Disney Way Changes Dowagiac Michigan–Review of 2011

Schools top local story

Published 8:49pm Tuesday, December 27, 2011

 

Dowagiac will remember 2011 as the year devoted to devising a five-point educational dream to reinvent the school system.
The goal since February has been to build a “one in 100” district for the 21st century that will drive a Dowagiac renaissance.

Months in the making, since “Disney Way” author Bill Capodagli immersed Dowagiac Union Schools, City Hall, Southwestern Michigan College and Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital in the customer service principles of “Dream, Believe, Dare, Do,” Superintendent Dr. Mark Daniel Aug. 31 unveiled the Dowagiac Educational Dream.

The vision, which could take until 2015 to fully realize, started Oct. 17 with the administration move from the Wolverine Building into City Hall. The solution is to create three buildings housing five separate schools — a pre-kindergarten to first grade school housed in the same building as a separate school for grades 2-3, each led by an instructional leader/principal, an early education specialist and a math and reading development specialist. The two schools would share the gym, cafeteria, art and music rooms and support staff.
A second building would house fourth and fifth grades.

The Dowagiac Middle School campus, opened in 2005, would support sixth, seventh and eighth grades with a separate high school for grades 9-12, again sharing common areas such as the gym, cafeteria and Performing Arts Center.

Three buildings, Patrick Hamilton, Sister Lakes and Kincheloe, would join the Wolverine Building to jettison overhead and invest in energy conservation that would make the undertaking financially feasible when voters weigh in early in 2012.

The five points that, thanks to Disney storyboarding with focus groups, reflect beliefs of the school board, administration, faculty/staff, parents and community, include collaboration, differentiated instruction (students grouped by interests and their level of understanding to build upon their accomplishments and to engage them in learning), literacy and early childhood initiatives so 100-percent of third graders read at grade level), technology and Smart Boards and grade levels grouped together through all building transitions to encourage long-term relationships with faculty, continuity in extra-curricular activities (sports, clubs, arts) and student (opportunities for college credit at SMC).

Dowagiac’s new fall festival, Under the Harvest Moon, is well-received and coincides with the opening of Foodies Fresh Cafe.

Springsteen Realty merged with Cressy and Everett in February.
Cass County hired its third administrator, Charles Cleaver, after interviewing five candidates at the Council on Aging Feb. 12.

Chuck Clarke served in the interim when Terry Proctor left after two decades.

The “round house” on M-51 South was torn down.
Firefighters from area departments spent all day Jan. 23 batting a blaze which devastated Edward Lowe Foundation headquarters near Cassopolis. Fire March 3 destroyed the Glenwood landmark Drake’s Little Super northeast of Dowagiac.

Union High launched the 10th Interact club in Rotary’s 57-club District 6360 led by charter President Lauren Krueger Oct. 23.

Marissa Tidey was crowned Michigan Apple Queen for 2012.

Pokagon Band’s Four Winds Casino bet its second location, on Red Arrow Highway in Hartford, will hit the jackpot.

“Little Four Winds” opened Aug. 29, adding 400 jobs to Van Buren County from 12,000 applicants.

The New Buffalo location is expanding with another 250 hotel rooms in a nine-story tower, a multi-use event center and a Hard Rock Cafe opening this summer.

Dr. Nathan Ivey, Southwestern Michigan College’s first president from 1965-68, addresses graduates during the 44th commencement ceremony May 7.

Jimmy Keys, 31, was unanimous selection as Dowagiac Firefighter of the Year after losing his life in a Valentine’s Day crash in South Haven.

Deputy Fire Chief Dale Hutchings retired in June after 34 years with the city and was succeeded by Guy Evans.

Classic boat museum opens in Cassopolis. Cassopolis June 15 debuted a “destination” boat museum. Mahogany Outfitters Classic Boat and Auto Museum, 980 E. State St., contains room after room of vintage boats often trailered behind classic cars from the same year and fills the former Hayden-Beardslee Ford dealership.
It is a companion piece to the 1948 Sinclair gas station replica overlooking Stone Lake downtown which also grew out of Dr. Roger Pecina of Afdent dental clinics and his hobby.

Premier Tool and Die Cast Corp. plans a $3.2 million expansion in Dowagiac expected to create 179 jobs by resurrecting the former ICG plant across Paul Street as a new zinc and aluminum die cast and assembly operation, it was announced July 5.

Cass County Council on Aging conducted a $350,000 campaign for a Dowagiac Senior Center adjacent to City Hall.

Russom Park garnered $600,000 in state grants in December thanks to a cooperative effort between Dowagiac and Silver Creek Township.

Three of five Keeler Township board members, 26-year Supervisor Bill Kays and Trustees Don Blackmond and Patrick Daly were recalled Aug. 2 in a close election precipitated by their decision at the annual meeting to contract for five years with Coloma

Emergency Ambulance, which spelled the end of Sister Lakes’ service.

Dowagiac welcomed Belgium’s 58-member Maasmechelen Concert Band, which performed Aug. 9 in the Performing Arts Center.

SMC hosted a movie premiere Oct. 28 for Debra Tolchinsky’s “Fast Talk,” which makes debate a metaphor for the hectic pace of our lives.

Dailey Church in LaGrange Township turned 125 years old in August.

Leah Sovine is installed as Dowagiac postmaster Sept. 16.

Dowagiac author Michael Collins March 26 publishes his seventh novel, “Of Uncertain Significance,” and Sept. 8 receives the grand prize at the Deauville American Film Festival in France.

Eighty National Guard soldiers with “Charlie Company” (C Troop, 126th Cavalry) deploy to Afghanistan Sept. 24 after a farewell at Union High School.

SAVE THE DATE–WED. FEB 15th, 2-3:30pmEST–NEW WEBINAR: Creating Magical Customer Service–The Disney Way!

Stay tuned for details on registering for this exciting new webinar!

LAUP’S Storyboard Success

Here’s an example of the power of storyboarding.  Last evening, there were 16 LAUP (Latin Americans United for Progress) high school students in Holland, Michigan who answered the question, “What is the IDEAL high school experience?”  (They did this on their own time!) They prioritized using the following method:

Red Dots:  Most important to them

Green Dots:  What their school is doing well

Blue Dots:  What their school needs to improve

In less than two hours, these exceptional students identified more than 200 ideas.  Their next step will be to storyboard actions applicable to selected items that were important to them and need improvement. 

As a nation, we are failing to engage our students in true critical thinking, problem solving, and creative learning experiences.  It’s refreshing to see that these LAUP students are proactive rather than complaining about their lives and school experiences. These teenagers take time out of their busy schedules to learn the skills that our educational system is ignoring.

Hopefully, the school administrators will review this process and the amazing results and recommendations that will be forthcoming.

We are proud to post this wonderful storyboard! Thanks to LAUP director Roberto Jara, and his talented and dedicated students for an enlightening evening!

 

Pollys Pets Adopts The Disney Way

“After traveling to Disney World and Disneyland several times since the middle of the 1980's I have always marveled at the cleanliness,
friendliness and freshness of the parks.

Owning my own retail stores I was amazed at how such a huge
organization can have so many staff on the same page. I have fewer
than 30 employees and have found it almost impossible to keep everyone on the same page or even in the same book!

I started reading as much about Disney as possible. Through my reading I discovered "The Disney Way". This book has helped to clarify and explain how Disney accomplishes such great customer loyalty and satisfaction. This book explains how customer satisfaction does not happen overnight and is actually one of the hardest areas of any business to maintain. This books not only explains the what customer satisfaction is it also show examples of businesses, not just Disney, putting their care programs into action. It has shown me that "The Disney Way" isn't just something that happens it is something that is constantly worked on and constantly being improved.

During these tough economic times I am finding that customers are what we need to be focusing on not just the price of a product. Reading this book, several times now, continues to remind me that we are in the business of pleasing our guests (customers). Almost all of our functions should in some way be geared toward that end. This is marvelous book that doesn't just show the "why's" but explains the "how's.” Great job!”

Steve Housley
owner, Polly's Pets
pollyspets.com

Latin Americans United for Progress using Disney Way Storyboarding

Tonight, we will be working with the Hispanic youth in Holland, Michigan to help them unleash their creativity through Storyboarding.  Storyboarding will help them identify and address critical issues they currently face in their schools and the community. We look forward to being involved in preparing these bright and motivated young people to become community leaders, and further both their education and future careers.

