Tag Archives: United Way

Start Small and Fail Early: Social Impact Design

Poster Hanging @ Menlo Innovations

Poster Hanging @ Menlo Innovations

Scale (“go big”) and success (“think ‘win’”) dominate the focus of many leaders and organizations. Understandably so, as each individual and organization are measured by tangible results. When I look at work that has a lasting impact and is much more sustainable, however, I find that “going big” and being successful weren’t the center of attention.

Recently, I had a few insights shared with me that I thought you might like as well:

Jim Hackett, CEO of Steelcase, was explaining to me how design thinking has played a role in the way an organization operates and develops new ways to produce value for customers. As he was counseling me on where to begin such a journey, he advised me, “Mike, start small. And try not to make the first prototype, your first attempt, too precious.”

Those words connected me to a conversation I had with my brother Tom Brennan of the Green Garage — a business enterprise and a community of people dedicated to Detroit’s sustainable future. He said to me, “Mike, it is far better to fail early and often than to fail late. Failing late is rarely good. And remember, small is big.”

When designing for success, creating room to test an idea or concept is far better than jumping right to a wholesale solution.  For example, our first attempt to improve early reading habits of parents with newborns didn’t fair well.  The design of the program was too costly and difficult to manage.  In the end, we had to close it down in order to re-design our approach.

We applied those early painful learnings to help us shape a new early childhood pilot with the Detroit Medical Center that links moms with resources in the community such as literacy development and parenting skills  to ensure short and long term success for the child.   We have learned already from this early pilot how to improve our approach and to strengthen the long term relationship with the parent(s).  For example, it is far better for the mom if we follow up with her 30 – 45 days after the leaving the hospital than 14 days or 90 days.  These insights give us an ability to alter the design to ensure success.  To see more about this innovative program, click below.

These insights on the power of small and failing early made me think of how new and long established organizations have embarked on creative paths to solving problems and imagining a different future.

In a recent article in Fast Company, small start ups throughout Detroit are described as central to the rebuilding of Detroit.  New frontiers are often started with small beginnings.  The New York Times article describes Dan Gilbert and his early beginning — small in scale — that ultimately led to a much larger vision and capacity of transforming Detroit into one of the best places to live and work.

I think the next time we talk about going to scale and delivering success, we need to think about how we can start small, fail early and not make our beginning too precious.  From that we will ultimately experience big wins and lasting impact.

Other Blog Posts on Social Impact Design:

Social Impact Design: A New Way

Social Impact Design: Design Thinking

Design + Social Impact: Why They Belong Together?

Job #1 : Design For Joy

Now, Near and Far: Tri-Zone Leaders

You Can Have Everything, Just Not All At Once

Dr. Syed Mohiuddin

He arrived at the United Way office for our meeting wearing a pair of silver and blue sneakers, a physician’s blue scrubs, and a zip-up sweatshirt. His dark eyes greeted mine with the energy of a spring being unleashed from its compression. Dr. Syed Mohiuddin, a physician doing his residency at Detroit Medical Center, is a thirty-year-old force of nature who has put his raw intellect, capacity, and passion for humanity to work for a greater good.

Syed came to meet with me prior to the start of his 3 p.m. shift in the ER to discuss the next steps of a group he chairs for United Way for Southeastern Michigan called Leadership Next. This group of next-generation leaders from throughout the region works to make progress on our targeted issues of education, income, and building a springboard into the safety net.

As the meeting was wrapping up, Syed asked me if there were things I wish I had done more or less of in my career.

I said, “I never regretted taking big risks. Sometimes we can overthink things we face and never take the necessary action. It is far better to stay bold than safe.”

Syed talked about the many dreams he has for his future profession in medicine and in the wider world. Syed could be anywhere in the world doing what he wants, but he has chosen to do his work in Detroit.

“The intersection of the hospital to the community and the many issues we face has been a perfect mix for me to be in. I never thought I would be practicing my profession and working in the community with an organization like United Way. I get to not only treat the patients who come to the hospital, but I can also work on the issues in the community that often create the conditions which lead people to come to the hospital,” he said.

