Faith in the Process

This week, Midwestern University's President and CEO Dr. Kathleen Goeppinger held one of her recurring Town Hall meetings on the Glendale Campus.

I have mentioned before about how much I like these get-togethers when they happen, mostly because Dr. G is so open and willing to engage no matter what the question might be.

What struck me this time, however, was the way Dr. G outlined the meticulous process that the Midwestern University administration team applies to new undertakings. In this case, she spoke both of a potential future project and one that is already in development. The latter, a significant investment for the University involving the construction of a multi-story multispecialty healthcare clinic to support the students, faculty, and community of the Downers Grove campus, is something I'm familiar with because of my own work with the Glendale-based Midwestern University clinics.

What has always impressed me about Dr. G and the admin team is how careful they are to make sure that due diligence is done at all stages of project development. In each case, Midwestern University's administration team undertakes a painstaking accounting for every possible expended resource and ensures that other programs within the school's infrastructure are not affected by them. This is true whether the project is still in the information-gathering stage or if, like the Downers Grove clinic, the project is already in the construction and development phase.

The upshot is that when Dr. G describes what the administration team is doing about these projects, you believe her when she says they do not advance capriciously or without forethought. Even better, if you do perchance have doubts or concerns about these processes, Dr. G actively solicits the expression of those concerns so that she can help resolve them.

Invariably, I come away from these Town Halls with tremendous faith in the administration team and the board of directors. I have plenty of experience dealing with executives who pay lip service to engagement and transparency, so working with people who actually believe in these principles - no matter where you are in the pecking order - is continually refreshing.

When a community has true faith in the processes by which it grows, success usually follows.