September 18, Seeing and Leading Differently: Asset Building and Complex Change Sustainability: Balancing Stability and Change

September 18, Seeing and Leading Differently: Asset Building and Complex Change Webinar Series, /3The Landscape Diagram 5/22Self-Organizing Change 7/17Planning in the Midst of Chaos 9/18Sustainability: Balancing Stability and Change

September 18, Your Guides... Glenda Glenda H. Eoyang, Ph.D. Executive Director HSD Institute Teacher and youth developer ’76 to ’81 Training consultant ’81 to ’92 Began working with SI ’95 Focusing with SI on assets and complex change since ’05 Worked with Royce, Nancy, and Kristin to explore complex change and asset building at 2006 Conference Continue to teach and learn with the asset building community

September 18, We heard from you... The addition of Nancy’s examples and stories helped you see and apply the concepts more concretely. You are becoming more comfortable with the webinar technology with each one. Experience is helpful! The audio can sometimes still be a problem You appreciated having the PPT slides to print out ahead of time and found the one-page intros we have on-line very helpful. The webinars have been well-structured and easy to follow The suggestion to cover up the text box was helpful You would like to see more webinars on various other topics

September 18, Today we will... Review previous webinars in this series. NOTE: You don’t have to have seen previous webinars for this one to be helpful! Sail the Seven Cs of Sustainability. Help you plan to sustain your initiative.

September 18, A Quick Review: Landscape Diagram A Quick Review: Landscape Diagram Certainty Agreement Close to Far from Close to Organized Unorganized

September 18, A Quick Review: Self-Organizing Change Complex Adaptive System (CAS) A collection of individual agents, who have the freedom to act in unpredictable ways, and whose actions are interconnected such that they produce system-wide patterns. Examples: termite colonies, stock markets, the Internet, gardens, human beings, groups of people

September 18, A Quick Review: Self-Organizing Change Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) Agents System-wide Patterns

September 18, 20079May 22, CDE Model: Conditions for Self-Organizing Container : Holds the agents together until system-wide patterns can form. Examples: an asset taskforce, an asset conference or event Difference : Provides the potential for change and shows the pattern. Examples: Youth summit with adult listeners; school climate survey which features the responses of youth and the responses of adults in a school building Exchange : Establishes the connections among agents and between individuals and the whole. Examples: coaching, dialogue, funding streams, proposals, evaluation CE D

September 18, Planning is NOT... Just list of things to do. Just an annual ritual. An exercise to satisfy funders and board members. The same thing for every organization. Planning is... The way you use your past to inform action. Adaptation to fit your current situation. Preparation for a productive future.

September 18, Planning in the Midst of Chaos 1. Have a plan, but hold it lightly. 2. Plan to plan again. 3. Look toward multiple horizons. 4. See the future from different points of view. 5. Expect to stretch and fold. 6. Leave space for surprise. 7. Plan for every part of the landscape.

September 18, HEALTHY Children Initiative Multiple organizations—school, health care, public health department, city, county, agencies, unions Focus on health of children in the community. Future Search defined three concerns: Vaccinations and inoculations Sight and hearing assessments Obesity and nutrition Active projects were funded for two years and showed significant change in outcomes. The funding went away, but the work did not. They used the Seven Cs to sustain their efforts.

September 18, YOUR Initiative Follow along in your handout as we talk about the Seven Cs. Consider what you are doing now to sustain your effort—whatever your current phase of development. Consider what more you might do to sustain your work into the future. Share your thoughts with your team as you all move toward healthy sustainability over time.

September 18, Sustainability Connections To Current Programs To Current Needs To Community & Customers The Seven Cs Of Sustainability

September 18, Connections are the lifeblood of sustainability. They include personal relationships, but they also include: Legal agreements Funding sources Collaborations Neighborhood and community ties Planning processes Connections are both INSIDE your initiative and organization and OUTSIDE with others. Connections To Current Programs To Current Needs To Community & Customers

September 18, HEALTHY Children Initiative Most important connections were: Schools Professional organizations (pediatricians, dieticians, teachers, etc.) Parents Public policy and legislative measures connected all the players together. Connections To Current Programs To Current Needs To Community & Customers

September 18, Sustainability Coherence Concepts/Direction Expectations and Services External Forces and Trends Connections To Current Programs To Current Needs To Community & Customers The Seven Cs Of Sustainability

September 18, Coherence causes and results from shared mental models. Things need to “make sense” to all players—that’s coherence. Vision needs to be coherent, but so do: Policies and procedures Services and measures Internal and external changes Sustainable coherence comes from shared learning and continuous improvement. Coherence Concepts/Direction Expectations and Services External Forces and Trends

September 18, HEALTHY Children Initiative One-page explanation of the purpose and goals of the initiative with contact information for more details. Annual review and revision of the one-pager. Coherence Concepts/Direction Expectations and Services External Forces and Trends

