CorePurpose - Joan Koerber-Walker's Blog

Welcome!

We're so glad you found us at here at the CorePurpose Blog. 

Joan is the Chairman of the Board and founder of CorePurpose, Inc. and serves as President and CEO of AZBio, The Arizona Bioindustry Association and Chairman of OTEF, the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation.  As a business and community leader, she sees lots of really cool stuff and shares it here. 

Look around to find an eclectic mix of ideas and stories  on Innovation, Leadership and Growth.  As well as topics like Embracing Change, Getting Back to Basics and of course a little Real World Inspiration.  

Want to talk to Joan?  Send her a note and she'll actually call you back! 

The Power of a Support Team

The day after your last In The Loop, I boarded a plane to Michigan to join my family in preparation for my Dad’s open heart surgery.  At age 74 he was going into the U of M Cardiovascular Center for on overhaul of the quadruple bypass he had received 22 years before.  This time if was going to be a bit more complex with both the Aortic and Mitral valves severely compromised.  After several days of preparation, on Monday, January 9th at 5:30 AM, the teams assembled.  The operating team was led by Himanshu J. Patel, M.D., a specialist in surgery for thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic disease, and surgery for valvular and aortic root disease and a host of pre-op, surgical, and post-op specialists.  The support team was led by my Mom who had corralled family and friends for support and prayers. 

The Expected and the Unexpected

Spreading the Word on the SBIR STTR Race to the Finish Line

Few government programs make a bigger impact on keeping the United States at the forefront of innovation and technology of all kinds than the SBIR/STTR program.

A heat in the race for SBIR/STTR reauthorization was including in it in the Continuing Resolution (CR) that funded the Federal Government through December 16th, The Senate has now included the SBIR/STTR reauthorization in the Senate Defense Bill that passed yesterday by a vote of 93-7. The Bill also authorizes money for military personnel, weapons systems, national security programs in the Energy Department, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Chair, Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, made the following comments following the Senate's unanimous vote in favor of Amendment 1115 to the National Defense Authorization bill. The amendment would reauthorize the Small Business innovation and Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs for another eight years.

"Tonight, we are closer than we've ever been on achieving a long-term reauthorization for the SBIR and STTR programs," Senator Landrieu said. "My Senate colleagues and I have been working all year to get this done and, with this vote, the Senate has set politics aside and given our support to small business and innovation. This amendment not only keeps these programs alive, it also gives them stability and I thank Senators Levin and McCain for their help in getting tonight's vote. I am hopeful our counterparts in the House will work with us to bring this to the President's desk immediately so that we can continue to keep our nation on the forefront of defense technology and scientific innovation." The amendment, which passed by unanimous voice vote, provides for a long-term extension of SBIR and STTR programs through 2019.

(Source: Congressional Documents and Publications/ContentWorks via COMTEX and Green Technolgy News.)

 

Enacted by Congress in 1982, the SBIR program is the largest federal research and development program for small businesses and one of the largest examples of U.S. public-private partnerships. The program allows small businesses to compete for a portion of federal research dollars in order to help the agencies meet their many missions. By including small businesses in the nation's R&D efforts, SBIR grants and contracts are intended to stimulate innovative solutions to help the agencies meet specific research and development needs, from areas of health and environment to national defense and agriculture, and move the ideas from lab to market, whether for the government or commercial purposes.

Below is a message Senator Landrieu sent (via press release) to the SBIR/STTR community.

[----beginning of letter ----]

From: Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Chair, Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Subject: Spread the Word: SBIR/STTR One Step Closer to Finish Line

Date: December 1, 2011

Dear SBIR/STTR Advocates, This week, by a unanimous voice vote, the Senate amended the National Defense Authorization bill to include a reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs for another eight years giving small businesses confidence that the program is going to go on. Prior to this vote, Congress had passed 14 temporary extensions of the SBIR and STTR programs since 2008. Unfortunately, the fight is not over.

There is one more hurdle to jump over to make it to the finish line. We must make sure our colleagues on the House side do not strip this crucial legislation as with years past. You may think this bill will easily pass the House with bipartisan support given the overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate and broad support from groups such as the National Small Business Association, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the U.S Chamber of Commerce and BIO. The Senate version has the most support and we hope the House will join us in getting a long-term SBIR/STTR reauthorization across the finish line.

Please call your Member of the House and urge them to speak to their colleagues who will be involved in these negotiations to reach a compromise before the National Defense bill is sent to the President.

We must stress the importance of this legislation; we must make sure they understand the necessity of these programs to keep our nation on the forefront of defense technology and scientific innovation. You can read more about this wonderful news below.

