GOAL: The Leadership Fort Smith Alumni Association
is taking a proactive role to introduce and support transformational
leadership and to hold participants accountable for results.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Getting People Involved
2. Selecting Projects to Support
3. Sustaining the Transformational Effort
I. GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED
1. Identifying Stakeholders
a. Survey LFS alumni for suggestions on who
is involved in a current transformational effort or anyone who
is supporting an unknown, but important effort.
b. Contact established organizations that
deal with transformational issues.
c. Contact area "lead" groups such
as the Chamber of Commerce, city governments, county governments,
elected officials, United Way, religious alliances, etc.
2. Developing awareness, support and enthusiasm
a. Enthusiastically and consistently communicate
the need for change.
b. Get leaders, institutions, and media behind
the effort.
c. Present compelling data.
d. Share knowledge of transformational projects
with alumni; encourage all interested parties to join and support
the effort.
e. Design and implement activities that cause
citizens to mobilize for action.
f. Conduct alumni presentations, seeking input
and participation from alumni.
3. Involve Current Leadership Classes
a. Invite graduates and other community leaders
engaged in transformational change with success stories or some
experience in getting things done, to meet with classes.
b. Ask class members to respond to transformational
issues by answering how the issue affects them personally and
the organizations they work with. Ask them how they might contribute
to affecting the issue.
c. Active participation of key alumni with
the current class as it goes through the transformational leadership
training during its year.
d. LFS curriculum days should focus
mainly on transformational issues.
II. SELECTING PROJECTS
1. A group interested in pursuing an issue
will form a team.
2. The team will develop an action plan
a. Issue team must develop a plan with their
vision, mission, goals and specific and measurable objectives
for each goal. Should also identify the resources and action items
needed to support implementation of the plan.
b. Will need a large measure of support -
both human and financial capital - from partners.
c. Development of plan should include outside,
knowledgeable persons, expertise and models.
d. If there's an existing effort underway,
the plan should focus on using the alumni resources to achieve
the goals of the organized effort underway.
3. An advisory council consisting of LFS
alumni and stakeholders will review the plan and make a recommendation
to the alumni board. The issue team should make a presentation to
the advisory council.
4. The alumni board will review the advisory
council's recommendation and will decide whether or not the issue
should be "adopted" by the LFS AA.
5. Alumni board will develop criteria for
evaluating proposals. Criteria may include: the issue must be transformational
in nature; there must be long-term commitment from those advocating
the issue; there should be commitment from key partners; there must
be a reasonable expectation for success.
6. Everyone needs to agree to support the
issues selected by consensus.
7. Assure there's champions for the issue
that have the wherewithal and commitment to follow through with
the transformational change.
III. SUSTAINING THE TRANSFORMATIONAL EFFORT
1. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!
a. Special mailings - letters, postcards,
reports, etc.
b. Personal contact via forums, meetings,
lunch topics.
c. Portions of class schedule devoted to educating
class members about planned or ongoing transformational projects.
d. Transformational leadership training
e. Establish a communication network for each
class and meet with each class at least once per year.
2. Keep People Trained
a. Each class should get a hefty portion of
transformational leadership training.
b. Support the Community Leadership Institute
by encouraging alumni to attend its program to build transformational
leaders.
c. Conduct regular, systematic training sessions.
d. Provide opportunities for a non-critical
sharing of battle stories - what worked, what didn't.
3. Provide Resources for Transformation Projects
a. Solicit financial and staff support from
area cities, chambers, businesses, foundations, alumni membership.
b. Staff to facilitate and keep the process
going.
c. Training that effectively changes the alumni
into a group that gets involved in supporting transformational
change.
d. Strong communication network that
keeps each class together and all classes united.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALUMNI INVOLVEMENT
Help establish contacts for each LFS
class
Develop internal support mechanisms - staff
support, funding, etc.
Be part of capacity teams - communication,
identifying stakeholders, data sources
Serve on advisory council to review proposals
for transformational issues and to make recommendations to alumni
board.
Liaisons with current leadership class -
discuss transformational leadership; discuss planned or ongoing
transformational projects.
Become a transformational leadership trainer.
Attend the Community Leadership Institute
Be willing to share transformational
"battle" stories so others can learn from experience.
