As we enjoy the season between Thanksgiving and the start of the new year, The Lee Institute joins in the warm spirit of reflection and gratitude by celebrating a remarkable 2014 in our world:

Statewide Service

This year produced a major expansion in our statewide project work, serving clients including Arts North Carolina, the Parkinson Association of the Carolinas, the Lupus Foundation of America (North Carolina Chapter) and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (North Carolina Chapter). We were honored to traverse Charlotte and the state to serve them and their supporters.

Community Voices

In 2014, a primary focus of our work was on facilitating and supporting community task forces tackling some of the region's most important issues. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Cultural Life Task Force completed its work in June, and the Third Grade Reading Action Team finalized its work in early fall.   The Economic Development Task Force's work is ongoing, and we continue to plan for the early 2015 launch of the Task Force on Economic Opportunity. In each of these projects, we assist community leaders committed to creating a more vibrant, inclusive, globally competitive Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

Diversity

This year brought new projects in an increasing wide variety of fields, particularly health, the environment, urban planning and transportation, arts and culture, and literacy. From the individualized tutoring support of Augustine Literacy Project to the 60,000 residents served by the Stanly County Board of Commissioners, and from the 65-person Community Cycling Dialogue hosted by the Knight Foundation to the 8,000 people engaged in the CONNECT Our Future initiative, our clients worked on both intimate and expansive scales and on issues that touched every corner of our region.

We are immensely fortunate to have had an inspiring and fascinating 2014 serving more than 40 community clients. From the entire Lee Institute team, we offer you our wishes for a beautiful holiday season and a new year filled with family, friends and the causes and organizations that inspire you. 

Project Spotlight - Arts North Carolina

Sarah Hejma Fargusson, Associate Director and Research Manager

For the past six months, The Lee Institute has been delighted to support Arts North Carolina in the development of a new strategic plan as they focus on the future of this critically important statewide advocacy organization for the arts.

In June, a ten-member Strategic Planning Committee met to begin crafting a new mission, vision and strategic framework for the organization over the next three years. As part of this process, it was essential for Arts North Carolina to hear from their members and key stakeholders in order to assess their perception, strengths and challenges. The Lee Institute conducted two separate surveys -- one with Arts North Carolina Board Members and another with the chief executives of its Member Organizations - to hear about the organization's future from a variety of different perspectives. To supplement these results, Strategic Planning Committee members interviewed more than a dozen external stakeholders, including peer arts advocacy organizations, elected officials, funders and North Carolina arts and civic leaders.

The Lee Institute facilitated three work sessions for the Committee, in which they developed new mission and vision statements and five key strategic goals. The recommended mission, vision and goals were presented to the full Board at their day-long retreat in Charlotte in late October. The Board unanimously supported the Committee's recommendations and praised its work, which it then built upon by drafting practical strategies to achieve each of the goals that will drive Arts North Carolina's future growth and success. 

We applaud the Arts North Carolina Strategic Planning Committee and the full board of directors for creating a dynamic, ambitious strategic plan in a collaborative, inclusive way.  We look forward to watching this energized statewide group implement the new plan and provide even greater value for the North Carolina arts community.  

What We Are Learning - Your Authentic Style

Chrystal Joy, Director

The Lee Institute believes that investing in the development of individuals and teams is essential to strengthening any organization, including our own. Recently, Sarah Hejma Fargusson (Associate Director and Research Manager) and I had the opportunity to participate in a communications training session held in Charlotte and led by Lou Solomon.

Lou Solomon is a friend, colleague, and founder of Interact, a firm that specializes in making Fortune 500 CEOs, managers, entrepreneurs and other individuals better communicators by drawing out their authentic styles. Lou and her team offer a two-day course, open to the public several times a year, based on Interact's acclaimed knowledge on how to build confidence, command and charisma in your own style of communication.

The class, called "Your Authentic Style™" or YAS, focuses on helping each participant utilize his or her unique speaking style. Interact's instructors believe that while many things can be learned, honing your natural strengths is the most effective way to become a better speaker. Lou shared a few surprising statistics with our class:

What conveys attitude and sincerity:  7% your words, or what we say + 38% vocal tone and inflection, or how we say it + 55% visual cues

(eyes, smile, facial expression, and body language).

These statistics illustrate that the success of speaking to a group, giving a presentation, or facilitating a difficult conversation begins with how you show up in front of the room.

To emphasize this point, the Interact method consists of video-taping participants during a number of brief conversational presentations over two days to help individuals focus on their strengths and practice the lessons learned during the course.  Using video-taped recordings of these presentations, participants see how their presence in the room changes, helping them  better identify and utilize individual strengths.  This, combined with feedback from other participants and instructors, helps to create a dynamic speaking style unique to each person. Sarah and I look forward to continuing to hone our own authentic speaking styles as we serve the Lee Institute's clients and our community.

For more information about Interact and "Your Authentic Style™", please visit: www.interactauthentically.com   

Duke Mansion

New Year's Eve Celebration