Get On The Bus

Many leaders are familiar with Jim Collins, author or co-author of well know business leadership books including Good to Great, Built to Last, and Great by Choice.

One theme that runs through all of Collins’ work the concept of “getting the right people on the bus.” This concept pictures a company as a bus, and employees as the riders on the bus, and argues that successful organizations don’t start down the road without first getting “the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats.”

I am very proud of the fact that Imagine!’s employees are overwhelmingly the right people sitting in the right seats on our particular bus. Yes, we serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but I firmly believe if we were suddenly tasked with doing something completely different, like say, selling shoes, we’d still be successful. The team is strong, and their creativity and skill sets would translate to success in any number of ventures.

A recent company-wide team building effort demonstrated this fact to me quite clearly. Employees across departments and pay grades formed teams to compete in an online nutrition program called “Mix It Up.” What started as a simple competition to encourage healthy eating quickly became very competitive (in a fun and friendly way). Teams tried to outdo each other not only by eating better, but also by coming up with clever team names and uploading humorous pictures (some examples are included here). Rules were studied very closely to see where an advantage might be gained, and the scoring system was analyzed over and over to ensure maximum points for participants. During the contest, you couldn’t walk down a hall at one of our office buildings without hearing some discussion taking place about the contest and what teams were doing. The company as a whole put a great deal of energy, time, and commitment into participating in (and trying to win – even though no one knew what winning meant with respect to prize) the contest.

My point? The team building exercise showed that we already had a strong, creative, hard working, and dedicated team. In some ways, the actual contest didn’t matter. The right people were already on the bus, and the only thing that changed was the destination. It was simply another opportunity for Imagine! employees to be creative, to have fun, and more importantly insure the success of one another.

I also saw how teams would support each other and offer help when needed. The participants were working toward a common goal, and success could only be achieved if teamwork was involved. That is something that I see every day as we work to overcome the obstacles that prevent the individuals we serve from becoming fully participating members of their communities.

It was an enjoyable contest, and very illuminating as to what caliber of employees we have at Imagine!. I look forward to the next one!

Then again, what do I know?

Good News Friday!

Photo fun for Friday.

In the last week of October, members of the student council at Fall River Elementary School in Longmont held a fundraiser to help Imagine! recover from the recent flooding that damaged many of our homes. The fundraiser brought in $494.11! Wow! Thanks to all the students and teachers who participated! Pictured above, Imagine! PR Director Fred Hobbs accepts the check from student council treasurer Mason while Principal Dr. Jennifer Guthals looks on.

Fall River Elementary rocks!

In this photo, Elizabeth Hill, Imagine!'s Volunteer Coordinator, and Chris Skultety, from the The Kiwanis Club Of Longmont, show off some of the 58 wooden toys handcrafted by the Club and donated to Imagine! as part of the Club's Craft Toys for Kids Project. Most of the toys will become a part of Imagine!'s Gift Giving Drive, while four of the toys will be featured in the Imagine! Celebration's silent auction on January 24, 2014.

In this picture, Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source staff member Andy (left) and Zach, CORE/Labor Source class participant, are showing off their healthy muscles at a community activity, “Sports and Games,” which takes place at the Louisville Recreation Center. That class focuses on movement, exercise, learning and playing different sports, and having fun.

If you know Loren, who lives in Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont, you know he loves music. The photo above is of Loren in an Imagine! CORE/Labor Source music class with Amanda Byrant, who is a Neurologic Music Therapist and service provider for Imagine!. The music class is held in the Music Discovery Garden at the Colorado Music Festival & Center for Musical Arts. The instrument that Loren and Amanda are playing is one of many high quality, durable musical instruments designed by Grammy Award winning musician Richard Cooke, the founder of Freenotes Harmony Park. Freenotes are built to maintain pure and soothing tones through years of rigorous play and exposure to the elements of nature, and are ideal for musical beginners and experts alike. The new Music Discovery Garden has a collection of large, outdoor, interactive percussion instruments that include “Contrabass Chimes,” “The Swirl,” the “Flying Amadinda,” and three “WeeNotes.” These exciting outdoor instruments have been installed on the northwest corner of the Center, which invites you to come over anytime and give their new outdoor instruments a try.

50 Years, 50 Stories - David Dean and Jack Wainwright

Imagine!’s Communication Coordinator Gary Stebick submitted this story for our “50 Years, 50 Stories” series. The story is about two individuals who receive services from Imagine! and who have been best friends for almost 30 years – David Dean and Jack Wainwright. This is a fun story about two gentlemen who are extremely active in their community. Thanks for sharing the story, Gary, and thanks to David and Jack for being role models and leaders in our community.