In 2006, Michigan Future Inc. released a report in which 4 area Chambers of Commerce formed a coalition to enhance business development and success. The name of the report is named “Strategies for a culturally Competent Region”. It emphasized that diversity is now part of our culture and is key in business strategy and development. The report also recognizes that there is much to gain from the richness of a multi-cultural community. Another key finding of a report from the West Michigan Strategic Alliance indicates that our area needs prepare for a more educated workforce so we will be able to fill a variety of highly skilled jobs. Such dynamics will support success in our region economically and socially. This is exactly what LAUP seeks to accomplish through our Steps to Success and Youth Development Programs.

Junior Chamber International–Manila–Using The Disney Way in Training

Excerpts from a letter from Brian Balagot – 2011 Director for Individual Development, Junior Chamber International Manila (www.jcimanila.org); Certified National Trainer, Junior Chamber International Philippines (www.jci.cc)

“Greetings:  I am a Certified National Trainer for Junior Chamber International (JCI) – Manila, and a man whose life was changed by your book. I learned so much from reading it, and it has helped me to grow my business because of the way I applied the skills you mentioned there. From The Disney Way, storyboarding has helped me bring the members of my project team together so that we can solve complicated issues by painting a picture of the current situation together. It’s helped me to bring people on the same page because even the silent members get to participate in discussions, and we get to hear their great ideas. At the same time, I was able to personally apply them in Junior Chamber International, and lead the organization to become more efficient in what we do.

Junior Chamber International is an international organization of citizens who simply want to make where we live a better place to live in by training ourselves to actively take care of our community. We learn about the problems in the city where we live, and then we work with the Local Government Units or the Private Sector to create projects and raise funds that will solve the problems in society. We do this because we want a better future for the people who we love – especially our progeny. We recognize that sufficient training in management and leadership skills can help us become more effective active citizens. When we are more effective in active citizenry, then our projects will have a greater impact in society; and the safe and prosperous future of our loved ones becomes something more certain.

Storyboarding helps a lot here. I am certain that many people will benefit from your ideas – especially if they choose to let themselves become empowered with these skills by applying them in the work that they do.”

Innovate the Pixar Way for Filmmakers

The PIXAR Method: Tricks of the Hit Machine

By John Ott

photo by: JD Hancock

At the time of writing, PIXAR has released its 12th number one box office film, Cars 2. In an industry that expects one out of ten releases to be hit films, their critical and box office track record is unprecedented. Not even the early Disney studio had such a run of success.

You could credit the talents of people who work there, from Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter on down. They are immensely talented people, to be sure. But there are plenty of people with talent in Hollywood. Why has no other studio had the same success?

I believe that PIXAR has certain unique methods that help them craft superior films. And the good news is, because PIXAR began as an outsider company, many of these methods are well within reach of the indie filmmaker. Here are a few new tricks from the old toys…

Perturbate the Model

While a single writer/director is usually the prime creative force behind each PIXAR film, all of the films are regularly subjected to “brutally honest” critiques while in development from a group known as the Brain Trust. The original members of the Brain Trust were Lasseter, Pete Docter (Up, Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall-E) and the late Joe Ranft. The group now reportedly includes other directors and creatives like Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3) and Brenda Chapman (The Prince of Egypt). As you can see, the story must withstand scrutiny from a collective with a massive movie IQ.

Finance wizards have an expression: to perturbate the model. They test how models of markets would react in this or that extreme situation. The creative wizards at PIXAR do exactly the same thing. Before they ever start animating a story, it has been rigorously tested. Does this or that plot point make sense? What are the characters’ goals? Is this unique and original? While the ultimate creative decisions rest with the filmmaker, the ones that survive the perturbations from PIXAR’s Brain Trust ultimately result in a stronger story.

But what can an isolated filmmaker do without access to the PIXAR Brain Trust? Start your own. Regularly focus-testing projects with other filmmakers whose opinion you respect is invaluable and now, thanks to social networking, simple to do. Go to some local film festivals or filmmaker events meet other filmmakers and start your own Brain Trust.

Be Willing to Set Projects Aside

If you put years of your life into developing a project, but it just wasn’t ready, would you be willing to put it aside? Walt Disney did this — many times. As someone with the privilege of going through Disney’s archives, I’ve had a chance to see many projects that were delayed or never came to fruition. Disney often resisted commercial pressure to rush a film into production, and guess who else has this habit? John Lasseter, Disney worshipper.

“I’ve got Disney blood running through my veins,” he has been quoted as saying. “I do what I do because of Walt Disney.” [The Sunday Times October 2009] Even before PIXAR had a track record, he threw out the original story for Toy Story and started again from scratch, even though doing so jeopardized a deal with the Disney Studio to help release it. We know from our perch in the present that it all worked out, but at that time, the pressure must have been enormous.

Following Walt Disney’s lead, Lasseter and other executives at PIXAR have taken steps to make such a hard call a easier. They keep a lot of projects in development. This is expensive, but it means they get a choice of projects when the production pipeline is ready.

Most successful indie filmmakers do something similar, if on a smaller scale. They “keep irons in the fire” and are “willing to kill their babies” if it serves the ultimate creative goal: making a great movie.

Play in the Sandbox

When bestselling business authors Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson analyzed the corporate culture of PIXAR, they observed a childlike sense of fun in every aspect of the company. One of the keys is the way collaboration is used to constantly “plus” projects. PIXAR employees build on each others’ ideas like kids working to build a massive sandcastle.

Their takeaway: “Innovation does not come from a miraculous revelation … it comes from habitual, nonstop collaboration.” As PIXAR employees eat breakfast cereal (provided free), they can sit around like kids at the breakfast table and bounce ideas off one another. Then they can adjourn to a secret room with a hidden door that opens by pressing a button under a statue (I’m not making this up) as they continue to work on it.

As a filmmaker, you have to feel free to experiment, unleash the imagination that was so strong in childhood. I’m not saying a bowl of Frosted Flakes is the best way to do that. But whatever sort of environment is a creative sandbox for you, make it happen.

There are plenty more PIXAR methods that deserve to be cloned by filmmakers, but I’ll leave it here for now. See you in the sandbox!

John Ott is a writer, filmmaker and founder of the website Making the Movie

MasteringFilm, powered by bestselling Focal Press authors, leading filmmakers, industry experts, and our editorial and marketing team (who live and breathe film every day). We believe creativity has an endless shelf life, and we are passionate about providing you the best resources that help give a longer shelf life to your creations.

Focal Press has been a leading publisher of Media Technology books for 70 years. We provide essential resources for professionals and students in many areas including: film and digital video production, photography & digital imaging, audio, animation, broadcast, theatre and web.

We are committed to publishing high quality books filled with practical hands-on information, dealing with cutting-edge and converging technologies from the experts in the field. You will find practical solutions to problems, examples you can apply to your work, and valuable insights that will help you keep up-to-date in these highly competitive fields.

We deliver to you the techniques that have proved successful for professionals, and inspire you to go further with your craft. Our books demystify ever-changing technologies and help you gain success.

Focal Press – learn, master, create

DISNEY WAY LEADERSHIP

Leadership: How to Make an Elephant Fly

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Andy Uskavitch,

Linked 2 Leadership

“I seen a peanut stand, heard a rubber band,
I seen a needle that winked its eye.
But I be done seen ‘bout ev’rything
When I see an elephant fly.”

~”Dumbo” lyrics

Have you ever made an elephant fly? Probably not, but I know an organization that has. Of course I’m talking about the Walt Disney Company, and it’s become a catch-phrase . . . Make an elephant fly.

 

Uncle Walt’s Wisdom

Walt once said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and get started”. Figure out what you need, what you have, get the creative juices flowing, and get going. Good leaders ensure that this is being done. You can’t get anywhere by sitting around complaining because you don’t have this or that.

Unless you’re extremely lucky to have unlimited resources, you probably already know that accurate project planning is essential when you have a new project. This is illustrated in the way live-action and animated films are developed. With live-action, you can shoot extra film and use editing to get the outcome you want. You can’t do that with animation. It just costs too much to produce extra footage that you know you’re not going to use.

Another Disney executive summed it up perfectly in preparing his team saying, “Within these boundaries you will create. This is the budget, these are the limitations. Make it work within this framework.” In other words, “make an elephant fly”. Sometimes you just have to do with what you have to make it happen.

