Working "Hyperlocal"

At The Foundation, we are wrapping up a year-long strategic planning process. We find ourselves in an interesting time when our endowment is at its lowest (growing but still low) and our pledges for big projects high. This gives us an opportunity to look at the work we have been doing that has yielded the highest impact while also engaging the community and the family members. Projects where we have been deeply engaged and have built networks in the region seem to fit this the best—be it in education and youth services or nonprofit capacity-building. Much of this network-building has meant identifying and engaging the local “connectors” in planning efforts and then them activating their local network around the cause or project.

As most of you know, I have provided the staff leadership to the development, launch and now nurturing of the online nonprofit community www.goodWORKSconnect.org. I have spent the past two weeks meeting with our key partners across the 17-county region that have worked VERY hard over the past year to make this effort a reality. The strategy for 2010 is very in line with Naess’s tenet for local autonomy and control—which in online community terms is “hyperlocal.” We have split the region into four areas based on the population centers and will have action teams working in their own backyard’s promoting the site, it’s in-person trainings that the local team is planning, and providing content. We know that for the effort to be a success in the overall region…we must reach the subregion “tipping points” (Malcolm Gladwell). What I have enjoyed most about my recent conversation is that each subregion is planning to address the given task list for their region in a different way—the way they think will be most effective for the area that they know! I am anxious to see the results and what works!

In the 2010 strategic plan I referenced earlier, we have identified two new areas, the arts and the environment, in which to begin networking building and project development. The environmental aspect is quite promising as our county anticipates Future Gen (http://www.futuregenalliance.org/), Eastern Illinois University’s Renewable Energy Center, Biomass and other green job training at Lake Land Community College, and more. With these large institutions committed to making a difference, there is a prime opportunity to ask the community how they want to be involved as well. Part of this is as simple as providing viable recycling options and energy conservation tactics. My experience has been that everyone wants to feel like they have a voice and can pitch-in to make their world a better place…they just have to be asked for their opinion and help.

THE PROMPT:

This week's stimulus comes from the Deep Ecology movement. And I think it is a very interesting moment of synchronicity that the second week of the Copenhagen meetings on climate change begin tomorrow. The Deep Ecology people give a great deal of attention to what they refer to as "the union of theory and practice." One of the founders of the movement is Arne Naess. This week's stimulus is from Naess' statement about what he refers to as "norms, tendencies, and tenets" of the Deep Ecology Movement. There are seven of these tenets described in the chapter I'm quoting:

"(7) Local autonomy and decentralization. The vulnerability of a form of life is roughly proportional to the weight of influences from afar, from outside the local region in which that form has obtained all ecological equilibrium. This lends support to our efforts to strengthen local self-government and material and mental self-sufficiency. But these efforts presuppose an impetus towards decentralization. Pollution problems, including those of thermal pollution and recirculation of materials, also lead us in the direction, because increased local autonomy, if we are able to keep other factors constant, reduces energy consumption. (Compare an approximately self-sufficient locality with one requiring the importation of feedstuff, materials for house construction, fuel and skilled labor from other continents. The former may use only five percent of the energy used by the latter.) Local autonomy is strengthened by a reduction in the number of links in the hierarchical chains of decision. (For example, a chain consisting of local board, municipal council, highest sub-national decision-maker, a state-wide institution in a state federation, a federal national government institution, a coalition of nations, and of institutions, e.g., EEC top levels, and a global institution, can be reduced to one made up of local board, nation-wide institution, and global institution). Even if a decision follows majority rules at each step, many local inerests may be dropped along the line, if it is too long. (6/7)"

Arne Naess (1995). The Shallow and the Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movement: A Summary. In A. Drengson & Y. Inoue, The deep ecology movement: An introductory anthology. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Reflections on Patience

MY RESPONSE...
Wow, this prompt spoke to me from a variety of angles…

I joke quite a bit that I have patience issues. I really like starting projects or initiatives…yet once they get up and going it is not nearly as attractive to do the careful and often long-term support. I have questioned this in myself for sometime. Is it that I don’t challenge myself with finding the next opportunity? Is it that I am just ready for a new challenge? Is it that I don’t care? In each situation, the next opportunity has “found” me. In reflecting on Mayeroff’s writing, perhaps I have not defined patience in the same way he does. I have definitely fully participated and given fully of myself so perhaps what is meant to find me does. The patience isn’t about the one project or initiative…it’s about the big picture goal of what I am meant to accomplish.

I will admit that my new addiction is the TV show Glee. It has brought up more high school chorus memories than I care to mention. One of my favorite quotes from years of choral singing is “The pause is as important as the note” (Truman Fisher). Most of my memorable spine-tingling moments are pauses before an amazing climax or the final note of a piece. Not being patient with these crucial elements can ruin the piece. This is especially true in any improvisation. When a four-part voice improv begins, all members must listen to the “groove” of the first singer and then build something unique and authentic to complement. If one person loses focus or isn’t present to all voices, the rhythm and the pause; the piece can fall apart.

I also have thought about my journey of singledom over the past year and half. So often I am happy as can be on my own—with my freedoms, friends and chosen fun. But there are days that my patience runs thin with not having the “perfect” partner in my life. Someone to wake up to, to work with house projects on, to go to dinner, etc. I can fully appreciate Mayeroff’s words “I must give myself a chance to learn, to see and to discover both the other and myself; I must give myself a chance to care." A large part of my last year plus has been rediscovering and growing me—and those things that are who I want to be. I know that with this care and patience, what is meant to find me will.

