Order No. 28494 Long Range Planning Workshop Came to be heard this the 26t" day of January 2004 with a motion made by Commissioner Williams, Seconded by Commissioner Letz, the Court unanimously approved by a vote of 4-0-0, the Long Range Planning Workshop to be held on February 11, 2004 at the Rockin River Inn in Center Point, Texas starting at 9:00 AM. ~ ~~~~ ~~ COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REQUEST PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND NINE COPIES OF THIS REQUEST AND DOCUMENTS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE COURT. MADE BY: William H. Williams MEETING DATE: January 26, 2004 OFFICE: Commissioner, Pct. 2 TIlViE PREFERRED: 9:00 a.m. SUBJECT: (Please be specific). Introduce Christopher M. Avery, Ph. D. for presentation and discussion wfth Commissioners Court regarding Long Range Planning Workshop to beheld February 11, 2004. Confirm date, time and location. EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED NAME OF PERSON(S) ADDRESSING THE COURT: Commissioner Williams. ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION: 15 Minutes IF PERSONNEL MATTER-NAME OF EMPLOYEE: Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance with Title 5, Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows: Meeting scheduled for Mondays: 5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY: THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON: All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate information has been prepared for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court meetings. Your cooperation is appreciated and contributes toward your request being addressed at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Rule adopted by Commissioners Court. Page 1 of 1 Bill Williams From: "Christopher Avery" To: "Bill Williams" Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 9:37 AM Subject: Re: Date for Planning Session Hi Bill, Confirming both Wednesday, 11 February 2004, and 9:OOA.M. Monday, 26 January 2004. Thanks for getting back to me promptly with the February date. Here are discover questions I'll have for all parties: 1. What instigated this workshop? Tell me the background. 2. What's your desired outcome? Tell me your minimal acceptable results and your best of all possible results. 3. What agenda topics, if appropriately addressed, will produce your desired outcome? 4. What do you expect of me as a facilitator? Please be as clear, assertive, and detailed as you can be in telling me what you intend me to do for you. 5. What issues might be in the way of our ability to reach your desired outcome. What do I need to be prepared to handle? Warm regards, Christopher M. Avery, Ph.D. author, Teamwork Is An Individual Skill +1 830.995.4853 Keynotes for smart people http://www.partnerwerks.com/services and~roducts/speaking.html On Thursday, January 15, 2004, at 02:25 PM, Bill Williams wrote: Christopher: I have polled my colleagues, and we have agreed on February 11 for our workshop. I am now in the process of attempting to arrange for a facility in Center Point. There is strong feeling that this meeting would be well received in the eastern part of the county. So, by the time you appear in CC on January 26 @ 9:OOa.m., I will know for certain the location, and CC will confirm with a court order both the date and the time. Look forward to meeting and greeting you on 1 /26. Bill Williams 1/19/04 Memorandum January 14, 2004 To: Judge and Commissioners From: WHW, #2 Subject: Suggested dates for LRP Workshop Gentlemen: I have again spoken with Christopher Avery, Ph.D., to confirm his willingness to facilitate our LRP Workshop pro bono, and identify potential dates in February. Mr. Avery looks forward to the opportunity to be of service to Ken County in this regazd, and suggests either February 10, 11, or 12. Please respond to me with your date preferences, first or second choice, and I will notify Mr. Avery. My choices aze: Feb. 11, 1~` choice, Feb. 12, 2m choice. Majority will prevail. Mr. Avery will be in court on January 26. After introduction and preliminary comments, he will attempt to discern what we want to try to accomplish, and our thoughts on haw he can best assist us in making the effort productive. Please provide me your date choice ASAP. WHW ~) A ~ Y ~ 1 ._ / ^~xJC1CJ ~ Z' ~ Z !v/ ~~eoA~'1) ~~- C n t~ Memorandum January 14, 2004 To: Judge and Commissioners From: WHW, #2 Subject: Suggested dates for LRP Workshop Gentlemen: I have again spoken with Christopher Avery, Ph.D., to confirm his willingness to facilitate our LRP Workshop pro bono, and identify potential dates in February. Mr. Avery looks forwazd to the opportunity to be of service to Kerr County in this regazd, and suggests either February 10, 11, or 12. Please respond to me with your date preferences, first or second choice, and I will notify Mr. Avery. My choices are: Feb. 11, 1~ choice, Feb. 12, 2°d choice. Majority will prevail. Mr. Avery will be in court on January 26. After introduction and preliminary comments, he will attempt to discern what we want to try to accomplish, and our thoughts on how he can best assist us in making the effort productive. Please provide me your date choice ASAP: 1 z/~~ z~ z/~z ~~ Memorandum January 14, 2004 To: Judge and Commissioners From: WHW, #2 ~~ Subject: Suggested dates for LRP Workshop Gentlemen: I have again spoken with Christopher Avery, PhD., to confirm his willingness to facilitate our LRP Workshop pro Bono, and identify potential dates in February. Mr. Avery looks forwazd to th op to be of service to Kerr County in this regazd, and suggests either February 0, 11, 12. Please respond to me with your date preferences, first or second choice, and I will notify Mr. Avery. My choices are: Feb. 11, 1~ choice, Feb. 12, 2"d choice. Majority will prevail. Mr. Avery will be in court on January 26. After introduction and preliminary comments, he will attempt to discern what we want to try