September 18, Of Sustainability Sustainability Communications Who What How Coherence Concepts/Direction Expectations and Services External Forces and Trends Connections To Current Programs To Current Needs To Community & Customers The Seven Cs

September 18, Communicate, communicate, communicate. Be strategic because communication is expensive. Plan the work and work the plan. Diversity AND redundancy are both the soul of effective communication. Consider all your audiences: Internal and external Clients and funders Near and far New and old Communications Who What How

September 18, HEALTHY Children Initiative Quarterly press releases regarding activities and performance against goals. One-hour “dog and pony show” for PTA, Lion’s Club, faith communities, and anyone else who would listen. Communications Who What How

September 18, Sustainability Communications Who What How Constructs For Planning For Resources For Documentation Coherence Concepts/Direction Expectations and Services External Forces and Trends Connections To Current Programs To Current Needs To Community & Customers The Seven Cs Of Sustainability

September 18, Infrastructure gives stability and continuity to your work. Plan, document, and implement policies and procedures to build resilient constructs. Think “thin.” Don’t overburden with investment to build and/or maintain infrastructure. Review/revise constructs often to be sure they still serve your purposes. Constructs For Planning For Resources For Documentation

September 18, HEALTHY Children Initiative Two standing committees: Communication Data collection and analysis Annual one-day open meeting for planning and coordination. Constructs For Planning For Resources For Documentation

September 18, Sustainability Communications Who What How Continuous Assessment For “fit” For Success Criteria For Continuous Improvement Constructs For Planning For Resources For Documentation Coherence Concepts/Direction Expectations and Services External Forces and Trends Connections To Current Programs To Current Needs To Community & Customers The Seven Cs Of Sustainability

September 18, A sustainable initiative is never finished. Continue to ask questions about how you’re doing and how your environment is changing. As your environment changes, be sure you are adapting. Know your criteria for success and evaluate well. Expect to change continually. If you aren’t improving you are deteriorating. Continuous Assessment For “fit” For Success Criteria For Continuous Improvement

September 18, HEALTHY Children Initiative Annual measures. Findings considered at annual meeting. Annual revision of one-pager, dog-and-pony show, and press releases Continuous Assessment For “fit” For Success Criteria For Continuous Improvement

September 18, Commitment Of Individuals Of Resources Of Institutions Sustainability Communications Who What How Continuous Assessment For “fit” For Success Criteria For Continuous Improvement Constructs For Planning For Resources For Documentation Coherence Concepts/Direction Expectations and Services External Forces and Trends Connections To Current Programs To Current Needs To Community & Customers The Seven Cs Of Sustainability

September 18, Commitment Of Individuals Of Resources Of Institutions Your initiative will continue when people care enough. Encourage, measure, and reinforce commitment. Incorporate commitment into your planning for all the other Cs. Expect individual commitment to go up and down over time, but never let it go to zero. Recognize when it is time for a graceful exit or radical transformation.

September 18, HEALTHY Children Initiative Annual open meeting included: Celebration of improvement in performance. Recognition for work well done in the previous year. Lots of new opportunities for people to become involved. Network-building activities to ensure that people knew each other. Commitment Of Individuals Of Resources Of Institutions

September 18, Sustainability Communications Who What How Continuous Assessment For “fit” For Success Criteria For Continuous Improvement Constructs For Planning For Resources For Documentation Coherence Concepts/Direction Expectations and Services External Forces and Trends Connections To Current Programs To Current Needs To Community & Customers Capacity Building All of this is done within a context of ongoing development. Commitment Of Individuals Of Resources Of Institutions The Seven Cs Of Sustainability

September 18, New phases require new skills. Investing in capacity strengthens all the Cs. Customize learning for individuals and roles. Consider capacity for: Individuals Teams Organizations Communities Capacity Building All of this is done within a context of ongoing development.

September 18, HEALTHY Children Initiative Capacity building was incorporated into all communications: Press releases Professional organization connections Annual meetings Dog-and-pony shows Capacity Building All of this is done within a context of ongoing development.

September 18, Sustainability Communications Who What How Continuous Assessment For “fit” For Success Criteria For Continuous Improvement Constructs For Planning For Resources For Documentation Coherence Concepts/Direction Expectations and Services External Forces and Trends Connections To Current Programs To Current Needs To Community & Customers Capacity Building All of this is done within a context of ongoing development. Commitment Of Individuals Of Resources Of Institutions The Seven Cs Of Sustainability

September 18, References and Resources For more information about planning in the midst of chaos, read: Legacy: Sustainability in a Complex Human System available for download from:

September 18, Continue the conversation on-line To download today’s presentation and related resources go to: To continue the conversation and add your own relevant resources, join the Complex Change listserv by going to institute.org/mailman/listinfo/complexchange institute.org/mailman/listinfo/complexchange For additional resources on complex change, visit:

September 18, Seeing and Leading Differently: Asset Building and Complex Change Thanks to: Nancy Tellett-Royce Kristin Johnstad The wonderful people at Search Institute YOU for all the work you do in the interest of youth!