Subject: Masterclass topics
The May meeting of the CEN gave us some ideas for Masterclasses, and we'd like to take two of these as the basis for the two pilot masterclasses to be held at Cass in the autumn. We need your help to create a really stimulating experience that will challenge your thinking and help develop your leadership capacity. We've taken four of the subject areas suggested by the CEN and would like your views. The 4 possible areas are:
- Leadership: mixing servant leadership with business leadership; what makes a good leader? What is distinctive about being a YMCA leader, linked to faith and Christian Mission?
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Enterprise and innovation: sustainable growth and social enterprise models.
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Managing change: organisation culture and its impact on achieving Vision.
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Good governance: best governance models; growing, enhancing, ongoing development.
Our questions for you are:
- What would be the most interesting subject area of the 4 for you, and why?
- What have you read already on the subject?
- Who might be a good speaker for us to invite?
It would be great to get your input.
All four are very interesting and really pertinent at this time. The one that sticks out for me is around enterprise and innovation. I feel that enterprise and innovation is the key to succeeding in the current difficult financial environment. Really importantly however I believe that this is the way in which the YMCA will do the work that we are passionate about in furtherance of our vision; breaking the dependency on contract and grant income.
I was lucky enough to attend the National Innovation Conference in the States ten years ago; this was led by George Babish of Chicago Metropolitan YMCA. He was certainly very inspirational but more than that he had created a sort of incubator unit within Chicago YMCA that was having a good stab at engaging the whole of the staff team. So if we could find him I think George would be great.
I agree that we need to focus on innovation (this will be reflected in YMCA England's new draft staffing structure) just as long as our innovation is focussed and not just based on a desire to do something "new" - we need to innovate in order to bring about transformation. As Coco Chanel once said
"Innovation! One cannot be
forever innovating. I want to
create classics"
Wow! How exciting! I've found George Babish via Good Old Google and it looks like he's moved on (of course) but still in the Y-USA. I also found a 'real-time' strategic plan he's written with others for Bonita Springs YMCA; real time strategic planning is right at the top of my current favourite subject list, so THANK YOU!
Let's see who else comes up as suggestions...then we'll see if it's feasible to get his input. What about a speaker/case from the YMCA in the UK/Ireland too? Any ideas?
All four vital - i am drawn personally to the first two, these excite me and in part due to the current external environment we are working in and opportuniites which are around BUT the less instantly exciting Governance topic is one that could enable and facilitate more success within organisations of the other three.
