Scanlon March 2005 E-zine

Greetings!

This E-Zine contains important information for those interested in personal, professional and organizational development...the Scanlon way. Download the 2005 Scanlon conference information package and plan to join Scanlon practioners from throughout North America May 10-12 in Kalamazoo, MI. Link to the new Scanlon blog to find Leadership Tips 24 hours a day seven days a week. Celebrate the 2005 Stewardship Award winner - Tim Tindall. Learn about Network member, Limerick Veterinary Hospital and their P.A.W.S. Plan. Take Leadership and Team development to new heights with Sky Trail, the Network's newest program in partnership with Ropes Courses, Inc. Find a great job opportunity with Pacific Cast Technologies. Enjoy!

Tim Tindall Receives 2005 Stewardship Award




Tim Tindall, Chairman of the Board at Spring Engineering, was recently chosen for Scanlon's 2005 Stewardship Award, the Network's highest honor. The Stewardship Award, which recognizes exceptional individuals who over time have contributed to the Scanlon Network and demonstrated the Scanlon principles both professionally and in the community, will be presented at the Annual Conference in May.

"It's a great honor to receive the Stewardship Award," said Tindall. "I was a little surprised - some very influential people have preceded me," he added. "I'm flattered to be held in the same regard."

Spring Engineering, of Canton, Michigan, manufactures custom-formed metal parts and assemblies to primarily the automotive industry. The company's Scanlon Plan, Investors, Customers, Employees (ICE), was implemented in 1994.

"I believe Scanlon is the correct and only way to form and run a business or any other organization," said Tindall. "The Scanlon principles give you a 360° compass to direct your activities - the Plan is extremely complete."

"Tim has built a team at Spring that is one of the best I have ever worked with," said Scanlon Leadership Network President Paul Davis. "He often says 'We need to grow the orchard,' which means that we have to take time to help others grow and develop," added Davis. "Tim wants to make sure people are always improving, and he gives them the tools to do so."

Marge Holata, Chair of Scanlon's Best Practices Stewardship Committee and Director of Associate Involvement at SGS Tool, led the selection process and collected feedback from those who have worked with or for the nominees. Previous Stewardship Award winners then confirmed their support of the Tindall's nomination.

Steve Kay, Vice President and General Manager at Spring Engineering said, "Tim has created a participative team environment here. He has successfully transitioned the management of the company so that the business continues to operate utilizing the Scanlon Principles."

Scanlon Rally Energizes, Motivates Limerick Employees



Limerick Veterinary Hospital held a Scanlon Rally offsite in January for all staff members with the hopes of re-introducing employees to Scanlon and mapping out future plans in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. The veterinary hospital, located in Limerick, PA, implemented its Scanlon Plan, People At Work Succeeding (P.A.W.S.), in 1996.

"Our goal was to get everyone in the right frame of mind," said Shawn Heyes, Practice Manager. "With the new year, we wanted to gather input from everyone and get them pumped up to launch some new areas of our practice," she added. "The idea was to have fun."

Instead of meeting during normal hours at the hospital, where they would have faced distractions, said Heyes, they gathered on a Sunday at an outside facility in the mountains to separate themselves from the demands of work.

"Feedback from the event was extremely positive," said Heyes. "Everyone thought it was very exciting. It felt like a tight-knit, family atmosphere - time just flew by."

At the Rally, veterans of Limerick's Scanlon Plan talked about their experiences and others shared stories about their favorite Limerick moments. They also played games such as Scanlon Jeopardy to refresh employees on the company's P.A.W.S. plan and the Scanlon Principles. Drs. Charles Koenig, Robert Nicols and Janet Hanning spoke about where Limerick is headed and about new services such as geriatric and hospice care for animals. They then split into teams and made lists of what had to be done to actually put these ideas into action.

"It was the most exciting and meaningful meeting we've ever had," said Limerick Business Manager Sharon Helms.

"The next step is to figure out how we can maintain this enthusiasm and discuss ways to get started on these projects," said Heyes. Limerick will follow up with a meeting this month to go over everything they talked about at the Rally. "We really want to see the owners' visions become reality," she added.

Limerick is also considering holding another Scanlon rally halfway through the year to step back and regroup.

Coordinators Rise To New Heights At Coordinators Conference




Attendees at the 2005 Coordinators Conference tested their Scanlon principles with team- building exercises and group challenges using Ropes Courses Inc.'s new portable Sky Trail system. Held February 15-16 at Spring Engineering in Canton, Michigan, the Coordinator's Conference offers networking opportunities to both new and old members and provides a forum to receive tips from peers as they exchange ideas.

"The ropes course was phenomenal," said Tom VonIns, a participant and Committee Chairperson at Magna Donnelly in Holland, Michigan. "It was really neat how they challenged us both physically and mentally," added VonIns. The coordinators were divided into groups and charged with completing tasks as a cohesive unit. "The point was that if you're in a Scanlon environment, that's how you should already be working."

Sky Trail, a customized, portable high ropes course used for team building, teaches and reinforces the Scanlon Principles by bringing groups together. The system is owned by Ropes Course Inc., a unique business venture launched 16 years ago by Jim Liggett of Martin, Michigan. Liggett has built customized ropes courses throughout the world for both team training and entertainment for major corporations such as Philip Morris, Caterpillar and General Motors.

"Everyone participated, even if initially they were afraid," said VonIns. "The leaders adapted to people's different comfort levels, allowing us to all work toward the same goal," he added. VonIns is looking into renting the Sky Trail system for Equity Day at Magna Donnelly, an event for the company's 144 Equity Representatives. The portability of the Sky Trail allows Ropes Courses Inc. to set up in either a parking lot or grassy area at the host company, cutting out travel time and expenses.