How to Make an Elephant Fly – Project Plan

The key to a successful project is in the planning. Creating a project plan is the first thing you should do when undertaking any kind of project.

Often project planning is ignored in favor of getting on with the work. However, many leaders fail to realize the value of a project plan in saving time, money and often, many, many problems.

In The Disney Way, Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson outline the nine steps to the planning process called, the “Blue Sky” process.

Step 1 – Blue Sky

• Ask “What if?” instead of “What?”
• For a while, learn to live with the discomfort of no knowing, or not being in full control.
• Take a trip through fantasyland by starting with the story.

Step 2 – Concept development

• Develop research.
• Evaluate alternatives.
• Recommend an idea.

Step 3 – Feasibility

• Reconcile scope.
• Prepare pro forma.

Step 4 – Schematic

• Finalize master plan.
• Outline initial business processes.

Step 5 – Design objectives

• Finalize design details, equipment, and materials.
• Develop implementation strategy and budget.

Step 6 – Contract documents

• Prepare contract documents.

Step 7 – Production

• Construct site infrastructure and develop work areas.
• Produce show elements.

Step 8 – Install, test, adjust

• Install the show.

Step 9 – Close out

• Assemble final project documents.
• Monitor performance.
• Get sign-off letter from operations.

I guarantee that no one LIKE’s putting together a detailed plan, but it’s the only way the team and all of it’s leadership levels (in and out of the project team) can stay on track.

Expanded Excellence

In expanding on the Blue Sky process I’d make note of a couple of things that will make life so much easier. Because easier is good…

1 – Document Everything

Keep records throughout. Every time you change from your baseline, write down WHAT the change was and WHY it was necessary. Every time a new requirement is added to the project, write down WHERE the requirement came from and HOW the issue was adjusted because of it.

No one will remember everything – so write it down and you’ll be able to look back at any time.

2 – Keep Everyone Informed

Keep all of the project stakeholders informed of progress throughout the process. Let them know of your success as you complete each milestone, but also inform them of problems as soon as they come up. Also keep your team informed.

Make sure everyone is aware of what everyone else is doing.

Having followed all the steps above, you should have a good project plan and be able to deliver consistently successful products and services. Remember to update your plan as the project progresses, and measure progress against the plan. And at the end?

CELEBRATE!

What elephant are you going to make fly? Have you started planning yet? Is your team on board? What steps can you take this week to get things going?

 

 

Linked 2 Leadership is a group of global professionals dedicated to leadership development, organizational health, and personal & professional growth.

This group strives to maintain and communicate the highest standards and disciplines involved in personal leadership effectiveness

Bill Capodagli presents Customer Service - The Disney Way; Live Web & Audio Webinar Item No. 1838303; $179.00; Date: Web Conference 09/09/2011 Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CDT;www.nationalseminarstraining.com/RockhurstConferences

 

Description:

At Disney, every contact with a customer offers a chance to shine. Disney calls these contacts “Moments of Truth” ... the opportunities to create everlasting positive impressions! And, because the company demands excellence as an organizational absolute, even its fiercest competitors acknowledge that Disney is simply the best customer-centric company on the planet!

Now you can learn how to inspire that level of customer service passion in your own organization by joining us for Customer Service – “The Disney Way”!

Learn the Keys to Dazzling Customer Service in Just One Hour!
Attend this one-hour training session and learn Disney’s formula for customer service brilliance. You’ll gain invaluable ideas that your company can immediately implement to amazing effect.

You’ll also learn insider secrets about how Disney requires – and receives – customer-focused behavior from every employee … from top executives to part-time staff. You won’t want to miss that!

Produce a "Show" for Your Customers and They'll Thank You for It Forever!
Walt Disney knew that every aspect of his business was “show” business, and every moment spent with a customer meant that the employee was “onstage.” By perfecting the art of customer relations, Disney built a record of customer loyalty, satisfaction, and repeat business that became legendary.

Join us and you’ll learn how to capture this enthusiasm for customer service throughout your organization. Your team will learn how to put on a “show” that brings customers back again and again and again!
Disney's Success Can Be Your Success — Don't Miss This Training
So what are you waiting for? Learn how to support your business and your customers with the same level of excellence — join us for Customer Service — “The Disney Way” now!

What You'll Learn When You Attend ...

• Disney’s No.1 unbreakable rule for providing the ultimate customer service
• How Walt Disney’s version of “show” business is the perfect tonic for what ails your business
• Identifying the “Moments of Truth” in your organization and ensuring nobody ever misses one again!
• The hidden – and not-so-hidden – costs for your company of even a single poor customer service experience
• How to use a little bit of Disney’s “pixie dust” to create your own customer-centric organization
• Are you overlooking the first step in creating great service? Find out here.
• How to gain complete buy-in for your new customer service vision and values from everyone up and down the corporate ladder
• 5 keys to creating “magical” moments for your customers

Meet Your Speaker — Bill Capodagli

A serious student of excellence, Bill Capodagli has a thriving success story of his own. The original edition of The Disney Way, which Capodagli co-authored, was awarded the coveted “Best Business Book of the Year” by Fortune magazine and published in eight languages. He is also the co-author of The Disney Way Fieldbook, which provides action plans for instilling Disney's vision into any company, complete with diagnostic exercises, practice sessions, proven advice, and insightful questionnaires. Capodagli also co-authored the popular book, Leading at the Speed of Change: Using New Economy Rules to Invigorate Old Economy Companies.

The prolific best-selling author has nearly three decades of expertise in management consulting and corporate research. As managing partner of Capodagli Jackson Consulting, he brings dynamic managerial experience and graduate-level teaching experience to the firm.

Ever practical, Capodagli's style is also passionate and hard hitting. He is currently the most requested speaker in the United States on Walt Disney's original success and leadership principles. This webinar is a rare opportunity to hear directly from Capodagli.

“This book is about the real magic: Stimulating and harmonizing the collective energy of your people.” — Ken Blanchard, best-selling author of The One Minute Manager.

DISNEY WAY COMMUNITY TURNING DREAMS INTO REALITY!

We are delighted to announce the first Disney Way community in the State of Michigan! Congratulations to Larry, Mark, Kevin and the entire team in Dowagiac!

LETTER TO BILL – AUGUST 31^st
“Hello from Dowagiac…Last night Mark laid out the Educational Dream for Dowagiac…
In short, you laid the groundwork for exciting alliances heretofore unknown. Imagine, the School Administration is moving into City Hall to share space and services----the potential is unknown but vast. Here is a link to the Daily News. Enjoy, you are at the root of it all.”
http://www.dowagiacnews.com/2011/08/31/%E2%80%98dream%E2%80%99-would-remake-dowagiac/
Kind Regards,
Larry Seurynck, President

Board of Education

Dowagiac Union Schools,

Dowagiac, Michigan

Dr. Fred L. Mathews, chairman of the SMC Board of Trustees and a member of the Disney Way community committee, congratulates Supt. Dr. Mark Daniel on his presentation.

By John Eby

‘Dream’ would remake Dowagiac

Published 11:56pm Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Months in the making, since “Disney Way” author Bill Capodagli immersed Dowagiac Union Schools, City Hall, Southwestern Michigan College and Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital in the customer service principles of Dream, Believe, Dare, Do, Superintendent Dr. Mark Daniel Wednesday night unveiled the “Dowagiac Educational Dream.”

The vision crafted since February is to create a “one in 100” district for the 21st century and a Dowagiac renaissance.

Daniel, his remarks prefaced by “When You Wish Upon a Star,” delivered a multi-media presentation brimming with engaging video elements about which he spoke.

The vision, which could take until 2015 to be fully realized, starts this fall with the administration leaving the Wolverine Building and moving into City Hall and follows a path that will definitely blaze a new trail, including moving high school students to the middle school, with construction of a two-floor addition in back to separate juniors and seniors from younger students; converting Union High into a districtwide grades 1-5 building offering consistent reading recovery to all students; and saving only Justus Gage as a districtwide Great Start center for kindergarten and preschoolers.

Patrick Hamilton, Sister Lakes and Kincheloe would join the Wolverine Building in jettisoning overhead and investing in energy conservation that would make the undertaking financially feasible to swing.

Voters will be asked to consider a bond issue in the spring of 2012, school board President Larry Seurynck said afterward.

Of course, the revelations studding the end of Daniel’s presentation came after a careful, comprehensive hour of aligning Dowagiac with best practices in modern education, such as Project-Based Learning designed to engage students, interspersed with Gov. Rick Snyder explaining the directions in which Michigan, poised for a pent-up recovery after years of shrinking, is moving.