As I listened to Syed, I thought what a beautiful human being he is to be working so incredibly hard to make a difference. Hearing about his dreams and aspirations reminded me of a lesson my wife and I were given before we had our first child 23 years ago.

We sat at a small kitchen table with the owner of a B&B in Maine. This was our last trip before we had children, as Joan was seven months pregnant. The owner looked at us as we shared the possibilities in our future and gave a little pearl of wisdom that my wife and I have repeated many times over throughout the years:

Always keep this thought in mind as you are striving for the next thing in your life: You can have everything; you just can’t have it all at once.”

Syed bounded out the elevator as quickly as he had arrived, heading to his ER shift. He was excited about linking his patients with United Way’s 211. As he left, I thought, if there ever were a person who might be able to get everything he wanted done all at once, it would be Syed. Regardless, this community is blessed to have Syed in full motion, creating a new future within the region.

World’s Largest LIVE UNITED Wristband on the Joe Louis Fist

Sometimes a picture says it all. “The Fist” is a memorial to boxer Joe Louis by Mexican-American sculptor Robert Graham that rests at Hart Plaza in Detroit. The sculpture was commissioned by Sports Illustrated magazine and dedicated on October 16, 1986. Depicting a 24-foot-long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a 24-foot-high pyramidal framework, the sculpture represents the power of Louis’ punch both inside and outside the ring. Because of his efforts to fight Jim Crow laws, the fist was symbolically aimed toward the South.

Last Friday, we launched this year’s United Way campaign with a torch lighting ceremony right across the street from The Fist. As I walked back to the office through the rain, I looked over and saw the sculpture wearing a “LIVE UNITED” wrist band. In a world that seems to be driven by matters on which opinions diverge, I thought this photo spoke to the need to find common ground even when we disagree.

The Importance Of Tradition: Lighting the Torch

Chris Dube inspects the United Way Torch in preparation for the lighting ceremony, Friday, Sept.14 at 7 a.m.

Chris and Paul Dube have had a role in the community that no one else can claim: The pair have been lighting the United Way Torch, which has resided at the base of Woodward and Jefferson Avenues, for more than 20 years.

It as 28 years ago when I saw my first torch lighting ceremony. Fresh out of college and 22 years old, I was just starting my new job with the United Foundation,  the precursor to United Way for Southeastern Michigan

In a world where things move faster than the click of a mouse, we have a tendency to jump to the next new thing, and as a result, we sometimes miss the importance of tradition.

The tradition of lighting the Torch first began in 1949.  Originally, the Torch was a wooden structure that had to be erected each year.

It was replaced with the current Torch, which was designed by sculptor Dario Bonuchhi and brought to reality by the architectural firm Giffles Associates and fabricator Darin and Armstrong. It was erected in 1969.

Lighting the Torch serves as a symbol of the concern and generosity of the people of this community. Metro-Detroiters have generously cared for their fellow residents. And throughout the years, the Torch has been a beacon. It’s overseen the changes taking place in our region and the transformation of United Way. Traditionally viewed as a fundraising organization, United Way for Southeastern Michigan has transitioned to a leadership role, mobilizing residents and organizations to make progress on the toughest issues we face.

For example, our efforts to increase the graduation rates in our lowest-performing high schools is on an upward trajectory. Early indications show that 80% of students in our network are on track to graduate.

We’ve made tremendous headway ensuring that children in our region are able to get the nutritious meals they need through a local and statewide effort called  “No Kid Hungry.” Our 2-1-1 call center, staffed with trained professionals, has assisted more than 300,000 residents get connected to essential resources 24/7/ 365 days a year.  This is only possible because of the generous support of individuals throughout the region who invest some of their money to ensure we have a chance to reach our Big Hairy Audacious Goal: to be one of the top 5 places to live and work by 2030.

I encourage you to be part of the change we are undertaking at United Way.  If you would like, you are welcome to join Sergio Marchionne, Mayor Dave Bing, Dan Gilbert and other leaders this Friday morning at 7 am as we light the Torch.