All the best,

[Mary L. Landrieu]

Did you know?

• This reauthorizes the programs for 8 years.
• The amendment increases the SBIR program allocation by one percent, from 2.5 to 3.5 percent, over ten years, and increases the STTR program allocation from .3 percent to .6 percent over six years.
• It makes firms majority owned and controlled by multiple venture capital firms eligible for up to 25 percent of the SBIR funds at NIH, NSF and DoE and up to 15 percent of the funds at the other eight agencies. The authority is in effect for five years, as modified by Sen. McCain.
• 3 percent of the SBIR allocation will go to administrative, oversight and processing costs if there is an allocation increase.
• The amendment increases the award guidelines for SBIR and STTR awards from $100,000 to $150,000 for Phase I and from $750,000 to $1 million for Phase II, allowing for one sequential Phase II.

[---- end of letter ----]

For more information on the SBIR/STTR program and the journey that has taken us to this point, read http://www.azbio.org/small-business-innovation-and-the-importance-of-the-sbir-and-sttr

Want to contact your member of Congress and share your viewpoint on the SBIR/STTR reauthorization?

The following website makes it easy. www.ContactingTheCongress.org

Sources: A/P, Senator Mary L. Landieu (press release), Rick Shindell (SBIR Insider) , Green Technolgy News.)

About the Author:

Joan Koerber-Walker, MBA is Chairman of CorePurpose, Inc. and the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation. She serves as the president and ceo of AZBIO – The Arizona BioIndustry Association.

About AZBio: The statewide voice for Arizona’s bioscience industry, AZBio is dedicated to ensuring that Arizona bioscience companies have the resources, connections and economic environment they need to keep moving forward faster. AZBio efforts monitor, educate, and inform the community on key issues at the national level and key initiatives here in Arizona.

To learn more about the accelerating growth of Arizona’s bioscience industry visit: AZBio: www.AZBIO.org www.AZBioExpo.com Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap: www.flinn.org Arizona Bioscience 101: www.arizonabiobasics.com Arizona Bioscience on Twitter: @BiozonaNews, @AZBio, @AZBioCEO, @ASUBiodesign, @BIO5

 

Technorati Tags: SBIR STTR Reauthorization 2011,JoMcCain,Senator Mary Landrieu,Innovation and Growth,AZBio,Arizona BioIndustry

‘Super committee’ could put bioscience industry growth and innovation at risk…hopefully they won’t!

Washington's support is critical in protecting the only sector that demonstrated job gains, in Arizona and in Tucson in 2010." 

Last week I had the opportunity to share my opinion on some of the key decisions that the Super Committee is grappling with that could have a lasting impact on our community and our state.  Southern Arizona and especially Tucson is leading in bringing life changing innovation to the world.  This is what I shared as seen in  Inside Tucson Business

“Next Wednesday, Nov. 23, is the deadline when the Congressional "super committee" is supposed to present its cohesive cost-savings plan. This 12-member panel, among them Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., has been grappling with the monumental task of slashing $1.5 trillion from the federal budget for months.

What's more obscure, however, is that achieving this task could forever change the bioscience sector in Tucson. Talk of program cuts in an effort to ascend to the trillion-dollar-savings-mark has placed programs like Medicare and Medicare Part D at risk. An outcome that would be a serious set back to the bio industry in our state while hindering patient care and healthcare innovation.

Small Business, Innovation, and the Importance of Long Term SBIR and STTR Reauthorization NOW

 

At times like these, when the need for innovation, is greater than ever, the SBIR and STTR Programs hold the keys to the growth of new and innovative products in the U.S. small business sector.  Funding through SBIR and STTR awards provides critical support for new discoveries in both the small business and university research communities across 11 key Federal Agencies and unlocks the vault to bring out new innovations right here at home.

Technorati Tags: Innovation and Growth,SBIR STTR Reauthorization 2011,Economic Recovery,AZBio,OTEF,Joan Koerber-Walker,CorePurpose

Want To Move Forward Faster? Activate The Collaborative Gene

Arizona biosciences sector demonstrates how to accelerate innovation and job growth and offers insight on how Washington can keep things moving forward faster by activating its “collaborative gene.”

By Joan Koerber-Walker, President and CEO, AZBio – The Arizona BioIndustry Association and Chairman of CorePurpose, Inc.

These days tales of economic vitality are few and far between making Arizona’s bioscience sector an inspiration to all as the nation focuses on jobs and economic recovery.

Reality and Perception: People v the State of Illusion

What is real?  What is perception?  These questions and the answers to them shape our work life, our personal life, and the world around us.  