 

David and Jack – Friends For Life

By Gary Stebick

 

Jack Wainwright (left) and David Dean in their finest Imagine! attire.

David and Jack met about 30 years ago when David needed a roommate at Canyon Creek Apartments. Rick Haskins, Imagine!’s Assistant Director of Case Management, arranged for some people to interview with David, and David chose Jack. They have remained roommates and friends ever since that time.

Both David and Jack are very independent and don’t require a lot of support from Imagine!, but as David put it, “I don’t need much, but when I do, I ask for it. When my mom and brother passed away, Imagine! was there for me. And recently, Mikii (Schoech - an Imagine! Intake Case Manager) helped me out when I got laid off by the government shut down. I didn’t apply for unemployment. I don’t want unemployment, I want to work. I don’t have time to just sit around.”

Jack chimed in, “There are certain bills we don’t understand, and Mikii has always been very, very helpful to us. She’s the one who takes care of us.”

Jack served as a member of Imagine!’s Board of Directors in the early 1980s. “For many years,” he said. “It was very hard work, but it was worth my while.”

In reminiscing, David talked about former Imagine! employee Bruce Reed. “Bruce helped me with my finances, and we became friends. During a conversation with Bruce, we realized we both had something in common that was very important to us, that being softball. Bruce invited me to practice with his team, and 30 years later, I still have some friends on that team, the Black Sox. I rode my bike out to Stazio Field this summer to watch them play, and to cheer them on and give them advice. Last year the Imagine! employee softball team was short a player, and Caitlin (Looney) invited me to play with them. I told her, “Any time you need someone, you just let me know and I’ll be there.”

David and Jack always have been and remain active in our community. Both play softball in Boulder, and both bowl at the Coal Creek Bowling Center in Lafayette. As close as friends as they are, they don’t always bowl on the same team. Currently they are on different teams. They have expanded their circle of friends so much that they both have many options in choosing which team they are going to bowl with.

Both David and Jack are longtime employees at their jobs, with David having worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for 37 years, and Jack having worked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) for 22 years.

Jack summed up their 30 years of friendship by saying, “David is like a big brother to me.”

Are you interested in sharing your story for “50 Years, 50 Stories?” If so, contact Caroline Siegfried at caroline@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6405. We’d love to hear from you!

Good News Friday!

Today I'm pleased to give an update on Imagine!'s newest project: our Next Step Group Home.

Imagine! is building a new group home in Broomfield specifically for aging individuals with developmental disabilities. The Next Step Group Home will serve as a home base for meeting the multiple and varied needs of six low-income seniors with developmental disabilities. This specialized care will allow the clients to live in a neighborhood setting while avoiding the more costly nursing home alternative.

Currently, 327 residents of Boulder and Broomfield Counties who qualify for comprehensive residential services are waitlisted due to limits in State funding for room, board, and supportive services for people with developmental disabilities. As the “safety net” for individuals with developmental disabilities in the two counties, Imagine! strives to address these critical needs and to anticipate future challenges. The Next Step Group Home is an example of both.

Construction on the home has already begun and is scheduled to be completed in late Spring 2014. Below are a few photos of the construction progress so far.

Foundation/basement being excavated.



New road to the home.

Parking area and ramps.

 







What Does Customer Service Mean At Imagine!?

Last week, I was meeting with Carla Rapp, a member of Imagine!’s 2013-2014 Leadership Development Class. She had brought along a book she thought I might enjoy: “Management Lessons From Mayo Clinic,” by Leonard Berry and Kent Seltman.

Now, I have a confession to make. I don’t always love management books. In fact, I think they tend to be a dime a dozen, filled with vague and generic advice, overused inspirational quotes, and tortured analogies. But I felt I owed it to Carla to give it a read, and I am so glad I did. I haven’t even finished the book yet, and it has already made me rethink the way I look at Imagine! and how we deliver services.

The book starts out by describing how healthcare consumers (or customers) are different from customers in other service industries. For example, healthcare customers are usually sick or injured, and under stress. Healthcare customers don’t just enter the healthcare facility, they often end up staying there for extended periods – they live there. Healthcare customers are there to fulfill a “need” rather than a “want,” and often enter into service very reluctantly. Healthcare services are inherently personal and require a more holistic and customized service than in most other service industries. And finally, healthcare customers are at risk of being harmed beyond their existing medical problems when they enter a medical facility.

