New Ecumen Velocity Class Begins Its Journey
The Ecumen Velocity Class of 2018-2019 recently held its first session, embarking on a year-long program focused on building leadership skills and developing innovative approaches to aging services and a world without ageism.
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The Ecumen Velocity class of 2017 has just graduated from the year-long program focused on building leadership skills and developing innovative approaches to aging services.
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Ecumen Velocity 2017 Class Holds First Workshop
The Ecumen Velocity 2017 class held its first two-day session this week, focusing on the theme of “Authenticity and Emotional Intelligence.”
Ecumen’s Velocity Leadership Program Graduates Class of 2016
The Ecumen Velocity class of 2016 has just graduated from the year-long program focused on building leadership skills and developing innovative approaches to aging services.
Ecumen’s Velocity Leadership Program Graduates Class of 2015
The Ecumen Velocity class of 2015 has just graduated from the year-long program focused on building leadership skills and developing innovative approaches to aging services.
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Ecumen Velocity Class of 2014 Begins Year-Long Action-Learning Program
The Ecumen Velocity Leadership Development Program Class of 2014 completed its first workshop on “Authenticity and Emotional Intelligence,” kicking off a year-long experience focused on building leadership skills and developing innovative approaches to aging services.
“The first workshop is all about self-discovery,” said Carolyn Perron, vice president of organizational development. “To lead others effectively, you need to know yourself. Once people learn who they really are and what their leadership gifts are, they can start building skills and leveraging strengths.”
The Velocity program encourages broader, more innovative thinking and development of each individual’s authentic personal leadership style. The first workshop was devoted specifically to helping participants understand their individual styles using well-established assessment tools. They took the Leadership Practices Inventory, which lets each participant see how they view themselves compared to how their colleagues view them. They also took an emotional intelligence assessment that provides insight into self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.
Based on class feedback, the first workshop achieved its goal. Danielle Olson, executive director at Sunnyside Care Center in Lake Park, Minn., summed it up this way: “The experience was emotional and personal. I really learned who I am and how specific moments in my life shaped my leadership style. I left with an excitement for what is to come and have already found myself being more fully engaged in conversations that I am having with others.”
“WOW! I’m feeling overwhelmed, excited and pumped up for the changes to come,” said Christy Johnson, recreation therapy director at Ecumen Parmly LifePointes. “I have gained valuable insight to my leadership style, delivery and perception. I have taken away several key strategies to help me make improvements to my work and home relationships.”
Over the next year, the group will have three more workshops. Early in 2014 the class will be given an action-learning project to practically apply the course work to a real issue facing Ecumen and the aging services profession. Last year’s action-learning project focused on developing ideas and strategies for how an Ecumen campus could potentially become an “ageless community” that is less dependent on government funding.
The program emphasizes collaborative problem-solving that incorporates different approaches and perspectives. Participants come from all parts of the company, and graduates cite exposure to the diverse thinking of their colleagues as a key benefit of the experience. The 2014 class members are:
- Amanda Beavens, Housing Manager, Ecumen Mapleton, Mapleton, Minn.
- Christy Johnson, Recreation Therapy Director, Ecumen Parmly LifePointes, Chisago City, Minn.
- Danielle Olson, Executive Director, Sunnyside Care Center, Lake Park, Minn.
- Darcy Stueber, Director of Dining, Ecumen Pathstone Living, Mankato, Minn.
- Irmadene Hanson, Quality Improvement Nurse, Ecumen Home Office, Shoreview, Minn.
- Laura Templin, Housing Manager, Ecumen Lake Crystal, Lake Crystal, Minn.
- Roberta Alzen, Clinical Director, Grand Village, Grand Rapids, Minn.
The workshops are facilitated by Perron, along with Robin Dunbar, senior vice president of human resources and strategic alignment. Mentors for Velocity 2014 are Shelley Kendrick, vice president of operations, and Shelley Matthes, director of quality improvement.
The Velocity program was developed by Ecumen and has been custom-designed to incorporate the leadership skill building and theories required to live The Ecumen Way and carry out the Ecumen brand promise of “Innovate, Empower, Honor.” Participants spend 10 to 15 hours a month on Velocity activities. At the four workshops, the group gathers for two-day sessions that include in-depth discussions, readings and conversations. Additionally, they work on their action-learning project, which will be presented to Ecumen senior management in July 2014. Since Velocity began in 2009, 63 employees have graduated.
“The Velocity experience is designed to prepare our leaders for a future that transforms the way we think about and deal with aging,” said Perron. “We work on the premise that great questions lead to great answers. So the group tackles a big project designed to challenge them and grow their skills, while also helping Ecumen deal with real issues facing the organization. All along the way, the group explores and learns together, developing new approaches for themselves and their work."
Carolyn Perron Promoted To Ecumen's VP of Organizational Development
Carolyn Perron has been promoted to Ecumen’s Vice President of Organizational Development.
Robin Dunbar, Ecumen’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources, recently announced Perron’s promotion in a company-wide memo:
“I am very pleased to announce the promotion of Carolyn Perron to Vice President of Organizational Development. Carolyn’s leadership and contributions have been integral to helping build Ecumen’s brand and culture, helping people to grow within Ecumen and also attracting other talented people committed to our mission of creating home and our vision of Changing Aging.
