Respond to (2) Colleagues W3D1

Kristen Springer - Discussion 1 - Week 3

My vision is to significantly increase the sales of local meats and produce in my rural community.  “If you cannot describe your vision to someone in five minutes and get their interest, you have more work to do in this phase of a transformation process” (Kotter, 2012, p. 81).  If we can increase the awareness of buying local, we can begin to become a healthier community and become more environmentally sustainable.  Shopping at the Farmer’s Market will be fun for adults and kids alike.  Locally raised meats, fresh organic vegetables, and fresh fruits are much healthier choices for everyone.  Animals raised properly are not only humane, but they are better for humans.  For example, grass-fed cows have a much higher Omega-3 fatty acid that our body needs for optimal brain function and longevity.  Farm lot animals are kept inhumanly and are fed an unnatural diet of pesticide sprayed corn, soy, and grain.  If you eat that meat you are also eating the chemicals, steroids, and hormones from that animal. Therefore, not only are we getting too much Omega-6 from this meat but it is filling our bodies with toxins.  Vegetables in the grocery store are picked unripe, shipped, and stored for long periods of time; therefore, they missing the nutrients our bodies need.   Since people are never nutritionally satisfied they tend to overeat and become obese.

The challenge is that people are set in their ways.  Even in my rural community, there is always a line at Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds and Chick-fil-a.  I would not consider anything from those restaurants’ food.  All of these restaurants use a ton of MSG and sugar to make the food taste good even though it is not good for anyone.  MSG and sugar are linked to many metabolic diseases and obesity.  It will be very difficult to break the habits of my community.  There is a lack of knowledge on the importance of getting nutrients into our cells and getting the toxins out for optimal energy.  The second obstacle would cost.  My plan will need to encompass low-income families.

Step 1: I envision three locations in my rural community where local farmers and ranchers can come daily to sell their products.

Step 2: I will make it desirable to sellers and consumers alike to use locations already used for children’s sports so that they are easily accessible, and already have a picnic area with playgrounds.

Step 3: The three markets will open one at a time to create feasible goals. We will start small with the local farmers and ranchers who are most ready with ample supplies to advance their sales.

Step 4:  By meeting many times we will clarify the focus.  The who, what when and where will be ironed out with the farmers and ranchers, and remember that health is the top priority.

Step 5: If other small businesses what to take part to sell their goods, this will be allowed if it approves with health and nutrition guidelines.

Step 6: Keeping the vision simple and clear will allow everyone to spread the word on the “fun” new Farmer’s Markets.  Making signs and advertising on Facebook will help spread the word about my vision.

            “Clear visions are meant to inspire hope—hope that despite the fog and stormy weather, despite the bumps in the road, despite the unexpected detours and despite the occasional breakdowns, the crew will make it to its ideal and unique destination” (Kouzes & Posner, 2017, p. 114).  Being part of the community may mean I work for one of the grocery stores.  The drawbacks of the new farmer's markets would be that my store may lose business.  The best strategy would be embracing the change and becoming part of the movement to become a healthier community.  Grocery stores may stop purchasing all of the processed foods and replace those isles with the local meats and produce.  It would be a great option to use the grocery store due to inclement weather.  This could be added to the plan to enlist the whole community.  As the vision grows more adaptation will occur.

Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations. Hoboken, NJ:          Wiley & Sons.

Top of Form

2nd Colleagues – Sandra Patterson

Sandra Patterson - Discussion 1 - Week 3Top of Form

My vision is to open a multi-purpose plaza in my community. This multi-purpose plaza will have a drop off center to receive online orders, a post office, a bank and a library. I will focus on simplicity. I will emphasize that the priority is to have a drop off center for receiving online purchases; a bank and a library will also serve their needs without going far. I will make sure that I have an authentic leadership team based on trust and confidentiality. Since a powerful vision is followed by immediate action as well as behaviors consistent with the new vision, I will make sure that my leadership creates short and long-term goals for developing this vision. (Gleeson, 2017) I will remind my leadership team that the communication for change must be done early, often and by every means possible. I will get my leadership team to send out online surveys, company newsletters, posters and casual conversations at the beginning, middle and the end of the vision process. I will focus on repetition. I will communicate important information on the progress throughout the process. I will focus on consistent behavior. I will remind my leadership team that their behaviors must embody the new vision during and after work hours. So they must continue to exemplify these principles in the community. I will encourage them and use feedback to improve the process. In addition, I will gather feedback while developing the new change vision and throughout the change process. (Gleeson, 2017)

The main challenges that I foresee will be to remind my leadership team that we need to change in order to remain relevant. I will remind them that our organization can remain relevant by meeting an immediate need – that immediate need is more online services. Another challenge will be to have a creative marketing campaign. The marketing campaign must go beyond simply publicizing the initiative’s benefits. It needs to focus on listening to ideas that bubble up from the field as well as on working with lead customers to design an initiative. (Hirschhorn, 2002) That’s where the need for online surveys, posters and newsletters come in.

The plan that I will formulate when creating a change vision will be that:

· I will send pictures of the upcoming drop off center, post office and bank to the community online and through various posters. Based on that fact, I will emphasize to my leadership team that the drop off center and the other sites will look like a network of services that answer to the community’s needs. (Kotter, 2011)

· I will make this change vision easy to understand. I will make sure that it’s written in half a page. I will make sure that it can be communicated verbally in less than one minute. (Kotter, 2011) I will make sure that it’s also intellectually solid and emotional appealal. I will show how this change vision will be a benefit to the community.

· The drop off center, post office, and bank will all be open at the same time after business hours for a few hours. This will make it easier for residents in the community to have access to these important services when they return from work.

· The staff, volunteers, and leadership in these centers will be multi-lingual, trained, and conscientious of their customers’ needs. The staff will receive discounts when using these services. The customers will receive free services for their first three transactions.

· The drop off center, post office and bank are to be open at the same time. The bank and post office will close earlier. The drop off center will close after. I will make sure that there is a multi-lingual worker in each center. I will make sure that there is an associate manager there for a few hours at a time. The three centers will be in the same plaza.

· The posters will be posted in areas throughout the community where the residents can see that there will be a change. The posters will continue to be posted there when the centers are open to remind them of the services that are offered there. The posters will be updated every few weeks or so to announce when these centers are having sales, events, or updated hours.

Let’s remember that a great change vision is as good as how it’s communicated. So when I will be faced with challenges, I will make sure that my organization will be an influencer for success instead of being a complex piece in a puzzle. (Gleeson, 2017) I will make sure that my guiding coalition will include mature and sincere senior leaders, managers and other team members who can be respected in the company.

References:

Gleeson, B. (2017) 6 Principles for communicating a powerful vision for change. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2017

Hirschhorn, L. (2002) Campaign for change. HBR, 80(7), pp. 98-104.