First Applied Strategic Planning conference held
by Clyde Roggenkamp, SD'70, MSD, MA
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Approximately two dozen members of the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry administration, faculty, staff, students, and alumni attended an Applied Strategic Planning (ASP) conference at Camp Cedar Falls August 20-22. Dr. Robert L. Frazer, Jr., of R. L. Frazer & Associates, Inc., who has practiced dentistry himself for nearly 30 years, conducted the self-assessment retreat to help the School prepare for the upcoming accreditation review.
Two School of Dentistry students represented their classmates at the conference; and two alumni traveled from Idaho and Utah to attend.
In order to encourage a common basis of understanding, each attending member was required to read and be able to discuss Stephen R. Covey's classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This book contains powerful lessons in personal change through stages of dependence and independence to the most mature, which is interdependence.
The meeting's mission was "To create a future of choice for the Loma Linda School of Dentistry, its students, faculty, and staff. Through the process of Applied Strategic Planning, the School and its people will achieve their highest potential in service to others, resulting in exceptional effectiveness, fulfillment and success."
Overall thinking of the group was fine-tuned by skillful discussion of the uniquely holistic mission of our school. Dr. Frazer led a review of our vision statements. There was also clarification of differences between such words as efficacy, efficiency, competent, proficient, skillful, and successful, as the group endeavored to list those attributes most desirable for LLUSD's graduates.
Through discussion and dialogue, Dr. Frazer pursued the group's collective vision of the best outcome for our School, projecting five years into the future. There was comparison of what the core values and general effectiveness of students appear to be now, with how they appear after five years in practice.
Self-tests were administered to group members. These were designed to indicate which individual core values were most represented. A predominantly high ranking category in the group was "social," which seemed suited to the fact that most are teachers who are genuinely interested in their students and others.
Special credit belongs to Kathleen Moore, director of continuing dental education and the Alumni Association, and Melody Chambers, administrative assistant, for the extra effort they expended to organize this retreat. Similar retreats in the future will build on the progress made at these meetings. Retreat II, which will be a follow-on series, is planned for October 23-25.
"Shadow Team" Concept
Those who attended the ASP retreat will be selecting members to form what are called shadow teams. The term "shadow" in no way indicates a subversive, cloak-and-dagger sort of relationship. The idea is that these smaller teams follow and serve in the shadow of the larger ASP self-assessment organization. Each of these teams will be comprised of approximately a dozen volunteer members from various places within the dental school to gather information on how things are going and to form constructive ideas about how situations might be improved. Sometimes this may involve getting others' opinions as well. Where discrepancies might be noted between the ideal and the real, there will be constructive discussion about what might be considered to overcome these real or potential gaps in our educational system. The resulting recommendations from each group will then be forwarded through the Applied Strategic Planning director, Dr. Tom Rogers, to appropriate dental school administrators.
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It is important to build a consensus within each newly-formed group right at the start before exploring other issues. At first, the shadow team leaders will be reviewing the mission and vision of the dental school with reference to the actual quality of our students and our graduates. Part of the emphasis is for individual members to get well acquainted and understand each other's background.
Consider Joining A Team
Any of our faculty and staff who are asked to join a team, should consider becoming a member. A newly formed group will meet once to get oriented, meet again perhaps a week or so later to get more thoughts collected, then monthly thereafter as necessary. Most members will have e-mail contact through the server and can conduct much correspondence in this way, reducing the necessity of more frequent meetings.
This process promises to be a very effective way to create an environment of perpetual improvement within our School.
It is exciting to think about the potential prospects for greater unification
of purpose and cooperation among ourselves, between the various departments
represented, and for the entire School of Dentistry.
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Wednesday, February 28, 2001 2:53 PM
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