Dancing with the Dancing with the BearBear

How 1,000 Community Members How 1,000 Community Members Envisioned Their FutureEnvisioned Their Future

Presented by the City of St. Louis Park, Presented by the City of St. Louis Park, MinnesotaMinnesota

St. Louis Park, MinnesotaSt. Louis Park, Minnesota

Location:  First suburb west of Location:  First suburb west of Minneapolis, MNMinneapolis, MNPopulation:  44,896Population:  44,896Overall Residential Density: 4,100 persons Overall Residential Density: 4,100 persons per square mileper square mileMedian Family Income:  $63,182Median Family Income:  $63,182Size:  10.8 square milesSize:  10.8 square milesGreen Space:  51 parks equaling 11.5% of Green Space:  51 parks equaling 11.5% of St. Louis Park landSt. Louis Park land

A message from our MayorA message from our Mayor

““If we want to If we want to change the way change the way people view people view government, we government, we need to change need to change the way the way government government views peopleviews people..””

Jeff JacobsJeff Jacobs

The ApproachThe Approach

Getting City Council on boardGetting City Council on board

Selecting the consultantsSelecting the consultants

Why an Appreciative Inquiry Why an Appreciative Inquiry approach ?approach ?

A Brief OverviewA Brief Overview

Human Human systems grow systems grow toward what toward what they constantly they constantly ask questions ask questions about.about.

Positive Image – Positive Action Positive Image – Positive Action RelationshipRelationship

PlaceboPlacebo

PygmalionPygmalion

Positive emotionPositive emotion

Internal dialogueInternal dialogue

PROBLEM SOLVING APPRECIATIVE INQUIRYPROBLEM SOLVING APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY

““Felt needFelt need”” Identification Identification of Problemof Problem

Analysis of CausesAnalysis of Causes

Analysis and Possible Analysis and Possible Solutions Solutions

Action Planning Action Planning (Treatment)(Treatment)

Basic Assumption: Basic Assumption: An An Organization is a Organization is a Problem to be SolvedProblem to be Solved

Appreciating and Valuing Appreciating and Valuing the Best of the Best of ““What IsWhat Is””

Envisioning Envisioning ““What Might What Might BeBe””

Dialoguing Dialoguing ““What Should What Should BeBe””

Basic Assumption: Basic Assumption: An An Organization is a Organization is a Mystery to be EmbracedMystery to be Embraced

Case StudyCase Study

New York Consulting Firm specializing in organizational New York Consulting Firm specializing in organizational conflict: labor-management, gender and diversity issuesconflict: labor-management, gender and diversity issues

Contracted with Fortune 500 corporation to address Contracted with Fortune 500 corporation to address sexual harassment issuessexual harassment issues

Over two years, by every measure, problem grewOver two years, by every measure, problem grew Number of complaintsNumber of complaints LawsuitsLawsuits Training evaluationsTraining evaluations Word of mouthWord of mouth

AFFIRMATIVE INQUIRY APPROACHAFFIRMATIVE INQUIRY APPROACH

Q: Q: ““What is it you want to learn about and What is it you want to learn about and achieve?achieve?””A: A: ““We want to dramatically cut the incidence of We want to dramatically cut the incidence of sexual harassment or at least make a significant sexual harassment or at least make a significant dent in the problem.dent in the problem.””Q: Is that all?Q: Is that all?A: A: ““You mean what do I You mean what do I really really want? want? What we What we really want is to develop the new century really want is to develop the new century organization – a model of high-quality cross-organization – a model of high-quality cross-gender relationships in the workplace!gender relationships in the workplace!””

4.DESTINY“how to empower and

adjust/improvise?”Sustaining

2.DREAMWhat might be?

(what the world is calling for)Envisioning Impact

1.DISCOVERY“What gives life?”

(the best of what is)Appreciating

3. DESIGN“What should be – the ideal?”

Co-Constructing

Appreciative Inquiry ResourcesAppreciative Inquiry Resources

Appreciative Inquiry: Collaborating for ChangeAppreciative Inquiry: Collaborating for Change, ,

David L. David L. Cooperrider and Diana Whitney: Berret-Cooperrider and Diana Whitney: Berret-Koehler Communications, Inc., pp.37Koehler Communications, Inc., pp.37

Appreciative Inquiry: Rethinking Human Organizations Appreciative Inquiry: Rethinking Human Organizations Toward a Positive Theory of Change, Toward a Positive Theory of Change, Cooperrider, Cooperrider, Sorensosen,Jr.,Whitney, Yaeger: Stipes Publishing, pp.287Sorensosen,Jr.,Whitney, Yaeger: Stipes Publishing, pp.287

Six Degrees of SeparationSix Degrees of Separation

At your tables talk about who you know At your tables talk about who you know that knows that knows ““someone famoussomeone famous””

See how many See how many ““importantimportant”” people you are people you are connected to right at your tablesconnected to right at your tables

LetLet’’s hear from just a few tables….s hear from just a few tables….