Patience.
The act of waiting for what you intend
But don’t always receive
Right away.

Patience.
The act of listening
For what you may not understand
At the time.

Patience.
To be confused
And in chaos
And let that be ok.

Patience.
The act of caring
To wait for the best
Of what’s to come.

***
THE PROMPT...
"Patience is an important ingredient in caring: I enable the other to grow in its own time and in its own way. (The growth of a significant idea can no more be forced than the growth of a flower or a child.) By being patient I give time and thereby enable the other to find itself in its own time. The impatient man, on the other hand, not only does not give time, but he often takes time away from the other. If we know that someone is impatient with us, or if we are impatient with ourselves, even the time that we might have had is often reduced.

"Patience is not waiting passively for something to happen, but is a kind of participation with the other in which we give fully of ourselves. And it is misleading to understand patience simply in terms of time, for we give the other space as well. By patiently listening to the distraught man, by being present for him, we give him space to think and feel. Perhaps, instead of speaking of space and time, it would be truer to say that the patient man gives the other room to live: he enlarges the other's living room, whereas the impatient man narrows it.

"Patience includes tolerance of a certain amount of confusion and floundering. But this tolerance is not adherence to a rule which says I ought to be tolerant, nor is it a kind of indifference to the other. Rather, tolerance expresses my respect for the growth of the other, and my appreciation of the 'wastefulness' and free play that characterize growth.

The man who cares is patient because he believes in the growth of the other. But, besides being patient with the other, I must also be patient with myself. I must give myself a chance to learn, to see and to discover both the other and myself; I must give myself a chance to care."

Milton Mayeroff
1971
On Caring
New York: Harper & Row, Publishers
17/18

Intuition and Change

Happy black Friday all! :) I am spending the holiday at my best friend's family on their dairy farm in northern IL. It is one of my favorite places....crops still coming out of the field, new baby calves born daily, and just a different gentle way of life I really admire.

****

I appreciated both Mark and Ruby's responses on intuition and its place in their work. While I was with a nonprofit consulting firm out of Indianapolis, I co-facilitated a couple of executive transitions. Some were 30-year execs retiring...other execs transferring to another organization. We used a three-step process from TransitionGuides funded by CompassPoint--prepare, pivot, thrive. Basically it is a process that honors the work of the past executive, works with the board and organization to set their vision for the future, and then choose a new leader best suited to work towards that vision. Essentially, especially for smaller organizations, this is a ideal opportunity to "rebrand" the organization. The organization's that I have seen move through this process and grow with the most promise are those poised to handle change.

I am reminded of the 12 Change Success Factors identified by John Adams in his article "Successful Change Paying Attention to the Intangibles." I find they boil down to the people, their trust, structure for change, and the communication among those involved. So where does intuition come into play?

In change processes, I think there has to be a little "gut instinct" or intuition at play. But there must be trust among the group towards the common vision...as well as a way to communicate when and where the "gut instinct" is informing the process. At the Foundation, we have recently shifted one of our grant programs that works in seven communities across the US...focusing on one every year. In this change, I (as the new staff member) provided support to the grant committee. We outlined our activities for each meeting but did not anticipate the flexibility we would need to exhibit while finding community partners in the focus community. The way I chose to handle this relationship was not ideal for one of our committee members. After re-reading Adam's article, I think that the bottomline was that the committee member and I had not worked much together so he did not trust my work and intentions with the community partner. Also, I did not adequately communicate the assumptions I was making for the partnership. It was a hard and very valuable lesson to learn.

I think that most changes do "stick" at some level. It might not be the ideal result or end change I envisioned or held for the organization....but it might be the "right" change for the organization. Also, the process could have been transformational for an individual, work group, etc. involved in the work. I have found that I never know exactly the impact I have made in consulting with organizations. It has led to board chairs choosing to leave the corporate world to follow their heart in leading a nonprofit, a development director pursuing Master's work, new board members for organizations, and more. I'm always surprised (and humbled) with the "ripple effect" from change processes I have been involved in.

Service Exposing the "Other"

PROMPT
Excerpt from The community of those who have nothing in common. (1994) by Alphonso Lingis, Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. (9-11)

Rational discourse and practice makes nature a communal work and makes our own nature our own work. . . the individual of modern culture, who affirms himself with his inalienable rights and sets himself up as a legislator of his own laws, sets out to produce his individuality as that of a nature closed upon itself. In the human community he finds a work closed in itself and representative of his own thought. As the individual finds that his own thought is representative of the whole system of rational thought, he will find on his fellow man but the reflection of his own rational nature.

Before the rational community, there was the encounter with the other, the intruder. The encounter begins with the one who exposes himself to the demands and contestation of the other. Beneath the rational community, its common discourse of which each lucid mind is but the representative and its enterprises in which the efforts and passions of each are absorbed and depersonalized, is another community, the community that demands that the one who has his own communal identity, who produces his own nature, expose himself to the one with whom he as nothing in common, the stranger.

This other community is not simply absorbed into the rational community; it recurs, it troubles the rational community, as its double or its shadow.

The other community forms when one recognizes, in the face of the other, an imperative. An imperative that not only contests the common discourse and community from which he or she is excluded, but everything one has or sets out to build in common with him or her.

