Report from Mackinac
By Teresa Weed Newman
Creativity, innovations and growth, all the seeds for regional
change, were the buzz at the 2004 Detroit Regional Chamber's
Mackinac Policy Conference on June 3-5. As I entered into
conversations with high-ranking Michigan business and governmental
leaders and heard them referring to this type of innovative
thinking as a new trend, I was pleased. After all, creative
thinking is at the crux of Unrational Leadership™. Project
Innovations has been preaching (and teaching) these concepts
since 1992!
During this exciting, overwhelming and thought-provoking
three days of panel discussions, presentations by industry
leaders and debates between government officials, people
asked over and over how Michigan's counties, cities,
townships and villages could be energized. This new journey
will take courage and hard work. Luckily, Michigan is ready!
Case Study: Syracuse, NY
The Syracuse region of upstate New York was struggling through long-term
economic decline. Government and business, in an attempt to correct that
decline developed an organization called the The New York Indoor Environmental
Quality (NYIEQ) Center, Inc., an independent non-profit corporation
established to pursue collaborative research and economic development projects
related to indoor environmental quality. NYIEQ knew that in order to
realize their goal, they needed to develop a long-term strategic plan.
They hired Charlie to help them prepare this plan.
One of the major challenges in preparing the plan was dealing with the
differences of opinion held by government, business and education
stakeholders. In the pre-planning interviews Charlie identified
and analyzed these difference of opinions. He prepared a mandala
that presented and synthesized their major points of view.
According to Mr. Orrin MacMurray, President & CEO of C & S Engineers,
Inc. and Chair of NYIEQ Board of Directors, "The mandala is a highly
thought provoking and clear way to help groups get sensitive issues out on
the table without negative confrontation."
In this case, the mandala helped the participants confront their deeply rooted
emotions and the passions stored within their opinions. It was able to
bring unconscious emotions to the surface and release creative energy that
these leaders could use to fashion a set of new solutions to revitalize
the regional economy.
The Black and White of Comfortopia
Flashpoint program spotlighted a very candid and highly unprecedented
panel discussion on race relations. The difference in perspective
between blacks and whites was startling. African Americans expressed
anger about ancestral and cultural issues provoked by slavery, while
their white neighbors were taken aback by the hurt and anger that
still remains.
It struck me we are still in Comfortopia on race relations and the
openess at the conference gave me hope that we are being called to
action on this issue.
Editor's Note: Teresa Weed Newman is Project Innovations' VP of
Marketing & Facilitator. Click here to contact her.
Charlie's Radio Days: Be sure to listen to Charlie discuss
"Building a Dream Circle in Business to Get the
Most Creativity Out of Your Management Team"
on the September 10th Entrepreneur Radio Show!
|