In business, perception is the basis of our brand, the root of our strategic vision, and the foundation of our team’s commitment to achieving it. 

In life, how we perceive ourselves and others shapes our decisions, our relationships and our ability to succeed. 

Last week I ran into an old friend who has been helping bridge the gap between reality and perception for a number of years as both a trial lawyer and later as an advisor to some of the worlds largest and most successful corporations.  We chatted about his newest project, a film that illustrates the importance of answering these questions.

Making your mark on the wall

I spend a quite a bit of my time with with innovators and entrepreneurs these days.  As CEO of the Arizona BioIndustry Association or AZBio as we say, I get to connect with teams that are researching and developing products for a better world… Sustainable Health (and health care) , more plentiful food, greener energy… pretty heady stuff.  My job’s not nearly as sexy.  Here at AZBio our job is ground support, providing opportunities for them to connect and engage with each other, pulling together educational and support resources and sharing their stories.  Our job is not to change the world.  Our job at AZBIO is to support them so that they can.

 

An Andertoons Cartoon

Brand, Reputation, and Delusion

If you are working on growing your business, you can expect to hear talk about the importance of building a brand.  There are branding companies, branding consultants, branding experts, branding strategists, and so on and so on.  All of them want to help you grow your business by creating a brand presence in the mind of your current and future customers.

See more Office Cartoons

Sometimes you need that extra edge

Whether you are a beginner or a pro, when it comes to winning in the innovation game, sometimes you need that extra edge.

 

Andertoons Sales Cartoons

Most  innovators can tell you that success is tied to a number of factors.  When they come together in the right order and with the right combinations, it can lead to a winning run.  It’s a bit like a game of pool. 

You need a good break

In the game of pool, the "break" occurs when the player shoots into the racked balls to start the pool game. This break causes the balls to disperse all around the table where they may be shot at and pocketed.

In the innovation game, you may need to exert a bit a force to reorder things.  The form of our business may be shaped by process, procedure and institutional knowledge that says that this is the way we have always done it so this is the way it is done.  Sometimes it takes a a bit of applied energy to break up that old thinking and spread things out so that you can make room for new opportunities.

Scope out ALL your aim spots.

The "aim spot" is the exact spot where the cue tip contacts the cue ball or where the cue ball connects with the object ball to send it sailing towards the pocket.

Knowing where to apply your energy to effect forward movement is an art.  The best pool players know this and so do the most successful innovators.  Your first point of impact is critical.  Scanning the various opportunities spread out before you and then choosing the one most likely for success takes a combination of focus and strategy.  Select the one that is best positioned to get to that first success point while also positioning yourself for the follow up shot.  Then focus in on your first action, identify exactly where you need to apply your impact. 

Be sure to call your shot

To "call" your shot means to verbally announce which ball you are shooting for and where you plan to pocket it.

In pool, if your don’t call your shot, the point does not count. In business we ‘call our shot’ by letting the team know the who-what-where-and why of our strategy.  If we don’t call it clearly, the team’s efforts are scattered and the impact is lessened.  Lack of a clearly stated direction can have your team bouncing all over the place and missing out on new opportunities or missing what you are shooting for completely.

Reach Farther

The "bridge" is where the shaft of the cue stick is rested on and where it slides when taking a shot. This bridge may either be the "bridge hand", or the "bridge stick", which is used when a longer reach is needed to access the cue ball.

Sometimes the shot you need is outside your personal reach.  You need a tool or a “hand” to line things up.  This may be an advisor, an investor or a strategic partner.  Whatever resource you need... use it.  Many a shot was missed when we fail to use the tools and resources at our disposal.  True innovation makes it better for all of your key constituencies – employees, customers, partners, and investors.  Bring them into the mix early and work in combination. 

Master the Art of the Combination

A "combination" is where the cue ball hits one object ball into another, with the intent of sinking one of the object balls.

Innovation rarely occurs as a single event or action.  Normally it is a chain where one change can affect multiple results.  Look for all the possible applications your innovation can apply to.  Don’t limit yourself to only one.  Equally important, combine your energies with other strategic partners who can also benefit.  Use their reach and energy to move the game forward faster.