For months district leaders have been consumed with creating an education culture, from bringing in new Steelcase furniture to show how classrooms have evolved from teachers as sages on the stage at the front of the room who are listened to to pods which move quickly into different configurations so students face each other and can interact, with teachers more guides and mentors who decide how to weave in such elements as video and social media.

Traditional classrooms discourage the engagement central to preparing for jobs in the workplace which stress collaboration, communication and problem-solving rather than memorizing facts gleaned from old-style lectures.

“Smart” classrooms like Dowagiac desires are only “a three-iron shot” away at partner SMC, Daniel noted in the DMS Performing Arts Center, completed in 2005.

A third of traditional classrooms are occupied by teacher space, Daniel said, which is opened up to avoid distraction from learning in modern new tech facilities.

Daniel, starting his second year with Dowagiac, said we live in a market-driven system and need to match the quality of living here with a top-notch educational system which will attract employers and investment and “will take all of us to make happen.”

“This building (DMS) itself, there’s so much value here,” Seurynck said after the meeting. “The resources here we can share — the auditorium, the gym, the common spaces, science and music labs. Those are all spaces we don’t have to build. Instead of having hallways, you open those up to 30 feet wide and each hallway becomes a technologically-rich media center. Classrooms have glass walls teachers can open to become part of the common area. Students migrate from a classroom out into the media center where they have fiber optics.”

Even Aug. 31 a Dowagiac delegation toured Rochester, Ind., Community High School.

“It’s really exciting,” Seurynck said, “and we could do these things (financially) because we’re not building a new library. (The added high school wing) would be, if you were standing back at the soccer field, at the left side of the building. The addition would have a second floor, built onto this building. Busing wouldn’t change a lot. Right now, we bus kids from behind Hale’s out to Kincheloe and from the south end of the school district, out past California Road at Indian Lake all the way up to Sister Lakes. Society has changed and gone away from the neighborhood school. Justus Gage isn’t a neighborhood school anymore. We don’t have huge clusters of students who can walk to school. All that was done when we redistricted to balance the number of kids.

“The problem with that is you’ve got two first grades out at Kincheloe, two first grades at J Gage, two first grades at Pat Ham and one first grade at Sister Lakes. Some have 19, some have 27 students. Not optimal class sizes” like could be accomplished in a central DUHS location. “We’ve got bubbles coming through the district all the time,” fluctuating from 105 to 125 or 150. “It’s very inefficient. And when students come to high school there’s a lot of variation in their preparedness because each building has a different strength.

“With all the kids in one building, you could have best practices for each grade and align your curriculum so that all are learning the same thing and hitting the same benchmarks at the same time in the same year. Right now, for our special needs students, we lose a day a week for travel. By consolidating, we can have higher quality people in touch with our kids for a greater period of time. The benefits just go on and on. The high school, built in the Sixties, is pushing 60 years old” and needs major upgrading. “It would be $3 million to $4 million just to put in a new boiler and it has only 900 amps. We’d take the efficiencies and using those to pay some of the freight. We’ve been working intensely with architects for four to six weeks. We’re analyzing putting a high-efficiency system in the high school, be it geothermal,” which would also provide air conditioning.

“How much do we save on energy? Then we take that money to pay back what we borrow in low-interest money from the state. It’s making improvements to the district now,” including lighting, “that will save energy, and earmark those savings to pay off debt. Dowagiac’s board leadership the last 10 years has been forward-looking, which puts us in a position to survive. We made a conscious decision between hunkering down, hanging on and hoping things get better or spending some of our fund equity in a calculated risk to make improvements that will bring more people to the community and jobs. When we hired Mark, the community fathers sat me down and said in no uncertain terms that they couldn’t recruit business because the schools were not performing, so we hired (Daniel), a guy with a vision who knows what it looks like. (Former president) Randy Cuthbert said he was the only guy who knows what it looks like and he had national model schools (in Indiana). There’s so much potential.”

“Classrooms should look very different today than when you and I were in school to create an educational culture and environment,” Daniel said. “We have some buildings that have been well-maintained,” but due to their age, “have some major needs. We are at a crossroads.

“Central office will be shared services with City Hall. We have to start thinking in that mentality and start finding ways to reduce expenses and costs, but still expand learning. I’m excited about going to City Hall and I’ll tell you why. Because it’s about community. We all share in this, so why shouldn’t city government be sharing education and technology. We already share fuel. We don’t even know” what other possibilities there might be, “and that’s exciting. I’m looking forward to working with City Manager Kevin Anderson and talking about what we can share — software, computers, copiers and on and on. One elementary center channels all resources into that facility. A 6-12 building? Do students who walk out of this pristine building, do they really want to go over to 9-12” at DUHS?

Chris Taylor-Alumni Field would be retained, the superintendent indicated.

“At the same time, we’re going to have to put dollars into some of our structures. Union High needs a whole new HVAC system. Why is that not AC yet? The boiler and pipes are at their life expectancy after serving their purpose well. That needs to be revamped. The new design would add on (to DMS) on the west with a second floor for 11th and 12th graders. I come from a national model school where we had seventh through 12th graders. There is extreme power when you have 11th and 12th graders for your younger students to model. Maturity in the building, you can just see it rise. Respect. Trust. Responsibility. It ramps up in a healthy way. At the same time, you need to make sure you don’t have a constant interaction with your younger students. Architects — (DUHS graduate) Scott Winchester — looked at a flow” which segregates students as they enter and exit.

“We’re going to have to expand the cafeteria,” Daniel explained. “This building was designed to expand and the governor said be smart in the way you spend your funding because you’re probably not going to get more unless you’re achieving, and you need to figure out shared services. I salute the fiscal management of this district. Most districts are talking about how to weather the storm rather than growth or opportunity. That’s not a way to be ready for the prosperity that’s going to happen in Michigan. Michigan is among the major states in the country primed for economic growth. It’s going to be different, but it’s going to come back. Advanced manufacturing with technology, which we get from SMC and our Van Buren vocational school.”

“Dreams and Dreamers” SHARE Keynote Review

 

On Monday, August 8, SHARE President, Janet Sun took the stage to welcome SHARE attendees and introduce keynote speaker Bill Capodagli of Capodagli Jackson Consulting.

Bill surprised attendees by riding into his presentation on a scooter, which he then gave away to an audience member. This set the tone for a discussion on the importance of building a creative workplace and embracing your inner childlike spirit. Bill’s engaging presentation addressed many of the findings from his latest book, titled Innovate the Pixar Way: Business Lessons from the World’s Most Creative Corporate Playground, which is the definitive account of Pixar’s creative culture. Bill’s approach to the workplace served as a glimpse into the opportunities that can arise from a professional culture where mutual respect, trust, collaboration and fun can produce phenomenal results.

SHARE was proud to host over 1,000 Enterprise IT professionals in Orlando, Florida, August 7 – 12, 2011, for a week filled with deep-dive discussions into the latest industry developments, engaging networking events and new professional connections. SHARE attendees selected from over 500 technical sessions offered during the week, engaged with over 40 industry exhibitors in the Technology Exchange Expo and mingled with fellow IT users to discuss mutual interests and solutions.

London’s Bute Coaching Adopts The Disney Way

“I read your book The Disney Way, Revised Edition: Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney. And thought this to be a fantastic book that gave great ideas and examples of real businesses introducing/maintaining the Disney ethos.

As a small company (less than 10) we have taken some of the ideas from your book, revised them to suit us and currently their is a definite shift in us as a company and I believe this is impacting our delivery in a very positive way.

I would like to thank you for this book.”

Margo Manning Account Director; Bute Coaching Ltd

Based in London, Bute Coaching Ltd comprises a highly experienced team of professionals who have worked in diverse backgrounds including: IT, financial (including investment and retail banking), legal, insurance, pensions, retail, surveying, property development, accounts, construction, education and many other industries.

The Disney Way Inspires The Quality Coach

Monday, 08 August 2011

The Search for Leadership

A dream is a wish your heart makes. Jiminy Cricket

As our leaders put the finishing touches on a just in time deal to raise our country's debt limit last week, I found myself longing for a different kind of leadership. Wondering, is it too much to ask for leaders who listen to one another and maybe even listen to those of us who elected them? Or, leaders who disagree with one another, and still show a little respect. Leaders who would actually accept responsibility instead of placing blame. What would it be like to put party interests aside and focus on what's truly best for our country and its' citizens. Or, to have leaders who could see beyond the next election cycle? I wish I may, I wish I might.........

