Dear Colleague:
 
I want to thank you for your professionalism, your perseverance, and your dedication during what have been some trying budgetary times.  It is evident in the comments I keep hearing from our customers around the state that your passion, your commitment, and your ingenuity have kept our services running smoothly and efficiently during this time. 
 
And we want to continue that innovative spirit as we work on our 2008
priorities:
 
  a job for every worker
  healthcare for every family
  a quality education/training for every child
  safe places to work and play for all of us
  better government
 
For some of you, the connection between your work and these priorities is clear, because what you do supports programs that directly contribute to reaching these goals.  But regardless of what each of us does in our daily work, all of our work falls under "better government" - which means we must continue to improve our performance so we can produce the very best results for the citizens of Michigan. 
 
To help us in this effort, I have asked our departments' organizational development officers (ODOs) to begin providing training and other resources that will specifically help us to think and work more effectively and innovatively.  Here are some of the current resources available to you:
 
Innovation Intranet Page:  Contains Web links, pod casts, articles, and video clips on the topic of innovation, which can be used as an informal learning opportunity.  Most importantly, this page will highlight innovation stories from throughout state government, and this is where we need your help.  We would like to highlight your story on this page in the future.  Please take a moment to send an e-mail highlighting your story about how you helped to implement an innovative new way to do your job or the job of your unit, division, or department, to the following e-mail address:
http://extapps.state.mi.us/public/innovation_stories/
 
A Free Innovation Workshop:  Innovation Lab - From Issue to Innovation. 
This
4-hour workshop will help you weigh your innovative ideas against typical questions that "the boss" will want answered.  Topics covered include "developing a plan" and "packaging your innovation to best communicate it to others."  Information on the workshop can be found by clicking on the following link to the Innovation Intranet Web page:
www.michigan.gov/greatworkplace
 
In addition, your department's ODO will be seeking out eight innovations for recognition that your agency has implemented.  They will need your support and input in this effort, and I encourage you to get involved by sharing your
innovation story.    
 
I want to again thank you for your dedication to the people of Michigan and for helping us reach our goal of making Michigan a Great Place to do Great Work.
 
Sincerely,
 
Jennifer M. Granholm
Governor