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Summit
Learning Day
Keynote Address
BY
NAJA WILLIAMSON AND LAURIE SEARLE
Ann
Wilson Cramer, director of IBM Community Relations and Public Affairs,
shared her passion and perspectives from her lifelong journey supporting
children and youth.
"Thank
you for being willing to stand firm and to realize that our job
is to knit together a tapestry of support that builds strong families
in our communities," said Cramer. "As we chart our course
to move ahead, we must continue to focus on our vision, the reality
of the situation, and the challenges for what lies ahead."
Vision
Cramer introduced Victor Vroom's expectancy theory to illustrate
the power of vision. We create expectations about future events,
and if we know how to get there and we believe we can 'make the
difference' then this will motivate us to act to make this future
come true.
Reality
Cramer acknowledged that collaboration isn't easy, but if we
think in terms of "co-labor" we can accomplish more. Five keys to
successful collaboration are mutually planned goals, mutual commitment,
mutual investment, mutual accountability, and mutual results. She
challenged the collaboratives to "extend their hands" to more partners-partners
who can commit resources, time, and money to the important work
of strengthening families and communities.
Future
Challenges
Cramer illustrated the power of a network to accept future challenges
by describing the roots of redwood trees. Redwoods have broad, shallow
roots. Alone these roots are inadequate to support the massive trunk.
When redwoods are planted together, their shallow roots weave together,
strengthening the trees to weather the toughest storms. Like the
great redwoods, the Family Connection network gains its strength
from its 3,000 partners working together.
Listen
to Ann Cramer's complete keynote address.
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