· DIGNITY AND RESPECT – affirming the personal value and worth of every individual

· MISSION AND PURPOSE – are the focal point of all we do and of who we are

· INTEGRITY AND HONESTY – in all our communications, services, finances, and fundraising

· TEAMWORK AND TRAINING – building upon the strengths and abilities of every individual

· CHOICES AND OPPORTUNITIES – supporting purpose and meaning in life for everyone

The Leadership and Support Service Team (made up of directors and managers from EnAble’s residential, day support, employment support, personal support, and medical support service areas) have been working to redefine our Mission and Purpose Statements and to discover the values we hold dear as an agency for those we serve and for those who serve them. After much discussion and individual team meetings to discuss these issues and the implementation of the values chosen, the above statements were decided upon.

By way of introducing them, I feel I should say that the Mission Statement is the same as the statement used on all of our business cards and stationery for the past year. The new Purpose Statement is a slight restatement of the former Mission Statement of RRA for the past several years. The Values are the new addition for us to consider together.

A value is a belief or a philosophy that is meaningful. Whether we are consciously aware of them or not, every individual has a core set of personal values. Values can range from the commonplace, such as the belief in hard work and punctuality, to the more psychological, such as self-reliance, concern for others, and

harmony of purpose.

When we examine the lives of famous people, we often see how personal values guided them, propelling them to the top of their fields. For example, a well-known business CEO was motivated by the personal value that technology should be easy to use, which caused his company to spawn a technology revolution. Whatever one’s values, when we take them to heart and implement them in the smallest details of our lives, great accomplishment and success can follow.

Just as individuals subscribe to values, so do organizations like EnAble. In fact, if we were to examine any company, we would discover that one or more business values was the key to their long-term success. An example is Sears’ commitment to trusting their customers. From the 19th century onward, any product they sold could be returned to Sears with a money-back guarantee, which engendered great trust in the company.

The last twenty-five years has seen an explosion in an interest in values. Tom Peters’ book In Search of Excellence started the ball rolling for values in the workplace. Religious leaders speak of family values, nations speak of moral values, spiritual teachers speak of the highest values of gratitude, benevolence, and self-surrender.

Values drive us, motivate us, and move us forward. The key point to keep in

mind about values is that implementing them energizes everything and everyone concerned.

For an individual, committing to and applying values releases fresh energies, which usually attract success, achievement, and well-being. Likewise, when companies or other institutions adopt values, like we are doing at EnAble, individuals being served by or staff members working at the organizations become energized as well.

We can energize our lives by making the full effort to implement the values we subscribe to. Once we identify values that are meaningful to us, we can develop strategies to implement them. When we make the determined effort to implement those strategies, improved results are sure to follow.

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Shift Happens  By Cec Camp, President and Executive Director

During the past several months, EnAble supervisory staff have attended an introductory seminar entitled "Shift Happens", sponsored by the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases (MHDDAD), and presented by The Arc of Delaware County in Walton, New York. The focus of the seminar was to provide agencies an overview of "strategies that produce a positive, quality care mindset along with clinical and organizational priorities that improve behavior supports, with a focus on communication, teamwork and participant satisfaction." The seminar is intended for a wide range of staff from interested organizations such as EnAble as well as other key stakeholders committed to providing positive behavior supports.

All EnAble staff who attended this seminar found it inspiring, giving numerous ideas as to how to further enhance the supports to the people we serve. The seminar helped participants learn new skills and practices to help consumers use constructive behaviors as an effective means of having their needs met and realizing their maximum potential. Also provided was valuable information on potential outcomes, the organizational application process, and the required organizational commitments. The "shifts" that we hope to make throughout EnAble will affect all areas of operation. All EnAble staff, no matter where they work, will be involved in this positive transformation and will enjoy a renewed effort of teamwork and collaboration throughout the agency.

I have a picture indelibly etched in my memory. When I was a kid, I remember
a horrifying flood sweeping through a town not far from where we lived. I watched the TV intently as reporters showed the expanding body of murky water run through streets, over yards and into houses, restaurants and stores. The rushing water seemed to demolish everything in its path. In my mind, I can still see people standing on the tops of their cars weeping, as they watched their homes collapse and float away—piece by piece.

What started as a simple rainstorm ended up filling the nearby rivers and eventually flowing unmercifully into neighborhoods and strip malls. I remember thinking: How can such a simple thing as water do such damage? Some of my friends took a while to recover from the flood. One of them, in fact, wanted nothing to do with water for over a year. For him, a large body of water without some boundary was a frightening thing.