Alas, no amount of wishing, magic, or pixie dust helped. Apparently, S&P was not impressed either.

Looking for inspiration in all the wrong places, I finally decided to visit The Quality Coach Library where lo and behold, I found one of my favorite books on leadership, The Disney Way, by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson. Named Fortune Magazine's Best Business Book in 1999, the ideas in this book will surely cause you to "whistle whilst you work." I began to feel a touch of hope as I reconnected with the Disney story and the legendary leadership that launched and sustained the Wonderful World of Disney.

Walt Disney spent his early years on a farm in Marceline, Missouri, about 100 miles east of Kansas City. In between farm chores, Walt would lie in the grass and gaze up at the sky or watch insects and butterflies flit overhead. The story suggests that it was during this time, the young Disney formed beliefs and values from which he never deviated. He believed that "When values are clear, decisions are easy."

Walt Disney also believed that every individual has two choices... Either we wait and hope that something or someone will provide the motivation needed to act, or we take control of our own dream and work to see it through. Obviously, the latter became the foundation for Disney.

What are you waiting for? A sprinkling of pixie dust? Perhaps we don't need a title to be a leader. In fact, in our wonderful country, we all have the opportunity to lead our own life. Dream. Dare. Believe. Do. That's the Disney way.

My only hope is that we never lose sight of one thing.....that it all started with a mouse. Walt Disney, 1954

And now, for your coaching challenge, should you choose to accept it.

What have you been daydreaming about? What's the one thing you can do this week to move your dream forward? Do it! We would love to hear about it, if you dare to share.

The Quality Coach!^®, celebrating over 20 years of coaching great leaders and great teams.

"because every business is a people business"

jeanne@thequalitycoach.com

http://www.thequalitycoach.com

William C. Gast Business Library/Michigan State University Features Innovate the Pixar Way

New Popular Business Collection Books, July 14, 2011

1. Jul 14, 2011 – Innovate the Pixar way : business lessons from the world's most creative corporate playground, by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson, ...
   blogpublic.lib.msu.edu/index.../new-popular-business-collection-books-1?...8; (HD53 .C369 2010)

ARVEST BANK LEARNS DISNEY WAY STORYBOARDING

June 30, 2011: “Thank you so much for coming and teaching us Storyboarding, it was an honor to have you. You did an amazing job! I have heard so many positive comments. I look forward to utilizing these skills very soon.”

Alyssa Pepper, CFB Training Specialist, Arvest Bank, Arkansas

DISNEY WAY RECOMMENDED READING FOR THOSE WHO PROACTIVELY MANAGE THEIR CAREERS

Smart Lemming Review

The SmartLemming.com recommends The Disney Way: Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company for workers at any career stage. See the table and images below for specific ratings for each career stage and category relevance.

SmartLemming.com considers The Disney Way as a must-read book for people proactively managing their careers.

BILL CAPODAGLI’S VIDEO FROM THE 13TH World Human Resources Congress in Montreal

Finally….we have a link to clips from Bill’s Sept, 2010 keynote in Montreal:

http://www.portailrh.org/StudioRH/fiche4.aspx?p=444886

Words of Welcome from Canada’s Prime Minister

I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone attending the 13th World Human Resources Congress, organized by Quebec’s Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés.

The human resources management sector has certainly been affected by the deteriorating global economic environment in recent months. This slowdown is suited to a period of reflection, encouraging us to explore new avenues adapted to current realities. The holding of this event is of particular relevance, providing a unique opportunity for human resources specialists from throughout the world to address these issues.

This three-day congress will enable participants to share with their colleagues and discuss innovative measures to help recovering economies face today’s challenges. I have no doubt that this conference will touch on new approaches and markets that will help stimulate the economic recovery and strengthen the critical human resources management sector.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to congratulate the organizers on their outstanding work. I wish all the participants a very productive congress.

The Prime Minister of Canada,

Steven Harper

CUNA REVIEW of BILL’S KEYNOTE - DREAMS AND DREAMERS: HOW TO INNOVATE LIKE WALT DISNEY AND THE PIXARIANS

Excerpt from: 

My Top 5 Takeaways from the CUNA HR/TD Conference/www.creditunionmagazine.com

By Michelle Greear, vice president, learning and development, for Technology Credit Union, San Jose, Calif.

April 29, 2011

Number 4. Everyone has something to learn and something to teach.

Bill Capodagli’s presentation on innovation was inspiring and timely. He highlighted the importance of the story, setting, role, and backstage as we partner with our corporate enterprise to achieve goals and improve efficiencies.

HR/TD can help whittle away departmental silos by advocating for cross-functional mentors, coaches, and subject matter experts who can see outside the lines and play nice in the sand box.

Working with adults is similar to working with kids. Kids like toys, and so do adults. Kids like to move around, interact, and see how things work. So do adults. Kids like stories, color, and visual stimulation—so do adults.

Note to self: learn Prezi.

Orange Leaders Embrace Innovate the Pixar Way

Excerpts from the What is Orange blog…How do you emphasize MILESTONES?

Posted on http://www.whatisorange.org   5/5/11 by Bre Hallberg

Milestones come and go whether we’re prepared for them or not. So, why not spend a little bit of time planning for those moments in life AND preparing the parents of the kids in your ministry for the milestones that they’re going to encounter?

This month we’ll be discussing how church leaders can better partner with parents to become more actively involved in key events that mark milestones in their kids’ lives. And on a personal note, we’re going to be talking about how to make the little stuff in life count, and be intentional about celebrating even the smallest milestones.

We know that you lead in several ways at any given time. You lead yourself, you lead volunteers, you might lead a staff, and you often lead up. So, here’s what we have in store for you to accomplish each of these tasks:

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
How does this happen every single week? Sunday just won’t slow down. But don’t allow that to interfere with the investment you make in yourself as a leader. Go ahead and grab your number two pencil to mark some personal time each week this month to invest in your own leadership development—20 minutes should do it. We’ve already got a plan for you, so making the time is the first step to accomplishing it.

BOOK REVIEW:
Innovate the Pixar Way by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson
Pixar isn’t exactly known for “little things,” but they certainly ARE known for their creativity. And one of the keys to this creativity is finding unique ways to celebrate the workplace— making even small details a big deal. Capodagli and Jackson share this unusual approach with readers so that you can also celebrate and create in your own work environment.

REAL LIFE:
Pixar
Back to the big screen! We’re going to be taking a very practical look at how Pixar celebrates, brainstorms and creates. Check out the details behind their work environment and staff culture that make this company so unique. Then, discover how you can apply those to your ministry environment.

About Orange Leaders

It’s a gathering of leaders who are passionate about engaging churches and families to influence the faith and character of the next generation. They focus their web content around the concept of Orange. 

Orange is a secondary color, created when you combine two primary colors—red and yellow.

Orange is what red and yellow can do when they combine efforts. If you paint only with red, you will get what only red can do. If you paint only with yellow, you will get what only yellow can do. But when you paint with red and yellow, you’ll get new possibilities, fresh solutions and vibrant outcomes.

They believe the warm heart of the family can be represented by the color red, and the bright light of the church can be represented by the color yellow. When these two entities combine their efforts for the sake of the spiritual growth of the next generation, the result is Orange.

How Group Studios Can Foster Creativity

Collaborative thinking can help foster creativity. If the collective works the right way, a group studio has great potential to help visual artists bring out more original and exciting ideas. Why not learn from the best in the creative field; Pixar Studio.

By Thomas Bjørnskau, editor of startjournal.org.

Pixar Studio is known for animation movies like Toy Story and The Incredibles. In the world of creative industries it is renowned for being the model of a cutting-edge, forward thinking, innovative company. Maybe most relevant for the East African art scene are the principles and guidelines for team creativity which they base their work upon.

Kampala is currently home to at least three group studios, providing an artistic space for close to twenty visual artists. Startjournal has spoken to a dozen of these artists to find out whether the lessons learned from teams like Pixar would be applicable for the field of fine arts.

Artists from Artpunch Studio

Artists from the Njovu Art Studio

Artists from the Ivuka Arts Studio

Innovate the Pixar Way

At the end of the day, the Pixar teams work towards one shared end product, which of course makes it different from a group of individual artists producing separate art works. Nevertheless, when reading about Pixar’s approach to creative work, there are good reasons for why these collaborative techniques and guidelines may work for a group that produces many individual objects.