"I'd like to do it again at our company," said VonIns. "The exercises help get everyone on the same page and make sure we're still in line with teaching the Scanlon culture and principles," he said. "It really turned the light on."

Ropes Courses Inc. and the Scanlon Leadership Network have joined forces to bring the Sky Trail and other experiential learning programs to your company. Leadership, team development and lean training are greatly enhanced using the system. Call the Scanlon Office at (517) 332-8927 to learn more.

Scanlon 'Blog' Is New Home For Tips, E-zines




Scanlon recently introduced "Scanlon Leadership Tips," the Network's new Weblog featuring archived Scanlon E-zines, Tips and other information about the positive impact of participative management on productivity and profitability.

The new Weblog, or "blog" for short, available at http://scanlonleadershipnetwork.blogspot.com, is a forum for sharing leadership tips, news and stories, and is accessible to both Scanlon members and the general Internet public. The blog also replaces the Scanlon Tip of the Week e-mails.

According to a USA Today article, blogging, a relatively new form of publication on the Internet, is a widespread phenomenon that allows users to easily create Web pages in a journal format without using complicated computer coding called HTML. Posts are listed chronologically and can include photos and reader feedback.

"With the widespread availability and popularity of the Internet, the Scanlon Blog helps us circulate our message to a larger audience, while at the same time making more resources available to existing members, all in a centralized location," said Scanlon President Paul Davis.

Visitors to the Scanlon blog can click on postings sorted by date, or they can simply scroll to read the latest Scanlon news.

"As the popularity of blogging increases, our goal is to share as many leadership tips as we can with as many people as possible," said Davis. Scanlon Leadership Tips, launched to provide another avenue for learning about employee involvement, Gainsharing and goalsharing, packages leadership materials of all types into one user-friendly format.

Most blogs have a specific focus, whether political, personal or professional. Although the exact number of blogs is unknown, some estimate that upwards of 10 million blogs exist. Technorati, a blog analysis firm, reports that the size of the "blogosphere" doubles every five months.

Visit the Scanlon Leadership Tips blog at http://scanlonleadershipnetwork.blogspot.com to exlore Scanlon's new site, and check regularly for Tips, the latest Scanlon E-zine and other information about participative management and employee involvement.

As I See It - Sharon Helms





Sharon Helms, Business Manager at Limerick Veterinary Hospital in Limerick, PA, became involved with the company's Scanlon Plan, People At Work Succeeding (P.A.W.S.), in 1996 when the plan was first adopted. Sharon has worked at Limerick since 1990.

"Participation is what impresses me most about Scanlon," said Sharon, who serves on Limerick's Suggestion Committee. "The owners embrace P.A.W.S. and give us the opportunity to present ideas - our voices are truly heard," she added.

Sharon says that since P.A.W.S. was implemented, the owners have also been a lot freer with information about the business.

"Because I'm a numbers person, the Plan has made me much more aware of what it takes to keep a business going," said Sharon. "It helps me focus and do my job."

One of the suggestions that originated from Limerick's Suggestion Committee was having third shift technicians.

"Someone brought up that we should offer around- the-clock veterinary care," explained Sharon. "Now we have someone there all the time, which has really helped us," she added.

Limerick's recent Scanlon Rally (see article in this month's E-zine) was just what the company needed to bring back the enthusiasm, said Sharon.

"We've got a lot of committees going right now and involvement has increased. People signed up to take hold of these projects, and now they're working on how to market new services that we'll be offering and who to target," she said. "The Rally brought a lot of more people on board.

"P.A.W.S. allows us to take ownership of a project and see it all the way through. Our owners really listen to us and it makes a huge difference."

As I See It - Louise Saler




Louise Saler, Manager of Happy Tails, a full-service animal care and housing facility at Limerick Veterinary Hospital in Limerick, PA, has been with the company since 1993. Limerick's Scanlon Plan, People At Work Succeeding (P.A.W.S.), was implemented in 1996.

"Even before we began our Scanlon Plan, employees were making suggestions, which is how some of our unique services came about," said Louise. "Daycare and puppy kindergarten were all ideas that came from employees. Now that's Scanlon thinking," she added.

One of the greatest advantages of their Scanlon Plan, said Louise, is getting to know co-workers.

"I see it as a way to bond with the entire group," she said. "It's also an icebreaker when you're talking with new employees. Scanlon as a whole makes our new people feel welcome."

Louise, who is a member of the Equity Committee and the P.A.W.S. Committee, also enjoys the accessibility offered by P.A.W.S., such as the sharing of financial numbers.

"It's beneficial to me because in terms of money because I can schedule and plan things better, such as purchasing," explained Louise. "There's so much information for us now that we weren't privy to before. There are no questions." Limerick provides company statistics in graphs displayed for all employees to see. "Everyone knows what we have to do and whether or not we've met our goals," added Louise. "There are no secrets."

Louise encourages younger employees to get involved.

"We hope to introduce newer people to our Scanlon Plan so that we can continue to generate fresh ideas and put even more suggestions into action."

High Adventure at your Site!




Ropes Courses Inc. and the Scanlon Leadership Network have teamed up to bring high adventure to your site. Leadership and team training taken to new heights! The Sky Trail system will be available for testing at the Annual Conference in Kalamazoo. Contact Ropes Courses Inc. or the Scanlon Network for details and pricing.