July 17, 2007 1

Seeing and Leading Seeing and Leading Differently: Differently:

Asset Building and Complex Asset Building and Complex ChangeChange

Planning in the Midst of Chaos

July 17, 2007 2

Seeing and Leading Differently: Seeing and Leading Differently: Asset Building and Complex Asset Building and Complex

ChangeChangeWebinar Series, 2007

4/3 The Landscape Diagram 5/22 Self-Organizing Change 7/17 Planning in the Midst of

Chaos 9/18 Sustaining Change over

Time and Space

July 17, 2007 3

Your Guides . . . GlendaYour Guides . . . Glenda

Glenda H. Eoyang, Ph.D.Glenda H. Eoyang, Ph.D.geoyang@hsdinstitute.orggeoyang@hsdinstitute.org

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

July 17, 2007 4

Your Guides . . . NancyYour Guides . . . NancyNancy Telett-RoyceNancy Telett-Roycenancy@search-instiute.orgnancy@search-instiute.org

Mgr HC- HY network; initiatives, organizations, systems using the Development Assets framework to advance their agenda

Nine years experience providing technical assistance to HC • HY community initiatives

Certified as Human Systems Dynamics Professional Associate in 2005

On Executive Committee of Children First in St. Louis Park, MN; the first HC • HY initiative which started in 1992

July 17, 2007 5

We heard from you . . . We heard from you . . . The insights about complex change are very relevant and

helpful for your asset building initiatives. You liked having the slides and worksheets ahead of time. The on-going chat was disruptive for some of you. You would like to have more asset-based stories and

examples. More interaction would be helpful for learning and action. You wanted references for further reading.

July 17, 2007 6

Today we will . . . 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!

Explore seven tips for planning your asset building work in unpredictable situations.

Help you assess your own planning processes and explore ways to make them more adaptive.

July 17, 2007 7

A Quick Review:A Quick Review:Landscape DiagramLandscape Diagram

Certainty

Agreeme

nt

Close to Far from

Far

from

Clo

se to Organized

Unorganized

July 17, 2007 8

A Quick Review:A Quick Review:Self-Organizing ChangeSelf-Organizing Change

Complex Adaptive System (CAS)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

July 17, 2007 9

A Quick Review:A Quick Review:Self-Organizing ChangeSelf-Organizing Change

Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS)Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS)

Agents

System-wide

Patterns

July 17, 2007 10May 22, 2007 10

CDECDE Model: Model:Conditions for Conditions for Self-OrganizingSelf-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

C E

D

July 17, 2007 11

What is planning for you & your

organization?

Planning is NOT. . .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. . .Planning is. . . The way you use your past to inform action. Adaptation to fit your current situation. Preparation for a productive future.

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How do you plan for each?

Planning is about ChangePlanning is about ChangeChange Is ChangingChange Is Changing

Traditional Change

One level at a timeOne time—snapshot Cause>>effectRoot causeEnd determinedPredictableControlled

Complex Change

Whole,part,greater wholeOver time—videoCause<<>>EffectMany causesEnd unknownSurprisingEmergent

July 17, 2007 13

How have you used the tips in the past?What adaptations would help you plan

better in your chaos?

Seven Tips Seven Tips for planning when I can’t for planning when I can’t

predict or controlpredict or control

July 17, 2007 14

1. Have a plan, 1. Have a plan, but hold it lightly. but hold it lightly.

July 17, 2007 15

How do you avoid getting stuck?

1. Have a plan, 1. Have a plan, but hold it lightly. but hold it lightly.

Know your planning assumptions. Reconsider and change your assumptions when

they stop serving you. Plan with the end in mind. Use two-way loops when you communicate about

your plan—listen more than you talk! Sometimes throw out the old and plan from

scratch.

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2. Plan to plan again. 2. Plan to plan again.

July 17, 2007 17

How often do you plan to plan?

2. Plan to 2. Plan to plan again. plan again.

Since your future is never constant, how can your preparation for it not change?

Review your plan often. Consider and include what you’ve learned. Repeat your core stories and look for shifts. Have a regular schedule for re-planning. Make the planning process an adventure.

July 17, 2007 18

3. Look toward multiple 3. Look toward multiple horizons. horizons.

July 17, 2007 19

How much change across your horizons?

3. Look toward multiple 3. Look toward multiple horizons. horizons.

Prepare for: Short-term (this month or quarter) Mid-term (this year) Long-term future (next five years)

Consider how different things will be across different horizons.

Expect more clarity for closer in and more imagination farther out.

July 17, 2007 20

4. See the future from 4. See the future from different points of view. different points of view.

July 17, 2007 21

How many views work for you?

4. See the future 4. See the future from different points from different points

of view. of view. Know who your stakeholders are. Engage them in planning individually. Engage them in planning collectively. Listen to the surprising voices. Continually scan your environment. Never stop learning.

July 17, 2007 22

5. Expect to 5. Expect to stretch and fold. stretch and fold.

July 17, 2007 23

How do you know when you need to

stretch/fold?

5. Expect to stretch 5. Expect to stretch and fold. and fold.

Avoid exhaustion that comes from constantly stretching or folding.

Notice how quickly your system shifts from stretch to fold.

Acknowledge that different people have different stretch/fold capacities.

Listen and respond to your own need to stretch and fold.

July 17, 2007 24

6. Leave space for 6. Leave space for surprise. surprise.

July 17, 2007 25

How do you plan to be surprised?

6. Leave space for 6. Leave space for surprise. surprise.

Expect it to be messy. Keep asking questions. Pay attention to the noise. Plan in some margin for error in time and

resources. Reflect alone and together about what you’re

seeing and hearing.

July 17, 2007 26

7. Plan for every part of the 7. Plan for every part of the Landscape. Landscape.

July 17, 2007 27

How rugged is your landscape?

7. Plan for every part 7. Plan for every part of the Landscape of the Landscape

What should be organized? Plan for it! Predict and hold accountable

What should be unorganized? Plan for it! Stop, look, and listen

What should be self-organizing? Plan for it! Engage and learn together

Stay connected to each other and the environment to be sure that you know what fits.

July 17, 2007 28

Planning in the Midst of Planning in the Midst of ChaosChaos

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.

July 17, 2007 29

References and ResourcesReferences and Resources

For more information about planning in the midst of chaos, read:

Olson, E. & G. Eoyang. (2003) Facilitating Organization Change: Lessons from Complexity Science. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

July 17, 2007 30

Next TimeNext TimeSustainability—Sustainability—

Balancing Stability and ChangeBalancing Stability and Change What does it mean to make your initiative

sustainable? How do you sail the “Seven C’s” of sustainability? How sustainable is your own asset building

efforts? How can you make them more sustainable?

Join us!

July 17, 2007 31

Continue the conversation Continue the conversation on-lineon-line

To download today’s presentation and related resources go to:

www.search-institute.org/change/complexchange/07.

To continue the conversation and add your own relevant resources, join the Complex Change listserv by going to

http://lists.search-institute.org/mailman/listinfo/complexchange

For additional resources on complex change, visit: www.hsdinstitute.org

July 17, 2007 32

Thanks for Thanks for Joining Joining

Us Today!Us Today!We hope you continue to participate in the

2007 Webinar series:

Seeing and Learning Differently:

Asset Building and Complex Change.