“They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
It is hard to believe that in just 28 days we will have been operating in this alternate universe for an entire year, a fact that staggers me. As all of us have learned to do throughout the past 337 days, we cannot dwell on anything; we must assess quickly and adjust to the circumstances. Recently, Andrew Homan (Network Administrator) gave me the book, “The Age of Agile: How Smart Companies are Transforming the Way Work Gets Done.” It is a very good read, something I challenge myself to do a lot lately. This crisis has swallowed up the entire world, and there is an incredible network of brilliant thinking being shared. We need to be actively involved in this network if we want to evolve and thrive. I believe this wholeheartedly.
When the crisis first struck, after the initial period of shock where we tried to understand the gravity of the situation we were operating in, it became clear we needed to embrace the circumstances as an opportunity to reinvent ourselves. The longer the conditions persisted, the greater the possibility our world would not bounce back to what it once was. This health crisis had disrupted our lives, if not forever, for at least a very long time. Personally, I accepted that fact and began guiding our association to be excited about reimagining what we could become.
Looking back, there have been some amazing examples of how we have begun to reinvent ourselves. One example is how Michael Marquez (Executive Director, University Y Student Center and Tacoma Center YMCA), Lynn Wilmot-Stenehjem (Association Arts Director) and a cross-functional team came together to build the virtual platform of services for our Y. Clearly, every Y in the country jumped onto Facebook and Zoom to provide their communities with programs, but Michael and Lynn have remained steadfast throughout, believing it will become an integral part of our new way of work and our future success.
Stephen Denning, author of “The Age of Agile,” identifies three key components, or laws, that define this new way of work:
- The law of small, cross-functional groups
- The law of the customer
- The law of the network, which is defined by an organization’s ability to connect the work of the small groups
Within these laws, there are some powerful concepts used by Denning to depict success, or transformation, of a company:
- Radical transparency
- A willingness to disappoint
- A compelling goal
I have marveled how the virtual team has embraced Denning’s three laws in their work. Lynn leads the cross-functional team of Scott Gjertson (Senior Outdoor Environmental Education Director), Jake Irish (Senior Youth Director), Annie Doyle (Health and Well-being Director), Kevin Milliren (Senior Gymnastics Director), Don Brevik (Youth and Government Director), Michelle Wells (Youth Director), Janele Nelson (Association Mission Director), Susan Buell (Association Director of Health Initiatives), and Amber Evans-Wynn (Senior CCI Program Director). They are continuing to build our virtual platform, creating a template of excellence that will elevate our ability to connect with our members and the greater community. The program development team interfaces with Bruce Caudill (Vice President and Chief Information Officer) and the IT team to ensure quality production and seamless integration into our new software. Michelle LaRue (Director of Strategic Engagement and Marketing) and the marketing team work closely with this team to ensure the schedules and messaging are integrated into our overall infrastructure of services. Last week, Kim Schulz (Senior Digital Experience Director) challenged us to better understand the impact our virtual programming is having (what do we know about who engages in the virtual platform)? Kim is also embarking on broader testing of all our efforts (what is effective and why)? It will be critical in helping us capitalize on what is most successful, which will allow us to use our resources more effectively and efficiently. In addition, the team is working with YMCA360 to become integrated with the national platform as well as FINAO, the third party we are working with to develop the community café model.
The work of the virtual team is a great example of a new way of work. Their work crosses over all our community centers, and it has challenged them to create a new way of work to build something special, and better, for our Y. What they have built, thus far, is way better than it was back in April, or even September, but it will be even better in June. They are already seeing how in-person and virtual options complement one another. We are not sure exactly where it will end up, but we are learning as we go, experimenting and paying close attention to what our members and the community want.
This past weekend, we were struck by a snowstorm. Our organization has been through a few of these and we have adopted a decision-making process as well as a communication plan that connects staff and members. It is a very well-orchestrated effort, a tribute to Brian Flattum (Vice President and Chief Operating Officer), the operations team, the marketing and communications team, and risk management. Brian has assumed the leadership of this process, which typically begins at midnight and culminates with a 4:45am text chain with all the necessary players. On this occasion, Brian departed from the previous process of him and me making the ultimate decision, but instead put the decision back on the executive directors. The executive directors each made the decision to keep their centers open, and their respective teams rallied to provide services. Even though attendance was low, staff at the Haselwood and Bremerton Family YMCAs used this time to call their current on-hold members to let them know their centers were moving into phase 2.
I was so impressed and proud of Brian and his team. He challenged them to make their own decisions. They know what is at stake. We are all clear what is at stake. We need to rebuild the economic engine of our Y. We have bank obligations, we need to reinvest in our facilities, and we need to operate our Y. Our goal is to reach $40 million by year-end. We have determined it will be necessary to review our progress quarterly because of the uncertainty surrounding us, and so much being out of our hands. Brian also realizes we need a team who is thinking in a different way, offering and sharing ideas to advance us forward, but is also driving us toward this singular, compelling goal. We have adopted a way of work as One Y, pulling together, because we absolutely need each other to climb this mountain. One Y means one compelling goal, but it also means we must look for new ways to work together. We need creative solutions, which requires us to challenge one another to seek and explore, to stretch ourselves beyond what we know. We need to challenge ourselves to trust one another in a way we have not done in the past, but, as my good friend Jim Motroni said to me recently, “It’s amazing how the mind focuses when staring down the barrel of a loaded gun.” We are facing some challenging circumstances that require us to focus intently. We need to rely on one another in a way we have not been forced to do previously. We have some incredibly talented staff, and we are already seeing some great results from working as One Y.
Yes, I get tired, frustrated, and weary, but I continue to be filled with hope when I see our team rise up and embrace this challenge. This is a steep hill to climb, but when we come together as One Y, I know we can climb it. You are truly amazing. I find strength from each of you. This is our time.
#StayStrong #StayWithUs