So, what makes Pixar so special? Even though Pixar now is a part of bottom-line obsessed, hidebound, bureaucratic Disney, it has managed to retain its role as a creative corporate playground. The book ”Innovate the Pixar Way” explains some of the major reasons for this:

• Develop and stick to a long-term vision
• Make fun and play part of the daily work routine
• Keep all communication channels open and display mutual respect and trust when collaborating

Furthermore, Pixar’s greatest strength is its willingness to fail. Its principles for encouraging risk and creating a ”TRY, LEARN, and TRY AGAIN” culture include:

• Honoring failure like success
• Quickly creating prototypes of new products for rapid testing
• Giving teams unlimited freedom to see what they can create
• Asking team members for 10 of their most imaginative, least-grounded solutions
• Using financial restrictions as strengths and developing within existing capabilities
• Displaying team ideas, in planned or real forms, for all to understand
• Seldom asking for permission
• Implementing ideas as they arise
• Seeking purchasers or suppliers who match the group in flexibility and forward thinking, because such allies become real-world testers for even the wildest notions

Like all great advices, some of these principles would feel a matter of course. But Startjournal wanted to discover the inner dynamics of the group studios in Kampala, and initiate a discussion with group artists using these guidelines as a backdrop.

Striking art from Artpunch

Artpunch Studio is the home of frontman Wasswa Donald and fellow visual artists/fashion designers Amos Sentongo, Sheila Nakitende and Nabukenya Hellen. They work from a new studio in Kansanga and they have been operating as a group since 2007; with Nakitende joining last year.

Donald: "In this painting, Amos taught me how to incorporate the use of collage in the background"

Wasswa always wanted to start a group studio and explains the main reasons: ”In a group you will work faster, because the rest of the group will push you forward, inspire you in a positive way.”

Sheila agrees and describes her reasons for joining: ”I joined Donald’s group last year, feeling it was ’on the move’. The group gives you a sense of belonging, there is a fusion of different personalities, but there is no judgement, I get the drive from likeminded people, and at the end of the day; a group is the best way to be encouraged to work.”

Sheila: "In this one, the group helped me understand form and perspective"

Wasswa relates the group’s vision to the latter part of the chosen name of the group; punch. ”This word reflects both how we work and the effect we like our art to have on the audience. Even though each artists’ work needs to stand out in itself, our shared vision of striking art must be present.”

Looking around at the different art works in the studio, this writer would agree to the notion that there is a certain common denominator to the creations. These days more than one group member seem to explore the effect that splattered paints will have on different media, ranging from canvas to shoes, bags and mirrors.

Artpunch seems to be fond believers of the principle of quickly creating prototypes for rapid testing. Nabukenya is working on a collection of customized shoes, using the above-mentioned technique: ”Last year I wore some shoes covered in accidentally spilled paint – as artists often do – to a party, and this pair of sneakers caused such a good response that I wanted to pursuit the idea of creating a set of customized products.”

Hellen: "The group advised me how to apply paint to cover the whole of the edge of the sole"

Out of the three groups Startjournal spoke to, Artpunch seems to be the group which best have adapted the guidelines of coming up with imaginative ideas, implementing them as they arise, and seeking allies outside the group to test and give feedback to such ideas. Wasswa explains that this is more an ongoing process than consciously using collaborative techniques to foster product innovation.

That also seems to be the approach to how the group works with displaying each artists’ individual ideas and commenting on each others art works. ”Especially when another artist start talking about signing an art piece, each one of us would be alert and almost drawn to the piece. We would focus our comments on elements that are missing or just brought out wrong, often taking the role as the viewer or the curator.”

Wasswa further explains that these processes are ever-present, quite unformal and based on a trust and honesty in the relationship. ”A kind of trust and honesty that was an important factor for me when I decided to join the group,” adds Sentongo.

Amos: "I was adviced by the group to make a personal painting, hence the use of fabrics to relate it to my background as a fashion designer and depicting the women to pay tribute to the women I was raised by"

Njovu Art Studio

Njovu Art Studio is a result of some members leaving Gecko Studio in late 2009. This split demonstrates another fundamental principle of teamwork. There is a need for a shared group ideology and artists who team up for similar reasons.

When talking to some of the group members, there seems to be an immediate point to explain why Gecko didn’t work out and reasons for this group to come into being. But after Startjournal explains that this article is forward-looking, the Njovu artists are happy to share their view on which are the important factors to base a collaboration on.

Njovu Art Studio did recently have to move from Bukoto to Ntinda, and because of that they haven’t really worked as a group the last couple of months. As Arnold Birungi, an artist and an illustrator who joined Damba Ismail, Mark Kassi, Tindi Ronnie and Ngula Yusof when they separated from Gecko Studio, explains: ”We are still in the phase where we are getting firm as a group.”

Arnold: "Damba suggested that the arm in the background should be brushed off to leave my usual realistic touch"

”We have a democratic approach to everything we do. When somebody from outside contacts a group member with a request, our next step will be to gather the group and discuss how to act,” Mark Kassi adds.

Njovu also includes Damulira Shira, and Saad Lukwago and Kasagga Jude, the two latter being based in Masaka. Other values which Njovu is founded on are:

• recruting a new artist every year; currently Oscar Barigye is working together with the more experienced artists
• assigning specific roles to some group members; Birungi acting as director, Kassi acting as treasurer, and Damba as PR and marketing person
• having a more exclusive approach to the market; ”you will not find our art works everywhere”

”One advantage there is by working in a group, which makes everybody more creative, is just the fact that everybody see what you do. One technique we sometime do, is to challenge another artist to do something differently. For instance, I would ask Arnold to make something abstract,” explains Damba.

Damba: "Anyone in the group is free to comment and react"

The displaying of ideas and the openness to comment, discuss and criticize more or less finished art works, seems to be the guideline these visual artists easiest recognize.

”One thing at least Mark and I used to do a lot – even though we hadn’t established it as a formal collaborative technique – was to hang a newly finished painting on a nail just outside the entrance. This meant we were open for – or even yearning for – others to critique it,” Tindi explains.

Tindi: "The group challenged me to add more details in my work and how to compose them"

”An important factor in the group is that we are all open for the idea of criticizing and be criticized. It is an ongoing process, we are always asking colleagues to comment what we are working on. But it is also important to say that it is done with a certain degree of humour. Sometimes we throw out a funny comment, just to break the ice,” Mark Kassi adds.

Kassi: "The group adviced on how to apply and finish the dark background to the left"

When the group is presented with some of the other guidelines for innovative team work, it is apparant that some of artists are applying them on an individual basis, but seldom consciously in formal group processes.

Using art to change lives

Similar conclusions can be drawn after speaking with a third group, with equally many members as Njovu; Ivuka Art Studio. They share a history by arising out of Gecko studios.

Startjournal meets five of the members; Jjuko Hoods, Anwar Sadat Nakibinge, Paul Kintu, Patrick Kyeswa and Albert Walozi, in their second floor home base in Bukoto. In addition, the group currently consist of Collin Sekajugo, who introduced the current name, Ssebandeke Mohamed, Ibrahim Kitimbo and Cathrine Kabugo.

Jjuuko Hoods explains some of the main benefits of working in a group studio as Ivuka: ”First, we provide a space for young artists. A space which is organised in a formal manner so that one doesn’t have to think about rent etcetera. But maybe more important; being part as a group gives you a freedom to expression, you let go of the fear to execute your ideas, simply because the other artists will give you strength, inspire you and push you forward. At the end of the day, it will enhance your confidence as a visual artist.”

Jjuuko: "The group inspired and challenged me to use old posters as a collage"

The group members feel at home when we discuss principles like ’using financial restrictions as strength’. These artists are used to work with limited resources, experimenting with all sorts of free and accessible media and material, and producing their art on things like old posters, jeans and other waste objects.

The more experienced group artists like Jjuuko Hoods and Anwar Sadat Nakibinge points out that one of the core values for this studio is to embrace young artist that comes from scratch.

Albert: "The other artists adviced me on how to build the patterns, the shapes, the colours and distribution"

”It is almost like a sharing program, where we show unexperienced artists how to maximize their sense of creativity, how to become more confident and develop an unique style,” Anwar explains and continues. ”The same thing applies to giving feedback. There is a deep respect for comments, and never any bad feelings.”

