February 2007 E-zine

Greetings!
In this E-Zine we share with you the IMPACT the Network is having and how we are moving forward in 2007. By the end of February our free podcasts will be available. You'll be able to learn about leadership while you commute or jog! Learn about our newest Board member- Dr. Mike Moore. If you are able to come to Lansing, Dr. Frost has consented to teach us how to become great leaders-details inside. Finally, our members are studying lean accounting, you'll learn from Landscape Forms. If you want to attend the next Lean Accounting summit we have negotiated $100 off the price for our readers-coupon attached--now that makes cents!


Scanlon Network Moving Forward In 2007
The Scanlon Leadership Network is on the move in 2007. The year started with recognition for the Scanlon Network and Member, Demmer Corporation. Majel Maes, the Network's Director of Programs and Administration was recently designated as a Certified Association Executive.

Demmer Corporation and The Scanlon Leadership Network appeared on the cover and are featured in an article of the February 2007 issue of Association Impact magazine. The article, entitled "Trust: America's Secret Weapon" is the final in the publication's "World is Flat" series.

“We are all thankful to everyone at Demmer and at the Michigan Society for Association Executives who made this magazine appearance possible,” said Paul Davis, President, Scanlon Leadership Network. "It is wonderful to have our peers in association leadership recognize our work and our innovative members."

The magazine is the main communication vehicle for association leaders throughout Michigan.

Also, Majel Maes has passed the Certified Association Executive (CAE) Exam, an achievement that only 5% of association executives accomplish.

The CAE is a professional certification sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives. It includes completing advanced studies as well as passing a written examination.

The Scanlon process has been said to create a ruthless demand for competency. The CAE certification recognizes that Majel Maes is meeting that demand.


Scanlon To Launch Podcasts
The Scanlon Leadership Network is embracing the newest combination of education and technology, podcasting. The Network's first podcasts will be launched this month featuring interviews with Scanlon Steward Dr. William Greenwood and Scanlon President, Paul Davis.

A podcast is an audio file that is distributed over the Internet for play back on mobile devices and personal computers. Statistics show that 2006 ended with over 100,000 podcasts and 5-million podcast subscribers. These numbers are growing by 15% every month.

Podcasting is exploding because it is so flexible. People can download podcasts on almost any subject and listen to them while commuting, at work, or while jogging. The Scanlon podcasts will make it easier to learn about leadership and how to apply the Scanlon Principles in organizations.

The Scanlon stewards have agreed to participate creating an opportunity for those interested in leadership to learn from the greatest living Scanlon practitioners.

Ron Duffy (pictured above), Host of the Inner Journey radio show that originated on KFAI-FM Minneapolis, MN will conduct the interviews. Duffy said that he is honored to have this opportunity. He feels that preserving knowledge in the spoken word form is important.

“I spend time with my interviewees and get to know them. I like to set a relaxed atmosphere and take a conversational approach rather than the traditional journalistic interview. When I interview my goal is to have a co-responsibility between the interviewee and myself for the outcome of the interview. Like my interviewing style, Scanlon members follow Principles that also make their organization’s success a co-responsibility between leadership and employees,” said Duffy.

The podcasts will each be 30-60 minutes in length. They will be made available starting this month on various Internet sites including Apple iTunes and the Scanlon Leadership Network website (www.scanlonleader.org).


LFI Implements Lean Accounting
Joe Scanlon was trained as a cost accountant. He left the field to pursue boxing, but he carried his appreciation for "the numbers" into his later work. Today, Scanlon practitioners are practicing lean concepts and they are studying how to make accounting part of the lean process.

Recognizing the importance of studying and implementing Lean Accounting, five Landscape Form employees, Bill Main, President, Peggy Neale, Controller, Conrad Sutter, VP Finance, Steve Lincoln, Cost Accountant and Becky Fulgoni, VP for People, attended the Lean Accounting Conference in Orlando, FL on September 21-22, 2006.

“The conference was great! We had an opportunity to meet people who have been working with the concepts of Lean Accounting and also obtain some best practice insights,” said Fulgoni.

Along with the other 300 Conference participants, the LFI employees were fortunate enough to learn from experts like Jim Womack, Founder and President of the Lean Enterprise Institute. The authors of "Real Numbers", Jean Cunningham and Orest Fiume and the authors of "Practical Lean Accounting", Brian Maskell and Bruce Baggaley conducted workshops for the attendees as well.