to accomplish, and our thoughts on how he can best assist us in making the effort productive. Please provide me your date choice ASAP. wl,~~ ~„ Memorandum January 14, 2004 To: Judge and Commissioners From: WHW, #2 Subject: Suggested dates for LRP Workshop Gentlemen: IAA' `ry ~1IL ~~4~ ~ in` ~ ~~Y-~ t" ~yy,`r~`~ ~Nu' I have again spoken with Christopher Avery, Ph.D., to confirm his willingness to facilitate our LRP Workshop pro Bono, and identify potential dates in February. Mr. Avery looks forward tv the opportunity to be of service to Kerr County in this regard, and suggests either February 10, 11, or 12. Please respond to me with your date preferences, first or second choice, and I will notify Mr. Avery. My choices are: Feb. 1 1, 1 ~ choice, Feb. 12, 2°d choice. Majority will prevail. Mr. Avery will be in court on January 26. After introduction and preliminary comments, he will attempt to discern what we want to try to accomplish, and our thoughts on how he can best assist us in making the effort productive. Please provide me your date choice ASAP. ~1 ['A~Z~NER~X/EI~~.S Do you know how to get smart people with big egos to work together? I do. And, I tell iooo's of professionals each year how they can too. 2 December aoo3 William "Bill" Williams Commissioner, Precinct z Kerr County boo E. Main Street Kerrville X8028 USA Dear Judge Tinley and Commissioners Williams, Baldwin, Letz, and Nicholson, I was impressed by this morning's headlines in the Kerrville Times regarding your facilitated plane1ng session. I offer my assistance. By telephone conversation this morning, Mr. Williams invited me to submit this letter and support materials. I have atwenty-year background as a successful facilitator of high performance teams and decision-making bodies of all sorts. Today I make my living primarily as a speaker and author. I am a relative newcomer to the area having moved to Comfort two years ago with my family after twenty yeazs in Austin. We live in Kendall County. I think Judge Tinley and I were introduced at The Burger Basket in Center Point a few months back by Kerr County Extension Agent Laurinda Boyd. I don't believe I have had the pleasure of meeting the Commissioners. By way of disclosure in case this disqualifies me from assisting you, I currently serve as the Club Manager for the Ken County 4H Trap & Skeet Club, and I own investment property in Kerrville. Kerrville residents'who might speak well of me include Roy Thompson (Wells Fazgo), Laurinda Boyd (County Extension Office), Robert Parmley, Esq., Patrick Freedle (Davidson Freedle Espenhover & Overby), John Martin (CPA), Billy & Magee Snow (TexAppraise), and Jack & Rose Burch (The Hill Country Shooting Sports Center). Please call if I can be of assistance. Christopher IVI. Avery, President P.O. Box 1046 Comfart,Texas 78013 • 830.995.4853 fax 830.995.4854 www,partnenvetlcs.com SPEAKS OUT ON... ^ Responsible Leadership ^ Team Effectiveness and Performance ^ Individual and Shared Responsibility in the Workplace The toughest part of business is the human part. Try something that works. Put an internationally acclaimed expert to work for you today. Dr. Christopher M. Avery advises professionals and executives who must get things done when sharing responsibility with others over whom they have no direct control. The author of Teomwork Is An Individual Ski(1: Getting Your Work Done When Sharing Responsibility, Avery is a popular speaker for international business meetings, industry conferences and critical leadership development initiatives. COACH for progressive executives through career, organizational & market changes CON 5 U LTA N T to successful teams and enterprise partners from formation through delivery 5 P E A K E R for management teams, industry and trade groups on Leadership, Performance and Responsibility "Getting talent to work together in teams is crucial. Avery has the keys that get knowledge workers to take ~~"w~»..~;;;;;; ~;;; ~ responsibility for teamwork. ~ ": ~ :..,~... Author of ~ N W~ - N Q~ ., ~ -•~~ Dave Lesar, Chairman, /j~~/~ ri President & CEO, Haliburton Company ll!\1J~ 1 ~,.,,,,e Engage aworld-class expert on... TEAMWORK LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE COMMUNICATION SHARED RESPONSIBILITY SELECTED CLIENTS 3M Advanced Micro Devices AT&T Charles Schwab & Company Concern eLaw.com Farm Credit Bank of Texas IBM Nokia Mobile Phones, Ltd. Pharmaco International State of Texas US. Army Verizon Wireless W. L. Gore 8~ Associates Wells Fargo Bank Whole Foods Corporation PARTNERWERKS M'AR~I~I E ~/~ ~l~S [hristopher Aver}~s Keynote topics TEAMWORK IS AN INDIVIDUAL SKILL Based on Christopher's popular book, Teamwork Is An Individual Skill: Getting Your Work Done When Sharing Responsibility, the message is to take personal responsibility for the productivity of every relationship at work. Why? Because your own performance, rewazds, and life success depends on it. Your audience will take away fundamental truths, practical tips, and memorable expenences (that's right, "unforgettable moments" in the middle of the keynote) they can apply immediately to build far more productive and responsible relationships at work. Guaranteed. Also known as... TEAMWISDOM SECRETS OF MASTER PROJECT LEADERS Project mansgement audiences love Christopher's tips, principles, and strategies for leading project teams to success. OWNING IT! THE MARK OF RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP Christopher shows your audience a repeatable process forproblem-solving, change, and self-leadership anyone can use to make powerful and freeing choices so they will be prepazed to lead others. Excellent for executives, professionals, business owners and anyone intent on blazing the high road in business relationships. CONSTANTLY AMUSED BY HOW IGNORANT I WAS TWO WEEKS AGO Change... How frequently aze your certainties shaken, erroneous assumptions exposed, and stereotypes blown up? The message in this hilarious to