ANNUAL SUMMIT MEETINGS

“Confronting the Brutal Facts” Or

Preparing for the Future: Foresight to Insight to Action

THE GOOD TO GREAT FRAME

Reference:

--Good to Great, by Jim Collins, HarperCollins Publishers, 2001

--Good to Great and the Social Sectors, by Jim Collins, 2005

How do we creatively confront the brutal facts?

“YES, LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT VISION. BUT LEADERSHIP IS EQUALLY ABOUT CREATING A CLIMATE WHERE THE TRUTH IS HEARD AND THE BRUTAL FACTS

CONFRONTED.”

--JIM COLLINS, GOOD TO GREAT, P. 74

Disciplined Thinking

How transfer the vision of the strategic plan to the classroom level?

How tap the capacity within our school?

How embed continual improvement into our thinking?

THE GET THERE EARLY FRAME

Reference:Get There Early, by Bob Johansen, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2007

How do we anticipate and prepare for what is coming?

Foresight to Insight to Action

“This process of sifting, grouping, synthesizing, and evaluating is very important to sort out what is possible an to begin to think through the virtues and constraints of the various possibilities. Typically, a Foresight to Insight to Action Workshop is not focused on deep consensus or decision making. Rather, the focus is on generating possible insights and beginning to prioritize them. Full evaluation of the insights typically comes later, with a smaller leadership group.” p. 132

Johansen’s Model

Small, diverse group (around 20) Target outcome Content facilitator Chunks of provocative foresight—stimulus

Current pain points Intent of leadership Destination of organization Biggest challenges Outside forces

From foresight, generate insight. From insight, generate action steps

A trip to the Summit• Simple process, modeled on strategic

planning• Annual review and goal setting process

with staff • Forum both to hear “the truth” and to

communicate the vision

The Summit Process: Overview

Base Camp Setting the rules, background

Summit Sessions Three sessions

Follow up Publication, review, reporting

How embed continual improvement into our thinking?

Mentoring Program: To review and plan improvements to our mentoring program

Action Product Who When Comments

Define a philosphy for our middle school

MS Philosophy Statement

Summit I Priority (MS Program) Action team

Spring 2009 completed by the 2007-08 action team

Define a set of beliefs for our middle school

9 MS program belief statements

Summit I Priority (MS Program) Action team

Spring 2009 completed by the 2007-08 action team

Identify specific end results for the MS mentoring program

A set of specific end results

Summit I Priority (MS Program) Action team

Spring 2009 completed by the 2007-08 action team

Results

• Broad discussion of strategic plan and mission

• An annual “cycle of understanding”• Focused priorities for action• Weight of consensus• Morale improvement• Mobilization of in-house talent• Mechanism to integrate new staff

Conclusion

When the task is accomplished,

the work done,throughout the

country the people say,

“We did this ourselves.” 道德经 #17