Author Archives: Inspiring Innovations, Inc.
Public Administration In Rural America
Sometimes it is so important as a concerned U.S. citizen and career-long public servant to stop and evaluate the governmental decision-making processes in your own backyard. In my world of work Public Administration In Rural America has and continues to be an ongoing area of progressive concern.
This week’s TRIPLE III TIME message is my quarterly American Society of Public Administration article. In it I “gingerly” address the topic of aging rural elected officials and the limited decision-making credentials they often retain. As always I briefly offer a couple innovative system improvement ideas regarding these challenges. However as you read the article…think about small city, township, county and special purpose governmental units and their board make-ups. Concerns?
TRIPLE III TIME: Finding the “I Can Help Sweet Spot”
I am not sure why…but more recently the everyday consultant challenge of Finding The “I Can Help Sweet Spot” for individuals and groups has become way more difficult. I know…everyone who knows me…knows I always have ideas. Whether the issue is dealing with performance, developing new service delivery concepts, customer recruitment, staff training…whatever I have ideas. However sometimes even the best ideas don’t seem to be the right ones.
But then as I thought more about Finding The “I Can Help Sweet Spot” situation, I began to realize that this is NOT just a consultant challenge…it is an everyone who works with people challenge!
Today more than ever before it is critical to consider the “place” someone or an organization is before drafting and recommending alternative ways forward for them. The problems and issues people/groups face today are not traditional or historic. They are different and unique.
Next there is the question of “best fit”. Based on YOUR experiences and knowledge YOU are confident that YOU can identify the best “I Can Help Sweet Spot.” WRONG! The most important consideration is THEIR experiences and knowledge and then how together find a best fit option to move them forward.
Finally, people who work with people need to be prepared to recognize that the Sweet Spot may move forward, backward or even side-to-side during the I Can Help process…and this is something no one can control. It is just important to realize and accommodate.
So please keep these realizations in mind when Finding The “I Can Help Sweet Spot”! in your work/life. Don’t think you are failing when your initial ideas and recommendations aren’t a winner. Your authenticity and caring will be your most valuable asset.
LEARNING MOMENTS: Getting & Giving Professional Coaching
I think we have all thought about having someone you trust, admire, appreciate provide you with some professional coaching when dealing with a personal or work-related challenge. Today society would probably label that as having a “Life Coach.”
But this month our Inspiring Innovations LEARNING MOMENTS podcast takes an inclusive view of this advising responsibly by discussing both Getting & Giving Professional Coaching. Specifically, the LEARNING MOMENTS shared calls on everyone to realize that Coaching is infused into everyone’s personal and professional lives. As a result, whether top-down / side-to-side / or bottom-up Coaching is high value. Even to the point of making it a part of your organizational personnel policies.
Enjoy the listen.
TRIPLE III TIME: Professional Affiliations
Professional Affiliations: “An organization or group a person belongs to based on involvement in a particular profession.”
As I have regularly discussed and encouraged professional development and keeping an accurate life-long record of where you have worked…your education credentials…special achievements and awards; I realize one area that I have “skipped-over” is identifying Professional Affiliations. You all know what I am referring to. I mean having a membership with organizations like: Chambers of Commerce, alumni groups, education associations, Farm Bureau…and the list goes on. And in most instances their value comes out during a job search action or career change. Specifically Professional Affiliations are most often listed on resumes to demonstrate one’s involvement in personal development beyond a day job.
This week’s TRIPLE III TIME message however will go beyond just words on paper and focus on the “action value” of maintaining Professional Affiliations. During my career I can not even guess the never-ending benefits I have obtained from my Professional Affiliation networks! Example benefits include basic sharing and learning about new ideas, extending interests in a professional growth area, participating in a cool event and/or just obtaining independent advice on an issue or problem. These are not just stagnant, readable benefits…they are activities that show how your Professional Affiliations are a vital part of your ever growing/changing career.
It is also important NOT to minimize any personal growth/development group you are or HAVE BEEN part of. Being involved in a church choir, joining the FFA, becoming a band or National Honor Society member…and on and on! You will never know when or where one of your Professional Affiliations (old or new) may help you.
Bottomline: Take stock of your TOTAL Professional Affiliations. Take action to appreciate their written and action value. Finally keep building your Professional Affiliations in a diverse way…the benefits are endless.
