CorePurpose - Joan Koerber-Walker's Blog

The Best Support is Bidirectional

As I go about my day, I wear a hat or two or three.  I’m a Mom, a wife, a non-profit executive, a CEO, a board member, an investor and a few other things.  Across them all, it it all ties back to one thing.  I need the help and support of others to get the job done.  This week, at one of my many meetings, a fellow board member shared a thought that has really stayed with me.  “We need to provide value BEFORE we ask for support.”   As I have continued through my week, that message kept coming back to me. 

 

An Andertoons Cartoon

 

This weekend, a carton by Mark Anderson brought it top of mind again.  Support has to be bidirectional and not a one way street. 

Support takes many forms: time, investment, donation and talent.  In the non profit world we often view support as a combination of the Time, Treasury, and Talent.  In the for profit world we need the same things, we just look at them in terms of growth capital and human capital. 

Support goes both ways…

As Entrepreneurs, we need to show how our innovative new product or service will create value before we make the ask.  (At least if we want to be successful in garnering support.) When we an demonstrate the true potential for value creation, we are much more likely to succeed.

As Community Organizations (non profits serve communities not shareholders) we need to demonstrate that achieving our mission and vision will support the community and that we know what we need to do to execute on our plan and achieve our stated goals.

As Leaders, in what ever place we can be found, we need to make the time and take the time to support our people so that they in turn can support us.  

So this week…

So this week, as I go about my days running from meeting to meeting and place to place, I think I’ll focus a bit more on how we can serve and create value first and ask for support second.

As a wise friend reminded me, when you create value, you attract support …  you often don’t even have to ask for 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. she has worked with hundreds of small businesses and on behalf of thousands.  Chat with her on Twitter as @joankw, @JKWgrowth, @JKWinnovation, @JKWleadership and @CorePurpose or at her blog at www.JoanKoerber-Walker.com.

What’s Your CorePurpose? How will you achieve it?

This week, Tuesday in fact, I have my first BIG meeting as the President and CEO of AZBIO, the Arizona BioIndustry Association.  It’s probably the most important meeting we will have all year – the first phase of our strategic planning process. 

There will be other important events and meetings through out the year, but this one lays the foundation for what we will do and who we will do it for. 

You see, unlike a for-profit corporation who can choose who they serve, (customers, employees, or shareholders) our CorePurpose is clearly defined.  As a 501c6 membership association – we have one prime directive – to serve our members.  They are why we exist – thus Creating Value For Our Members Is AZ Bio's CorePurpose.

Who we are.

AZBio is a community made up of member organizations in business, research, government, and other professions involved in biosciences from across the state of Arizona and in partnership with leading organizations across the country. 

What we do. (Our Mission)

As the unified voice of the bioscience industry in Arizona, AZBio strives to make Arizona an environment where bioscience organizations can grow and succeed.  We…

• create a forum for the bioscience community to join together
• educate policy makers and the public
• advance the economic interests of individual organizations as well as the sector as a whole

How we do it. (Our Values)

• Listen to our Members
• Communicate with Policy Makers and Key Influencers
• Connect organizations and resources across the state, the country and the world
• Take Action to meet Member needs
• Measure Results

Getting Ready for the BIG meeting

Since coming on board on March 21, 2011, I have been visiting with Members (and potential members too) and listening to what they can teach me about how AZBIO can serve them better.  Sometimes it was a formal meeting  with one of our committees or groups.   Others times we got together in a less formal setting like when a friend of AZBio lent us their box at the Suns game and I got to spend the evening  learning from 11 different people from across our community including  John Hoffman of QMR. (People love to be listened to.  See how he is smiling in the picture above.)  I have a lot more learning to do.  In these early days, I have been listening to the key players on the court, our Board of Directors, incredible supporters like The Flinn Foundation and BIO and others that are close in.  Tonight, on the eve of the BIG meeting, I get to meet with many more as we host An Evening with the BioSciences at the Arizona Science Center and get the latest update on our Arizona BioScience Roadmap from Walt Plosila of Battelle. So far I have just gotten a taste, there is lots more listening to do.  With over 800 bioscience companies in Arizona, not to mention even more across our ecosystem – the people I need to listen too would overflow the US Airways Center and then some!

It’s almost time

As a leaders, we never stop listening.  But after listening comes planning and action.  That’s why Tuesday’s meeting is so BIG.  Together with AZBio’s leaders we are mapping out our plan of action for the days ahead and getting ready to execute on that plan.

We’ll be asking and answering  7 key questions to identify any critical gaps in our strategy execution processes, focus on the most important choices we must make, and understand what's at stake so we can get everyone across our ecosystem on the team.

And, through it all, we will be keeping one thing top of mind -  Creating Value For Our Members Is AZ Bio's CorePurpose.

So that’s what I have planned for this week.  What’s on your calendar?

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. she has worked with hundreds of small businesses and on behalf of thousands.  Chat with her on Twitter as @joankw, @JKWgrowth, @JKWinnovation, @JKWleadership and @CorePurpose or at her blog at www.JoanKoerber-Walker.com.

 

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Help! I’m chained to my desk!

We’ve all been there. Those times when we have so much to do that we’re just not sure how it will all get done.  Emails are pouring in.  Reports are due.  The phone won’t stop ringing.  New social media communication tools are pinging you from all sides.  A new crisis has just popped up and you have not finished dealing with the old one! Each forms a link in a chain that has you attached to your desk.  

When overload hits, it’s easy to get sucked into it.  That just makes things worse.  As it sucks you down, it slows you down… just when you need to speed up.

An Andertoons Cartoon

At times like this, your attitude and the actions you take make all the difference. 

Mark Anderson’s cartoon has the right idea.  Find the positive in the situation.  You may be overloaded because THEY need YOU.  The question is… how will you meet all those demands.  Here are a few tips that work for me. 

1. Don’t be a super hero – Let others know that you need help.  There are always tasks that can be shared so that you can focus on those high priority ones that will make the most difference.
2. Take yourself out of the game – Let people know that you are on deadline and that for the next 24 hours you will not be available but that you will get back to them.  This will give you the time and space to get stuff done and let them know why you are not responding immediately.  Our communication tools can actually help here.  Set your voicemail message, email responders and other tools  to share that you are “away” and when you will be back in touch along with an emergency contact who can be reached if it is REALLY time critical.  Folks will understand.  After all, we’ve ALL been there.
3. Make the most of seclusion - Now that you have that precious quiet time, get organized. Turn EVERYTHING off so that you have no distractions. Make a list of all your high priority items (the ones you did not share) and then rank them in order of importance. 
4. Start with #1 and get it done.  Cross it off and tackle #2, then #3, then #4 and so on. With each one you will find your sense of accomplishment and your energy coming back to you.
5. Tell them you’re back -  Once you are back in the game – let people know.  Respond to those new messages, send out an email to teammates sharing what you accomplished while you were away and re-engage.  As you are responding, don’t forget to thank them for their patience and for stepping up and watching your back while you were away.

There will always be times when we feel like we are chained to our desk.  By keeping the right attitude, taking the right action and getting the job done, we break those chains.  Soon we are free and have left a string of accomplishments behind us.  THAT is is the best way to create job security.  

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. she has worked with hundreds of small businesses and on behalf of thousands.  Chat with her on Twitter as @joankw, @JKWgrowth, @JKWinnovation, @JKWleadership and @CorePurpose or at her blog at www.JoanKoerber-Walker.com.

 

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