It is not only with one’s rational intelligence that one exposes oneself to an imperative. Our rational intelligence cannot arise without commanding our sensibility, which must collect data from the environment in comprehensible and regular ways, commanding our motor powers to measure the forces, obstacles, and causalities of the practicable field in comprehensible and regular ways, and commanding our sensibility to others to register the relations of command and obedience at work in the social field in comprehensible and regular ways. It is with the nakedness of one’s eyes that one exposes oneself to the other, with one’s hands arrested in their grip on things and turned now to the other, open-handed, and with the disarmed frailty of one’s voice troubled with the voice of another.

One exposes oneself to the other – the stranger, the destitute one, the judge – not only with one’s eyes, one’s voice and one’s silences, one’s empty hands. For the other, the stranger, turns to one, not only with his or her convictions and judgments, but also with his or her frailty, susceptibility, mortality.”

****

RESPONSE
One of my clients in Indianapolis was a new charter school. Their building was not quite ready for the new school year so they asked my organization to help provide team development for their incoming class of 30 Freshman students. I planned some content for the time as well as brought in a few nonprofit organizations to provide ropes course facilitation as well as coordinate community service projects. One of the smaller groups of students ended up at a local thrift store sorting clothes, cleaning the facility and helping with a small construction project. They worked alongside the employees of the store and over the day began to build relationships with them. At the end of the day, Michael, the store manager, asked if he could have a moment to thank the students for their work and share a story. I instantly said yes.

Michael was a handsome mid-aged black man with a personality that instantly pulled you in. He began the his story…sharing that he came from a upper middle class family where both his mother and father had college degrees and professional jobs. He had the ideal upbringing and was the quarterback of his high school football team. He went to college on a full ride. He had everything he needed…yet found himself wanting more once he graduated. He began experimenting with drugs and became addicted. Addicted to the point he ruined his friend and family relationships from stealing and letting people down. After not even a year of drug use, he was homeless. Eventually, he found his way to the shelter that is supported by the thrift store. The shelter and its staff supported him through rehab and helped him rebuild his life. He closed by saying that the shelter had saved his life. He thanked the students for helping save lives like his through their volunteer work…and warned them to never take what they do have for granted. The room—once filled with the adolescent posturing of high school Freshman—was silent.

Most of the students in this school came from families not as well off as Michael’s. There faces, comments on the bus ride home, and sharing with other students the next day was by far one of the most incredible impacts I have ever witnessed. It could never have been planned. It was the raw human experience meeting open hearts and minds at just the right time. I wasn’t moved by tears that day as I have been most other times I have felt moved or touched by the “other.” But it was definitely there.

I write this during my monthly evening volunteering at the homeless shelter. I have met and had conversations with many of the guests…and know they each have their story as did Michael. I wish for each of them the chance to have their story known and honored.

More on leadership qualities...

I was very drawn to Elise’s poem describing a leader in her life. Sarah whom she describes feel so “real” and authentic. Someone I would trust just from our initial encounter. The attributes described I wholeheartedly agree are leadership qualities needed in the past, present and future…
• inimitable style—“innate rather than inculcated”
• passion—for life and people
• doing what needs to get done
• craft of counsel and practical philosophy
• accessibility
• Carpe diem!

From what I can deduce about Sarah she is probably quite elegant at what Ron Heifetz describes as moving from the dance floor to the balcony and back--gaining perspective from all views and engaging others in the dance. I have heard Ron describe this concept multiple times and each time I have wondered how this awareness and talent can be coached. My experience has been that most people who do this well it is part of who they are…part of their emotional intelligences. Have others found the same or found ways to coach this quality?

As I read the text from Aurelius and compare it to this poem of another great leader, I am struck by why, as a society, we seem to hold up, respect and write about the great, epic leaders more than those who impact our daily lives—like Sarah? Why is more writing done of Fortune 500 companies or nonprofits who have “gone to scale” than the small businesses or nonprofits who have chosen to stay small or serve a local purpose? Are the lessons the same but not as memorable?

Nonprofit Leadership Qualities

PROMPT
"Maximus was my model for self-control, fixity of purpose, and cheerfulness under ill-health or other misfortunes. His character was an admirable combination of dignity and charm, and all the duties of his station were performed quietly and without a fuss. He gave everyone the conviction that he spoke as he believed, and acted, as he judged right. Bewilderment or timidity were unknown to him; he was never hasty, never dilatory; nothing found him at a loss. He indulged neither in despondency nor forced gaiety, nor had anger or jealousy any power over him. Kindliness, sympathy, and sincerity all contributed to give the impression of a rectitude that was innate rather than inculcated. Nobody was ever made by him to feel inferior, yet none could have presumed to challenge his preeminence. He was also the possessor of an agreeable sense of humor."

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Number 15

Please reflect on this meditation, offered by Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-80), a Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. He describes qualities of leadership. How do you resonate/not resonate with his characterization? And how would you compare modern leaders to these ancient ideas? Are some of these traits worth emulating today? Which ones would you keep and which ones would you throw out? Consider the varying contexts -- ancient history and modern society today.