somber-and- back keynote is that the difference between true learners and others is that learners welcome these discoveries'-the faster the better for their personal and professional growth and fortunes. P.O. Box 1046 Comfort, Texas 78013 830.995.4853 fax 830.995.4854 www.partnenverks.com ~'~,l~~l~ ~ I~/IE ~1K~ Fee Sd~edule Keynotes and speaking engagements with Christopher Avery North NA inclusive Europe & Latin Pacific Rim, America of travel America Africa, & Asia Up to 9o rains. o00 ~soo 900o Ia,ooo U to 3.5 hours $8000 $~soo $IZ,ooo $16,000 Up t0 6.5 hours $IO,000 $II,500 $15,000 $20,000 • Fees are in U.S. funds, 2 f% commissionable to 3`~ party agent. • Fee schedule is FOB San Antonio, TX plus actual travel expenses to be reimbursed upon submission of invoice and receipts. Domestic travel will be via coach or business class, as available; international transportation will be via business class. • Discounts for multi-day engagements and for non-profit, educational, and public sector clientele on an individual case basis. • Volume purchase discounts on Christopher's books and audio CDs for your audience. Public seminar with Christopher Avery Leading Knowledge Teams• Being Powerful In Any Team Individual Per member w/team of + Re tuition I, gs I, II Ear y registration $1,516 $1,232 On-site corporate seminar leading Knowledge Teams Being Powerful !n Any Team 3 days, up to 36 eople attending individually or in intact teams Led at your site by a certified Partnerwerks facilitator $18,000 plus actual travel expenses Optional fee if you request Christopher Avery to lead seminar: $IO,ooo Executive coaching Unlimited access to Christopher Avery for individual performance improvement $3Soo per 3o-day period Consulting Signed fixed-fee results-based project proposal normally offered within 36 hours of request by and conversation with decision maker. P.O. Bax 1046 • Comfort, Texas 78013 ' 830.995.4853 fax 830.995.4854 www.partnerwerks.com !~/~x~ ~~~ ' s '4Wiia Christopher Avery and Partnerwerks helped us begin to change 80 years of non-productive communication habits in just one year. We were slow to adapt to competitive pressures in the market, partially because our two field divisions had been at odds with each other for 80 years. The Farm Credit Bank is owned by these two field associations, which are in turn owned by the stockholderslcustomers. This ownership prevented the bank from mandating change. Because of the association rivalry, our bank hadn't changed as rapidly as needed to meet competitive pressures. Today, thanks in part to the help of Partnerwerks, the associations have initiated steps to align, partner, and even merge, in order to provide the best service to customers-the farmers and ranchers of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and New Mexico. The bottom line has included: • Board, management, and association alignment which has strengthened decision-making based on the best interests of our bornower-owners • Association mergers and joint ventures resulting in improved services to the customer at a lower cost • Lower cost of money due to greater operating efficiencies • Greater opportunities for cross-selling of products and services • Improved relationships across cultural boundaries • Stronger sense of unity and trust.- How did we do this? We formed a committee of five FLBA directors and five PCA directors and asked them to review and make recommendations to improve our collective operating efficiency. The bank recommended and the committee chose Partnerwerks to facilitate their 10 montlily two- day meetings. In the beginning, committee members had little hope of making any real progress together. And, even if they did, they worried whether they could o~ctvince the stockholders to listen to them. Partnerwerks demanded that committee members (1) make committee-process decisions by consensus and (2) work from data rather than preconceived positions. These and other "rules of engagement" had the effect of turning the committee into a committed team in pursuit of solutions• that transcended all of their political differences. In the end, committee members unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed a package of recommendations and commurricated them to the stockholders. At the recent stockholder meeting, the committee revolutionized the way presentations are made by training and trusting each committee member to facilitate one of 10 concurrent breakout sessions to solicit input on the recommendations. Stockholders' overall acceptance of the recommendations was very, very high. Arnold Henson President and CEO 5121165-0576 MAYOR Miguel A. Pulido MAYOR PRO TEM Patricia A. McGuigan COUNCILMEMBERS Claudia C. Alvarez Lisa Bist Alberta D. Christy Brett Franklin Jose Solorio September 24, 2002 Christopher M. Avery, Ph.D. President Partnerwerks, Inc. P.O. Box 1046 Comfort, TX 78013 Dear Dr. Avery: CITY 4F SANTA ANA CITY MANAGER David N. Ream CITY ATTORNEY Joseph W. Fletcher CLERK OF THE COUNCIL Patricia E. Healy Thank you for an outstanding presentation on September 12 at our "News You Can Use" meeting for the managers of the City of Santa Ana. I have received very positive feedback from the attendees, including one who wrote that your presentation was "insightful, powerful, informative and enlightening." I could not agree more. The City of Santa Ana has been promoting Total Quality Service for over 10 years, and your approach to teamwork has provided our managers with a new enthusiasm. I would also like to thank you for your professionalism and attention to detail. By interviewing several members of our Executive Management Teen, you were able to grasp a good understanding of our organization in order to deliver relevant material to the audience. I would highly recommend you and "Teamwork is an Individual Skill" to others. Again, thank you. Sincerely, Gam. Debra Kurita Assistant City Manager 7A f'1\Ar' ('FNTGD OI •7• • O A RAY IOAA Ca1~IT• •AIA /`AI ICf~DAl1A