Moving our region upward cannot be accomplished alone. Rather, it will take all of us, with commitment just like the Dube brothers and their father (who lit the Torch before them), to make sure we are creating a spark that brings a light to those around us.

Hope to see you at the Torch lighting along with the Dube brothers and much help from our friends at DTE.

Are you the Egg or the Bacon on the plate? Profile in commitment

We all have heard the story about the difference between the egg and the bacon on your breakfast plate: The chicken participated, but the pig was committed.

I have never met another volunteer like Ken Whipple in my 28 years of working on a social mission. Ken, at age 77, seems 20 years his junior in both mind and body. He has an incredible curiosity, seeking knowledge like a puzzle master looking for the unique shape to complete the jigsaw. He has an easy style to him that is gracious but focused; intentional, not rigid; grounded and able to see the whole picture. He gets energy from having strong minds and talent in the room to advance difficult and complex work. But there is one thing that particularly stands out about Ken: his enthusiasm.

I recently told my wife that the first 50 years of my life were geared toward being a responsible adult who worked on serious issues. Hence, I am a serious guy. My goal for the next 50 years (God willing) is to bring more childlike qualities back into my life. Face serious issues, yes, but do it with qualities you see more in children: joy, laughter, play, and risk. When I watch Ken, I see a master at work, painting upon life’s canvas.

“I always wanted a logo with a lightning bolt in it,” Ken Whipple said to me. We were discussing the Agenda Results Committee (ARC) that Ken is chairing for the United Way. This group of volunteers works to bring our mission to life in the fullest and most complete manner.

Ken asked that T-shirts be made up for the committee that would include the new ARC logo and a newly adopted quote from Martin Luther King Jr.

The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.

The T-shirts were a hit, so next came the baseball caps. We kidded about having an ARC tattoo to demonstrate a real commitment. Later, as we gathered for an early morning meeting, there was Ken with his sleeve rolled up getting his tattoo (albeit temporary) placed upon his arm. Then at the close of the meeting, Ken rolled up his sleeve, turned to the group, and with a big smile showed off his new tattoo. He made sure everyone left the room with their own tattoo of a lightning bolt as well. The work the group engages in is difficult, but having fun along the way has become a requirement, thanks to Ken. He naturally brings that to the table.

I remember visiting Ken at his home and walking into his study. Up on the wall he had a painting of a shore with waves rolling in and several people working to push a boat against the wind and water out to sea. Ken said, “You know what I like about that painting? It shows it takes everyone working together to make something happen.”

Our mission is fundamentally about that: getting everyone working together to make progress on issues we all care about. In order to do that, you need leaders who believe and who have the knack to bring others along. Ken is an incredibly talented human being who is using his gifts to make a community better. With him, I am confident great progress will continue to be made.

This past Saturday I received an email titled, “All in for ARC or what?” Below is the picture that accompanied the email. Clearly, Ken isn’t the Chicken on the plate.

“Statisticks”

What four minutes of today will you remember?  Take a look at this and then pass it on.  We can create pathways to ensure a brighter tomorrow.

Building a Strong Nonprofit: The Story of our Evolution

This is one organization’s story of taking its mission and creating a strategic framework to help move everything forward in a clear, coherent manner. This is a work in progress versus being fully baked, but as with any journey it helps to pause and capture the story along the way.

Outlined below is the strategic framework that United Way for Southeastern Michigan uses to guide its leadership, mission, and resources. Attached to each frame is a short narrative to help provide some context.

Should you have thoughts on how we might improve this work, please do share, as our goal is to be the best at helping our region become one of the Top 5 places to live and work by 2030.

OUR MISSION

United Way for Southeastern Michigan was created by a merger of United Way Community Services and the United Way of Oakland on April 1, 2005. Previously, these latter two organizations had been serving the southeastern Michigan region since 1912. Now, the newly-formed United Way was tasked with operating more efficiently and effectively.