RESPONSE
Earlier this week, I went to the coffee shop across the street from my office for lunch and a little PhD time and read this prompt just prior to a meeting. My meeting was with a businessman who is a devoted board member for a variety of nonprofits in the community. He is interested in making the move from business to the nonprofit sector. During our conversation about the nonprofit world, he asked what I saw as the ideal personality and leadership qualities of a nonprofit leader. Many of the qualities we discussed were described by Marcus Aurelius including passion for the cause, selflessness, and authenticity. As a nonprofit leader, you become the holder of the mission of the organization and the vision for aspired change. This means that the work is not about the leader; but the people this leader is inspiring or ensuring are helped. The nonprofit leaders I respect the most see this as their life’s work or mission. Many would classify my description above as “servant leadership.” I believe that the ideal nonprofit leader is just that.

We also discussed the vital role of nonprofit leaders to embody collaboration, innovation, and sustainability. These could sound in conflict with each other but I feel they are keys for future nonprofit leadership. In describing the book Governance as Leadership, co-author Bill Ryan describes the vital role for nonprofit leaders to embody generative thinking. He describes this as “it frames the problems that we solve, it determines what needs deciding before we make decisions, it suggests what’s worth a strategy before we develop a strategic plan.” If nonprofit leaders are thinking generatively they are always on the look-out for partners to ensure the vision is being accomplished; they are looking for new solutions and to engage those with innovative ideas; and they are making the decisions (sometimes very hard) to ensure the programs and services best accomplishing the mission are sustainable.

Aurelius’s characteristics are indeed still very relevant. The modern leaders of today that I most respect, hold many of these qualities. I do however think that part of being an authentic leader is being able to be vulnerable enough to ask for help when “at a loss.” Maximus’s role as a military leader probably didn’t allow his to do this to his enemies—but I would be highly surprised if he did not find himself “at a loss” every once in a while.

What stood out to me and does in any other ancient text is the rich and poetic tone and nature. What will people reading the work of current philosophers of leadership think? Surely, they will still be experiencing the same “what works” for leadership…but how will they be conveying it? And, what a good reminder…leaders do need to possess a sense of humor!

Competition vs. Collaboration

For the work I do in the community and with nonprofits, the "war" methapor is not used near as much as "competition." This term from business is brought into the conversation by well-meaning volunteers from their life experience in the business world. A few months ago I was presenting to a SCORE chapter which is made up of retired business people wanting to give back to the community. My topic was about the Top 10 differences to keep in mind when consulting with nonprofits. I thought we had had very eye-opening, effective time together---then, at the very end, one of the gentlemen raised his hand and said, "Wouldn't all this not be important if nonprofits just realized they were in competition with one another." Uggghhh! So I responded with the following question, "How can you be in competition to do the most good?" I believe that if the mission of nonprofits is to make our world and communities a better place, they should work together to ensure they are doing the most good.

Stephen shared "in leading with friendship, we give ourselves hope that we are all in this together and we all have a responsible to care and sustain one another through positive feedback and fostering shared visions. I reflect on last Christimas when I attended the "Band Together for Kids" event that was put together by five nonprofits serving kids. Proceeds from the evening of music, food, and fun went to a fund that any of the organizations can access to provide "extras" to the children they serve. The leaders of those nonprofits welcomed folks to the event, a few even played in the bands, and they laughed and had fun together...as friends. This event and the friendship and collaboration it exhibited for a shared vision of supporting children is much more compelling and sustainable than assuming competition/war against one another.

Even though it is more compelling to collaborate, our large systems often set us up for war. Our state budget this year in Illinois has meant "war" for many sectors. Just in back payments alone, the state owes nonprofits hundreds of millions of dollars. Also, most who receive state funding have experienced a 10-25% cut in their budgets. When nonprofits go to represent their cause to legislators, they must identify the specific area they represent...seniors, youth, people with disabilities, etc. Budget-related bills have been able to pass because they are tied to these nonprofit services. Ironically, Illinois is one of very few states that does not have a statewide nonprofit alliance or association. With the lack of this unifiying voice, the various silos of the sector have had to fend for themselves. The crisis of this year was more severe than past years (where this is has also occured) but seems to be shifting the conversation. A statewide organization the Donors Forum is beginning to help staff advocacy efforts--especially for the social services system. And I'm sure this is not the end.

How do we choose not to compete or be in "war" when our world of systems in business, economics, government, and more are based on it?

Leadership & Friendship

THE PROMPT:
"Woolf (1938) in Three Guineas asked where the procession of educated men was leading. Her list of concerns exists yet today, with others added. The leadership challenges are enormous – an unconscionable rich-poor gap, in this country and world-wide, ghastly wars and internecine strife, violence of all types and degrees, and environmental destruction that threatens the sustainability of all, to name only a few. Underlying these tragedies are conceptions of the self as separate from others and the world. The challenges call for new ways to think about and practice leadership, or as Woolf (1938) said, “by finding new words and creating new methods. (p. 143)

“Metaphors are compelling ‘invisible powers.’ Since metaphors structure both perception and action, conceptualizing leadership as friendship provides a stance toward/with the world that can contribute to shaping new actions and ways of thinking. That friendship stance is grounded in perceptions of connection and interdependence from which emerge a sense of responsibility and care. This conceptualization of leadership as friendship extends the responsibilities of leadership beyond one’s own group.