O'17fl9 Tci CounwlC !'r~ w\ cwt cnM Three years ago I was looking for a facilitator to lead executive Ievel teambuilding, and provide executive coaching for my senior management group. The company's leadership at that time was not functioning as a team and lacked alignment on objectives, both organizational and personal. Christopher Avery of Partnerwerks was retained to facilitate sessions to help us breakdown barriers; this experience also resulted in using Paztnerwerks regulazly for the next several years. Christopher's work helped us deliver arecord-breaking performance in 1997 and 1998. When we began working with Paztnerwerks, my company was successful; it held one of the two cellular licenses in our mazket. With de-regulation, four to five new, well-funded competitors were on the verge of entering the market as PCS providers. Without a strong leadership team and common goals, we could not compete successfully in the newly competitive mazket. Christopher Avery quickly gained my team's confidence with Partnerwerks' simultaneous focus on getting our current work done while building new relationships. He helped us agree to a common vision, mission and values for the organization and achieve alignment through shazed purpose. Today mX executives !with many members from three years ago) work as a high performance team cornrnunicating frepuently and with a strong sense of doing what`s right for the business, with little regard for turf. We are better at communicating a vision to our employees and setting priorities to achieve that vision Performance on keybusiness indicators is strong, morale has improved. and turnover has declined. Our next challenge is a cultural change and a reengineering effort that would have been impossible for us to contemplate before. Don Kovalevich President Houston Cellulaz Telephone Co. Houston, Texas C oFT~x~s January 27, 2003 Dr. Christopher Avery Partnerwerks, Inc. P O Box 1046 Comfort Texas 78013 Dear Christopher. P.O. BOX 15919 • AUSTIN, TEXAS 78761 • 512/465-0400 This letter is written to express my appreciation to you for the work completed with my staff through your Executive Coaching program. First of a11, you should know that I am extremely pleased with the results of this program. We completed Phase I with my executive officers last summer. I consistently observe cohesion among this group that did not exist prior to going through your program. In addition, some of the stronger management styles have smoothed out and become more personable and approachable than before. I feel these improvements were a direct result ~f ynur Ceram and your tmi~ue ability to relate to these people and prompt discussion of areas for self-improvement identified thmugh peer/subordinate assessment. After the success achieved in phase I of this program, I decided to extend this program to junior level officers that were identified as future leaders of our organization. I feel strongly that our organization will benefit further as a result of their participation in your Executive Coaching program. I feel that positive change is already visible in those that stood to benefit the most from your program. Christopher, you have helped me achieve needed change in our organization during the past several years. First, with the governance level of our subsidiary companies, and now, with the management of our organization. I sincerely appreciate your significant contributions to our success. Best wishes to you always, Yours truly, Arnold R. Henson, CEO Farm Credit Bank of Texas ~r__ ' ,~ ~ COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION ., . ~~ . u . ~, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN \` ~ O,~a of thr Dray • Jcur H. Jones Commtaeicatian Cinarr •Aurtin, Trxas 78712-1094 - ~ ~/ (Sl2) 47l-S77S • FAX (512) 471-8500 I am pleased to share my experiences with Christopher Avery of Partnerwerks Incorporated. A few years ago, when I was about to embark on my first capital campaign as dean of the College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin, I was worried about balancing my stepped up responsibilities as a fundraiser outside the College with my ability to manage the growing administration within the College. I sought out a rnnsultant to work with me nn strengthening my skills as a leader within the College in order to better work with the diverse groups of faculty and administrators who were taking on added responsibility for the organization. I found his coachin to be invaluable and a worthwhile investment. He help me my o ' 'ves, my sty a of managing peop a and my strategies for meeting both internal and external demands on my time and energy. I would rernmmend him to you most highly, as a creative and experienoed coach. Ellen A. Wartella Dean, Walter Cronkite Regents Chair in Communication and Mrs. Mary Gibbs Jones Centennial Chair in Communication Dear Christopher, It's pretty clear to me that we'd be out of business if we hadn't done this work with Partnerwerks. The market offered DTM a 9-month window to complete a 15-month development project. Worse, there was disagreement among design team members about whether this project was the best use of company resources. We knew that our challenge was not just project management, but a team challenge. We hired Partnerwerks to orient, train and monitor our project team because we needed people working in the same direction, with high energy and high trust. I picked Partnerwerks for your focus on getting people to be responsible for and own the team process, rather than follow a cookbook approach to teaming. It wasn't a ropes course. When we came away, the people owned the solution. Results have been dramatic and extremely positive. From a company finanaal and product viewpoint, we met or exceeded all our objectives. But more importantly, those who participated in the project have really grown as individuals and as coworkers. Partnerwerks' work remains alive long after the project. We are the