UT System Strategic Planning

The UT System Steering Committee met recently to continue the strategic planning process. We are focusing on four goals for the university. It should come as no surprise that three of them are focused on teaching, research and service. The fourth goal is focused on how we can be successful as an organization.

Shortly the consulting firm will wrap up its "listening" session and will release a report on the themes that emerged during the process. The IPS leadersip team will paticipate in the process during its December leadership team meeting.

We will also release a new mission statement for the UT system. This is an exciting process and I encourage you to monitor it be visiting the planning web site.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

We are blessed to be a part of a great university. We have a great deal of latitude to provide the type of services that our customers need.

We are blessed to be a part of a great state whose economy is improving. Salary increases were appreciated this year.

We are blessed to be a part of a great country. On Veteran's Day we said thank you to the men and women who serve, and have served, our great nation. It is because of them that we enjoy the freedoms granted to us.

Please enjoy this holiday season and be safe.

Lean Forum

November 15th the Naifeh Center hosted a Lean Forum in Nashville. More than 50 individuals participated in this day-long session learning not only the principles of lean government, but also hearing about practical applications of the principles.

One state agency improved a process from 120 days to 6 days. Another improved a nearly year-long process to just a few months. This stuff really works!

My caution is always to make sure we are "leaning" something that we ought be doing. There are times when we could actually STOP doing something all together!

Thanks to CIS' Keith Groves for leading part of the day. Congratulations to Tom Kohntopp and Macel Ely for a successful event.

CIS Advisory Committee

Paul Jennings recently hosted the quarterly meeting of his advisory committee. Two long-serving members, Chris Combs of DCS Electronics in Maryville and Tom Ballard of ORNL, rotated off the council. We appreciate their many years of contributions to CIS and wish them well in the future.

Roy Bell, President of Ace Pump Corporation in Memphis, became chair of the council when Chris Combs rotated off the council. Chris had served as chair for a decade.

Several new members joined the board including Mike Brennan who is the Operations Director of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Knoxville and Kelvin Smalley who is General Manager of Aerojet Ordinance in Jonesborough.

The advisory committee reviewed the draft strategic plan and provided a wealth of information and suggestions for Paul and his staff to consider as they plan for the future. It was a very successful meeting and is a great way to stay connected with our customers.

Local Government Leadership Program

The Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership recently hosted the 2011 Local Government Leadership Program (LGLP). More than 40 local government leaders from across the state spent two days in Knoxville. The real benefit of the program is the networking that occurs, but participants also benefited from outstanding speakers on topics ranging from personal leadership to leading in a political environment.

Immediately following the LGLP event, the center hosted an LGLP Alumni event. We've been conducting LGLP since 1990 and a large number of those leaders remain in office. This annual reunion event gives the participants a chance to renew and reflect, as well as network.

Congratulations to Tom Kohntopp and Macel Ely for these two successful events. And, special thanks to all the consultants who helped recruit participants to the classes.

Goings On

I have been busy with a wide variety of activities during the last few weeks.

Monday, October 24 several staff participated in the Women's Economic Summit in Nashville. This annual one-day meeting focuses on issues that affect women in business. Awards are given to women who have made achievements helping other women. Two former (or current) CIS customers received awards: Carolyn Hardy who recently sold her bottling company in Memphis and Cordia Harrington, the president of The Bun Company, a Nashville based firm. Congratulations to these outstanding women.

Tuesday, October 25 Donna Kelly and I co-hosted a group of congressional staffers at the Outdoor Anthropological Research Facility (aka The Body Farm). Faculty from the anthropology department conducted a tour of the new Bass Building and the research facility. We have received tremendous federal funding for our law enforcement programs and look forward to a continued good relationship with this group.

Wednesday, October 26 I participated in the Compensation Advisory Board. The board heard presentations from each campus and institute on their Employer of Choice model and their market analysis. More to come on these two issues in a separate post. Suffice it to say, IPS is well ahead of many parts of the university in our planning and implementation of best practices.

Thursday and Friday of the same week the UT Bord of Trustees met on the Knoxville campus. Marty Spears is the new IPS representative on the Research, Outreach and Economic Development Committee of the board. Many issues were discussed during the board meeting, but the primary item that impacts IPS is the approval of our FY2013 budget request to THEC.

This is just a sample of the many activities occurring across the university that affect IPS.

Employee Engagement Survey

ModernThink is conducting a survey of all UT employees on behalf of the university. You should have already received log on information. If not, please let Judie Martin know. The survey should take no more than 20 minutes.

Please take time to provide this very important feedback. Thanks!

MTAS Advisory Committee

MTAS recently held an advisory committee meeting at Fall Creek Falls State Park. Representatives from cities and functional areas from across the state were very engaged in the meeting. It is a great opportunity for me to hear directly from our customers - and I can promise you this group is not shy!

A significant outcome from the meeting was a SWOT analysis of MTAS from the customer point of view. This is part of the strategic planning process that all agencies are conducting right now. MTAS leadership now has some great information to use as we set the course for the next decade.

Great meeting!

Welcome Jim Thomas

Welcome to IPS new MTAS Assistant Director Jim Thomas!

Jim comes to us from the City of Goodlettsville after also having served on the MTAS advisory committee for a number of years. Jim was also president of the UT National Alumni Association.

We are excited for Jim to join the IPS family.