When I came aboard to lead the “new” United Way, one of the first things I did was to work with a handful of volunteers and community partners to develop a mission statement for the organization. Huddled around a conference-room table on the top floor of DTE, overlooking the city of Detroit and the wider metropolitan area, we developed the following:

    “The mission of United Way for Southeastern Michigan is to mobilize the caring power of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan to improve communities and individual lives.”

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What’s a BHAG?

Jim Collins, author of “Good to Great,” created the BHAG  (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) framework for organizations and leaders.  A BHAG is a clear, compelling goal that helps drive an organization’s vision.

When we began to explore a potential BHAG for the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, we knew it needed to drive us beyond our wildest expectations. The country, and particularly Southeastern Michigan, had just gone through the economic implosion of 2008. During that time, there wasn’t much hope for our city, region, or state. People were losing jobs by the thousands and leaving the state in similar numbers. The demand for help was escalating at a pace beyond capacity.

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Core Values

An organization’s core values are just that: the core of the organization’s essence.

These few essential tenets should serve as important guideposts in shaping culture, making hiring decisions, setting strategic direction and influencing the way an organization interacts with its stakeholders. Core values should be the few essential tenets that are non-negotiable in the organization – timeless and unchanging.

When we took our first step at articulating the values of the organization, we embarked on a “Mission to Mars” exercise.

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Crafting a Purpose Statement

Early in my career at United Way for Southeastern Michigan, I remember sitting in a strategic planning meeting when I heard the question, “Why does the organization exist?”

The conversation led to all kinds of insights — with topics ranging from improving communities to helping people directly.

Rob Pew, a former Board Member at the United Way in Grand Rapids and the CEO of Steelcase at the time, raised his hand and asked, “Why wouldn’t we be working on solving, not just improving?”

That insight has stuck with me since.

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Our Theory Of Change

I will never forget attending a national board meeting of United Way where Bill Gates Sr., father of the Microsoft founder and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, stood up and said, “I am the chairman of the largest foundation in the world. There is nothing we can accomplish alone.”

Social conditions rarely change because of a single program, plan, or organization. Change occurs when networks align to work on common issues. Think of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), advocates of seat belt laws, the green movement, supporters of anti-smoking laws, the Occupy movement – you can’t name the CEO of any of those. Change occurs not through a linear process or an industrial model. Rather, it occurs as it does in nature, through the wider ecosystem.

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Strategic Anchors

Leadership groups and boards of directors might use several filters when making decisions, but an organization’s strategic anchors are what I like to think of as its “major decision filter.” Strategic anchors can be an important tool for choosing which businesses or strategies to opt in or out of.

At United Way for Southeastern Michigan, we use four strategic anchors that have been developed within the past five years. This is how I think of each of them: Engagement, Resource Broker, System-Level Change and Results Driven.

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Engagement Pyramid and Cycle

Engagement = Relationship + Action

Both the private and nonprofit sectors work toward public engagement, whether it’s focused on customers, donors, or the community at large. However, few organizations do it very well.

Why? Because an organization’s entire ethos must be dedicated to public engagement if it is to take deep root. Leaders would have to make changes to people, culture, processes, and technology to achieve this, and many don’t want to do such “heavy lifting.” Also, many leaders don’t recognize that engagement can be a valuable tool for solving problems, and they often relegate it to a matter of programming.

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Board Roles

Countless books have been published about nonprofit governance and the role of the board. When creating or growing a board, most organizations use a demographic filter to ensure the right representation of industries, genders, races, etc. This is critical, and attention should be paid to it. But beyond that, what criteria do you have for people who join your board?

At United Way for Southeastern Michigan, we landed on three main attributes beyond the traditional demographic considerations that we use to select board members: passion, expertise, and resources.

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What is a “For Impact” Organization?

“Why is the nonprofit sector the only sector that gets described by what it is NOT, versus what it is for?” asked Doug Stewart, Executive Director of the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation.

“I am going to start using the term ‘for impact‘ to describe the sector and the organizations within it,” he said.

