What is black and white and read all over the world?
As I write this blog, I’m reflecting on spending several days recently at United Way of America’s Staff Leaders Conference held in Detroit, Michigan. With 1400 individuals from large and small community United Way organizations across the US (and several from other countries,) it was a time to convene and leverage best practices, experience camaraderie and learning with peers, and to share how we can change things for the better in tough economic times when we put our energy into programs that impact education, income and health.
I have a long list of learning moments and a shorter list of nuggets and a-ha’s that came back with me from time in the Big D. For the Millennials and Gen X’ers out there I will share them here in a format of my 10 random thoughts on the SLC experience…
1. Detroit is a really beautiful river (I think it was a river) city that looks over at Windsor Canada.
2. Arne Duncan, our US Secretary of Education,
is an amazing advocate for education who has many great ideas on how to strengthen schools and communities.
3. Eli Lilly, Kellogg, Wells Fargo and General Mills walk the walk and talk the talk when it comes to caring about the community and advancing the common good in their workplace and the world …kudos for Spirit of America award winners
4. We need to LEAN IN to our work during these times and be proactive about speaking up, creating change, and inviting others to join the work and make a difference
5. The high school drop out rate in Detroit is currently over 70% … so alarming!
6. You can more successfully bridge generational gaps when you understand the unique perspectives and differences between the four generations and how this also plays out in how and why different generations give of their time and resources
7. United Way has worked with the American Human Development Project to develop a tool called the Common Good Forecaster™ which will empower our communities across the nation to track our progress in areas of health, education and standards of living.
8. To get around you can catch the People Mover which is remarkably running very low on people in Detroit right now due to the extremely depressed business environment they are experiencing
9. Chris Gardner’s the real deal when it comes to a motivational and authentic speaker
10. Black T shirts with white LIVE UNITED lettering are eye-catching and you don’t just want to wear the shirt…you live it!
As you know, at Metro United Way we work to create the most vital caring community. It takes all of us doing our part to connect to friends, family, neighbors, and the world - to make sure we create opportunities for a better life for all. You ready to lean in and make a difference?
