Continuous Sustainable Innovation

This blur of a picture happens to be our guest speaker from Entrepreneurship and Innovation this week, Mr. Frank Paul, Co-Founder of Golfsmith.  (My phone's camera make a loud noise right as the picture took, which embarrassed me and thus- the blur).  He was tremendously warm and engaging... really seemed down to earth, which I had a whole new level of respect for after hearing his story about how he and his brother grew this business out of a home basement to what Golfsmith was in 2002 when they sold it.

He took the time to prepare notes and shared with us what it was like to grow a business, as well as some of the humorous stories that accompanied the journey.  It was nice to see a man of his stature take seriously imparting his wisdom to us as students.  Often times, not that it is wrong, speakers come in for a "fireside chat", and while I appreciate the candor that accompanies this style, there's also just something to a person who could do that, but taking anyways the time to show they value and prepared for the group.

One thing that really stood out to me about Mr. Paul was this constant grasp for innovation.  Going from selling your own club, to extending to new product materials like Graphite, to opening large stores when none existed before.  And that seemed to be so much of the case for Golfsmith, looking and seeing the opportunity that didn't seem to exist before.  Someone in the class relayed this idea to Steve Jobs, and how Apple also seemed to sense and create a demand in their own market.  Makes sense, but how do you do it?

Peter Drucker seems to fit right about here.  His ideas for innovation and entrepreneurship stretched beyond being your own business owner.  He was challenging the industries to go where they hadn't gone before.  To look for the unexpected.  To seek true innovation.

In my pre-grad school days, my psychology background would suggest that there is not an original thought, only new combinations of what has been relayed.  How does this fit in with innovation?  How do you maintain a working knowledge of your competitors, keep up, if not stay in front of them, and continually seek the "original thought"... the point of differentiation?

My minds flows to a thousand other questions- what does differentiation look like in nonprofit?  What is true innovation in nonprofit?  How do you stay innovative, when funders can initiatives direct the course of programming?  Are there ways to work with funders to do research on the needs of the community and challenge beyond collaboration- to innovation?

I may not have all the answers, but I feel like questions fit me better than answers anyway...

And with that statement, perhaps I answered my own question about Golfsmith's sustainable innovation... they weren't afraid of not having the answers, and took on the challenge of asking that next question.

Considering Consulting?

As mentioned in previous posts, I now find myself in the last semester of the MBA Program.  This week was week 3 of the final 15.

I got to class early .  A couple of groups were meeting in adjacent classrooms finalizing their presentations and I sat with my friend Michael and was joined by our friend Cathy briefly in our class room.  Kevin was practicing with his group, but for a moment it was just us- the original group from the first two semesters.  I reminisced a little- thinking about those early days of group meetings.  How I was much more timid those days about what this whole going back to school thing is all about.  Later in the night I laughed when one of my current group members jokingly and lovingly referred to me as "boss".  (There's a first for everything)! 

This semester, each team had to declare a project manager.  Since our capstone project is related to nonprofit work, the team unanimously nominated me, and I'm thrilled at the opportunity to put into practice what I've learned.  Course this team doesn't make it hard.  I've got a team that just seems to ooze excellence, and I really consider it an honor to be partnered this final semester with them.

I feel this week our Capstone project is going to finally gain some traction and momentum.  Today I will provide our clients with an agenda and prospectus to review at our luncheon on Thursday.  Our outcome of the projected will be a tailored strategic plan for one of Easter Seal's of Houston's newest programs- Bridging Apps. (http://www.bridgingapps.org/).  The website serves as a portal for educational apps that can be used for children and people with special needs.  The program is a merger from two sets of founders and our hope is that our work will provide them with a strong and shared foundation for the road ahead.

