The Blueprint: Strategies for Building a Culture of Excellence

By Roslind Blasingame-Buford

Tired of dry, theory-only reading you cant connect to Real Life? If so, youve picked up the right book!

Dr. Rozs years of research and experience have equipped her to share with you a blueprint that will guide you in leading the process of constructing or redeveloping, a Culture of Excellence within your organization. Information and experiences shared, while based at a non-profit organization, are relevant for any industry. This book is written in an exciting, engaging manner, using acronyms, alliterations, metaphors, real life and workplace examples as well as hands-on activities that will catch your attention, stick in your mind, and ensure that you capture pertinent, usable information.

Dr. Roz shares some power tools needed for positive organizational transformation, including Collaborative Leadership, Learning Organization Theory and -- her personal favorite -- Appreciative Inquiry. These change-management tools have been studied and written about, but not so much in the nonprofit/social context where they can have life-changing impact on organizations and on the people they serve and empower. Through defining these tools and demonstrating their impact, this book will prepare you and your organization to attain, maintain and sustain A Culture of Excellence. So, open this book and open yourself to an excellent journey ahead. Now lets build!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 30, 2011
• ISBN: 9781463407179

Roslind Blasingame-Buford

Dr. Roslind Blasingame-Buford (Dr. Roz) has a passion for supporting people and organizations/institutions in reaching their full potential. She is a wonderful wife, a magnificent mother, and an enthusiastic educator! Dr. Roz is also recognized as an effective leader who has achieved unimaginable results, which she looks forward to sharing with others!

Book preview

© 2011 Roslind Blasingame-Buford Ed.D.. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 6/24/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4634-0717-9 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4634-0718-6 (dj)

ISBN: 978-1-4634-0719-3 (sc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011908610

Printed in the United States of America

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Overview

Acknowledgments

PHASE 1: Preconstruction

Chapter 1: To BUILD, or Not to BUILD: Understanding Learning Organization Framework

Chapter 2: Assembling a Crew: Understanding Collaborative Leadership

Chapter 3: The Process of Remodeling: Understanding Organizational Culture Change

Chapter 4: BUILDing Tools - Understanding Appreciative Action Research

Phase 2: Development Phase

Chapter 5: BUILD a Strong Foundation - Putting Appreciative Inquiry to Use

Chapter 6: BUILD Leaders BUILD Dreams - Collaborative Leadership in Action

Phase 3: Tricks of the Trade

Chapter 7: Appreciative Inquiry Tips & Tricks

Chapter 8: Collaborative Leadership Tips & Tricks

Chapter 9: Learning Organization Tips & Tricks

Chapter 10: BUILDing Your Culture of Excellence

References

Overview

Understanding the Layout

Have you ever heard someone say, You have to learn from your mistakes? Are you, perhaps, someone who has articulated that popular phrase? If you’ve never heard or used that phrase – then good for you – and don’t start using it now! For those of us that have encountered and even repeated those words…I have a new quote for you, one that my grandmother used to say: When you know better, you do better!

Now don’t get me wrong. I agree that people should learn how to improve and avoid making the same mistakes. However, I am certain you can learn best from accomplishments! Just think about it. Let’s look at the story of the Three Little Pigs… The little pig that built his house of straw was faced with a near-death experience as the Big-Bad Wolf huffed and puffed, and blew his house down. That poor little piggy soon realized that straw wasn’t the best material for a home as he scurried over to his little brother’s house, which was built of wood. Well, as the story goes, the wolf went to the wooden house as well, and though it took him a little extra time, he was soon able to huff and puff and blow the wooden house down! So both pigs, determined to escape the probability of being turned into bacon and pork chops, quickly ran to their sister’s house, which was built of brick. Now that Big-Bad Wolf was extremely hungry, or just a crazed stalker, because he followed the pigs to the brick house and went to huffing and puffing again! That wolf huffed and puffed, puffed and huffed, and tried all types of other things – but he was unable to blow down and get into that brick house!

So let’s bring this back to context. Which pig do you believe had the strongest baseline for future decisions? The pig that built her house of brick had a much stronger foundation (literally and figuratively). And if that pig decided to build a larger house or even a skyscraper, do you think she would begin by trying to figure out what’s wrong with the straw and the wood? I doubt it! She’ll start with the brick, and may even try to figure out an even stronger material to use.

As business, organizational and community leaders, we can no longer spend time trying to figure out why straw and wooden structures or systems are being blown apart. We must focus on the things that we know work well, go straight to the bricks, and build from there!

If you are a leader interested in focusing on accomplishments rather than problems in order to build a Culture of Excellence, then this is the book for you. But, what is A Culture of Excellence? One day as I was describing the characteristics of Organizational Excellence to a group of social sector/nonprofit leaders, someone commented, That’s unrealistic for a nonprofit organization; your description sounds more like a business. My initial response was, Well, aren’t nonprofit organizations businesses? The young lady, eager to defend her assertion, stated, "You know what I mean…those are corporate standards!" Unfortunately, this is a common misperception. Too many folks believe (including many of us who work in the nonprofit sector) that the tenets of organizational excellence only apply to private businesses. According to Collins (2005), greatness has nothing to do with the actual industry and is not a corporate characteristic rather; it is attributed to the philosophies and practices of the company or organization.

An organization of excellence involves both creating and sustaining a high-performing environment. Organizations must have the right type of infrastructure, identity, and culture to foster and achieve excellence. The formula is simple, in theory: I call it, P’s in a Perfect Organizational Design (P’s in a POD)! Corny? Perhaps, but in a moment, I bet you will get the Point! Organizations must possess the following components to achieve and sustain a culture of excellence:

• Philosophies and Principles that are well defined (i.e. vision, mission, values, etc.);

• Passionate, Professional, and Proficient Staff;

• Proven Effective, High-Impact Programs and/or Products;

• Policies, Procedures and Practices that guide success and produce results; and

• Plenty of diverse resources (financial, human, etc.).