Designing Public DialoguesDesigning Public Dialogues

Purpose: IDENTIFY COMMON GROUND Purpose: IDENTIFY COMMON GROUND FOR ALL TO SEEFOR ALL TO SEE

MUST:MUST:

Represent Fairly the Diversity of Represent Fairly the Diversity of PerspectivesPerspectives

Focus on the Dialogue among the Focus on the Dialogue among the ParticipantsParticipants

Articulate and Publicize Common GroundArticulate and Publicize Common Ground

Key Vision EventsKey Vision EventsJune 2005, June 2005, Kick-off MeetingKick-off Meeting: Diverse group of 65 invited citizens : Diverse group of 65 invited citizens and workers (max-mix);and workers (max-mix);

Identify key areas of inquiry – Connectivity, Transportation, Identify key areas of inquiry – Connectivity, Transportation, Health, Special Urban PlaceHealth, Special Urban Place

June 2005-January 2006, June 2005-January 2006, InterviewsInterviews; Individual, Group and online ; Individual, Group and online with 1,000 peoplewith 1,000 people

Feb. 2, 2006, Feb. 2, 2006, Pre-Summit MeetingPre-Summit Meeting, 70 invited citizens (max-mix); a , 70 invited citizens (max-mix); a cross-section of the community, members of the Partner cross-section of the community, members of the Partner organizations organizations

Review the interview dataReview the interview data Propose Propose Challenging Possibilities Challenging Possibilities to bring to the Town Summit to bring to the Town Summit

February 12, 2006, February 12, 2006, Town SummitTown Summit,, 200 volunteer citizens 200 volunteer citizens Propose priorities (among the existing 8 Goal Areas and the Propose priorities (among the existing 8 Goal Areas and the new, new, Challenging PossibilitiesChallenging Possibilities))Identify promising actionsIdentify promising actionsSign up to participate in future action steps Sign up to participate in future action steps

Volunteers are a blessing and a Volunteers are a blessing and a challengechallenge

They, They, Work hardWork hardAdd energy and their networksAdd energy and their networksBring an important perspective and Bring an important perspective and continuing interestcontinuing interestMonitor integrity of the processMonitor integrity of the process

Vision ProcessVision ProcessOverviewOverview

The process is an expanding The process is an expanding conversation to:conversation to:

1.1. Design, facilitate and support visioning - Design, facilitate and support visioning - Project TeamProject Team

2.2. Invite community-wide participation – Invite community-wide participation – City Council & City Council & Community PartnersCommunity Partners

3.3. Discover the topics for inquiry (Kick-off) – Invited Discover the topics for inquiry (Kick-off) – Invited Maximum Mix of citizens and workersMaximum Mix of citizens and workers

4.4. Interview as many individuals as possible – Interview as many individuals as possible – Citizen Citizen Volunteer InterviewersVolunteer Interviewers

5.5. Discover common ground themes (Discover common ground themes (Pre-Summit) – Pre-Summit) – IInvited Maximum Mixnvited Maximum Mix

6.6. Identify priorities for committed action (Identify priorities for committed action (Town Town Summit) - Summit) - ParticipantsParticipants

Mayors Youth Award at SummitMayors Youth Award at Summit

The Town SummitThe Town Summit

Identifying Priorities for ActionIdentifying Priorities for Action

Proposing Outcome MeasuresProposing Outcome Measures

Vision St. Louis ParkVision St. Louis Park

““Vision without action is merely a dream.Vision without action is merely a dream.

Action without vision just passes the time.Action without vision just passes the time.

Vision with action can change the world.Vision with action can change the world.””

Joel BarkerJoel Barker

Now what?Now what?

Reviewing the dataReviewing the data

Council retreatCouncil retreat

The first 18 monthsThe first 18 months ExternallyExternally InternallyInternally

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!

Tom Harmening, City of St. Louis Park, City ManagerTom Harmening, City of St. Louis Park, City Managertharmening@stlouispark.org 952-924-2526tharmening@stlouispark.org 952-924-2526

Marjorie Herdes, Mobius Inc.; Partners for Strategic ChangeMarjorie Herdes, Mobius Inc.; Partners for Strategic Changemarjorie@mobiusmodel.com 952-927-7141marjorie@mobiusmodel.com 952-927-7141

William Stockton, Ph.D. Mobius Inc.; Partners for Strategic William Stockton, Ph.D. Mobius Inc.; Partners for Strategic ChangeChange

william@mobiusmodel.com 952-927-7141william@mobiusmodel.com 952-927-7141

Bridget Gothberg, City of St. Louis Park, Organizational Bridget Gothberg, City of St. Louis Park, Organizational DevelopmentDevelopment

bgothberg@stlouispark.org 952-924-2684bgothberg@stlouispark.org 952-924-2684