I think Doug is right. Too often, the third sector of the economy gets viewed more as a “recipient sector” than one that provides leadership and creates results. I see leaders and organizations in the “nonprofit” sector waking up each day to deliver results: to make an impact. I don’t think the purpose of the sector is served well by describing it in terms of deficiency. Rather, we could enhance the “nonprofit” sector’s important work by describing it in terms of its core essence: impact.

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What is a Leader?

I keep a copy of a frame of leadership that I came across long ago posted in the room where the management team of United Way for Southeastern Michigan meets each week. We keep these simple guideposts in a visible place because they are worth taking note of each day: Define, Identify, Balance and Shape.

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Meet the Chairman of First Impressions

Lonnie Hunt: Chairman of First Impressions

When the Leadership Team did our Mission to Mars exercise to identify our core values, we had to think about our highest performers. One name that quickly came forward was Lonnie Hunt, who mans the front reception desk for United Way for Southeastern Michigan.

When Lonnie first took on his role, he wasn’t an employee of United Way; he worked for a security service we used that also covered the front desk. I often felt a little like I was in the Murphy Brown TV series where every time she went to the office there was a new assistant – 93 over the entire program. We’d had steady turnover in one of our most critical positions. Lonnie changed the position forever and set a new standard of excellence. He actively greeted new guests, quickly remembered names, found a way to smile during every interaction, and always looked to learn something new about the organization.

Every time I would greet Lonnie in the morning he would say, “Good morning, Mr. President!”

I would reply, “Lonnie, you can call me Mike.”

He would say, “Thank you, Mr. President.”

This went on for months, without much headway. Recognizing the impact that first encounter with the organization makes, I came in one day and said to our Human Resources Director, “I just changed Lonnie’s title. From now on, his title is Chairman of First Impressions.”

I recently asked Lonnie a few questions about his role at UWSEM that could provide a model for what we want our culture to be. I asked him what the most important thing a Chairman of First Impressions must do.

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Workplace of the Future: What is it?

One of my mentors is Jim Hackett, the CEO of Steelcase. Among the many things that Jim taught me is how space can be an accelerator of an organization’s mission. I am passionate about how work environments can change the way employees, organizations, and communities come together to solve problems. The United Way for Southeastern Michigan’s office space was meant to reflect the core tenets of our culture.

I vs. We: While we designed our environment to recognize that everyone has different work modes – some needing wide-open space and some requiring complete privacy – we asked everyone to contribute some of their “I” space in order to have more powerful “We” space. We ask residents in the community every day to give up some of their “I” – time, talent, or money – in order for us to have a stronger community (We). We felt our space should speak to that directly. The most impactful space people always comment on is the “We” space at United Way.

Transparent: In organizations and society, transparency is often missing. When an organization is stewarding individuals contributing time and money, we must be transparent. Our space is meant to model that. While we understand and accommodate the need for privacy, we didn’t design 90% of the organization around that. Rather, we created a space that fosters and promotes transparency.

Leverage the Informal: Within organizations, often the attention is placed on the formal processes, protocols, and structures when in fact the informal network creates as much value. We believe at United Way that the formal systems within our community are critical, but equally so are the informal systems. Our design is meant to support the formal systems, but to create a greater likelihood that the informal systems will have strength. For example, we thought about how to create intersections within the space to increase the chances that people from different areas of the organization would bump into each other, resulting in more communication and cross-functional teamwork.

Performance: We are measured on our results in the community. I often say I am not interested in employees being “at work” but rather being “on the work.” We designed the space so that no matter what type of work you were doing, there would be a location that would not only meet your requirements, but foster high productivity.

Talent: We are only as good as our talent. I wanted a space that would serve this generation well, but put us in a position to attract the next generation of leaders. Stellar talent leads to higher success, and space matters when trying to attract talent.

Our space continues to evolve as we learn how to better leverage it to help fulfill our mission. We are increasingly using our space as one large storyboard. That is, our space ought to help us tell the story of our mission.

