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Welcome to the CBODN President's Letter! 


This page contains the latest thoughts and updates from the CBODN president.  The President's letter is published here and it is also included once a month in our newsletter, The Communique.  We welcome all input and feedback.


CBODN President                            
 President's Letters
A New Name for Our Organization
Mid year Retreat - Enhancing CBODN'S Value Proposition
Re-Inventing CBODN in 2010!

A New Name for Our Organization

  Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Dear CBODN members,
CBODN's Board of Directors unanimously decided to pursue a name change for CBODN. While we recognize the legacy and established recognition over 25 years, as well as the ODN connection, we determined that the benefits of a name change appear to outweigh the costs (and we will gather data on that).  Our list of reasons in support of a name change include:
    * Too long
    * Hard to remember
    * Not catchy
    * "Chesapeake Bay" is confusing/misleading -- people think we are connected with environmental efforts to save the bay
    * "Network" is too informal
    * The name is stagnant, old, outdated
    * "OD" is not understood or recognized (e.g., the function is often called something else in organizations -- Organization Effectiveness, Systems Improvement, HRD) * NOTE: mixed thoughts and differing opinions about this, need to seek input and data
    * The current name limits our expansion and impacts branding ability
Some qualities we identified that we'd like to include in a new name:
    * Short
    * Not too many syllables
    * Easy to remember
    * Not restrictive geographically
    * Acronym need not be pronounced as a word
    * Not already taken by another organization; Available URL
    * Pizzazz factor; Distinctive; Cachet
We need to obtain member input and buy-in, as well as collect data and do some benchmarking with other organizations and possibly non-members in our various stakeholder groups (government, university, corporate). This will be a thorough, careful, and strategic process.
What do you think? What are your ideas for our new name? We will seek member input through our member survey, during our upcoming conference, and at other touch points along the way.
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Mid year Retreat - Enhancing CBODN'S Value Proposition

  Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Dear CBODN members,

The top reasons members are likely to remain affiliated with CBODN are:
  • professional & career growth
  • collegial connections & networking
  • making an impact on or a contribution to the field of OD
This "Top 3" list emerged from a discussion group of CBODN leaders, volunteers, and members. It is consonant with research findings from a study published by American Society of Association Executives.  CBODN leadership is committed to helping our members attain these objectives more fully.
Board members and a few active volunteers gathered for a midyear retreat aimed at enhancing the value of CBODN for our members. We worked together on a Saturday during our most recent snowfall to generate many exciting new ideas, access some new energy, and remember some fundamentals. We were guided by research and recommendations from CGG, our professional association management firm. Our action planning centered on three broad commitment areas:
Member Engagement: reaching out better to new/renewing members, inactive members, and active non-members; hosting regular free receptions to "Learn More About CBODN's Value"; clarifying pathways to volunteer opportunities and pursuing pro bono community OD projects happy hours and webinars included with membership; strengthening our member renewal process, member survey, and transparent communication with members.

Richer Resources and Content: providing members with better access to more practical OD resources and tools (e.g., white papers, articles, case studies, research, interviews, tools and models) and ensuring that members have an opportunity to showcase their expertise and contribute to the resource pool. Our intent is to expand beyond events and programs.

Outreach Beyond the OD Community: advocating for and educating about the value and practice of OD to non-OD organizations. The intent here is two-fold. First, we hope to increase understanding and appreciation about what OD as a field has to offer and the impact OD can have. Second, we want to create a space where OD practitioners can connect with potential clients and employers. One strategy we will explore is an OD Summit.
These are three areas where the board has made commitments. Each one has much more detail around it and these are in addition to the objectives already included in our annual plan. These objectives grew out of collaborative work among the board, CGG, and some committed members. If you have an affinity for one in particular, please contact me and I will work to connect you with the right point of contact. This retreat was only a starting point. We will seek further input and are open to additional suggestions. We invite you to get involved with whatever you have the most energy around. We are a volunteer-led member-driven organization. We need member participation.
Thanks to our members who stayed with the board on Saturday, even as the snow fell, to offer ideas and input: Kris Barney, Katherine Coles, Sandy Robinson, Stephan Dix, and Steve Chaplain. I know there were several others who wanted to attend but had other commitments or were prevented from travel due to weather. No worries. There will be other upcoming opportunities.
I would also like to welcome a new board member. Mike May was voted in to the role of Marketing Co-Chair and will play a key leadership role as we move forward. Welcome!
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Re-Inventing CBODN in 2010!

  Monday, January 04, 2010
Dear CBODN Members,

A new year, a new decade . . . it’s time to re-invent CBODN! Here is a sample of what’s on deck for 2010:

  • Re-define CBODN’s value proposition.  A special mid-year retreat on January 30th will include not just the Board of Directors, but SIG Leaders, and other key volunteers and active members. We have space constraints, but if you would like to attend a portion of this retreat, please contact me at kgaines@cbodn.org. We want to include as many members of our community as we are able to accommodate.
  • Explore a name change.  Our name is the essence of our identity. Are there other possibilities that will better evoke who we are? What other options might strengthen our branding and marketing efforts? How can we best get the input and buy-in of our community into this pivotal decision?
  • An extensive member (and non-member) survey. Your feedback has never been more essential. The results will shape our future direction, so we are pulling out all the stops to increase our response rate. This process will include focus groups, interviews, and a survey instrument. We hope to include non-members, as well as members, and intend to offer this survey on-line and in paper & pencil format.  It will cover four key areas: operations, events, professional development, and outreach. We are fortunate to have the expertise and leadership of Daniel Fien-Helfman and Steve Chaplain through every phase of this process from design, implementation, and analysis through reporting.
  • New services and programs. We begin the year re-launching our new and improved Consultant Directory as we work on enhancing our job listings, mentoring, and career resource-oriented events.
  • More transparency and communication. We are really growing in new directions – more members, new services and technologies, a shifting organizational culture. We know that there can be some pitfalls to avoid when implementing change, so we are exploring the idea of a web page on our site dedicated to changes and updates. The hope is that we can include a blogging feature to facilitate collaboration as we envision and create a more valued future.
  • Revised By-Laws.  We need to update our bylaws to support our growth and changing structure. Many of the revisions will include minor updates and others will be big. For example, the large size of our board of directors presents difficulties related to communication, decision-making, and team effectiveness. We will propose a smaller board with the intent of building stronger volunteer teams and more member engagement and participation. These revisions will be another opportunity for member input as we will take a vote on approving them during our Annual Meeting on April 30th.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize four organizations that have supported CBODN by offering free meeting space to our Board on more than one occasion. This space permits us to have professional, confidential meetings that allow team members to conference in when they must. This support means a great deal and makes a big difference to us. Thank you.

  • Adventist HealthCare

  • American Society for Interior Designers

  • Hassett Willis & Company

  • Pepco

Finally, as we shift into a new year, I want to acknowledge three key contributors who have had to leave our Board because of big shifts in their own lives. Michelle Poché Flaherty, Erica Tetuan, and Neville Uhles have each had to step down from the Board to make space in their lives for new endeavors. The good news is that all three remain committed to our community and hope to re-engage more fully in the future. I want to thank them for all that they have contributed and wish them continued success. In fact, let me wish you all much success in the coming year and decade. Happy New Year!

With appreciation and gratitude,

Kathryn Gaines, Ph.D.

President, CBODN

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