Scanlon May 2006 E-zine

Greetings!

The Scanlon Conference was a wonderful opportunity to network and to learn about Servant Leadership. Our thanks to the presenters and volunteers whose support made it possible. In this E-Zine we share tools for bringing the conference message home. We also introduce two new features...get to know a member and get to know a product/service. Finally we share information on a new book ...Results Rule!...by Scanlon friend Randy Pennington that includes information on Scanlon Network member SGS Tool Company.



Lead By Serving
Servant Leadership-leading by serving to encourage collaboration, trust, foresight, listening and the use of power and empowerment among employees-was the theme of Scanlon’s Annual Conference held in Kalamazoo, MI May 1-3.

Over 240 people attended to experience keynote speakers, workshops, a welcome reception, member exhibits, awards ceremony and company tours.

“You always walk away from the Scanlon Annual Conference with renewed energy and an attitude that anything is possible,” said Dennis Morajda, Vice President, Performance Development International, Inc. and third time conference attendee.

“I invited a guest to this year’s conference. He said he learned a great deal of valuable information and was glad he took the time to attend,” said Morajda. “My guest found it beneficial being exposed to the Scanlon Principles and Processes as well as the Scanlon Roadmap to creating a High Performance organization.”

Morajda felt that the speech given by Myron Marsh, President/CEO of Thomson-Shore, Inc. and 2006 Scanlon Stewardship Award recipient that focused on his life and work philosophies to be inspirational. He also enjoyed LTC Blair Tiger’s presentation on Servant Leadership in the US Army.

Morajda said that attendees seemed receptive to the keynote speakers and various breakout sessions. Other conference highlights for Morajda were learning more about Watermark Credit Union’s recent implementation of their E.P.I.C. Scanlon Plan also and Landscape Form’s QUEST program that allows leadership and employees to maintain a fun and open company culture.

Servant Leadership Support Materials The Network will send every company delegation a CD containing the Conference workshop handouts, and servant leadership support materials. The Servant Leadership 360 degree assessment is available at www.scanlonnet.org. The Network also has purchased several videos on Servant Leadership that members may borrow. Call the Office for titles and availability. For those who missed our conference or who want more opportunities to learn about Servant Leadership, the largest conference on Servant Leadership hosted by the Greenleaf Center will occur June 1-2 in Indianapolis. Click the link below to learn more.

To learn more about the Greenleaf Conference on Servant Leadership....



SGS Tool Company Featured in Results Rule!
Randy Pennington, has just completed Results Rule! Randy was the keynote speaker at the 1995 Scanlon conference on Integrity and is a friend of the Scanlon Network. Results Rule is based on Randy Pennington's more than 20 years of experience helping organizations lead and perform more effectively. Results Rule! shows how to create a corporate culture that sets you apart in the hearts and minds of your marketplace.

When Randy was looking for companies that had cultures that were great examples of accountability he contacted the Scanlon Leadership Network...which led to an introduction for Randy to study SGS Tool Company and include them in his latest book.

Howard Putnam, former CEO, of Southwest Airlines writes, "Results Rule! delivers practical ideas that will keep your organization on course for success in a competitive marketplace. Randy Pennington offers ideas that work if you are on the front-line or in the executive suite. He has nailed the essence and importance of culture.”

To learn more about Results Rule....



Get To Know A Scanlon Service-Developing Listening Skills
The Scanlon Leadership Network recognizes that in today’s society organizational members need to possess strong communication skills. The Network offers a one-day program titled “Developing Listening Skills” created especially for members, complete with proven tools and techniques as well as research based strategies and approaches to develop the skill of listening.

“This is one of the many wonderful tools offered to Scanlon Leadership Network members and has been in use for approximately 10 years,” said Paul Davis, President, Scanlon Leadership Network. “The Developing Listening Skills program offers beneficial assessments and applications that are able to be taken back and applied directly to the organization.”

Participants in this program will experience small group discussion, lecturettes, self-assessment, experimental activities, demonstrations, result testing, behavioral modeling, practice of key actions and application planning. The course covers areas such as exploration into the value of listening for mastering challenges, examination of barriers to the listening process along with ways to overcome them, and the six principles of the Strategic Thought Process to increase listening power.

The research based strategies and approaches that are part of Developing Listening Skills are supported by both Tom Peters, author of Passion for Excellence and William Ury, who studied strategies of the world’s most successful negotiators for the Harvard Negotiation Project.

