CITY OF SOUTH BEND WINS “BRIGHT IDEA” RECOGNITION FOR USE OF DRUCKER PLAYBOOK

Today, we announce that South Bend, Ind., has been recognized by Harvard’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation for the city’s adoption of the Drucker Playbook for the Public Sector.

Specifically, the Ash Center has designated the South Bend Department of Community Investment’s use of the Drucker Institute’s training program for city government workers a “Bright Idea” as part of its Innovations in American Government Awards.

“By engaging an entire city department in the Drucker Institute’s Playbook for the Public Sector leadership training program,” the Ash Center said, “the South Bend Department of Community Investment has created a new dimension of performance in spurring investment in a stronger South Bend. From July 2013 through May 2014, projected investment in the local economy has more than quadrupled over the previous year while unemployment has dropped by 10%.”

The Drucker Playbook for the Public Sector arms managers of city agencies with tools for individual, team and organizational effectiveness. The Playbook consists of four integrated modules on leadership: Vision, Management, Performance and Character. The 12 Playbook workshops share practical lessons—all based on the timeless teachings of the late Peter F. Drucker—that participants implement in their agencies as well as for their own professional development.

“The South Bend Department of Community Investment earned this ‘Bright Idea’ recognition by using the Drucker Playbook’s leadership and management tools to produce positive change in South Bend,” said Lawrence Greenspun, a senior program developer and manager at the Drucker Institute, and the creator of the Drucker Playbook. “The DCI team turned ideas into action and action into results for the people they serve.

“The key to their success was to see everyone in the agency—from the department head to the part-time administrative assistant—as a leader responsible for driving innovation,” Greenspun added. “The Drucker Playbook provided the common language and method for their work.”

The Drucker Institute piloted the Drucker Playbook in partnership with the City of South Bend beginning in 2013. To reach scale, the Drucker Institute is now partnering with the National League of Cities, which is sharing the Drucker Playbook through live, remote training sessions with leadership teams from mid-sized American municipalities.