Find conference details below, with student scholarships available.
As for his focus as an Ongoing Thought Leader this month,
Doug's Thought Piece focuses on how Dr. Deming's System of Profound Knowledge supports the concept of trust as a systemic structure in organizations. He begins his Thought Piece (link to the 8.5x11 format) with these ideas:
For the past 15 years I have had a keen interest in the concept of trust, particularly as it applies to organizational climate and performance. As I read and considered what trust was, a great deal of the focus was on interpersonal trust. However, given my introduction to and study of systems thinking a new perspective was formed. Trust is not only an interpersonal transaction. More importantly, trust is a systemic structure that permeates an entire organization.
In 2002 I was invited to present at the National Systems Thinking Conference on the topic as Trust as a Systemic Structure in our Organizations. I found that this was a new paradigm for people and the presentation was well received. Following the presentation I was approached by editors of the "Systems Thinker" magazine and asked to author an article on the topic, to serve as the feature article in the March, 2003 publication (of which you should have a copy).
I had always felt something was missing from that article. While I wrote about "behaviors, patterns of behaviors, and systemic structures," I honestly could not articulate the "systemic structures," although I knew they existed. However, over the past seven years as I was introduced to and began studying the work of Dr. Deming, it has become clear to me that what my previous article was indeed missing something foundational; Dr. Deming's "System of Profound Knowledge" (SoPK). It is finally at this point I am able to better identify and "fill in the blanks" from my previous article in 2003 that have haunted me over the past 11 years. An understanding of the system of profound knowledge undergirds my past work and adds a greater depth of meaning to it.
The Thought Piece continues with these comments,
My thesis from 11 years ago remains a truism for me today. Trust is a system within any group of people, including organizations. Trust is highly complex and interconnects every relationship within an organization, whether it is person-to-person or department-to-department. Trust permeates the entire organization. Further, I continue to believe that trust is a foundational system in organizations.
In my original article from 2003 I cited the "iceberg" model for trust. Above the surface were individual interactions. Just below the surface these individual interactions became patterns of behaviors. Finally, at the deepest levels were systemic structures that supported and were supported by patterns of behaviors and individual behaviors. While at that time I wrote the article I was not able to identify those systemic structures, I believe I can today. Specific to the Urbandale Community School District (and perhaps global in nature) the systemic structures that undergird trust in our organization include our vision, mission, values a culture of learning, and intelligent risk-taking (innovation), all of which are based on and make up our belief system. These structures have been "encoded" into our district through board policy and our strategic plan. However, most important is that individuals and groups within the district support and work within these structures as well as ensuring that our strategic plan is aligned from the classroom to the district level.
Link here to download Doug's Thought Piece.
In addition, link here to download Doug's article, Trust as a Systemic Structure, prepared for the Systems Thinking Newsletter.
Link here to register to attend.
Contact Doug by e-mail at stilwelld@urbandaleschools.com with any questions or comments you would like to share with him in preparation for this OD session.
Biography
Doug Stilwell currently serves as superintendent of the Urbandale Community School District in Urbandale, Iowa. His 35 years of educational experience includes 13 years as a classroom teacher and 22 years as an administrator, holding the positions of building principal, director of human resources, and associate superintendent. Upon being named superintendent of Urbandale in 2010, Doug has led and facilitated a district-wide effort focused on continual improvement to increase student learning, engagement, and satisfaction as well as overall organizational effectiveness.
Doug also serves as an adjunct professor in the graduate program at Drake University (where he earned his doctorate), teaching "Organizational Systems Behavior" for up and coming school administrators. He is currently a member of the Iowa Quality Center's board of directors.
Looking ahead, our Better Thinking About... webinars continue next month, with a focus on "the Interdependency of Project, Risk, and Knowledge Management," hosted by Don McAlister on Thursday, October 9th, 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. |
Podcasts from The W. Edwards Deming Institute
Beginning this year, The W. Edwards Deming Institute has recorded podcasts on a monthly basis, featuring 20 to 30-minute interviews by Tripp Babbitt with members of the Deming Community who are advancing the use and explanations of Dr. Deming's ideas. In this episode of the Deming Podcast, Tripp Babbitt interviews
Steven Haedrich, President of New York Label & Box Works.
In his podcast,
Steven talks about the rich 130-year history of New York Label & Box Works and their Deming journey which began more than 20 years ago. Steven discusses his "aha" moments around management and leadership, and quality improvements. Steven also talks about the relevance of the Deming teachings today and the keys to long-term success using the Deming method.
Steven will be sharing his experiences at the upcoming Deming Institute Fall Conference, in a presentation titled "Deming is it!".
Link here to find the podcast with Steven.
Link here to find the previous podcasts, featuring Andrea Gabor, Kevin Cahill, Dan Robertson, David Langford, and Kelly Allan.
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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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September 25th - 26th 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, September 25th, 12:00-1:00pm
2 - Thursday, September 25th, 1:00-2:00pm
3 - Friday, September 26th - 12:00-1:00pm
4 - Friday, September 26th - 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, September 24th 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-2014-10 (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
Class #CP-2014-11 (to be hosted by College of the Canyons in Valencia) Part 1 - 13-Nov - 7:00-11:30am
Part 2 - 14-Nov - 7:00-11:30am
Class #CP-2014-12 (to be hosted by College of the Canyons in Valencia) Part 1 - 16-Dec - 7:00-11:30am
Part 2 - 17-Dec - 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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