“Leaders within a friendship orientation can only maintain such a stance by having a vision of Dickinson’s ‘possibles’ that are ‘lit by the imagination.’ Such a view allows leaders to leave behind, at least temporarily, an adversarial approach for one that is more respectful and open to the potential, if not yet actualized, mutuality of the parties involved, as illustrated by the cases above (in the whole article). Leaders practicing within a friendship metaphor call on their imagination to see ‘the possibles’, the possibilities they might otherwise not see. The friendship metaphor asks leaders to affirm the best in human beings, whether as followers, potential followers, or those who are viewed as ‘enemies’ of the leader. It promotes the making of ‘imaginative leaps’ (McFague’s phrase) across a distance. In doing so, it expands our capacities to imagine what ought to be, to act on that vision, and to respect and care for each other in an interdependent world, ultimately shaping a more humane world.”

"Rethinking Leadership: Leadership as Friendship,”Gerri Perreault
Advancing Women in Leadership Online Journal, Volume 18, Spring 2005
http://www.advancingwomen.com/awl/social_justice1/Perreault.html

MY RESPONSE:
As I reflect on Perreault’s writing, I am struck by two current situations where I am experiencing friendship grounded in connections and trust that have led to some amazing “possibles”…as well some challenges:

1. This week I have the opportunity to do one of my favorite activities within the Foundation…go on site visits. Site visits entail reviewing the full grant application from an organization and then spending an hour plus with the leaders of the organization discussing the project in more detail. It is a great way to bring the application to life…and to secure further information I can share with our grant committee who makes the ultimate decision about the grant. Last year was my first year to do site visits and I was able to do so with not knowing many of the potential grantees. This year, however, is different. Over the past year, I have built different levels of relationships and friendships with almost all of the prospective grantees. Three I would call friends, two I am in other networking organizations with, two I serve on other boards with, most have been to at least one of our trainings throughout the past year…and one is even my neighbor! As I review the applications, I have had a hard time looking at the proposed project or activity purely from a mental place. I know the people behind the projects and have a sense for them outside of just what I see on paper. Also, I know that the individual or group of people supporting a project/program are usually what make it succeed. I have had to be very intentional to look as critically as I can to ensure the people and the project make sense. As I reflect on Perreault’s remarks, I am aware that my friendships allow me to make more leaderful decisions but must also be tempered with my logical side of due diligence to ensure I am recommending quality grants.

2. Over the past year I have had a great group of eleven individuals meeting monthly and in between in action teams to bring a regional-wide effort and project to fruition. The group met last week to determine its future goals and structure. It was a very productive meeting and I am excited for the decentralized, local approach we will be trying. Many of these people represent organizations that could be seen as competitors (nonprofit term for “war”)—trying to secure more resources for their particular cause or geographic area. This could not be further from what occurred. These individuals work together and look for ways to build on what’s working in other areas and how to leverage the strengths of the group…and include others that have additional strengths. Could this happen more deeply? Sure. But as I read Perreault’s commentary, I was struck that probably one of the main reasons for their interactions and assumption for collaboration is that the “sense of responsibility and care” has been built. The challenge for me is how to foster it long-term especially knowing that financial incentives come and go, organizational priorities change, and more.

One of my personal soapbox issues is when people say they are partners or collaborating and all it is is an exchange of funds. We all have so much to offer as individuals or organizations that if a need must be met, it will! I loved the word “possibles”…as my experience has been that the most diverse the group, the better the possibles are generated.

When despair for the world grows in me...

The Prompt:
The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
And I wake in the night at the least sound
In fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake rests
In his beauty on the water,
And the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things
Who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief.
I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
Waiting with their light.
For a time I rest in the grace of the world,
And am free.

Wendell Berry

Here is a poem to bring a little grounding into the world of abstract ideas. I'd like you to do a very specific exercise for this week's response. Take the first line of Wendell Berry's poem, then continue to write in your own words, a poem or narrative addressing the existential dilemma of despair. What nurtures you when you feel that despair for the things and ways of the world comes knocking at your door? If you have not experienced this sense of despair in your life, then write about that. So, just begin: "When despair for the world grows in me", then continue in your own words.

My response:
When despair for the world grows in me
And I grow frustrated with my daily life…and overwhelmed by my work
Worried for my worthiness and the difference I can make,
I sometimes think I should take advantage of my freedoms and just walk away.
But, I normally just curl up and sleep my way to sanity
Or power through to seek solace in my friendships and family.
Peace finds me through water and its dancing song in lakes, rivers and streams,
In the beauty of melodious music,
And the feeling of wind in my hair and sun on my face.
My life comes to me as it is meant to.

As a note, while singing with the Indianapolis Women’s Chorus we sang a beautifully arranged version of this poem from Wendell Berry. My favorite line is “I come into the peace of wild things”…what beautiful resolution. Here’s a link to a chorus performing the piece: http://www.sbmp.com/SBMP-MP3/Misc/SBMP%20561.mp3. Enjoy!

Practitions of Care

The Prompt:
"The practices of care require a kind of decision making appropriate to the human realm in which they operate. I have proposed that these practices need to rely on practitioner judgment informed by a reflective understanding of the changing situations in which they are performed. The ideas for reflective understanding were assembled from Aristotle's notion of phronesis as an alternative to deductive reasoning for deliberating about practice in the human realm, from Dewey's idea of learning in-situation from the effect of an action, from the understanding of the role of background in practice decision making, and from Gadamer's description of dialogic engagement. Reflective understanding draws on the full human capacities for interacting with other persons. It involves an integration of previous personal and cultural learning, of imagined scenarios of responses to an action, and of emotional reading of possible actions in the situation. In reflective understanding the practitioner is attuned to the salient features of a specific situation and responsive to the nuanced changes that are occurring during an interchange. It is a decision process that adapts to the particular complex situations in which practitioners of care serve. " (176)

Practice and the Human Sciences: The Case for a Judgment-based Practice of Care, Donald E. Polkinghorne, New York: State University of New York Press, 2004

Don Polkinghorne casts a broad net in defining practitions of care. Please consider his ideas here within your own context. How are you a "practitioner of care" in your own profession? Does your profession have standards for "caring" embedded in mission statements and policy documents? Can there be a healthy "self-care" beside the responsibility of caring for others?