As Vice President of Organizational Development, Carolyn will provide leadership to support and strengthen employee education, employee development and leadership development. People are essential to who we are and why we have been consistently honored as a “Best Place to Work.” It is essential that we continue to help our talent grow and be a place that attracts the best employees as we continue to evolve. Carolyn’s role is essential to this work. Within these core development areas, she also will forge strategy and tools to support succession planning, talent assessment and performance management.
Carolyn joined the HR team in 2007 as an interim HR Director. In this role she helped develop our workforce planning tool and our applicant job shadow program. Carolyn soon became Ecumen’s first Director of Training and Development, inheriting a blank landscape to develop. In this role, she created Ecumen’s first online training module, which brought leaders together from across our multi-site geography on a monthly basis for education and dialogue.
In leading Ecumen Way training across the company, she has helped employees discover their personal brand and how personal brand interrelates with and helps advance the Ecumen brand. As lead facilitator of Velocity, Ecumen’s Leadership Development Program, she has made The Ecumen Way and our brand promise to “Innovate. Empower. Honor.”-- the cornerstone of our year-long personal development experience and other education and development initiatives. These include the EMAPS performance management program; Lean Training, which has helped us streamline job processes and eliminate wasted time that can be frustrating for an employee; and NEON, our new employee orientation program.
Carolyn’s energetic attitude, her desire to learn and empower others to grow, her fearlessness in taking on pioneering initiatives and her commitment to excellence has helped influence, and is intertwined with, Ecumen’s progress of the last six years.
Congratulations and thank you, Carolyn.”
Ecumen's Velocity Leadership Program Graduates 2013 Class
Seven Ecumen leaders recently completed the Ecumen Velocity Leadership Development Program, a year-long experience focused on building leadership skills and developing innovative approaches to aging services.
The graduating class members wrapped up with a ceremony at Hamline University, where they presented their action-learning project to the company’s senior leaders, Velocity alumni and their supervisors. Ecumen CEO Kathryn Roberts presented Velocity award certificates to the graduates and thanked them for stepping outside their comfort zones “to explore, learn, define and shape new approaches for better living.”
The Velocity program encourages broader, more innovative thinking and development of each individual’s authentic personal leadership style. To practically apply the course work, the class has an action-learning project that addresses real issues facing Ecumen and the aging services profession. The graduating class’s action-learning project focused on developing ideas and strategies for how an Ecumen campus could potentially become an “ageless community” that is less dependent on government funding. In addition, participants worked on individual leadership skills they want to enhance.
“The Velocity experience is designed to prepare our leaders for a future that transforms the way we think about and deal with aging,” said Carolyn Perron, Ecumen’s Director of Training and Development, who leads Velocity. “We work on the premise that great questions lead to great answers. So the group tackles a big project designed to challenge them and grow their skills, while also helping Ecumen deal with real issues facing the organization.”
The program is built around Ecumen’s brand promise of “Innovate, Empower, Honor.” For inspiration, Velocity participants went on site visits outside the organization to see these values in action—to 3M for innovation, to the Courage Center for empowerment, and for honor to Our Lady of Peace, a free end-of-life care program for terminally ill cancer patients. Additionally, the course has a segment on authenticity and emotional intelligence to help participants get in touch with their individual leadership styles.
“Velocity is tied very closely to who we are as a company,” Perron said. “This is a home-grown program to help our leaders put our company’s aspirations into action.”
Participants spend 10 to 15 hours a month on Velocity Program activities. Four times during the year, the group gathers for a two-day session that includes in-depth discussions, readings and conversations.
“This is an action-learning program,” Perron said. “We operate on the belief that there is no learning without action and no action without learning.” The group’s work is presented to senior management and informs Ecumen’s planning process.
Graduates describe the program as a journey of self-discovery. “I went into this thinking it would be mostly about professional growth,” said Rebecca Warpula, housing manager at Ecumen of Litchfield. “But so much of it was about personal growth as well.”
Blaine Gamst, executive director of Ecumen Scenic Shores in Two Harbors, added: “Velocity gives you the time and the tools to develop yourself. You feel vulnerable at first, as you dive into yourself and open up to your weaknesses. But then you start working to improve and move to a new level.”
Chris Carter, housing manager at Ecumen of Le Center, said, “Velocity encouraged you to be open to who you are as a person and build on that. I have a much clearer vision about how to apply all my experience to my job.”
The program emphasizes collaborative problem-solving that incorporates different approaches and perspectives. Participants come from all parts of the company, and graduates cite exposure to the diverse thinking of their colleagues as a key benefit of the experience. Later this month, a new class will get underway with eight new participants.
Following is a list of the Velocity 2013 graduating class:
Chris Carter, Housing Manager, Ecumen Le Center
Blaine Gamst, Executive Director, Ecumen Scenic Shores
Jenna Greff, Housing Manager, Ecumen Evergreen in Moorhead
Irmeli Moran, Accounting Manager, Shoreview Home Office
Mel Oelfke, Housing Manager, Ecumen Detroit Lakes
Liz Paulson, HR Rep/Corporate, Shoreview Home Office
Rebecca Warpula, Housing Manager, Ecumen of Litchfield