Employees of Thomson-Shore had a positive experience participating in the Developing Listening Skills Course at TG Fluids in Brighton, MI.

“Communication within an organization is something that always has room for improvement. We found the course to be rewarding and something that will be beneficial to Thomson-Shore employees as well,” said Lori Minnick, HR Manager, Thomson-Shore, Inc. “It’s nice to have free and easily accessible services such as the Listening Skills course by being a Scanlon member.”


If you would like to obtain the Developing Listening Skills program, members may download it from the members-only area of the website. Nonmembers may purchase the Listening Skills program from the Scanlon store at http://www.scanlonleader.org
Link to the Scanlon Web Site.




Get To Know A Member- A. Raymond, Inc.



A. Raymond, Inc. is a manufacturer and supplier of plastic and metal clip fasteners to the automotive industry and has been involved with the Scanlon Leadership Network for approximately three and a half years.

Located in Rochester Hills, MI, A. Raymond, Inc. is the North American subsidiary of A. Raymond, SCS, a French family owned company that recently celebrated 140 years as a specialty fastener manufacturer. A. Raymond, SCS is managed today by a fifth generation Raymond family member.

“The family culture exists through out all of the 14 worldwide subsidiaries. Many of the Raymond practices mirror those of the Scanlon Principles,” said Dave Nenno, President and CEO of A. Raymond, Inc.

“Being involved with Scanlon has given A. Raymond, Inc. the opportunity to network with companies who share similar business and management philosophies.

“In 2003 A. Raymond, Inc. utilized the Scanlon employee survey to gain a better understanding of how employees viewed the management team, their involvement in the decision making process, wages and benefits, training and customer relationships,” said Nenno. “The results of the survey allowed a better focus to be taken on the areas that ranked below average. Employees retook the survey in 2005 and A. Raymond, Inc.’s results ranked within the top three of all Scanlon companies.


“In 2006 we plan to modify a gain sharing plan as well as implement a Scanlon plan within the next two years,” said Nenno.
To learn more about ARaymond....

April 2006 E-zine

Greetings!

In this E-Zine we feature information and links on the 2006 Annual Conference on Servant Leadership and the 2006 Scanlon Progressive Lean Tours. The Annual Conference is the single best way to learn what Scanlon is about, to study other Scanlon organizations, and to learn. We welcome nonmembers as well as members to the conference. The Lean Progressive Tours are restricted to members. Members, don't miss this chance to study lean from exceptional Teachers, take home proven Tools and Tour world-class facilities. We hope you will join us in May!



Registration Being Accepted for Annual Conference
Registration is now being accepted for the 2006 Scanlon Leadership Network Annual Conference to be held in Kalamazoo, Michigan on May 1-3. This year’s conference theme is Servant Leadership and will feature keynote speakers, workshops, a welcome reception, member exhibits, a Best Practice Awards ceremony and company tours.

“The goal of every conference is to inspire people and give them new information to consider. This conference will give the participants the exposure needed in order to practice effective servant leadership,” said Majel Maes, Director of Programs and Administration, Scanlon Leadership Network.

Keynote speakers are Jack Lowe, Chairman of TD Industries and Larry Spears, President and CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. Led by Mr. Lowe, TD Industries has become one of only twenty companies to be inducted into Fortune Magazine's "Best Places to Work" Hall of Fame. Similarly, under Mr. Spear's direction, the Greenleaf Center has become an international force in servant leadership. Over 30 workshops will also be offered on topics like engaging employees and customers, installing Scanlon Plans, developing leaders, etc. All workshops will help participants improve personally, professionally and organizationally.

“We have worked all year to create an exceptional program,” said Paul Davis, President, Scanlon Leadership Network. “This will be a fantastic event, based on the caliber of speakers and workshops. It will be a great experience for everyone!”

The Conference will also feature a Welcome Reception allowing extra time for networking. There will be informative servant leadership videos playing continuously during the reception.

Participants will be able to take a Servant Leadership assessment developed by Synovous Financial which like TD Industries is in the Best Places to Work Hall of Fame. Synovus has used this same tool to develop their leaders.

Among many high quality workshops, a portable High Ropes course will be set up for training in trust and teamwork by Ropes Courses, Inc. Representatives from Bobby and Steve’s Auto world will be sharing their expertise in customer service and Colonel Blair Tiger, Operations Officer for the United States Corps of Cadets, will be speaking about how West Point trains leaders.