TRIPLE III TIME: Recognizing The Little Things As BIG!
Recently I was involved in the planning for an entrepreneurial event with a small Committee. The Committee was made up of both public and private sector representatives and fortunately a rather wide range of professionals from different age groups. All of course were/are very passionate about helping people start their own business and create unique products and services. And as we discussed what kinds of “mini-sessions” we should have…the oldest gentlemen in the room suggested “how about a workshop on how we need to begin Recognizing The Little Things As BIG!”
I could tell by the combined looks on everyone’s face that they were not sure how to respond or what questions to ask about his suggestion. So just being me I blurted out: “Ok…just what would we talk/train about in our Recognizing The Little Things As BIG mini-session?” Well without hesitation he cleared his throat and began “How about stressing these things:
First tell everyone to treat EVERY customer like they were brand new.
Second be sure to show or tell customers about one new thing you are doing or selling.
Third don’t assume customers know your best product or service…tell them.
Fourth enthusiastically ask them why they stopped by today.
Fifth make sure your total customer service area is neat, clean and has a confident business feel.
Sixth send out one (1) hand written Thank You note to a customer each week.
Seventh co-promote partner companies as best you can because it’s the right thing.
Eighth give the 10th customer each day 20% of their total purchase or a complementary product/service.
Ninth explain to all that work for/with you that if they can’t smile and laugh on the job they will only help in the back.
Tenth set aside a small but prominent spot in your place of business to display why Recognizing The Little Things As BIG is your company motto.”
As you can guess there was a quick unanimous vote to incorporate a Recognizing The Little Things As BIG session in our entrepreneur event…because we already had THE instructor!
(P.S. He also reminded us that all 10 discussion ideas could work in a business/organization online or in person…with a wink.)
TRIPLE III TIME: Collaborative Innovation
In the September/October 2021 edition of the Public Administration Review (a special journal publication), at long last I discovered an article about Collaborative Innovation!
And although the article was prepared by a group of educators and researchers from the United Kingdom, the fact that it focused exclusively on employment development and the “wicked problems” facing today’s labor market was/is totally professionally encouraging!! So as I considered how to adapt the article’s highlights within this week’s TRIPLE III TIME message, I decided to share critical direct passages so that all committed to quality innovation practices may benefit.
CORE PRINCIPLES
“The core principles of collaborative innovation are that innovation can be supported most effectively through: the creation of spaces for mutual learning among stakeholders and from service users; joint ownership of program design, development, and implementation; and empowered participation among stakeholders, through the sharing of risks, resources, and decision-making”.JOINT OWNERSHIP
“Joint ownership through participation and dialogue can improve the implementation of new and bold solutions when different resources are mobilized, exchanged, and coordinated. Real innovation advocates support forms of collaborative decision-making and street-level teamworking that enable: the integration of ideas and consensus-based approach to the selection of most promising solutions; and joint ownership of risks and benefits and a shared commitment to the implementation of new solutions”.EMPOWERED PARTICIPATION
During Collaborative Innovation “empowered participation is facilitated through processes that manage power and resource inequalities among stakeholders…which are defined as policy makers, funders and other “meta-governors” (public, private, and nonprofit organizations involved in the governance and management of services), and user groups and communities. While some forms of power inequalities remain inevitable, governance and management arrangements can empower relevant communities and stakeholders by endowing them with relevant knowledge, rights, and resources to participate in driving innovation”.
There are a number of GREAT concepts and learnings contained in these article excerpts. I hope everyone reads them more than once and realizes that Collaborative Innovation is always a progressive way forward in both the public and private employment sectors.
TRIPLE III TIME: Responsibility “Roots”
Every once in a while some action or message brings back memories of the multiple life lessons delivered to me by my Dad. And mostly they were provided not by words…but by assignments. Assignments like:
- Treating livestock the way I would want to be treated.
- Maintaining farm implements so they would last forever.
- Repurposing tools that have passed their original use.
- Put equipment “to bed” for the winter so they were ready to go when we “woke them up” in the spring.
- Oh yeah one more… to always shake someones hand like you mean it!
The size and purpose of the assignments changed with time… but the Responsibility “Roots” that were planted with me never changed.
I believe for the sake of quality personal and professional growth it is valuable to consider the source of your Responsibility “Roots”. When and where did the initial Roots get planted in you? Who was most responsible…what were they and how did you deal with them? These are all serious questions that can assist in growing and nurturing the Responsibility “Roots” that are part of your everyday life and world of work.
