Ron Laudadio: Wicked Wisdom
In this Wicked & Agile Interview, I had the chance to speak with Ron Laudadio, Agile & Digital Transformation Executive, about what he’s doing in his local government in Newfoundland - which, as it turns out, was inspired by the talks around Wicked Problems.
Ron has a love for people – he calls it Rontopia – and this is where he consistently shines in the corporate space and in his local community where he assisted his community in working on what most matters to them – bringing back a local grocery store so that the elderly with no cars can get to and that low income families can afford to drive to (the next store is over an hour and a half away.) A conversation that may not have surfaced in a timely fashion if Ron was not there.
Ron used Business Agility techniques to create human connection, alignment, and excitement. In Ron’s words, “I now have two data points that it works; it starts with the perspective of: people are people. Business Agility is really connecting humans together. When we apply it to communities, it works. It can help them create this community feel.”
Ron also shared some tips and tricks on how to start and that communities needs resiliency – a lot comes from our agility experience and ability to create amazing human connections.
Ron's Wicked Wisdom
1. People are people
We tend to forget our coworkers are humans; and in communities, people are just people. Somehow, we objectify people – they are an “it”. As soon as you start to talk beyond a name, you can get to know them. The context matters far less than you think. Not all will work in a community, but all that we do in agility can work in our community – the magic was them working together. This is the first lens to use when you start doing this.
2. Lead with vision
This is really important both in the corporate space and in the community. The Chairman of the board – is a hop farmer and part time comedian – an incredibly humble individual. He allowed us to be in this space. His vision was that the board can be open and transparent to the community. Why I am stressing this is important: it aligns us so we can choose what is and what is not important.
3. Empower and underestimate no one
You can make judgement that one may not have the ability because they only have a high school diploma or they have a certain type of upbringing. Though by giving them the right tools and set-up, we can empower individuals and let them shine to see the amazing things they can do.
Watch the Wicked & Agile Interview recording with Ron Laudadio and Joanne Stone below.
About Ron LaudadioRon had enjoyed many executive roles with the opportunity of enabling large groups of people to achieve great things. His division of Ganz created the disruptively successful children’s product Webkinz. He has led over ten large-scale technology projects that applied innovation and invention for exceptional and patented uses of technology to improve consumer experiences on the internet. At EPiC Agile, he is passionate about creating a safe-space global organization for industry-leading consultants who help their clients develop workplaces that their employees love. For 19 years at IBM and CGI, Ron successfully applied Agile and Business Agility to the corporate environment but has recently been invigorated with the opportunity to use such innovations of how people can work together in a volunteer government in the rural community he currently resides.