The day after the conference, the learning continues during tours of exceptional West Michigan Scanlon companies.

The Annual Conference Committee members are Marge Holata, SGS Tool Co.; Laura Dybevik, Landscape Forms; Kim Montgomery, Spring Engineering; Larry Broat, Thomson-Shore; Karen Spaulding, Trans-Matic Manufacturing; Wendy Best, Nicholas Plastics; Kerry Pletch, Westcast Industries and Paul Davis and Majel Maes.
To learn more about the Conference...



Larry C. Spears To Share His Servant-Leader Expertise
Larry C. Spears, President and CEO of The Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, will be sharing his expertise on the topic of servant leadership at the Annual Scanlon Leadership Network Conference.

“I am honored to speak at the Scanlon Conference. Accepting the offer is a reflection of my appreciation for Paul Davis, the excellent board and the outstanding work that continues to be carried forward by the many Scanlon-inspired companies,” said Spears.

Spears believes that servant leadership is a philosophy of life and is about how people want to relate to others. He feels it is a deep expression of the desire that many people have to both serve and to lead others. Spears explains that there is no single way for companies to seek and implement servant-leadership but rather it is taught and practiced in different ways throughout various organizations.

In his presentation at the Annual Conference, Spears plans to communicate how servant leadership starts in the heart of each individual and that it can have a profound impact upon organizations as a whole.

“Servant leadership and Scanlon ideas are a very natural fit. A number of Scanlon companies practice servant leadership and embrace the concepts as a philosophical foundation upon which the Scanlon model has been placed,” said Spears.


Introduced to servant leadership about 24 years ago, Spears has since edited and co-authored nine books on this subject and is an occasional speaker about servant leadership as well. He appeared on NBC’s Dateline in an interview with Stone Philips and his knowledge is shared in publications such as The Washington Post, Fortune, and The Indianapolis Business Journal.
To learn more about Larry and the Greenleaf Center...



Scanlon Offers Progressive Lean Tours
The Scanlon Leadership Network is offering Lean Progressive Tours to members beginning in May. Each Tour includes expert teachers and tools designed to help participants understand and implement lean systems.

Each tour stands alone but is the combination of all three tours that will enhance any organization's lean implementation.

The first tour on May 25th will be at Magna-Donnelly's Grand Haven facility. Participants will see how Magna-Donnelly involves front-line employees in maping value streams and designing standardized work systems. Participants will receive hundreds of pages of training manuals used to teach the Donnelly production system as well as "Learning to See" the best book on value stream mapping.

The second Tour on September 14-15 focuses on the Five Alignments organizations obtain through Hoshin Kanri. Teachers on this tour include Dr. Michael Moore, Michigan State University and Dr. Bill Mothersell. Grand Valley State University. They have been conducting one of the largest studies of how Hoshin is applied in North America. Participants will gain insight on how SGS Tool Company implements Hoshin...which they call "Associate Integrated Management." The tool for this Tour will be version three of the Scanlon Network’s Hoshin Quick Start Program. (Version 3 will incorporate what we have learned about Hoshin from the study and from Toyota.)

The third and final tour will be October 26-27, 2006 in conjunction with the Scanlon Leadership Retreat. Dwane Baumgardner, former CEO of Magna Donnelly and Scanlon Steward along with Russ Scaffede, COO of Tiara Yachts, Shingo Prize Winner and former Plant Manager of the Toyota Engine Plant in Georgetown will be the teachers of this Tour. Participants will take with them as a tool “The Leadership Roadmap”, a book written by Dwane and Russ explaining how to use the Scanlon Principles, Lean and Innovation to drive organizational success. Their book also explains how to align the Board and the CEO, including examples of reports. CEO's and members of their Boards are encouraged to attend together. The Tour will be of the Tiara Yachts facility in Holland, Michigan.

The tours are designed to help participants understand how to implement the critical components of lean systems. Value stream mapping, standardized work, policy deployment (Hoshin), and Lean Leadership are critical components of all lean systems. While the tours are of manufacturing facilites members who are not manufacturers will also benefit by attending. The lessons can be applied to any organization.

Tours are limited to 30 participants each to assure the most interactive and rewarding experience possible. We regret that due to this limit only members of the Network will be able to participate. The cost for all three Tours is $1,500 and individual Tours are $700 Preference will be given to members who enroll in all three tours.


For more information on the Tours contact the Scanlon Leadership Network office at (517)-332- 8927.
To learn more about the tours...(scroll down past the conference info)...