My Response:
I spent this past Saturday morning with the AgriInstitute’s Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program class. This is a group of 30 professionals with a passion for agriculture from across the state. I had the morning to work with them on board leadership issues. Two years ago, I had this same opportunity--although the session was longer, the hotel room was quite sterile and by the end of the session, I was exhausted. Being exhausted is a sign to me that a session did not work—when they do, I am energized. In reviewing the facilitation agenda from the last time in preparation for this one, I instantly saw what had happened. I had come with content and information and wanted them to take it…without truly engaging in or experiencing it. So this past Saturday, I designed the day to be about them and their group learning. Participants started off doing appreciative interviews (http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/) to help pull out the themes of what made great board/volunteer experiences and determine what questions they had about board leadership issues. Then, they broke into small groups to discuss scenarios and came up with their recommendations to each. These scenarios were based on key issues most of them will face in their board service (see the scenarios at the bottom of this post). For each scenario, we had a discussion as a group and I was able to throw in my thoughts along with the rest of the class. The design of the session was flexible and open to the learners. The morning flew by, everyone’s questions were addressed and classmates learned from each other. Success! Quoting Polkinghorne, “It involved an integration of previous personal and cultural learning, of imagined scenarios of responses to an action, and of emotional reading of possible actions in the situation.”

In college, I took typical teacher education courses in classroom management, educational psychology, curriculum design and more. I excelled at lesson plans as I figured out the formula quite quickly…objectives, opening with a context setting experience, core content integrating visual, auditory and kinesthetic modalities, and a closing that tied to future learning. Since student teaching, I have rarely used this knowledge in a high school classroom. My profession has evolved from one of using this formula for pure training…to one of flexing this formula and skills to facilitate learning.

As a facilitator, I see my role as creating and holding neutral space for the group to do their best work thinking and learning with and from one another. I may have some subject matter expertise but am able to put the group’s knowledge to work and simply weave my knowledge into the mix through the processes. In the past, I might have seen myself as having the answers and it being about the content and the participant walking away with the content. Now, it is much more about how the participant can tie the subject matter to their own experience and what they can learn from these experiences to build upon for the future. From this approach, I have found more sustainable solutions are reached and deeper relationships among the group are formed due to the mutual trust created from the sharing.

As a grantmaker and nonprofit professional, I find myself guided by practitions as well. These are tied to realizing our mission to do the most good possible, responsibly manage the resources, and engage constituents (in my case the family members and the community) in the process whenever possible. Interestingly, there has been a push to articulate these principles as a sector over the past few years, which I have eagerly embraced. Here are the ones from the Donor’s Forum of Illinois (http://www.donorsforum.org/publictrust/principles.html):
• Operate for the public good;
• Comply with the law, especially in executing fiduciary responsibilities;
• Uphold fundamental values including honesty, integrity, fairness, and trust;
• Observe articulated and rigorous ethical boundaries, including respect for all people's race, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and ability;
• Maintain complete and transparent financial accountability; and
• Make appropriate information available to the public.

Practitions of care are important guideposts regardless of profession as they set an intentionality and pathway for practitioners to follow. However, it ultimately comes down to the individual and the care they take to ensure they are offering their best in each situation. I could have easily presented the exact same presentation to the AgriInstitute this past weekend—but my conscious and my quest to facilitate a better board leadership discussion won out.

Photo from www.agriinstitute.org

Board Member Scenarios:
Scenario #1: You are in the middle of your board term and just not feeling engaged. You really do not want to quit the board. What are some steps you could try to enhance your engagement? Who could you reach out to? If nothing seems to work, how can you step off gracefully?

Scenario #2: The board you are serving on is considering a merger with a similar organization in the area. What kind of questions/due diligence should the group consider?

Scenario #3: The organization you are a board member of has never had a strategic plan and needs to think strategically about the next 1-3 years. As a board member how would you go about helping the organization get started? Who would you reach out to and what steps would you take?

Scenario #4: When you joined the board you did not know you would have to help fundraise for the organization. Now you are expected to raise $5,000 in the coming year for the organization. Come up with at least five ways to fundraise for the organization and how you could get started.

Scenario #5: You just sat through the THIRD two-hour plus board meeting in a row and are FED UP with not feeling like anything is getting done! What are some ways that you could help the organization’s meetings be more effective and what are some steps to implement these suggestions?

Scenario #6: You have just joined a board. After sitting through a few meetings, you still do not seem to understand the organization’s financials. You also fear that the Treasurer who is in charge of the financials might not have a great grasp on them either. What could you do to ensure you and other board members have the full picture of the finances? What makes nonprofits finances unique?

