The Culture of Participation – An Interview with Wayne Lindholm

By Liz Giel

This month’s MN AMA meeting will address the topic of organizational leadership and development. With this event on the horizon, I sought the opportunity to interview one of the guest speakers, Wayne Lindholm, President of the Scanlon Leadership Network. He was kind enough to answer a few questions and give our readers an idea of what the discussion will have in store.

How do Scanlon's practices differ from and/or compare to other organizational Development practices?

Traditional Organizational Development processes tend to be initiated and driven by leadership. For example, they tend to be top-down approaches where management owns the culture. The Scanlon EPIC Leadership Principles, while initiated by top leadership, is driven by cross-functional teams of employees. Implementing Scanlon EPIC Leadership Principles is a bottom-up approach with the end result being the employees owning the culture.

What can participants expect to take away from your session?

Participants will take away an understanding of Scanlon EPIC Leadership Principles and how any organization is positively and substantially changed for the better by applying these time-tested principles. They will experience a case study of how one organization, Landscape Forms, has successfully applied Scanlon EPIC Principles for over 20 years and created a highly energized and fully engaged organization that not only survives but also thrives!

How will your session benefit marketing professionals and their department(s)?

Our presenter from Landscape Forms, Richard Heriford, will show participants how embracing Scanlon Principles and developing a culture of participation and engagement helps them deliver consistent high end results to their customers and markets served, reward all employees for their positive contributions, and deliver outstanding results to their investors. In short, Richard will demonstrate how a positive people culture supports everything Landscape Forms does and how they continue to be recognized and rewarded by the market for how they tie it all together to create success for everyone.

Can you offer a teaser on the EPIC principles you will discuss during the session?

If you asked yourself "What day is it?" at your organization, would you know how to answer that question? I will share the meaning behind that important question and how anyone in an organization practicing Scanlon EPIC Leadership Principles has no problem sharing the answer with anyone.

For more information on the June Monthly Meeting, please visit the MN AMA website. To register for the event on June 9, click here.