Since the conference, LFI is focusing more on using the Lean Principles. They have introduced a new income statement that contributes to understanding the impact of Lean efforts. Jean Cunningham will also be visiting LFI the end of this month to assist with expanding Lean concepts in the finance area.

“Lean Accounting really allows the Lean Principles to work. Accounting and measurement systems are usually set up to support more traditional manufacturing practices. Lean is often counter- intuitive and is based on how the metrics and practices of a company can really support Lean efforts,” said Fulgoni.

The Scanlon Network has arranged a $100 discount for E-Zine readers to attend the next Lean Accounting Conference September 27-28, 2007 in Orlando. Follow the instructions on the coupon at the end of this E-Zine.

Also, Scanlon members and non-members can learn more about LFI's Lean Accounting process at the Network's Annual Conference on May 2, at which Peggy Neale will be facilitating a workshop on the topic.
For more information on the Lean Accounting summit....


Dr. Frost To Speak On “Becoming A Great Leader”
Dr. Frost has accomplished something no one else has, helping four organizations (Herman Miller, Donnelly, Motorola and Beth Israel Hospital) change and become among the top 50 best places to work in America. He will be sharing his experience on “Becoming A Great Leader” at the Capital Quality Initiative (CQI) Breakfast on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 in Lansing.

During the breakfast he will be teaching leadership principles and participants will learn how to help lead their organizations toward change and growth.

Max Depree, former CEO of Herman Miller, member of the Business Hall of fame and best selling author describes Dr. Frost as, “A quiet giant who has helped so many. The results of his teaching have succeeded against tough criteria over long periods, in many companies and nonprofit settings.”

Dr. Frost helped to create the Scanlon Leadership Network and the Frost/Scanlon Principles and processes. He worked with Joe Scanlon at MIT and brought Scanlon ideas to Michigan State University, devoting his professional life to the study and application of Scanlon ideas. Through Scanlon Plans he pioneered labor-management cooperation, open- book management, employee involvement, teams, servant leadership, gainsharing and continuous improvement.

The breakfast will held at the Conference Center at Lansing Community College West Campus. A breakfast buffet, networking, and registration is from 7:15-7:45 a.m. followed by the program at 8-9:15 a.m. The cost is $30. Registration for the CQI breakfast is due by Friday, March 21. For more information or to make reservations please contact the CQI office at 517-483-1363 or email tennisj@LCC.edu.
To learn more about CQI and Dr. Frost's presentation....


New Scanlon Board Member-Michael Moore
After many years of working closely with Scanlon Members, Dr. Michael Moore (pictured), Professor, School of Labor and Industrial Relations, Michigan State University, is joining the Scanlon Leadership Network Board.

“I am proud to become a member of the Scanlon Board. The Scanlon Principles are so well conceptualized and anchored in a system of values that can be applied to any organization. The Scanlon approach to leadership is one of the most innovative and validated sets of ideas in the management field,” said Moore.

Dr. Moore has been able to observe organizations that practice the Scanlon principles and servant leadership. He has also presented the Scanlon concept to a group of Michigan firms. Two of those firms, Demmer Corp. and Auto Owners Insurance Co., have since become members of the Network. He is currently working with Scanlon members to better understand how they are using Hoshin Planning concepts.

“By serving as a Board member and being a bridge to the academic world, I hope to promote positive interactions between the best academics and the best Scanlon practitioners at all levels. I feel very lucky to have this opportunity to learn and contribute,” said Moore.

Dr. Moore is a professor of High Performance Work Systems, Compensation and Human Resources Management at the School of Labor and Industrial Relations at Michigan State University. He has received awards and honors from the State of Michigan and MSU for teaching excellence. Dr. Moore has served as Associate Director for the Academic Program for six years. He has served as a change management consultant and facilitator of strategic planning to more than 20 departments and schools at MSU.

He is the co-author of "Knowledge-Driven Work" and "Unexpected Lessons from Japanese and United States Work Practices". His publications have appeared in the Academy of Management Journals, Personnel Psychology and Journal of Applied Psychology.

He holds a Ph.D. and an MBA from the University of Michigan and an undergraduate Economics degree from Kalamazoo College. His industrial work experience is from Ford Motor Company.