Greetings! Have you ever heard the saying, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast?" We know this means that even an organization with a well-developed strategic plan should not underestimate the importance of its greatest asset - its workers. A few weeks ago, the team at UWNCFL came together for some staff development and took a closer look at our workplace environment. We all shared the details of our individualized behavior assessments, otherwise known as DISC analysis reports. In plain English, the DISC is not a personality test like the Myers-Briggs but rather, a snapshot of how individual behaviors mix (or don't mix) in the workplace. There are only four birds - the Eagle (think: Type A), the Parrot (visionary and social), the Dove (a true team player, sometimes at his/her own peril) and the Owl (the conscientious steward of finances and lover of details). Each staff person completed the DISC and in the end, it painted a vibrant picture of who we are as a team and what our most valuable contributions are as individuals. The whole point of the exercise (other than the pure entertainment of knowing how to irritate a colleague) was to help us develop as a high-performing culture that supports our commitment to accountability, transparency and mobilizing the caring power of the community. We learned a lot about each other, and about how we can make improvements to do what we do even better. Since I like mystery, I won't share what our predominate culture is (hint: it is definitely a bird that surprised many). If you think you know, click on the survey link below or check for the survey on our Facebook and Twitter pages! We'll share the results in the next e-newsletter!

Thank you for #LivingUnited!

Deborah V. Bowie, CCE, IOM

President & Chief Executive Officer