Anwar: "The group challenged me to use oil paint instead of acrylics"

”I would say that our ways of giving feedback are spontanous, they are very direct and open, and always with the intention of giving specific advices,” adds Jjuuko.

Upon the topic of building alliances to outside players, this group has always been engaged in community projects. They were approached by and teamed up with Aidchild and Nsambya Babies Home, and has actively worked to establish a relationship with Kansai Institute. Engaging themselves to help the Mulago and Masaka communities, have also been important steps that underlines their slogan ”Using art to change lives”.

Paul: "The group adviced me to attach the small painting to a dark background, hence giving it a more powerful appearence"

Patrick: "In this painting the group adviced on how to carry out the diamonds in the background, how to work on the outline and the colour in them"

A potential for further innovation

After having visited and discussed these issues with three of the leading group studios in Uganda, this writer has a feeling that the collectives are doing great things for individual artists. Which contributes a lot to make each artist stronger and more confident than they would have been in splendid isolation.

Nevertheless, one can not help thinking that some simple collaborative techniques and guidelines may help to break up the tradition of the ongoing, yet quite spontanous teamwork that exist today, and maybe challenge the groups to think outside the box.

GREAT ARTICLE...LOVE THE EXAMPLES OF COLLABORATION AND FEEDBACK. "USING ART TO CHANGE LIVES" IS FAR MORE THAN A SLOGAN...IT'S A PRACTICE THAT WE WISH WAS CHERISHED BY MORE SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES HERE IN THE US. BILL AND LYNN

DOWAGIAC STUDENTS APPLYING DISNEY WAY STORYBOARDING

Scores head in right direction

http://www.dowagiacnews.com/2011/04/19/scores-head-in-right-direction/

April 26, 2011

Published 8:39pm Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The assessment test glass appears half full instead of half empty to thirsty Dowagiac educators.

Where district third graders lagged four percent on third grade math scores in 2009, for 2010 Dowagiac closed that gap with state average by 2 percent.

“In elementary grades 3-5, we have three increases in comparison to state averages, we have two that remain even and we have two (third grade reading and fifth grade math) where we are 1 percent off the state average.

“We just need to continue what we’re doing and tweak it,” Assistant Superintendent Patti Brallier reported to the Board of Education Monday night in the middle school Performing Arts Center because of the new dinner for Top 10 graduates in the cafeteria.

“We increased from state average 10 percent” for sixth grade math, Brallier said. “We’re even in reading, we increased in social studies, we increased in math and reading at the seventh grade level. We increased in math at the eighth grade level, we’re even in reading, we increased in science and we increased in social studies.”

Brallier, who has been assistant superintendent for four years, said the middle school “strategy is working.”

“It’s really exciting,” she added, “because there is growth and positive achievement happening, and we look forward to continuing that with this next school year. We will focus on literacy in the areas of reading and writing, so that at the end of third grade all students will be at grade level. That is our goal.”

“I congratulate the staff and administration for the gains and trends,” President Larry Seurynck said.

Seurynck called Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget proposal “very cynical” because “it’s not the School Aid Fund that’s in trouble, it’s the General Fund. The state has chosen to raid the School Aid Fund. For the state to jeopardize kids’ one fair chance at an education to improve their lives is a cynical way to balance the budget when there are obvious other ways” to meet the May 31 deadline legislators are working toward.

Superintendent Dr. Mark Daniel reported that high school students experienced storyboarding The Disney Way the Friday before spring break.

“We’re now looking to move into the six buildings” to share the experience with parents.

“Hopefully, we’ll finish that by May. Mr. (Bill) Capodagli has been contacted and he’s going to help us sort through the numerous storyboards and find some commonalities, so we’re appreciative of that,” Daniel said.

DISNEY WAY STORYBOARDING FEEDBACK FROM CAAP’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE

On March 24th, Bill conducted a storyboading session for the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania.  The focus was on how the individual agencies could provide Disney Way service to their audiences despite the inevitable federal funding threats to their network.  The feedback on the session was overwhelmingly positive.  Here are the written comments provided by the participants (original typos were not corrected):

Great

Excellent this type of presentation & workshop is needed.

This was fabilous workshop. The presenter was great. I feel like I can apply what I learned.

Fantastic

Wonderful training will use this extensivley.

Excellent presenter with great hands on tips!

Excellent workshop

Great workshop-I will use this immediately.

Story Board…something the Board of Directors should use.

Disney Way “Magical Moments” Account of WDW’s Customer Service

 

It’s a Wonderful World

The micro details of customer service are what separate the winners from the losers in business

April, 2011

by Kathleen Martin

The first day she wore a Cinderella ball gown everywhere. But in the days that followed, disguised in sneakers and a T-shirt, people could still tell, just by looking at her, that she was a princess. “How are you this morning, Princess?” they’d say, bending down low in front of her.

My four-year-old daughter couldn’t have been happier. She beamed at the wait staff, at the people collecting garbage from the streets, at the shopkeepers. We were at Walt Disney World Resort, where it seemed everyone was transformed: into royalty, into Jedi Knights, into parents with unlimited patience. The Disney employees—people for whom the incredible magical production is, well, work—were also most curiously happy.

The entire week we spent there was populated with smiling helpful employees called “cast members” who raced to anticipate the needs of guests without exception. “The food looks good, but the desserts…I really don’t like carrot cake,” admitted my husband, when a staff member at a quick-serve restaurant saw him looking at the menu options. “They serve chocolate cake at the restaurant a little way down the street,” the waiter responded. “Why don’t you order your food, and I’ll run down there and get you some.”

Despite our protests that it wasn’t necessary, he did exactly that. Within 10 minutes, he had arrived back at our table, cake in hand. He had wanted our lunch to be perfect, and thanks to him, it was.

I needed to find out what was in the employee Kool-Aid.

“I really like my job,” said more than one person. Others said, “They spend a lot of time training us on the traditions of Disney; they let us make decisions to make things better for our guests; they put up our picture if they catch us doing something extra to help a guest, particularly if it’s a child; they try and make it fun for us.”

Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson, the authors of The Disney Way, have built their careers on studying Disney. “Walt Disney insisted that every employee is the company in the mind of the customer,” they write. “Because Disney insisted that customers be treated like guests, great customer service has become a standard feature of the total package the Disney Company offers. And wrapped up in that package is a gift of creativity—in product, service, and process—that makes even jaded adults smile with childlike delight.”

Posted in several places around Disney World parks is this quote from Walt: “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing, that it was all started by a mouse.” In other words, what he created came not from something cataclysmic or untouchable but from something common, coupled with a well-exercised imagination and a fine attention to detail.

In his best-seller The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell describes a simple method, called the Broken Windows hypothesis, which New York’s Police Department used to fight violent crime. They relentlessly addressed small problems, such as broken windows and graffiti and people trying to skip out on subway fares. Crime rates dropped. They discovered that minor, seemingly insignificant quality- of-life crimes were tipping points for violent crime.

Perhaps something similar applies in business. If we relentlessly address the details—the seemingly insignificant aspects of customer service, for example— I think our businesses will become more successful. It’s the simple things that astounded me at Disney World, which are missing from so many of my daily customer-service experiences.

If cast members were talking to one another when I approached them, they stopped instantly and turned their attention to me. Every time. Although thousands of people cycled through restaurants I visited, I rarely saw garbage on the floor or an empty table that wasn’t quickly being cleaned.

One night, when we waited briefly in line at a restaurant, a cast member came over and sat down next to my children. She asked them about their day and drew them pictures of Mickey Mouse on napkins. I discovered later that her shift had already ended, and she had stayed those few extra minutes to make them feel important.

The experience was unforgettable, and it’s not rocket science. It’s possible for any company. As Walt would say—it’s just a dream away.

Kathleen Martin is a freelance journalist based in Halifax. She can be reached at masthead@ns.sympatico.ca

Progress Media.ca’s site is designed to help business owners and CEOs grow their businesses more effectively.

Kennedy Center Learns Secrets from Innovate the Pixar Way

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Kennedy Center Meeting: A Glimpse of the Future

I recently attended the annual meeting of the John F. Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education program. Purdue Convocations and the Lafayette School Corporation (LSC) are partners in this program that pairs arts presenters and school systems to present top quality professional development training to area teachers. This is the fourth year for the local partnership. Cindy Preston, a second grade teacher at Edgelea Elementary attended representing LSC.

