adventures in regional collaboration: 6 lessons
DESCRIPTION
I developed this for a breakfast meeting of Imagination Coast, a regional collaborative seeking to advance an innovation agenda in and around Monterey Bay, CA. The event was held Jan 20, 2011 at the Sustainability Academy in Monterey. A list of resources (also published here) called "Resources on Regions" accompanies it.TRANSCRIPT
Adventures inREGIONAL COLLABORATION:3 6 LESSONSKRISTIN WOLFFSOCIAL POLICY RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
Our problems lie at the neighborhood, regional and global levels…our problem-solvers work at the local, state, and federal levels. Richard Bradley, Downtown DC
1. Shared understanding
What are we doing & why?
Filling up vacant office space!
Creating JOBS!
Eliminating graffiti!
Increasing quality of life!
Growing more grads!
Going solar!
Innovation & entrepreneurship!
Vehicles for generating “shared understanding”BIG Documents (Insert groan here)
– Strategic plan
– Business plan
– Grant application
– Comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS, required for EDA grant submission)http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/admin/pdfs/MontereyCntyFinalCEDS062308pdf_doc.pdf
More…
Theory of Change or Logic Model
http://www.grantcraft.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&pageId=1542
More…
A “Compact”(community commitment or public promise and strategy for achieving fulfilling it)
http://www.bostonpic.org/policy/boston-compact
More…
Community Indicators (or similar metrics)
http://www.metrocouncil.org/planning/framework/benchmarks.pdf
Recovery.gov
2. BIG (HAIRY) AMBITIOUS GOALS (& the ability to track them)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerblackwell/4122194718/sizes/z/
For example…
More…
3.Flexible, evolving structure
Organization Committee
Institution
Board
Coordinating Body
Constellation
Collaborative
Partnership
Task Force
Panel WorkGroup
Network
Structured
UnstructuredAction Team
More smart networks!
What do they look like?Core: Different perspectives, trusting relationshipsPeriphery: New ideas & resource
What happens in them? People experiment, learnSmall projects growBreakthroughs emerge
4. Small change(s), aggregated
http://www.flickr.com/photos/restlessglobetrotter/3823683431/sizes/l/
5. Narratives (stories)Meaning-makingLearningSharingInspiringEngagingDocumenting
(It’s never been easier)
6. Trust matters.
(It’s the most important ingredient, and any region can cultivate as much as it needs.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/create-learning/3947714949/sizes/l/
6 Ingredients that help Regional Collaboratives SucceedShared understanding of what & whyBig, ambitious goalsFlexible organizational structuresSmall, consistent action steps (or pilots)Compelling narrativesTrust
Leadership Lessons from a Shirtless Dancing Guy
Closing ideas/opportunitiesMacrowikinomics meets people2.0Social innovation/entrepreneurship