best we've ever been at being collectively focused and directed without a lot of interpersonal chaos. Our meetings are effective and effiaent. That in itself has made a huge difference in the way we conduct our business. Everyone goes to the meetings they need to go to and trust others to have the meetings they need to have. We trust each other to progress and communicate. We trust people in meetings when we can't attend. Hidden agendas have really been minimized. Even people who were not on the core team and were not trained by Partnerwerks picked upon the environment rapidly and fit right in. The "road map" we generated is working well for us. Craig Wadham, VP Engineering DTM Corporation Austin, Texas `,I ARTNIItING.COM December 3, 2001 Christopher M. Avery President Partnervverks, Inc. PO Box 28160 Austin, TX 78755 Re: Keynote PartneringlTeamwork Session and Annual °2001 LawPartnering Forum" November 1416, Carefree, Arizona Dear Christopher: You were a hit! Most importantly, you set a great tone for our entire Forum! For that, we thank you. As you know, attorneys are not an easy audience to please -particularly 175 of them. Yet, vou~ hooked the participants' attention and held it for a solid hour. We asked you to keynote the 2001 LawPartnering orum cause we know that vour content and deliverv on teamwork and partnering are top-notch. The positive evaluations we receive-d after your Without question, we made the right choice in asking you to launch our national conference, and we look forward to working with you again at a future LawPartnering Forum. And, of course, we're happy to recommend you as a keynote speaker to other groups interested in getting highly trained professionals to work together sucxessfully. Finally, a personal "thanks" to you and Partnerwerks for being so accommodating and easy to work with. It's a pleasure to engage someone who'Wvalks his talk" 'atively, [,~- .L. ~i Ca` Peter Jenkins Erica W. Clary President Chief Executive Officer LawPartnering, Inc. Post Office Box 12767 Prescott, AZ 86304 (928) 7764600 Fax (928) 776-4682 peter.Jenkins~lawpartnering.com erk;a.claryQlawpartnering.oom www.LawPartnering.com To Leadership Training Coordinators, Northern Pacific Region Distribution Center 2ioi.Jerrold Ava, Suite rio - , ,,=i, San Francisco; Cfi94jz4_ _:,, ~~3~~so to ~sSa_ ao~43S: ~ . 4a~ Y. :.: ;~gvrwholcf`oods:com I am writing to recommend a wonderful Speaker and Teacher for your Leadership Development Training. Christopher Avery, Ph.D. and President of Par~nerwerks, Inc. has just recently taught two Leadership Series classes for us at Central. Christopher worked one-on-one with me during the planning of our classes to blend his knowledge with our culture and needs. He asked specific questions, listened carefully and took each request to heart. I even went so far as to ask him to take a bit from one of his classes and work it into the main body of another for our Purposes. Not only did he accommodate us, he did a seamless, dynamic mix. The participants were given well-designed training packets. that were engaging and effective. Christopher facilitated small group and partnering work time with whole group for modeling teamwork. The lessons of self-initiative, generosity, diplomacy and responsibility began right there and were built into the materials and experience that everyone took away. His classes, On Purpose, Demonstrating Self-Leadership and Powerful Partnering were both geared toward high level leadership and were completely "approachable" and fun. While the class work was serious there was so much great enemy and excitement. Everyone felt that they,had really,~row~"~~ttid.had < 0.A _ S 4 practical new tools to take back asT~azriS,~ea~lerds _ _ _ i highly recommend Christopher s~,very as ,a;~'tacher and .. racurtator for your i pleasure to work wii and his clients, he is I will certainly call..on tutn~`~ experience and leader~lup~e~sons Take care, Red Lustig National Training Coordinator - Whole Foods Market, ~~I~c: Red.Lustig a~lNhalefaods.cottt ih+pre'of his knowledge, Please feel free to email fne anytime with questiO,AS trr~nf wort ~ - .: information on our.splendtdr~xpe~te~ee with ~' ~`~ erA~` ''~ z . ~ ~t : cx and his business, Paitfnea~,~ AT~T 90o Route 2421246 North Bedminster, NJ 47821 Christopher M. Avery, Ph.D. President Partnen+verks, inc. PO Box 1046 Comfort, TX 78013 October 4, 2001 Dear Christopher, On behalf of the 2001 AT&T Pn~ject Management Symposium Planning Team, please accept our sincere appreciation and thanks foc your participation in the Fourth Annual ATBT Project Management Symposium_ Based upon the feedback we have received, your presentation was an ovenNhelming success! Witt each successful symposium, the bar has been raised for the succeeding symposium team to provide speakers that motivate and challenge. Your presentation .helped this yew's team to exceed our goal. Comments from the feedback received frequerrtty identfied your presentation as the `UVhat 1 liked ~ about the symposium", commenting `Excellent and valuable', `Useful and thought provoking', 'Good focus on the Soft Skills', and "... He forever altered my focus aF team development". The symposium team will brrefly bask in our success befiore we brace ourselves for next year's event+ Thank you, once again, for your time and effort. Your contribution was an integral part of our success. Sincerely, Lori A. Pilsbury, PMP 2001 Symposium Program Manager AT&T Project Management Center of Excellence ~T 90o Route 2o2i2os Box 752 Bedminster, NJ 07921-0752 November 11, 2002 Dr. Christopher M. Avery President, Partnerwerks tnc. P.O. Box 1046 Comfort, TX 78013 Christopher, On behalf of the 2002 AT8~T Project Management Symposium Planning Team, please accept my sincere appreciation and thanks for your partiapation in the Fifth Annual AT&T Project Management Symposium_ Based upon the feedback we have received, your presentation was an overwhelming success! With each successful symposium, the bar has been raised for the succeeding symposium team to provide speakers that motivate and challenge. Your presentation helped this year's team to meet our goats. Comments from the feedback received frequently identified your presentations as the "What I liked best about the symposium', commenting, "Did not expect to come away with such life skills", `invite hris back!