This is a picture of an important leadership truth. Many organizations begin very focused, like a river. The leaders possess an idea they want to implement. Soon, however, in their zeal to grow, they begin expanding far beyond the boundaries of their initial vision. If they are good at making widgets, they reason, why not make other products as well? Before long, in the name of meeting needs, generating revenue, or just plain growth—they become a flood instead of a river. They lose all focus and sprawl out in every direction. Like a flood, they end up damaging things. Floods can be shallow, unrestrained, muddy and harmful.

Far too many organizations become floods. Take IBM for instance. In the beginning, when IBM focused on mainframe computers, the company made a ton of money. By the 1980s, however, IBM expanded their product line and barely broke even. In 1991, they were making more products than ever, yet the company wound up losing $2.8 billion. That’s almost $8 million a day!

It’s interesting. This rule of leadership works just the opposite of what we might think. It seems logical that enlarging product lines would always mean greater profit. It’s actually the other way around. Staying focused on your central vision and strength is key to growth. The airline industry is a good example. "People Express" launched as an airline that focused on no frills, low cost flights. At the first taste of success, they decided to expand beyond that vision. They began to provide first class seats, food, etc. Their profits dropped. In fact, they went out of business.

In contrast, Southwest Airlines entered the industry with a clear, focused vision, similar to People Express. Yet, they stuck to their strengths, and for years they’ve been the only profitable airline in the business. Southwest Airlines refused to diversify; they remained a river. Rivers are much more narrow than floods. They move in one direction. They are a source for both electricity and transportation. Why? Vision and focus. Leaders must own a focused vision, or the organization will spill-out in too many directions. If the leader isn’t focused, the team will chase after every new idea, and fall prey to every vendor wanting to capitalize on the success. Clear and focused vision harnesses energy. Just watch your team for a while. People lose energy when their direction in life is fuzzy. But they get energized when they catch a clear vision.

Just over fifty years ago, Walt Disney gathered his inner-circle to share his idea of building "Disneyland." It would be known as the "happiest place on earth." Walt’s vision was clear and focused. As his team began to get excited about the vision, however, one of the members asked, "Who are you gonna get to build it?" Confidently, Walt responded, "I know exactly who I want to build it. Find me the man who helped put the U.S. Navy back in the Pacific after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I figure he can do it."

It didn’t take long for Walt’s team to identify this man. His name was Joe Fowler. Admiral Joe Fowler. Retired Admiral Joe Fowler. When Disney showed up at Fowler’s door and challenged him to build a theme park, Joe laughed. "You don’t understand. I’m retired. I’m through." Disney quickly realized this guy was going to require some work. Placing pictures on the wall, Walt began to storyboard. Describing in great detail the feel, look, smell, sound and even taste of the park—Joe bought in. He stepped out of retirement and oversaw Disneyland’s construction.

Twenty years later, the idea of Disney World was proposed—and can you guess who was hired to supervise the project? Joe Fowler. This time he was 77 years old. When the Disney team approached him a second time, he sighed again, "You don’t understand. I’m retired. I’m through." But as pictures were posted and vision was cast for their biggest project yet, Joe couldn’t help but buy in. He ditched retirement again, and oversaw the building of Disney World.

The story goes on. Ten years later, EPCOT was built in Orlando. Disney once again looked to Joe Fowler to lead the construction. He was now 87 years old. Joe repeated his objection: "You don’t understand. I’m retired. I’m through." But Disney knew Joe was the man. His team communicated the clear, focused vision again. Joe lit up, stepped out of retirement and oversaw the project.

What a picture of the energy that accompanies clear vision. Joe’s favorite phrase, "I’m retired. I’m through," was changed to, "You don’t have to die ‘til you want to." Hmmm. I often wonder how much energy remains bottled up in people because they never learn to focus, or they just plain fail to tap into a clear vision.

Here is the irony of this truth. My friend Mike Kendrick explained why this principle works with the following phrase: What you focus on expands. Read that sentence again. Now think about it. If I tell you to focus on Toyota Camrys on the road, you will notice these cars everywhere. Why? Because what you focus on expands. So, the goal of a leader is to focus, not expand. Growth is a product of focus. Clarify the vision. Focus your people, time, energy and resources. Remember this: just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Intensify, don’t diversify.

In order to accomplish this focus, it’s important to zero in on a handful of words, in fact, maybe just one word (or concept) that becomes your own. It describes your identity and vision. Some of the best selling products on the market "own" such words. Crest toothpaste owns the word "cavities." FedEx owns the word "overnight." Volvo owns the words "automobile safety." As they focus their energies on a single concept, these companies go deeper and expand in one area. They are a river, moving in one direction. And being a river is about clear vision and sharp focus. w