There are so few tools in the toolbox of CEOs to affect the culture of the organization that the importance of space should not be ignored. Space is often viewed as an “employee storage system” versus as an accelerator of the organization’s mission. With the limited resources we must steward, I felt strongly that our space ought to play a vital role in helping Southeastern Michigan make progress on the toughest social issues.

There is a great article in the New York Times on office design that is worth the read. If you want to learn more about how space accelerates a mission, feel free to contact us at 313-226-9411.

Building a Strong Nonprofit Part 3: Core Values

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Author’s Note: This post is the third part in an eight-part series on the strategic framework of the nonprofit organization — United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Click here to read the full series.

An organization’s core values are just that: the core of the organization’s essence.

These few essential tenets should serve as important guideposts in shaping culture, making hiring decisions, setting strategic direction and influencing the way an organization interacts with its stakeholders. Core values should be the few essential tenets that are non-negotiable in the organization – timeless and unchanging.

When we took our first step at articulating the values of the organization, we embarked on a “Mission to Mars” exercise.

We asked ourselves, “Who are our top performing associates in the organization?” and “Who are our outstanding committed volunteers?”

We wrote about a dozen names on our white board. We then asked, “If these individuals were all together standing on Mars and a group of Martians came upon them, what common values would the Martians see in this group?”

We began to collect words describing their shared attributes: passion, excellence, dedication and so on. Out of a long list of descriptors, we sought out a handful that rang true universally. There were four that stood out to us.

Mission Driven

All of Us

Tenacious

Authentic

While there were several other attributes that nearly made the cut, these were the ones with which we wanted to start. After some scrubbing, we have settled on the above. When I describe these to individuals who visit United Way for Southeastern Michigan, I do so like this:

Mission Driven:  The passion for this mission, the belief that change is possible when we come together in a collective way, must be at the core of each person.  In essence, one should feel like the mission is in the DNA of the individual.

When we look at those who have had the greatest successes, either as staff members or volunteers, this mission mattered to them. In some way, they woke up and saw that by connecting with United Way, they could carry out some of the most important work of their lives. Their personal mission aligned with the organization’s. Each person gave fuel to another, which allowed meaningful and powerful work to take place.

This drive, this mission, creates a cascading positive impact on everyone who comes in contact with UWSEM and its team.

All of Us:  There is nothing we accomplish alone. Our individual success is interdependent with our collective success. There is me. There is Us. And there is All of Us.

Great progress in this world always happens when individuals connect with others of a shared purpose who move in a collective manner. United Way is at its best when it helps All of Us move in a common direction, creating opportunities to share strengths, talents and resources.

Tenacious: This is quietly known inside the organization as “dog on a bone!”  We understand that when you work on social issues, you have to be in the work for the long haul. You don’t change the human condition overnight. An organization can’t have “flavor of the month” strategies. Rather, when United Way set its Agenda for Change, we committed to the work for the next ten years. We understand we need to be in this work yesterday, today and in the future. While not oblivious to the external changes that take place in society, we know progress comes from a tenacity that is focused on seeing the work through to a positive result

Authentic: When we make decisions, we often ask ourselves, “Is this action authentic to our mission and values?”

We know we move through this world on trust – trust from donors, partners, volunteers, and associates. If our actions don’t match our words, we diminish the likelihood we can fulfill this mission.

I am struck by how many times during our Leadership Team meetings we come back to our values to make a decision. I know as CEO, when I am making the toughest decisions, I always return to these values as the litmus test. They have served us well. We strive to represent these values to best of our ability each day. And when we stumble, we try to help each other correct course.

Other blog posts on Building a Strong Nonprofit

Building a Strong Nonprofit Part 1: Our Mission to Empower Metro Detroit Communities
Building a Strong Nonprofit Part 2: What’s a BHAG?
Building a Strong Nonprofit Part 4: Crafting a Purpose Statement
Building a Strong Nonprofit Part 5: Our Theory Of Change
Building a Strong Nonprofit Part 6: Strategic Anchors
Building a Strong Nonprofit Part 7: Engagement Pyramid and Cycle
Building a Strong Nonprofit Part 8: Board Roles