° and, 'As long as Chris has different topics, bring him ~badc every year! He's a great teacher!' Attached is the detailed feedback from your presentation. Thank you, once again, for your time and effort. Your contribution was an integral part of our success. Sincerely, ~~ V. Peter V. Magistro 2002 Symposium Program Manager AT&T Project Management Center of Excellence osA~!/~~LAe ^ r RV)W ^ ~~VR`~,~ The art and technology of getting work done To Fellow Event Planners- Working for a professional event management company means that I'm constantly inundated with tapes from speaker bureaus hoping to solicit my business. I view more than 400 videos each year in hopes of finding the right speakers for just a few events - speakers who can connect with the audience in a meaningful way, and provide them with at least a modicum of useful information. The vast majority of keynote speakers I see are about entertainment, not substance -and consequently I tend to cast a skeptical eye on most of the promotional materials that cross my desk. Christopher Avery is definitely the exception. I have had the pleasure of working with Christopher on a number of events over the last year. He's consistently risen to the challenge, whether it's a workshop or a keynote. His presentation style offers that ever- e use blend of style and substance. Perhaps even more remarkable is that he's truly a pleasure to work with. He's embraced seemingly untenable changes time and time again with unflagging grace. Bottom line, he's a great person and a great speaker and I can't recommend him more highly. Eric Welsh Conference Director, Project Management Portfolio Imark Communications One Apple Nill Drive, Sufte 301, PO Box 8249, Natldr, MA 01760 • Td: 508.647-6600 • Fa~c 508-647-0241 • vwvw.projedvrarld.cam AMD1 We took over 200 employees in one division through Partnerwerks' program over the course of a year. We have been very, very happy with the content of Partnerwerks program and model as well as with their This process has made an incredible difference in temps of how these folks work together in ways that are very, very different from how they started out. Qualitative differences have to do with vastly improved meetings, in terms of: • how much work is done, • how much people participate, • how long meetings take, and • the extent to which people are able to make decisions c --_--c__~~__ ~L ___~La.t__ __ _~~ ...a.. .~.. We certainty have experienced a significantly increased rate of participation and involvement in the division. Folks feel more valued, i.e., that what they have to say might actually be of interest to other folks.... Morale has improved in a bt of ways and the expectations of folks in the organization have continued to increase. They feel not only more empowered but more entitled. This has them being consumers of management and leadership attention units, so they are much more articulate about what isn't working. Dr. Tracy Gibbons OD Specialist Advanced Micro Devices Santa Clara, CA C~mc Assuring Business Availability" January 19, 2001 Dear Christopher, You delivered a highly interactive keynote to approximately 180 BMC Softwaze employees from Reseazch and Development. You got everyone's attention by asking engaging questions that forced people to reflect, think, and learn. I am confident that everyone who attended the keynote session, "Being Powerful in Any Team at BMC," went away with a new way of approaching their role as a team member, leader, or facilitator. The interactive exercises were extremely effective. The activity- based learning for adults that you exploit really sticks with people and changes them quickly and effectively. Christopher, you aze very special that way and a great choice for any conference. People marveled at your profound depth of knowled a and wanted more. ave earned that you should always leave your audience with the .~... feeling of wanting to learn more. You delivered on that important concept. I definitely recommend you and the folks at Partnerwerks, Inc. The people at Partnerwerks aze wonderful to work with and I can always tell that you come from awin/win paradigm. Partnerwerks is a winner and will make other companies winners! Hire Partnerwerks! Kind Regazds, Catherine Hungerford Lead Quality Assurance BMC Softwaze Houston, TX (713) 918-7963 ~ C~~O~~ x November, 2000 Dear Christopher, As you know, some of the employees participated in "Being Powerful in Any Team" training beginning May, 2000. I noticed some changes soon thereafter in behaviors of every member of the team that attended. For example • They held a group strategy session on group/supervisor improvement and as part of this, identified some of the supervisor's behaviors they wanted the supervisor to improve and consider. The group leader agreed and is working more effectively in those areas. • One of the members accepted a voluntary role to lead our annual United Way campaign and assembled a team to plan our activities. The team has really stepped outside the bounds of our past efforts and will be trying some very different ways to increase employees' contributions. • Another team member suggested a new way of communicating our team and individual project results and plans through a poster session that was a great success. We are now talking about holding these events regularly. • The team itself planned adepartment-wide project to construct a walking trail and this has proceeded through the planning and approval (even with the City of Austin) stages. The trail will be constructed at a major site-wide employee event this