If you have a solid foundation and longer-term network of Responsibility “Roots” the more prepared you are when new/different responsibilities come your way. Think about it?? Do you have a habit of avoiding taking on new responsibilities and dread the thought of unique challenges? Or do you have a “Bring It On!” attitude that welcomes new challenges and views them as continuous learning opportunities!?
I know I was fortunate to have (and still have) great people involved in planting and expanding my Responsibility “Roots”. I believe it is helpful to periodically step back and review your entire history of Responsibility “Roots” development. As you do you will identify the best…ones that were not so helpful…and then better map your example-setting future. It is a very good history lesson.
LEARNING MOMENTS: Public Sector Entrepreneurship
Public Sector Entrepreneurship. This topic is/has been one of my favorite career-long priorities and principles everyday…. EVERYDAY! So, when I decided to start our new year 2022 with a discussion surrounding this professional issue, the concepts… thoughts… history… and passion came out very easily.
Of course INNOVATION is the foundation of successful Public Sector Entrepreneurship. So I hope my LEARNING MOMENTS explanation in this months podcast helpS everyone involved in any form of public service to give and take credit for every special creative action facilitated in your workplace.
TRIPLE III TIME: Let It Come To You
Patience and waiting for the right moment are NOT strong personality traits among those considered INNOVATORS. In most instances there is a drive…a need to get the new concept out there for trial and error to determine if the creative idea/project/service is as useful and implementation-worthy as dreamed by the INNOVATOR!
However, in the world of real time one must accept the reality that most co-workers and colleagues can NOT read the INNOVATORS mind…and most have NOT gone through the same development thought processes to motivate the creation of the new idea/concept. Hence the result is a collaborative “air” of reluctance to move everyone/everything forward and at the same time a sense of professional deflation within the INNOVATOR.
This week’s TRIPLE III TIME advice: Step back and “Let It Come To You”. If it sounds like I have personal and professional experience in this area…I HAVE! As an INNOVATOR and having had the opportunity to interact with other INNOVATORS…the “Let It Come To You” strategy has many appropriate alternate progress benefits as you still maintain your new idea energy! Think about these options:
- Use your INNOVATOR moments to “touch” and build on other existing project/service areas with a continuous improvement mindset.
- Continue to “feed” pieces of your new idea/concept with others in your organization…but not your whole innovation.
- Openly discuss the need for project/service improvement in your innovation target area on a regular basis.
- Do not stop researching for comparable unique concepts that could improve your innovation even before introduction.
- Finally, keep in mind that most often the harder you push an idea/concept that may be way ahead of its time…the more distance you might create among those who can make (or break) your innovation.
Be an INNOVATOR! But understand that sometimes you have to “Let It Come To You”.
TRIPLE III TIME: Do People REALLY Hear Me?
It is now the first week of our new year 2022! And although I was thinking about a message of inspiration and future-thought… I decided we need to start with a “head-on” TRIPLE III TIME topic: Do People REALLY Hear Me?
Think about it.
In this day and age of fast, extensive and multi-faceted communication…it is very necessary and appropriate to regularly ask yourself: Do People REALLY Hear Me? As I thought about the value of this message I couldn’t help but remember the Charlie Brown cartoons/comic strips where the terms “Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha” were regularly used to demonstrate that no one was really listening to someone important. I believe that too often today when we speak or when we listen…the “Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha” syndrome takes effect.
So what’s the potential remedy to resolve the “Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha” syndrome? Here’s a few TRIPLE III TIME ideas:
- Use a blended written & voice strategy to convey your message.
- Don’t be the only, continuous voice when making a point…allow others to share the responsibility.
- Make it a regular practice to ask: Did you hear/understand what I said?
- Apply a strict time limit to each topic and to the overall time dedicated to an individual or group meeting/training.
- Don’t be afraid to use today’s techno-options for unique short communication “lessons” to help people hear you.
- Consider fun, informal small group “Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha” syndrome resolution sessions.
The answer to the Do People REALLY Hear Me? TRIPLE III TIME topic question does not have to be controversial or negative. If everyone understands that professional discomfort is a natural part of personal and professional growth…the answers to achieve quality hearing/listening may come much easier than you think.
Inspiring Innovations, Inc. 