Additionally, the nonprofit leader, usually the Executive Director, CEO, or President (depending on how titles are delineated), while modeling the organization’s Core Values and reinforcing its mission, must cultivate a foundation that is built on collaboration and learning. After laying a strong foundation, it is important to BUILD upon it to establish the organization’s culture and environment. According to Carlson (2003), without a concrete culture of an organization and positive reinforcement, progress will be minimal and success will be painstaking. Carlson stated, Culture is the personality, the soul of the organization –respect it as a powerful force that can help or hinder your efforts to be successful. Find its strengths and utilize them well. Change the parts that no longer work (p. 41). It is important for nonprofit organizations to take time to recognize, understand, and invest in organizational culture, as it is the foundation upon which excellence can be built.

This book is the by-product of my doctoral research and serves as a tool for those that are striving to develop A Culture of Excellence within their organization. Information and experiences shared are relevant for any industry, but focus primarily on nonprofit organizations, which exist to bring about a change in individuals and in society (Drucker, 1990, p. 3).

My years of practice and research have helped me to develop a blueprint, which can serve as a guide during your construction or redevelopment process, as you BUILD your organization’s Culture of Excellence. I will share with you some of the power tools needed for organizational transformation: Collaborative Leadership; Learning Organization Theory; and my personal favorite, Appreciative Inquiry. All of these change management tools have been studied extensively, just not so much in the nonprofit sector (also referred to as the social sector). Utilizing these tools, this book will embrace the social sector and describe leadership and best practices needed for determined practitioners/leaders to attain, maintain and sustain A Culture of Excellence!

Acknowledgments

Special Thanks to those who paved the way!

This book is dedicated to my deceased uncle, Dr. Steven (Stevie) Blasingame. Stevie was an exceptional leader; a dynamic educator; a lifelong learner; and a community change agent. Stevie, through his encouragement and actions/example, always challenged me to aim high, work hard, and achieve humbly. I’ll never forget a story that he told me a long time ago:

There was a blind woman that after many years of searching, found a man to love her. She and the man lived together, learned together, and prayed together. The man proposed to the lady on several occasions, but she’d always respond, If I ever get a chance to see the world, then I’ll marry you. Several years later, the young lady was donated a pair of eyes. After completion of the surgery, and weeks of therapy, the young lady had perfect sight, and couldn’t wait to see her one true love. When she was faced with him, and saw that he was blind, she decided that she wouldn’t marry him, and she moved away. One month later, she received a note from the man that said, I’m sorry that things didn’t work out, please take care of my eyes!

I never knew the true point of this story… until now. The story is about being humble, about not forgetting where you’ve come from, and definitely not forgetting those who were instrumental in your life, unconditionally and when you most needed them.

Several people have shared with me their eyes, as well as their ears, hearts, and souls! I am honored to take this opportunity to thank them for their selfless support, innovative ideas, awesome assistance and courageous cooperation:

• My wonderful family members – my dear husband Marques who sacrificed and basically served as a single parent as I worked hard, long hours while simultaneously completing doctoral studies and research; my darling children, Marques Jr. (Saman) and Mario for being patient and for being quiet as mommy spent long hours working and writing; my supportive mother for keeping the boys on the weekend, helping me out around the house, and sending inspirational text messages to me EVERY morning to keep me inspired; my aunts, Angela Blasingame and Kathy Martin; and my cousin, Keon Blasingame, for the many phone calls and constant encouragement.

• BUILD, Inc. Board and Staff (special thanks to Dave A., Angela J., Galen M., John N., Mark C., Diane W., Guillermo G., Fernando M., Donna D., Wanda R., Linda W., Santrise W., Connie C., Gersley G., Jamey M., and Bessie A.). My team opened their hearts and minds and exposed their souls to this process. I thank BUILDers for understanding that I wasn’t doing a study just to satisfy my research requirements. They knew my motive was, and continues to be, organizational excellence; and they all graciously and willingly committed to the process.

• Christine Bakalar,Donna Dudley and Yvette Wilson for their time, encouragement and editing support;

• My amazing coach, Margaret Mulligan (Garavogue Consulting) for sharing resources, ideas and expertise, as well as for supporting my teambuilding efforts. Margaret is creative, caring and resourceful - all to my benefit!

• My brilliant mentor, John Bakalar (retired CEO of Rand McNally), who challenged me to think clearly and strategically, motivated me to address key questions and concerns, and inspired me to make exigent decisions. John is a skilled, strategic and supportive leader from whom I am fortunate to learn!

• My Primary Research Advisor, Dr. Thomas Heaney kept me grounded and on target throughout my entire Critical Engagement Project (CEP: National-Louis University’s (NLU) Adult Education Program’s dissertation equivalent), and talked me into presenting my doctoral research as a book (so you can thank or blame him for my efforts).

• My Secondary Research Advisor, Dr. Randee Lawrence, who kept me inspired and informed, constantly sharing flattering thoughts and useful resources.

• My Third Research Advisor and friend, Dr. Rise’ Jones, for challenging me and keeping me encouraged, not only for the duration of this project, but throughout the past eight years of my professional life!

• My Doctoral Colleagues (Doc 7: Mark, Cynthia, Barb, Slava, Matt, Kwesi, Bruce, Deborah, Luisa, Rick, and Kathy) for allowing me to learn