coming weekend. • The group leader has helped me drive within my technical team a program for project management that I might not have had the energy or know-how to execute without his ideas and encouragement. Each of these efforts is characterized by a clear sense of purpose and what seems to be a near-effortless team effort And these are just some of the examples that come to mind. There are other individuals and teams who have attended "Being Powerful in Any Team" training whose nPw Sense of confidence and emr~owetment are moving them to accom lid much that it really sumrises me. Clearly identifying their purpose, taking responsibility, sharing accountability, and working in a positive way with others seem to be the behaviors that have grown in these people, and it is surely a pleasure to be involved with them. Sincerely, -Dan Daniel T. Plummer General Manager R&D CONDF~4 Vista Company (512) 331-2353 dplummer~cvcnet.com t1~IQKi~- CONNECTING PEOPLE Dear Christopher, Partnerwerks has provided us both the necessary training as well as the tools to increase awareness of the benefits of partnering and to improve and deepen cooperation with selected partners. The benefits have been clear in terms of logistics, quality, and the financial performance point of view. New methods of working together towards mutual benefit have been introduced. The new skills and tools have been used internally and externally to increase the awareness of the benefits of partnering among the key suppliers. Thank you, Petri Vainola Vice President, Partnering and Supplier Logistics, Nokia Mobile Phones Salo, Finland saso~ reaching new frontiers October 3, 2003 Dr. Christopher Avery Partnerwerks P.O. 1046 Comfort, Texas 78013 Dear Christopher: I wanted to give you an update of the training you provided my team eazlier this spring. Everyone has exhibited actions of some of the training. On the whole, everyone is taking more responsibility for their actions and for team success. Naturally, the 100% consensus training is tougher to apply but consensus, as you pointed out, led to increased productivity. Although the team had a high degree of trust initially, your aids to correcting broken trust events have been practiced over the past few months. Problem solving maturity is difficult but the team is moving towazd holography which also led to increased productivity. We have used the concept of shazed space internally and during negotiations with other companies. This is a very powerful tool for collaboration -more information is shared and the end result is better than win-lose negotiations. The ideas that were generated during the brainstorming session led to more ideas over time. Interestingly enough, one of our major suppliers shut down shortly after our training. We were able to make the adjustment and successfully supply our plant without loss of production. The ideas never stop on our team. We are pursuing generating revenue through the ,use of a by- product that will lower our costs sienificantly. Thank you for taking the time to work with us. I just wanted you to know that your influence on the group was very positive. ~~y~2. Q Best Regards, ~ ~"'" ~ ~1 ~~ ` ,~, ~ ~~ ~Y"" ~ ~~ ~ ~ Mike Sweet Raw Materials Procurement Manager Saso/ North America Inc. 900 Threadneedle, Suite 100 Houston, Texas 77079-2990 P.d. 8ox 19029 Houston, Texas 77224-9029 U. S.A. ~~ Reaponsi6le Care' Telephone: (281) 588-3000 www.sasotcom °o°°Oi"1Ve°"°"'°"` _.. ~ Mr~l ,~ R::~ .. ~ j,~~~y • '~ a sr~ ~~- o :, :~~•~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~ V ~''' E-.~ . _. _ .. - - -~ o- ~~ -~~ 'p~ ~. ~ 5S ~p'pX{ ~A p~gi ~~~ ~~~~~. ~~~-p~.~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~ i ~ ~ .~ ~ e~ p :i `C ~ • ~ fi3• ~ p. G ~'.i"' S +l i' ~~'~,~...•, Oo ~ ~c .. .. ~i'"i a 1 R .. W ~, ~'~. s O O m' N C A // N V ~; Z eQ '77 0 C N s o a ~a o g a ~ Npo O y g Chicago ~xibune WORKING WE6NESOAY JULY 25, zoos TOOLKIT Too much tolerance can take its toll By Kathleen Furore Special_to the Tribune If rude co-workers or superi- ors are making your job miser- able, you're not alone. Whether the behavior is intentional and mean spirited or simply uncon- scious but inconsiderate, it is hard to swallow at best, job- threatening at worst. "It's definitely a common problem," said Christopher Av- ery, author of "Teamwork is an Individual Skill: Getting Your Work Done When Sharing Re- sponsibility" (Berrett-Koehler. 515.15). "In our Web-based, flat-struc- tured [work] world, we've creat- ed aneconomy that is reliant on teams and collaboration to get things done-so personal rela- tionships are more important than ever;' said Avery, who is al- so president of Austin, Texas- based Partnerwerks, acompany that teaches professionals how to thrive in team conditions. "Rude behavior makes a larger impact now because we're so in- terdependent. You can't make progress if someone is blocking the way." If someone's behavior has lit a fuse, there are things you can do to defuse a potentially explosive situation. "The first thing is to say, `I'm Illustration by Brian Behnke going to take responsibility for making this relationship work because it affects my job per- formance.You have to retain the personal power to say, 'This can't happen unless I allow it to.' "said Avery. Surprisingly, part of Avery's preferred approach involves a "tit-for-tat" strategy-some- thing your parents might have taught you to avoid, but one that works when done in a consider- ate way. "You have to be intolerant quickly," he said. "We're all taught to be tolerant of other people, but if you keep tolerat- ing [a bad situation] it likely will get worse. Then you'll get hugely affected by i becau:~ now.it's become a big anal and will be a big confrontation. "The first time someone is rude to you, let them know that it Burt and that you don't like be- inghurt. Don't be rude back, but show them what they did. You have to be intolerant sooner, when it's a smaller deal." One of