I'm enjoying the opportunity to serve in a "consultant's role", and after having read A Consultant's Calling, I wonder more about the pace and lifestyle to pull something like this off for multiple clients.  I have the benefit of working for a family of nonprofits, and wonder if these skills I've developed could be utilized in a professional way here in my own backyard.  I came into my MBA program wanting to help nonprofits utilize these business skills to serve more with less.  Knowing what I know now, and heading into my second opportunity to work for a client building a strategic plan, I see that I will have the ability and know how to do this in practice.  I'm really happy about what this means for my future, even though God's still not quite shown me what that looks like.  I guess all one can do is stay tuned...

Community Engagement

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Leadership's Calling, and today I got my first look at the article I was interviewed for electronically.  Its a great article about City Council elections in Round Rock and specifically about the uncontested races. 

http://impactnews.com/articles/council-races-uncontested-for-third-election-in-a-row

For the City to put on an election it turns an expense of between $20,000-$40,000... can't remember specifically what, but a substantial amount of money.  The reasons for the uncontested races range from a good ole boy's network, or just a general engagement in the current community, to happiness with the current job done, or another could argue voter apathy.  I haven't made up my mind as to why not more are running for elected positions, but I am passionate about an engaged community.  For me its beyond who is turning out to run, but its about those who even feel in tune to vote.  Former Mayor Nyle Maxwell mentioned that its when people are unsatisfied that you have the major issues and everyone turns out.  I think its just out of the love of a community that everyone would turn out, so this community truly would be reflective of them.

For me, this is about an identity.  How do we get over 100,000 people to get to know the influencers, to know the issues and know our history so we know together where we are going.  I'm not saying that if everyone just knew where we had been we'd all be of one accord, but even descent is more attuned and engaged than the apathetic community member.  I'm not saying this is necessarily the nonvoter's issue.  I own this and say how do we reach out? How do we connect?  How does this community retain roots, but grow to become all its capable of?

I'm really interested in this from the grassroots perspective, because when everything is a volunteer commitment, you see true leadership and engagement.  There's no contract dictating one's allegiance or loyalty.  If the community really can come together rallied by non appointed officials, I think you get to see really what a full community is made of, and not just the talents and scope of a select few.

Please don't get me wrong.  I see value in our elected officials.  I am proud that many who currently serve, and hopefully serve in the next 10 years or so, are my friends.  It takes the Nancy Rabb's who have never run for office along with the Alan McGraw's, Round Rock's Mayor, to make this community as great as it is.  And even though it is great, we must never settle or say "this is good enough".  Our community deserves better.  It deserves to be engaged. 

Once I get my MBA, I've got to figure out how I fit in all this to truly engage my community.

The Beginning of the End

I've been thinking for a week or so on my next post... what to write about... With Leadership's requirement of a weekly leadership reflection, I ended up feeling a little "all reflected out".  Since my last posting, we did wrap up the end of semester 5, and tonight we start the beginning of the end. 

Tonight's the first class of Semester 6... the last and final semester of the Concordia MBA.  I sometimes have a hard time believing that I'm really in that place that 5 semesters ago felt so far away. 21 months have passed, we are about to embark on the subjects of Entrepreneurship and our capstone projects.  Also, not to be forgotten, the final leadership class titled Making a Difference.

As we head into our first class, I was a little frustrated.  Again, before even having a class, we have over 100 pages of reading to do, and perhaps even a presentation to start in outlining a prospectus on our capstone project.  And then I remember, this is the last time I have to do this, and for me that took the edge off.

Actually, some of that reading was pretty interesting.  The Consultant's Calling got my brain spinning.  I love the author's perspective.  He works 70 days a year, focuses on living within his means, and focuses on the freedom he has with his time in life.  It was the first time in a business text where I felt this life value come through.  He admits that jealousy sometimes gets the best of him, and he envies those who make 3 times as much because they work 3 times as much, but when it comes back to his central beliefs, he can live on less so he has the time to live more on his own terms.

It sounds appealing, and I'm really looking forward to what I learn in class this semester to apply to my work currently.  I love innovation.  I love looking at the why's of the things we do.  I'm hoping this semester will really help me to take things to that next level.  We've got 15 weeks to see if that pans out, but as of going into my first class of the last semester I feel the beginning of the end is really where it's all just beginning.