The meeting focused on a look into changes in education and how we can meet the challenges of 21st Century learning. Two major challenges to arts education are funding and keeping up with the rapid pace of changing technology.

The keynote speaker, Bill Capodagli, author of The Disney Way and Innovate the Pixar Way, emphasized the importance of leadership and innovation in moving an organization forward. He pointed out how less structured work environments led to more productive and creative employees in several companies who chose to try a new approach to their corporate environment.

Futurist Garry Golden, whose work is to help people learn how to anticipate and lead change, forecast an even greater leap forward in technology in the next ten years. He told the group that we are now entering a learner-oriented era in which learning is not so much institution, or teacher, - driven, but will be more about what we learn from those around us. It will not be so much about what is delivered as it will be about our own self-directed efforts. He predicted that soon almost everyone will have a hand-held electronic device and more and more content will be delivered through these devices.

Learning is making the leap from formal to informal. He also predicted the emergence of what is termed, “Third Place”. These are locations that are not home and not work where people gather to interact or gather information, like cafes, malls, parks, etc. This calls for new ways of communicating.

Arts education researcher Eric Booth helped attendees look at the work of author Daniel Pink’s book Drive and how the arts and arts education can help deliver what our culture needs and wants – innovation, creativity, discovery, increased curiosity and engagement, authentic learning, sustainable rigor, and most specifically, intrinsic-motivation.

Posted by Laura Clavio, assistant director of Convocations

Initiated in 1902, Purdue Convocations is among the oldest collegiate performing arts presenters in the United States. Each year, Convocations offers the region 30–40 performances of widely varying genres: Broadway-style shows, theatre, dance, children’s theatre, world music, jazz, and chamber music, along with rock, pop, country, and comedy attractions. www.convocations.org

Disney Way Featured in the Dowagiac News

Leaders are readers

Published 10:34pm Thursday, March 24, 2011

MeL, the Michigan Electronic Library (www.mel.org) puts a world of information at the fingertips of anyone with a Dowagiac District Library card.

Kathy Johnson became Dowagiac District Library director last March after nine years at Union High School.

From any computer with Internet access at any time, patrons can find millions of full-text articles, books, CDs and DVDs, even practice tests and homework help for students. Free to Michigan residents 24/7, MeL’s resources can help you start or build a business, chart family history, boost hobbies, borrow from other libraries, explore historical photographs, videos, diary pages and documents and tap databases.

MeL promotes classroom excellence with MORE, Michigan Online Resources for Educators, where teachers can enrich the experience they provide when they track down lesson plans, interactive Web sites, videos and podcasts.

“Our library can’t own every good book that’s published,” Dowagiac District Library Director Katherine Johnson told Rotary Club Thursday noon at Elks Lodge 889, “but our patrons can borrow any book in the state of Michigan, with the exception of the Troy library, through MeL. Anyone with an Internet connection and a library card. What an incredible boon this is for people who want to gather information. It’s changed our library and the type of customer we have to be able to borrow any title.” Johnson mentioned a friend who belongs to the Dowagiac library book club. “She’s in Florida and downloaded the title we’re going to be doing in May.”

The library has pamphlets detailing how to download audiobooks and e-books and the mel.org site.

Asked about MeL cuts by retired superintendent Larry Crandall, Johnson said, “(Gov. Rick Snyder) is reacting to federal legislators. MeL is basically funded through the federal government, LSTA — the Library Services and Technology Act. LSTA is some of those discretionary funds we hear about that the legislators have threatened to cut. That’s what MeL runs on, what the state library runs on. The governor’s right. If those funds are cut, district libraries will try to fund MeL some other way. There are several parts to MeL. The first to be eliminated would be reference databases, which cost millions of dollars. The very last to go would be interlibrary loans.”
“We’re small potatoes,” Johnson said. “This is not a big chunk of the federal budget for the incredible good it does for little towns in areas like this. Eliminating it would be devastating. MeL runs beautifully and there’s no graft or dirty-dealing.”

Johnson, introduced by fellow Marcellus graduate Barbara Groner, spoke for Rotary Literacy Month in March, although “every month is literacy month for libraries.” She retired from a 35-year career in education (she has a master’s degree in teaching reading) after working in school media centers at Dowagiac High School (nine years), Niles Brandywine and Southwestern Michigan College.
Titling her program “Literacy, Leadership and Library,” Johnson succeeded Mike Shamalla as Dowagiac District Library last March 1.
“We can all breathe a huge sigh of relief,” Johnson said. “Most of us realize that to be literate, a person doesn’t need to know everything. In the middle ages, literate leaders had to know everything in their fields. If you were going to build a cathedral, you knew Euclid’s book, cover to cover, and that was it, that was all you needed to know. Everything’s a lot bigger now and we all sense that, so if anybody claims they know everything, we know they’re not telling the truth, and those people are kind of scary anyway.”

Literacy “is not just reading, it’s the ability to learn, to sort and to assimilate what we’ve discovered and then to evaluate. Literacy is a lot more complicated than just reading,” she said. “This presentation started with the idea that libraries and literacy have a direct connection. With leadership, I need to know what works in this economy in this part of Michigan. Those of us that are public entities are faced with lots of challenges. To be a good leader in our world right now, I need information.”

Arrayed before her were leadership books published in the past decade and available at the public library at 211 Commercial St., including “The Disney Way” by Dowagiac visitor Bill Capodagli.

She downloaded the “fascinating book” from the digital collection and read it on an e-reader.

“My two favorites are Rudy Giuliani’s book on leadership and ‘Leading from the Middle.’ I didn’t know much about Giuliani and, in fact, I kind of didn’t like him. But I learned a lot about leadership from reading his book. He was the mayor of New York City and took it from high crime, debt and inefficiency to vast improvements in those areas. His leadership was really tested on 9/11. It’s a fascinating read.” Giuliani advocates literacy through his previous disdain for golf. “He hated golf,” Johnson said, “but his son loved it and was always asking him to play. He could not understand what anyone saw in golf. Then it occurred to him that golf was just like anything else. If you don’t really know about it, you can’t appreciate it, so he made it a point to find everything he could get his hands on about the lore, the jokes, the personalities, the skills involved in golf. Finally, it dawned on him that golf was supposed to be fun and it changed his life. He loves golf so much he can’t get enough of it!”

“Leading from the Middle” is a “really good book on leadership, and let me tell you why,” Johnson said. “There’s a restaurant in San Francisco with excellent food and service beyond compare. It’s not fancy, but the ambience is comfortable and it’s a really wonderful establishment. He asked the waiter to talk to the boss to tell him what a wonderful restaurant it was and the waiter said, ‘I’m the boss. Thank you for your compliment.’ “The guy thought the waiter was being flip and was slightly annoyed by the comment, but he came to realize that they did a lot of training. Every person in the restaurant knows that to the public dealing with that person, he was the restaurant, just like in the library when you go to the desk, that clerk is the library. Leading from the Middle is giving employees that feeling that they have a stake in the whole picture. They are the boss and they have a valuable role to play, which is very similar to a theme in The Disney Way.”

“Digital books are happening right now in a big way,” she said. “Dowagiac District Library is very much involved in digital books — both audio and regular text. They can be downloaded to a mobile device. An audio book you can listen to on your iPod while you go for a walk. Or, it could be on an e-reader, an iPad. There are all kinds of mobile devices and we have a very nice collection of digital books. All you need to do is go to our Web site and click on overdrive. Yes, we can borrow any print book in Michigan, but we’re no longer dependent on print. You can download a book for free and either listen to it or read it anywhere on your mobile device. You’re given 14 days before it disappears. There’s no overdues or dog-eaten damaged books. It’s a great deal for everybody.” Of one of those mobile devices, Kindle, Johnson said, “It will only allow you to buy books from Amazon. It will not let you borrow books for free from libraries.”

Leadership Reading List

1.) The Disney Way, Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson, 2007.
2.) Good to Great, Jim Collins, 2001.
3.) Leadership is an Art, Max DePree, 2004.
4.) Leadership, Rudolph Giuliani, 2002.
5.) Leading from the Middle, John Lubans, 2010.
6.) In Search of Excellence, Thomas Peters, 2004.
7.) The Knowing-Doing Gap, Jeffrey Pfeffer, 2000.
8.) Partnering: The New Face of Leadership, 2003.