Avery's clients fol- lowed his advice and put out a fire before it started raging. "My clients create operating agreements. When anybody [on the team] steps out of bounds, team members call the foul; ' he said.. In one instance, a team had agreed to start and end all meet- ings on time. When the leader arrived five minutes late, a team member expressed dissatisfac- tion. "He said, 'I can't let this meeting start without letting you know we had an agreement. I want to know what the start time will be,' "Avery recalled. "The team leader apologized profusely and agreed that the start time should be what they had all decided on, so the behav- ior was corrected." One trick to the "tit-for-tat" approach, says Avery, is to deliv- er lrour message "with equal or lesser force" than the offender delivered the rude behavior to S•ou. Most people. he notes. know how to do that with grea- ter force. But that frequently makes it more difficult to sal- vage the relationship. "1 think the big issue." he said, "is tltat people need to lt,arn to become less tolerant in ~t comi~assionate sort of ~~a~_" ~ ~ ~~~~~ m ~~ ~ ~: ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~'~ ~~ ~~ ~. ~~ ~ .~ t~4 ~~ ~~ ~ ~~ .~~~ a s ~~ 9 ~~ ~ ~. ~ ~. ~~ ca ~. .~ ~: 0 ~. a C 0 n a x v r m V y H Teamwork -it's more than cooperating on a task Teamwork Is An individuai Skip Getting Great teams are built around ~a YourWork Done When series of "conversations" that Sharing Responsibility help to define each individual`s By Christopher M. Avery role, agreements and with Meri Aaron Walker and Erin OToole Murphy ; ~ ~ commitments. Softcover, S 18.95, 19b pages, Bemett-Koehler F+or aII of you who have had your fill of touchy-feely exer- cises and team~ui1ding retreats, Christopher Avery brings some welcome news: Teamwork does not depend on group "bonding" or on some group facilitator's magic art. Teamwork, says Avery, is based on individual skills and atti fades that team members learn to bring to the team table. Avery is a well-known team- work consultant. His interest in how groups work dates back to his doctoral studies on the Communication of Technolo- gy. Avery's passion is about uncovering what makes teams function and what makes them >~h That's a question of grow- ing importance in the business world, as corporate hierarchies flatten and the old command and-control structures dissolve lnru sou-wc~c,-ang reams. tine book points out that In pro- gressive companies like Gener- al IIectric, there are often no more than five levels from the CEO to the most junior clerk.) Avery's ongoing research into team performance has convinced him that great teams are built around a series of "conversations" that help to define each individual's role, agreements and commitments a.. al... a....... .....i ..t............... • Shared Focus. Having each member explore and agree on shared purpose -why the team exists and what it aims to accomplish - is the first step in budding a top team. Avery notes that full con- sensus really counts: "When groups pursue a direction deterritined by mztjority or authoritg those who dissent (either vocally or silently) can lose energg" Therefore, people with Team Wisdom reach out "The goal is to produce synergy through the discussion and appreciafion of different perspectives." - Chris Avery to dissenters with the ques- tion: "How can we change this proposal so that it works for you?" • Individual Commitment. Matching motivation, Avery says, is far more important than matching skills. "If mem- bers don't have the required skills, a high performance team will improvise," he says. "The same is not true for moti- vation, however Every team performs to the level of its least invested membex" • Shared Agreements. Suc- cessfulteams make agree- ments about team behavior - what each person owes to to each other with regard to per- formance, acxountabilitR and relationsHip. For Avery honest but fair fdedback about behav- for is craeial to beam success: ' "In a team. when you let anoth er person~break an agreement and don't call them on it, you are just as responsible for the blow to group performance as the person who let the agree- ment slide." Based on those kinds of steps, the outline for high per- formancebegins to emerge: Teams choose their own mem- bers. Members come to clear and complete agreement on their shared purpose, and on their personal stake in the out come. They make explicit perfortr ance commitments. and hold each other accountable with regu]ar feedback. They exploit their differences to achieve breakthrough performance. They agree to be rewarded on team rather than individual achievement. 3'he book's bottom line is that teams don't have to "team build" separate from the work they do togethez Just followini this kind of process with com- mitment and integrity can't help but build powerful teams and outcomes. Calling this a book about teamwork runs the risk of put ting it into far too small a box. It contains more practical information and advice about the conditions under which we human beings optimize our work together than any other book you are likely to have read. Tf there is a book about the consciousness of working toaethez this is it. team-building business to ben efit from Avery's book -any organizational structure and any work situation will do. Terry O Keefe of Executive Bookshelf reviews business books and books of interest to business people Xe mqy be con faded at 8115 McQurmicJfc Ave.: Oakland C.A 94605 or online a tok®dnai.com, or at wwaaezec bookoom. aoPrwcFrr zao~ sY ~r ox~ Monday [ inn: au,•rce courrrr SeptlO r~~~J~~ti~ 21701 Workplace • la ~rotlpsr sometiates i pays to take things persoaalf~ Ry MICN[L[ MIYM[LR[Ra The Orange t.oudy NeQbter The gtutabk is almost al- ways flu same: "J[ got no- sighed to a bad team.' The cha[leage foe t~cis- topher Avery, an author and trainer who specializes in teatawork, is to get team members to nae their indi- vidual skills so make their team sttooas