What A Fine Day!
Greetings!
What a fine January day, other than for those who wished, hoped, implored, and maybe screamed at the Vikings to get it done (spoiler alert!). If, on the other hand, you were rooting for an all-East Coast Super Bowl, you’re feeling pretty good. The Vikings will go back to work today and get it figured out for next year.
Like them, we’re back to business as usual here at the CoBPA, and this semester promises great things in the classroom and throughout the College. In the last week, right outside my door, I’ve seen and met students from some of our 30 or so student organizations, eagerly recruiting new members. How cool is that? It suggests a spirit of continuous renewal and improvement.
And whichever was your team (if you follow football, that is), it reminds us that the spirit and process of continuous improvement is incredibly important to business and organizational success. Recent articles in the Harvard Business Review explain the importance of inspiring team members to improve customer value by appealing to their sense of organizational mission and tying improvement to both organizational and personal interests – what motivates you, and how it helps the mission of your organization.
And, an important part of continuous improvement is asking questions about whether processes should be improved, eliminated, or disrupted, and being sure to take a multi-pronged approach to inspiring changes within company or organizational culture.
Whether you’re in the classroom or on the field, at the start of a semester or the unwished-for end of a long season, it’s never too early or too late to keep learning!
Still, if you’re a Vikings fan, maybe this doesn’t feel like much consolation right now!
Best,
Steve
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Steve Light, Ph.D.
Interim Dean, College of Business & Public Administration
Professor of Political Science & Public Administration
Co-Director, Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law & Policy
University of North Dakota
293 Centennial Drive Stop 8098
Grand Forks, ND 58202-8098
(O) 701.777.6871 | (D) 701.777.5963
steven.light@UND.edu | http://business.und.edu/