Week #4 Response- Professions

The Prompt:
"The crisis of confidence in the professions, and perhaps also the decline in professional self-image, seems to be rooted in a growing skepticism about professional effectiveness in the larger sense, a skeptical reassessment of the professions' actually contribution to society's well-being through the delivery of competent services based on special knowledge. Clearly, this skepticism is bound up with the questions of professional self-interest, bureaucratization, and subordination to the interests of business or government. But it also hinges centrally on the question of professional knowledge. Is professional knowledge adequate to fulfill the espoused purposes of the professions? Is it sufficient to meet the societal demands which the professions have helped to create?" (13)
The Reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action
Donald A. Schon
New York: Basic Books, 1983

Please respond to this posting through the perspective of what you consider to be your own "profession". Donald Schon wrote this in 1983 and started his own revolution, giving us the notion of reflective practitioner, which serves as one of the guiding principles in our own program. He asks several provocative questions at the end of the quote. You might also ask yourself how things have changed since this was written.

My Response:
This past weekend my best friend and I sat on the back of a boat on Lake Michigan viewing the Chicago skyline. We both agreed it is definitely one of the best views of the city as you can appreciate the architectural beauty but not have to be in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. It gives you the big perspective of the place versus all the smaller working pieces. As we took in the sights, we talked about how our professional lives had evolved since our time together in school. We both started out thinking our professions would be something completely different—hers a journalist and mine a doctor. Through quite random relationships with mentors and people recognizing our passions and skills, we have both become professionals in completely different fields—my best friend a high school agricultural education teacher—and me a nonprofit leadership and organizational development professional. Since we have both come to our respective fields of work from other places, we value and frequently engage in profession-specific learning opportunities. But we also feel we play a critical role as change agents in our fields and seek out opportunities to bring in new knowledge and expertise from outside the “profession.” I believe it has allowed both of us to be successful in our respective roles and able to meet the increasingly complex demands our society and world.

Schon’s questions are relevant as we are seeing shifts in society at such a fast pace that many of use find ourselves “building the plane while we are flying it.” It means that more than ever, we have to apply the experience AND knowledge we have to uncharted territory and see what happens. From the nonprofit perspective, leadership is essential to navigate the rapidly changing landscape that includes:
• Decreased support from government/foundation/corporate grants;
• Declining confidence in charitable organizations and negative perceptions about nonprofit effectiveness;
• Greater demand for accountability and transparency;
• Greater emphasis on identifying and implementing best practices;
• Rapidly changing technology;
• Pressure to use “business strategy” without business support;
• Pressure to reach “sustainability”; and
• Haziness of success factors...just to name a few.

Historically nonprofit executive directors have come from the programming ranks, which means they have an incredible knowledge of and passion for the mission of the organization but may not possess the organizational and leadership development knowledge and skills to sustain and grow the organization. Also, nonprofit professionals have been known to serve multiple roles in an organization. My guess is that this will only continue to intensify due to the factors listed above. Just having the “professional knowledge” that Schon refers to is not viable for nearly all the nonprofits I work with—they need more.

Much like my time viewing Chicago from Lake Michigan, I think we have to dig into the details of our profession but we also have to take time to reflect on the big picture of the skyline and identify and respond to the external impacts of uncharted territory.

Week #3 Response

The Prompt...
Please reflect on both --- art and music. Comment on how you think the arts might play a role in social change in the society. Also, how do artists themselves influence changes in our worlds? What is the price? Can artists be leaders through their art? What happens to artists who speak out to challenge the status quo? What is the purpose of the arts in your own life? And how do music, art, dance, and other art forms influence the way you feel, the choices you make, the motivations you have?

My Response...
This past Saturday was a landmark activity for the town of Mattoon (where I live)—a mural dedication. Over the past few years, a group of people from the community have come together to plan this first community mural. What I enjoyed most about the dedication was simply watching people interact with art. The mural has had its skeptics over the past year plus but you would never have known on this beautiful, cool late summer morning. The artist Dave Gordon (www.dsgordon.com) walked along the mural describing his inspiration for each section. All people in the mural are current or past Mattoon residents each with their own story to tell and unique beauty. Some stories moved people to tears, others to smile. My favorite story was that of a young local skateboarder captured perfectly on one of the columns. As in most towns, skateboarders and the cities’ properties do not necessarily get along here in Mattoon. The amount of pride in this young man and in his craft of skateboarding was incredible at the dedication. As the official dedication ended, people lingered taking photos of the local celebrities in the mural, touching the wall, telling stories about what it evoked for them, and just in awe of art.

As I viewed the slideshow of Van Gogh’s work put to music, I was keenly aware of the role arts and artists plays in bringing people together. In Mattoon, the mural might simply create social change in the way a few people view skateboarders. It might mean a greater pride or appreciation for Mattoon’s history as a railroad town. Or, perhaps it might mean a local resident inspired by the experience with Dave Gordon becomes an artist. Regardless of the impact, this one piece of art has shifted the conversation and opened opportunities for change in the community. I personally cannot wait to see how community involvement increases in the planning of the second mural set to begin next year.

Dave spent a significant amount of time getting to know the community before designing the mural. His outside perspective and view of our community allowed others to perhaps see the town in a new way. I think all artists in some way do this. There is a local photographer Nathaniel West (www.westphoto.biz) that I quietly follow. His photos continue to give me a new appreciation of the community—the ragged brick wall and entrances of a seemingly run-down building in town or a dock overlooking Lake Mattoon. Artists have such a unique place from which to lead change. They can show the reality of a place or situation in a way that shifts the perspective for others.