Take advantage of your edge

Innovation can give you that extra edge..but knowing how to execute will give you a chance to run the table.  So rack up those new ideas, line up your shot and get in the game.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay tuned…

Joan Koerber-Walker

Joan Koerber-Walker is President and CEO of AZBio, the Arizona BioIndustry Association. A two time Stevie Award National Finalist and former Fortune 500 executive, she is also the Chairman of the Board of CorePurpose, Inc. and the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation and serves as Executive in Residence for Callaman Ventures. As the former CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association and a past member of the Board of Trustees of the National Small Business Association in Washington, D.C. Joan has worked with hundreds of small businesses and on behalf of thousands in these roles. Chat with her on Twitter as @AZBioCEO @joankw, @JKWgrowth, @JKWinnovation, @JKWleadership and @CorePurpose or at her blog at www.JoanKoerber-Walker.com.

 

Technorati Tags: innovation,business,business strategy,Joan Koerber-Walker,CorePurpose

Leaders, get ready to lock and load

Leaders wear many hats.  Good ones are visionaries, coaches, cheerleaders and trailblazers.  Yet when times get tough or change happens, the chief role of a leader becomes that of a trouble shooter with the responsibility for preparing the team for immediate action.  As they say in the movies…It’s time to lock and load.

 

See more Technology Cartoons

 

The phrase “lock and load” has its origins in times of battle and whichever origin you choose to believe, it describes a combination of the resources and process you need to follow to successfully hit your target. 

As leaders (and troubleshooters), what are the resources and processes we need to follow if we are top successfully hit our targets in times of change?              

Know your target

The first  step in the process is to clearly define what our target is by answering questions like... 

• What does success look like?
• How long do we have before we can realistically get there?
• What happens if we do not reach out goal?
• What resources do we need to have if we are to  prevent that from happening?
• How do we best obtain and deploy those resources?

Provision your team

One of the worst things we can do as leaders is to fail to provision our team adequately.  Without the right manpower and ammunition, you are sending your trouble shooters on a suicide mission.  They can’t succeed and they know it.  This will rapidly erode both morale and commitment to reaching the ultimate goal in all but the most extreme of cases. 

As leaders, our responsibility is to get our team what they need by providing those resources either directly or through partnerships with others who have a shared belief in reaching our goal.  Equally important, as leaders, we need to clear the path for the team, removing obstacles or other blocks created by process or conflicts that get in their way so that they have a clear line of sight and an unobstructed path to the targeted goals.

Lock

Following the plan that you and your team have developed, lock it in.  In this age of technology, there are lots of tools available that allow you to post your plan and track your progress in a way that makes it easy for everyone to see where we are and where we need to get to.  One that I am currently using is TeamBox.  By outlining and updating our projects, tasks, and assignments online for everyone on the project to see, we can quickly identify what is getting done and what has yet to be accomplished.  Built-in communications tools allow the team to share what’s working and what needs more support or resources.  As the team leader, I can monitor where things are able to move forward cleanly and quickly as well as where things are or are likely to get jammed up or cause a misfire in our project plan and may need a little leadership grease. 

Load

You have your team in position and the resources are in their hands.  If you have done your job, you have set a clear line of sign to the targeted goals through both planning and process. At this point you have your manpower and your ammo.  It’s time to load up and get ready for immediate action. Get out of the way so they can…

Move Forward and Fire!

Our plans may lay out that we proceed slowly with caution or with a burst of forward movement, but either way, moving forward is essential. Once we have given them the ability to lock and load, our job as leaders is to ensure that they continue to have the support, the resources and the reinforcements they may need on their journey to the goal.  Whether we are shooting for a local goal or leading a global initiative, our job as leaders is to make sure that they have what they need to get there and then be there to celebrate their success when they reach it.

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned…

Joan Koerber-Walker

Joan Koerber-Walker is President and CEO of AZBio, the Arizona BioIndustry Association.  A two time Stevie Award National Finalist and former Fortune 500 executive, she is also the  Chairman of the Board of CorePurpose, Inc. and the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation and serves as Executive in Residence for Callaman Ventures.  As the former CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association and a past member of the Board of Trustees of the National Small Business Association in Washington, D.C. Joan has worked with hundreds of small businesses and on behalf of thousands in these roles.  Chat with her on Twitter as @AZbioCEO @joankw, @JKWgrowth, @JKWinnovation, @JKWleadership and @CorePurpose or at her blog at www.JoanKoerber-Walker.com.

Your Opportunity to Join Joan

On Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 10:30 AM  Eastern/7:30 AM Pacific, you can join Joan as she chats with Zane Safrit on Blog Talk Radio.  For information on how to listen live or to tune in to the  replay after the show, click here.

Technorati Tags: Joan Koerber-Walker,CorePurpose,AZBio,Leadership,Lock and Load,Setting goals,acheiveing goals,Business Tips,Business Strategy,planning for action,Zane Safrit,Blog Talk Radio