As I read through that list, I realized how much that list parallels what we do at Imagine!. And because of this, it dawned on me that we can’t interact with the people we serve as if we were trying to sell them shoes. We need to have a much different understanding of their needs and approach to meeting those needs. In many ways we already do that, but in other ways we may be falling short. I look forward to reading more and sharing with you.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what customer service means to an organization like Imagine!. And thanks Carla, for introducing me to this book!

Then again, what do I know?

50 Years, 50 Stories - Greg Wellems

Today’s installment of “50 Years, 50 Stories” comes from Greg Wellems, Imagine!’s Chief Operating Officer. Greg’s contribution is short and sweet, and is a perfect reminder of what I often say – we are so lucky to be part of the Imagine! community.

Thanks for sharing, Greg!

Lucky? Indeed I Am

By Greg Wellems

Greg Wellems back in the 1990s.

I was recently talking with some friends when they asked me what I do for a living. I responded with my usual prepared comment that I have worked for more than twenty years for Imagine!, a not-for-profit organization that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their communities. And while a few my friends responded with the expected generic comments, one of them followed up with the question of why and how did that happen? Poor fellow, he opened the floodgates, and for the next twenty minutes was regaled with how and why I came and stayed with Imagine!.

I did not get the job I wanted when I applied at Imagine!. I wanted to be a weekend overnight counselor at 19th street. It would be a perfect fit for my lifestyle. I was working on my Masters Degree in Special Education and anticipated that the schedule would allow for me to attend to my schooling, a pregnant wife, and the expected birth of my first child. So I showed up in my coat and tie, a polished resume, and the confidence that I would get a job that I knew from experience would not be in high demand. For those of you not familiar with the culture of the ol’ DDC in 1991, I was a tad bit overdressed, overconfident, and not what my interviewer, dressed in his Birkenstocks and cut off jeans, considered a good match. So, only after considerable begging on my part did he offer me a substitute counselor position. OK, I thought, no worries, I was only going to be here a year at the most. Was I ever wrong.

Twenty –two years later I am still with the DDC, now known as Imagine!. What I didn’t know in 1991, was what Imagine!, its culture, its mission and values, and more importantly the extended family it provides, would mean to me. Imagine!’s mission of creating innovative supports so people may live fulfilling lives applies to all it touches. I work for Imagine! because the individuals I work with and for constantly inspire that creativity. The unique supports created over the years - the first medical and senior homes, innovative companion services, Out & About, CORE/Labor Source, Imagine!’s Behavioral Health Services, the ASD program, the FRE program, the Boulder County Initiative, and the SmartHomes are just a few of the innovative programs developed by the stakeholders of Imagine!. I have been fortunate to have been involved in a few of these initiatives, but I know that as we move forward there will be many more. Imagine! creates a culture that inspires everyone to live up to its name.

I am grateful for the opportunity I received all those years ago, so when my friend commented, “You’re lucky,” my immediate thought was, "Indeed I am."

Are you interested in sharing your story for “50 Years, 50 Stories?” If so, contact Caroline Siegfried at caroline@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6405. We’d love to hear from you!

Good News Friday!

Some musical good news today.

Some participants in one of Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source classes recently finished recording their very own cover of "Layla," originally by Derek and The Dominos. Instructor Kelly Faus used music technology equipment and software to record the CORE/Labor Source musicians making a variety of sounds, then plugged the sounds into a "MIDI" (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) file, recorded a vocal track on top, and mixed everything into one final track. Check out the song below.



Can’t see the video? Click here. 

The recording features:

Bruce Whitaker on vocals.

Mandy Kretsch on guitars. Kelly recorded a few samples of Mandy plucking a single note on an electric ukulele. This note was then manipulated by the MIDI file.

Scott Scamehorn on drums. Scott played a single beat for the snare drum (coffee can containing a few grains of rice), tom drum (empty coffee can), bass drum (desk chair cushion), and cymbals (metal water bottle). All of these sounds were played according to the pre-sequenced file.

The recording artists are quite excited about this project, and if you’d like to send a supportive comment to them please send an email to kfaus@imaginecolorado.org. Kelly will pass along your comment to the performers.

Great work, everyone!

The band, pictured from left to right: Bruce Whitaker, Scott Scamehorn,  staff member Kelly Faus, and Mandy Kretsch.