Event Details

Strategic Change:  
Cross-Functional Teaming Through the Lenses of Differences

Gail Townsend, PhD and Aubrey Saunders
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc

April 8, 2014 Dinner Meeting

Networking at 5:30 P.M.

Christiana Hilton

Approved for 1.25 General HR Certification Credits

Strategic organization development practitioners and HR business partners have opportunity to increase  organization capacity to intentionally and consciously use oneself in professional practice.  Progress can be made in this endeavor through optimizing engagement of cross-discipline business teams in an integrated, systemic manner.  This session will focus on a W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., case study that illustrates a business experience, journey, and process that will share a model and success metrics to lead towards a more engaged workforce.  The result is increased deliberate use of self, while creating a work environment where individuals make emotional connections when they bring their real selves to an engaging work environment that embraces differences.  Ideas will be shared to help increase individual and collective consciousness; decrease reactivity; increase professional capacity; and learn about self while helping to create a more cohesive system.

Why the session is relevant to HR practitioners?  

The session is relevant to HR professionals because it will illustrate how practitioners can increase capacity to deliberately, intentionally and consciously use oneself in professional practice to increase the engagement of cross-functional, cross-discipline business teams.  Ideas will be shared to convey processes that lead to help increase individual and collective consciousness; decrease reactivity; increase professional capacity; learn about differences; and learn about self as team cohesion is increased.  Focus will be on the business case for strategic change and how the change has been implemented and sustained.  Opportunity will be provided to learn from a W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., business case study specific to cross-functional team and learning from differences efforts.

Learning objectives of the session 

Share a case study from a W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., business that conveys a model, a process, and a journey to:
1) Build deeper cross-functional relationships and trust within the cross-functional/cross 
   discipline business teams
2) Develop deeper connections within the business and facility community
3) Improve the skills of working in diverse membership through strengthening the human 
    system
4) Strengthen inter-team cohesion among participants in a manner that utilizes the full value
    of the many dimensions of differences
5) Share engagement ideas through use of organization development technologies
6) Educate and enhance theories and practices related to conscious use of self; strategic
     change; and team development

Additionally, time will be provided to hear and learn from relevant experiences from session participants.

What need, problem or issue the session addresses 

The session will illustrate how to enhance development of cross-functional, cross-discipline diverse business teams to increase conscious use of self, create a work environment where individuals make emotional connections while bringing their real selves to work, and illustrate examples of individual and team engagement within the workplace.

Design of the session—delivery methods and training techniques 

The session will share a case study and provide opportunity for interaction to learn from presenters and to learn from session participants.  The following specific outcomes will be achieved:
1)    Hear past, present, and future state experiences and path forward regarding a planned change process that enhances ability for cross-functional, cross-discipline business teams to share experiences and build skill to build a more inclusive, engaging workplace.
2)    Learn and apply theories and practices related to deliberate use of self while creating the environment for others to do the same.
3)    Learn from relevant experiences of session presenter and session participants.

Expected take-aways for the participants—what they will learn and how they will benefit 

1)    Learn from history and hear current strategy on developing diverse, cross-functional, cross-discipline business teams while increasing intentional, deliberate, conscious use of self.
2)    Increase awareness of approaches to increase organizational capacity to create an engaging work environment that recognizes, values, and learns from differences.
3)    Combine theory and practical methods to increase professional organization development capability while learning from others in the development of inclusive, cross-discipline business teams.
4)    Hear concepts to help individuals and teams fully utilize their deliberate use of self as they build emotional connections to help businesses flourish.
 
Bios: Dr. Gail Sacconey Townsend consults and teaches in the private sector, is an organization development specialist at W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., and is adjunct faculty at the University of Delaware within the College of Business.  She is committed to driving change with individuals, teams and organizations to create energy, maximize potential to achieve individual and business accomplishments.  Gail is focused on individual growth, team development, group dynamics, organization change, strategic planning, and building multicultural organizations.  She is a graduate of the American University/NTL Masters in OD degree program and has earned her doctorate in Human and Organization Systems from Fielding Graduate University.  She is a proud mother and grandmother, too!
Aubrey Saunders has been involved in manufacturing/operations for W.L. Gore and Associates for over 30 years. His experiences have ranged from manufacturing operator to manufacturing leadership and has internalized learning's that have been provided from the very unique work environment that is W.L. Gore and Associates. Those learning's has enabled him to be intimately involved in Enterprise and plant level diversity efforts along with the establishment and participation in several of the W.L. Gore and Associates

5:30 p.m  Networking and Best Practice Sharing  
6:00 p.m. Dinner and Networking
6:45 p.m. Speaker
8:30  p.m  Adjournment

Please register by noon April 4, 2014
$30.00 DE SHRM Members & $40.00 at the door.
Guest registered by Arpil 4, 2014 by noon - $50.00
$55.00 Guests registering at the door.
$5.00 DESHRM Student Member
Cancellations for full refund must be received by noon April 7, 2014

If your registration is not canceled you will be billed