It has been fascinating to move from the city of Indianapolis where the arts are a priority of the community to a place where it is not. Because of this, the value of the arts is not at a premium. This is interesting because I find myself valuing arts even more in this void and seeking out opportunities with much more intentionality.

My artistic outlet has always been singing. I have been in choruses through high school, college, and while in Indianapolis. What I have always loved is the idea of bringing so many diverse people together and aligning the voices to create something beautiful. Upon moving here, I tried joining a local chorus without much passion. After writing this response, I think I need to reconsider my approach to satisfying my artistic outlet and joining in the power of the arts.



Kevin Kilhoffer/Staff Photographer -- The mural on the west wall of D to Z Sports on Broadway Avenue in Mattoon was dedicated in a Saturday ceremony.

Week #2 Response

The Prompt...
"Aboriginal knowledge is not a description of reality but an understanding of the processes of ecological change and ever-changing insights about diverse patterns or styles of flux. . . To see things as permanent is to be confused about everything: an alternative to that understanding is the need to create temporary harmonies of interdependence through alliances and relationships among all forms and forces. This web of interdependence is a never-ending source of wonder. . . " (264)

James Youngblood Henderson
Chickasaw/Bear Clan and Cheyenne of Oklahoma
From Marie Batiste's Reclaiming Indigenous voice and vision (2000)
Vancouver: UBC Press

My response....
As I prepare for this coming week, this quote is affirming and very pertinent. Every other year the Foundation I work for brings together nonprofit professionals from across rural downstate Illinois to meet each other, learn together…and hopefully build relationships for future work. This year (actually from Thursday on) marks a shift in this work as we will be launching an online community and virtual resource center to support these relationships and sharing (www.goodworksconnect.org). So the conference itself is designed with open group processes (www.conversationcafe.org and www.opensource.org) to make it very participant-centered. What I find fascinating about inclusive group processes and social media alike is that they even the power playing field and give everyone a voice and importance. Everyone has a stake in the outcome and the work is only as good as what each person contributes.

Henderson’s quote also evokes for me an important reminder of how these patterns/harmonies are always evolving or temporary. As a colleague Mike Green would share, “What works in one community; works in one community.” Each community or situation has its place in time and what works at one time will not always work. This is critical for the aforementioned projects as well as any change process. It also means that anyone leading change must be very aware of these evolutions and open to change to embrace them.

Social media is a phenomenal example of this flexibility and nimbleness, as it is not led by one person but by the “community.” Everyone has shared access to people and information and the quality of the information is affirmed by the number of people who “follow” that person or re-share (retweet) that information. As I enter this week, my intention is to hold these relationships and the opportunities I have to cultivate them as the “source of wonder” that they truly are.

Antioch PhD in Leadership and Change

One of the opportunities I have to close triangles I have just started...a PhD program (Antioch University PhD in Leadership & Change) with 27 individuals from across the globe. What I have already found in my first three weeks is that it is going to be a great opportunity to think about the work I do and connect it to my studies. Every week I have a prompt given for me to respond to. I will share these on the blog as a way to be as transparent as possible about my journey....and so that everyone can share in the learning!

Here's my first response from last week....

A few weeks prior to the residency in Yellow Springs I had a chance to spend the morning with Dr. Gregory Cajete. He was giving a lecture of his book Native Science and started by talking about the epistemology (how he came to know what he knows) that led to his work. I appreciated how in his presentation he was able to weave the philosophy that guided his approach into his experience and research. I reflected on this experience as I read this article. I have always thought of myself as leaning towards the qualitative research as I enjoy finding themes and context from lived experiences. What surprised me while reading this article is that my basis for my seemingly qualitative work has not been tied to philosophy but in the human experience.

Honestly, all of the philosophical texts referenced seemed quite overwhelming! Where does one start? It also seemed that most texts had been refuted at some point so how does one begin to determine who is “right?” From the texts mentioned, Gadamer, Geertz, and Habermas intrigued me, as it seems their work is tied to human behavior and interactions.

Both of my degrees are from an Agricultural Education department in a College of Agriculture. As you can imagine, all of the other departments in the College are strictly quantitative and mine was qualitative. Just over the past ten years or so have Agricultural Education professors found their way into college or university leadership positions. I have to imagine that, in part, this is due to the emerging appreciation for both the qualitative and quantitative approaches and the shared philosophy that guides them. The article seemed to point towards this shift and it was interesting to tie to my experience.

I think my methodological challenges over the coming years will come most in grounding my work in philosophy. I have had the opportunity in my professional experiences to do quite a bit of qualitative and quantitative work and am fairly comfortable in coming up with questions, exploring various ways to approach the work, and report on the efforts. As Kezar shared “My thesis is that the scholarship in the field suffers because we have had limited exposure to and engagement with the debates and assumptions that shape and frame thinking in the social sciences“ (p. 44). I agree. What has been missing for me is the grounding for what is known about the people side—that has been proven for years—that perhaps has not been taken into account.

As I think about my journey to become a reflective practitioner/scholar, I know that it will take quite a bit of work to even know where to start with the reading and application of the philosophical texts. I am also aware that for me to truly internalize this work, it must be applied to something I have experienced or have deep interest. I saw this intersection modeled by the Antioch faculty in Yellow Springs and from Dr. Cajete…so I know it is possible!