Excellence on parade at LC-Cd'A
During this time of contentious community conversation, let me divert your attention to the quiet work of dedicated, unique teams. Chairman and CEO of ARAMARK Corporation, Joseph Neubauer, reminds us (meaning leaders) to "Surround yourself with good people, Invest in them. Listen to them. Align culture and mission. And keep your commitments." How then are we (leaders again) recognizing the work of those "good people?" We celebrate National Bosses Day, Administrative Assistant Day, and National Raisin Day (I like raisins, but really?). There is no official Staff Appreciation Day. Well, I now assume the authority to declare this day National Staff Day. Simply because it's time - and being the first to declare such provides me with the privilege to publicly name and describe the national best-of-the-best.
Warren Bennis identified a collection of complementary minds allied in a common purpose as a "Great Group." He explained that these remarkable people - strong individual achievers - work together to get results. They support and genuinely care for one another. Egos aside, members work in pursuit of the dream. Great Groups, Bennis suggested, are populated by mavericks with a "bias toward action, risk taking, and curiosity ... they are purveyors of hope." With humility, I take pride in introducing five Lewis-Clark State College - Coeur d'Alene Great Group. If you don't know them, you should.
The LCSC-Cd'A front office is shared by a team that displays a willingness to step in front of a bus if it would benefit a customer. I'm not kidding. They will work overtime, spend hours talking customers "off the ledge," and quiet the anxiety of a first-time visitor. "There is a common misconception that you are either a leader or a follower. Not true. The reality is that all leaders must also follow," said psychologist Ronald Riggio, Ph.D. Our two Administrative Assistants are capable of anything and everything. That ability, in and of itself, might cause another supervisor's knees to knock; as a sometime-follower of their initiatives, I find it reassuring.
A leader in disguise occupies the office next to mine. Humble. Extraordinarily self-confident. He and his actions define integrity all responsibilities required in his role of Public Information Coordinator. Interestingly, the metaphor of inverted pyramid is used by journalists (that includes Public Information Coordinators) to illustrate how the most important information should be first within a text, followed by important details, and then background information. In organizations, the inverted pyramid is a metaphor for a reversal of traditional management practices. "Hierarchical leadership structures where ideas almost exclusively come from the very top are ill equipped to tackle today's organizational challenges as they discourage innovation, creativity, and accountability," writes Anand Pillai in Fortune. I find a great deal of satisfaction in being background information when working with this Great Group.
Have you heard of the FISH Philosophy? ... The Disney Way? The LCSC- Cd'A Coordinator for Enrollment Development is emotionally present for people, creative, playful, and finds simple ways to serve people in a meaningful, memorable way (the FISH Philosophy). She truly believes "All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them." (Disney). I believe in her, in her dreams, and in her aspirations to do the impossible.
"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." (Calvin Coolidge). The Associate Director's character and his actions exemplify this.
Peter Drucker says, "Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things." The LCSC-Cd'A Great Group is efficient and effective. Empowered to draw upon their individual and collective strengths, they offer students a feeling of hope, a sense of direction, and a focus on the future. Thus, by the power invested in me, and yes, I mean 'invested' power (i.e. age, experience, and attitude), to this group, I award to this great group the well-deserved honor of National Staff. I believe we all could use a few more "purveyors of hope" in our lives.
Cyndie Hammond is executive director of Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene.