Many of us sing in the shower. In fact many of us think we sound good. Some of those who sing well in the shower sing in a choir or community chorus. Singing in a group gives us confidence because mistakes are often covered up or drown out by our fellow singers. Try singing solo. No way! The prospect of having all eyes looking at you is painful. Most of us would rather run the other way and hide under our covers.

In Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, the main character, Jean Valjean asks, “Who am I?” William Shakespeare is perhaps best known for penning of the question “To be? Or not to be? That is the question!” That indeed is the question. Here, my friends, is the answer to both of the above questions: “Yes, I am.” In other words, whoever you decide to be is exactly who you are. October’s MNODN speaker, Janae Bower, address this issue in a more applicable and practical manner. Her take simply is this: If we become the best “us” possible, we are then able to give back a better version of “us” to our spouse, friends, family, children, organization and community.

What do a roll of toilet paper and great presenting skills have in common? Perhaps nothing. Perhaps more than you think. On Thursday, September 4th, Sam Smith, Vice President of the Prouty Project led a few dozen MNODN members in a communications seminar that challenged the audience to stretch their limits and take the next step or two toward better communication. In the end, he successfully created an environment where exploration, learning and courage were inspired and cultivated.

On Thursday, May 8th, an expert panel of four OD women answered questions and gave motivating and encouraging insight on the current and future trends in Organizational Development and Organizational Change. In a nut shell, the discussion can be summarized in this way: The whole-system approach to organizational development and organizational change is the wave of the future. This approach is defining the healthy growth and development of companies.

Please join the conversation with local leaders and experts in the field of Human Resources, Organizational Development, and Organization Effectiveness who will share learnings from work going on inside their companies, their point of view on what businesses are expecting from internal and external organization development practitioners, and discuss opportunities for OD to focus and drive value. OD practitioners are often in the thick of formidable challenges within their organizations. 

MNODN is kicking off its 2014 Member Drive, March 6-31.  This is a great time to renew your membership and encourage others you know to join our organization. Great programming, networking, sharing of resources and access to local and national OD people, theories and practices are a part of what your membership makes possible.  

I am writing about an eye-opening experience I had in January 2014 when Dr. Richard McGuigan and Dr. Nancy Popp from The Institute for Leading Change led a program called “Becoming an Immunity to Change Facilitator.” The workshop was designed to give participants the insights and tools to lead change work as one-on-one coaches or with teams in organizations.

Dan “The Disruptor” Olson of STAR Collaborative came to the MNODN on January 9th to facilitate a program on Change Management: State of the Union. I was unsure what to expect, and Dan presented information on his background to help provide context for his “Getting Stuff Done” perspective. Not only did we learn about his own path which is currently the successful startup STAR Collaborative (The Costco version of Match.com for talent) we also learned about the local change management group.

Thank you, Steven Snyder, Ph.D., for a wonderful presentation on Leadership and the Art of Struggle:  A New Conversation about Leadershipat MNODN’s monthly program!

The National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH) began in 2011 to provide training to four-person multi-sector teams from across the country to advance their leadership skills and achieve health equity in their community. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the one-year program uses an experiential learning process that includes webinars, a multi-day retreat, coaching support, peer networking, and an applied population health project. NLAPH is currently training its second cohort of fellows.