This training focused on mutual learning, which Schwarz defines as “a shared leadership approach for working with others to achieve results.” Underlying the mutual learning approach are five values: transparency, curiosity, informed choice, accountability and compassion. Schwarz advocates that adopting these mutual learning values as a mindset can help teams steer through challenging situations, including ones that may be high-stakes or emotional.

As an organization that is committed to a just transition for Central Appalachia, MACED values strong results and recognizes that achieving results that are meaningful to people and places in need is often challenging and complex work. Roger Schwarz writes in his book The Skilled Facilitator that “the more complex the organization and the task, the more it is essential that the people charged with solving the problems… have the skills —and more importantly the mindset—to work together effectively.”

Moving through the training together as a staff has helped us come to a shared understanding of ways we can work better together—both within our teams at MACED and within communities in the eastern Kentucky region. As we reflect on our past five years with the upcoming publication of our 2013-2018 impact report (stay tuned here), and go into our strategic planning process for the next five years of work, this shared framework for problem solving will prove a powerful skill for MACED.

To learn more about our workplace culture, please visit this past story of Appalachia here.

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For the Mountain Association, this intentionality and space is held by the Culture Building Studio (CBS), an open work team that promotes an organizational culture in which workers are empowered, mutually supportive, creative and inspired.

The CBS works to affirm the positive aspects of our organization’s workplace culture, while also providing a collaborative space for workers to innovate, share vested interests and generate opportunities for improvement. In years past, the CBS has facilitated organization-wide discussions on Appalachian history; power and decision making in the workplace; and innovative, bottom-up entrepreneurial development strategies.

The Mountain Association believes that as participants in such spaces, we not only reflect, but also shape workplace culture—developing habits and ways of interacting, as well as expectations of what our organization is—and can become.

The CBS supports critical organization-wide conversations and staff development. The Mountain Association values these efforts not only because they produce a strong workplace culture but because they support our mission, enabling our staff members to better understand their role and place in Appalachian Transition. After all, we know that vibrant cultures are worth investing in – in communities and in workplaces.

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The typical role of the MACED Enterprise Development intern is to design, administer, and collect the results of the annual client survey, while also conducting a series of in-person interviews with MACED enterprise owners. The summer work culminates in a report and presentation at the end of the 10-week period to the Enterprise Development Team and any other relevant staff.

My time as an intern has made me a better researcher and a more conscientious Appalachian. MACED has been an integral aspect of my education, one that has informed my career goals and future trajectory. The opportunity to interact directly with small-business owners in Appalachia is a valuable and eye-opening one. I am consistently impressed by the individuals who commit, every day, to doing the hard work to energize their communities by providing diverse products and services, folks like Troy Price and Jaren Vessels. Particularly in Berea, it is a gift to see hardworking entrepreneurs who are dedicated to making my hometown cool not only for the frequent tourists but for locals as well.

One of the best things about this job is the opportunity to be included as a full member of the team. If you intern at MACED, you won’t be taking coffee orders and shredding old memos, you will be actively engaging in the overall efforts to better serve the greater community. All staff at MACED, myself included, are treated with respect and their ideas are thoughtfully considered. In fact, I am writing this blog because I wanted to take on more responsibility, and MACED is the kind of place where they trust and respect an intern enough to give her more room to grow.

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