Chamber Academy offers training, networking

Nov. 28, 2006
By JOSEPH M. DELEON News-Post Staff
jdeleon@fredericknewspost.com

  FREDERICK — Dan Cunningham described what a dowdy hedgehog has over a cunning fox at a recent leadership seminar. A fox's wit is no match for the one thing a hedgehog can do well — roll into a protective ball.
     “What can we learn from the hedgehog?” he asked about 25 people attending the seminar. “It's not to be the best at one thing. It is an understanding of what you can be the best at within your business.”
     Mr. Cunningham, deputy superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools, based the leadership seminar on the book “Good to Great,” by Jim Collins.
     In it, Mr. Collins uncovers what 11 of the most successful Fortune 500 businesses did to make significant improvement in their already aboveaverage performance. While some critics argue Mr. Collins' findings are quick fixes that ignore risk analysis, the book remains on best seller lists more than five years after publication.
     The 320-page book about making good businesses better inspired the participants to gather last week at Frederick Community College for the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce's first training series — the Chamber Academy.
     It marked the chamber's start of quarterly seminars on topics, such as leadership development, marketing and sales, designed to help participants increase business. The seminars also give participants an opportunity to network with like-minded people.
     Those who complete four classes will earn a continuing education certificate from FCC.
     Linda Adams, membership director for the chamber, said a member survey showed interest in training that would help build professional skills while increasing the bottom line.
     “Quite a few members were looking for an afford- able training program,” she said. “Many don't have an inhouse sales or training department, so they look to the chamber.”
     Upcoming topics include another leadership seminar Jan. 16, sales in March and marketing in May. Ms. Adams said the chamber is also developing a human resources series of classes, which might include how to hire employees, give performance reviews and design an employee handbook.
     “It's really great because it works for the chamber because it's another benefit we can offer our members,” she said. “And it works for FCC because it expands what they offer as well.”
     The chamber, Frederick Community College and the Small Business Development Center of Western Maryland partnered to make the series possible.
Learning leadership
from a hedgehog
     Jenny Morgan of Corporate Occupational Health Solutions, LLC, in Frederick, attended the seminar last week with her friend and coworker Gloria Bamforth.
     “I'm actually excited and glad I went,” Ms. Morgan said Monday. “Some of the other seminars I've gone to were too big — this was a small group of people and I liked the interactive part.”
     Mr. Cunningham divided the participants into discussion groups of four people each. Between topics, each person took turns talking about childhood memories, workplace problems and hypothetical situations.
     While she doesn't plan to read the book, Ms. Morgan was surprised how the seminar affected her.
     “It's intriguing that you can be friends and co-workers with someone for years, and still be able to learn so much from those kinds of conversations,” Ms. Morgan said. “It brought on really different thought processes.”
     Ms. Bamforth had never heard of the book before the seminar, but bought a copy this weekend.
     Last week's discussion groups proved the company she works for is on the right track.
     “It reiterated a lot about what we already do,” Ms. Bamforth said Monday. “We're like the hedgehog — we do occupational medicine well.”
     What most impressed her was being able to learn tools she could immediately start using in the workplace. Participants learned how to identify five different levels of leadership, the importance of confronting brutal facts and how technology could get in the way of progress, among others.
     “I like that the chamber is involved with offering these kinds of seminars because it's a way to attract people who are not aware of the services they offer,” Ms. Bamforth said. “Hopefully, it will get more people involved in the chamber. If more people are involved, all the businesses and community benefits.”