|
The Big Retreat at Port Ludlow
R & R, Fun & Games, and the 3x5 Card
Early arrivals at the Retreat were the golf pros. Fifteen duffers slapped the ball around the formidable Port Ludlow course with these results: Team of Brown, Cameron, Deasy and Roberts (Donn) placed first with a 75; Team of Barnes, Falk, Hildebrand, and Smith (Tom) placed second with a 78; and Team of Callan, Einstein, and Hemphill, carded a 77. This caused some concern, because most everybody thought 77 was higher (or lower) than 78. General confusion reigned, but not before a few pictures were taken.
Individual trophies were copped by Donn Roberts and Robin Callan for closest to the hole; Earl Falk for the straightest drive; and Chuck Barnes with the longest drive.
The annual shopping awards were distributed. Participants who terrorized the Edmonds Retail Shopping District included Sharon Edberg, Jenny Andrews, Suzanne Goff, Jeanne Thorsen, Shelley Noble, and Jane Kuechle. Honorary shopper was Rosemary Aragon. Receiving this year’s Sharon Edberg Retail Shopping Award (the “Eddy”) was Jane Kuechle for valor above and beyond the cash register tape.
After dinner, Kim Shrader introduced Bill Center, a member of Seattle #4 and President of the Washington Council on International Trade. Bill retired from the Navy at the rank of Rear Admiral in 1999 after 35 years of distinguished service. He is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and earned a degree from the UW Graduate school of Public Affairs. In his final tour, he commanded the Navy’s third largest fleet, Navy Region Northwest. He was responsible for 25,000 naval personnel and 18,000 civilian employees with annual outlays of $2.8 billion. Bill was accompanied by his wife Karla.
An engaging orator, Bill opened his remarks with a multiple-choice question of his audience: “When will things return to normal? A: 6 months; B: 1 year; C: 2-1/2 years; or D: Never.” Smart money goes with “D.” The pace of change is vertical, said Bill, and is trans-generational. “Change is hard. Read Exodus 13 and you’ll see what hard is. Who would have predicted the fall of the Soviet Union? They’ve gotten through the change, however, although they’ve got some way to go. Leaders need vision in order to bring about change. A leader with a vision is defined as a ‘person that other people will willingly follow to a place where they would not otherwise go.’”
Bill then produced his famous 3 X 5 card, saying that everything you need to say should be reduced to the contents of one 3 X 5 card. To lead change, a leader needs:
- A sense of urgency
- A guiding coalition
- A clear vision
- A set of guiding principles
- Communication
- Flexible organization
- Ability to evaluate progress
- Consolidate Gains
- Forge Ahead (or start over)
A leader must challenge basic assumptions and re-examine policies and procedures. Communicating is the most important of all these steps. We are constantly under-communicating by a factor of 10. It takes nine repetitions for a person or audience to begin to understand what is being said. Leaders must lead by example, where perception is reality. Organizational structure holds people back. “I think we’re in store for more ‘ad hockery’ as we move into culture change. We must be able to measure and then celebrate progress.”
Center said that “developing Rotary’s vision for the next five years is an important exercise. Our organization will grow dramatically as we move into such countries as Russia, China, and Vietnam. We must catch the imagination of the younger generations. They want to serve in this capacity … they want to do something about global poverty. Young people are dedicated to public service and we’re here waiting for them. We need to go out and reel them in.” Bill Center received an ovation for his positive remarks and got the retreat off on the right track.
The Vision then boiled down to 6/146 – Building Six, Suite 146, where the rest of the evening’s activities were scheduled.
|
