The ORD Leadership Summit

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US Environmental Protection Agency Office of
Research and Development
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• Background
• EPAs ORD
• Mission conduct research to inform regulatory
  decisions, provide technical support
• Established in 1970
• Now 1800 employees (10 of EPA)
• 70 scientists/engineers
• 25 administrative
• 5 managers
• Reorganized in 1995
• Into 3 National Labs, 2 National Centers
• To assess and manage risks that environmental
  contaminants may pose to human and ecosystem
  health.

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• Background (continued)
• ORD Improvement Efforts
• Drivers
• Complex, multidisciplinary environmental issues
• Better responsiveness to Agency needs
• Retirement wave/new generation
• Previous Attempts
• Williamsburg Meetings/Surveys problem-solving
  approach
• Management/Administrative Meetings
• Common Element Leadership at All Levels
• Results Mixed
• Voices heard, some problems solved
• Difficulty implementing in a command-and-control
  culture

4

• Background (continued)
• Focus on Leadership
• Fall 2001 ORD Leadership Coalition
  cross-organizational committee of gt 70 high
  performers
• Original Charge Leadership-Development Program
  (succession planning)
• December 2001 Created Leadership Coalition
  Action Team (LCAT) of 30 to flesh-out framework
• March-June 2002 LCAT refocuses on cultural
  transformation
• AI Approach
• Themes pervasive leadership, collaboration, trust

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• Background (continued)
• Cultural Transformation
• All Staff Take Initiative (pervasive leadership)
• More Collaboration/Integration
• Within ORD
• With outside stakeholders
• From Problem-Solving ? Appreciative
• Build upon strengths
• See problems as opportunities
• From Propose/Dispose ? Co-design

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• Summit Timeline
• Fall 2002 Planning January 2003 summit for 400
  (ORD, EPA, outside stakeholders)
• October - November 2002
• LCAT drafts AI interview protocol with Davids
  help.
• Promotion through e-mails, presentations,
  posters, staff meetings
• Recruit/train interviewers
• November December 2002
• Interviewers conduct 300 interviews highlights,
  dreams, interest in summit
• LCAT plans agenda (Navy model)
• December 2002 January 2003
• Finalized plans
• Attendance open to all interested, plus 30
  outside stakeholders

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ORD Leadership Summit

• Baltimore, MD
• January 12-16, 2003

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AI Summit 4-D Cycle

• Discovery
• Identifying ORDs
• Positive Core

• Destiny
• Actions/Projects

• Dream
• Images of Future
• Shared Visions

Igniting Leadership at Every Level Working
Together to Ensure the Earths Vitality

• Design
• Possibility Propositions
• Ideal Organizational Designs

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(No Transcript)
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Capturing the Positive Core
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• Highlights from David Rejeskis Talk
• Peering Around Corners Science and Technology
  Challenges in the 21st Century
• Six Ways to Kill Peripheral Vision
• Leadership Gap
• Not-Invented-Here (vs. Steal-Ideas- Shamelessly)
  
• Goal Obsession
• Adversarial Relationships
• Workforce Monoculture (No Requisite Variety)
• Impermeable Boundaries

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Networks are a natural response to
environments fraught with risk and uncertainty.
Whoever masters the network form first and best
will gain major advantages. It is not what
you think, but how you think, how fast you think,
and how you organize to think (and act).
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ORD in 2010!
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Effective External Communications and
Connectivity with the Public EPA is valued,
respected and relied upon for protecting human
health and the environment. ORD, as the science
and technology arm of the Agency, integrates
stakeholders needs into its dynamic research
program, and effectively communicates its
research program and results to a wide range of
constituencies in useful formats. This results
in better understanding of ORDs program and its
role in supporting the Agencys mission and
increased research collaboration, credibility,
and use of ORDs research results. The Right
Information and Support to the Right People, in
the Right Format, at the Right Time.
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(No Transcript)
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Attendees choose among 60 proposed topic areas
for Open Space sessions
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Self-managed groups flesh out proposed topic
areas
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40 pilot proposals presented to the whole
system!
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• Where Do We Go From Here?
• Pilot Projects!
• LCAT/Innovative Leadership Network
• Additional Summits

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This WILL Continue!!
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• Culture Change Begins at Home!
• Join a pilot project!
• Leadership at all levels
• Collaboration
• Acting as though it is 2010!
• Bring leadership/collaboration into your
  workplace
• Take initiative
• Build your network
• Change how you conduct meetings (co-design)
• Take the appreciative approach
• Interview someone!

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• Conclusions/Next Steps
• LCAT will continue as oversight body
• Still trying to get the website up!
• Formed subgroup to identify how to
• Build an expanding network of the pilot project
  workgroups, LCAT, and other interested parties
• Create a Leadership Institute
• Provide support to pilots and overall effort
• Foster cultural change
• Summits, seminars, symposiums
• Communication
• Leadership training/opportunities