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Dancing with the Bear

Dancing with the Bear. How 1,000 Community Members Envisioned Their Future Presented by the City of St. Louis Park, Minnesota. St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Location:  First suburb west of Minneapolis, MN Population:  44,896 Overall Residential Density: 4,100 persons per square mile

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Dancing with the Bear

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  1. Dancing with the Bear How 1,000 Community Members Envisioned Their FuturePresented by the City of St. Louis Park, Minnesota

  2. St. Louis Park, Minnesota • Location:  First suburb west of Minneapolis, MN • Population:  44,896 • Overall Residential Density: 4,100 persons per square mile • Median Family Income:  $63,182 • Size:  10.8 square miles • Green Space:  51 parks equaling 11.5% of St. Louis Park land

  3. A message from our Mayor “If we want to change the way people view government, we need to change the way government views people.” Jeff Jacobs

  4. The Approach • Getting City Council on board • Selecting the consultants • Why an Appreciative Inquiry approach ?

  5. Appreciative Inquiry A Brief Overview

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

  7. Positive Image – Positive Action Relationship • Placebo • Pygmalion • Positive emotion • Internal dialogue

  8. “Felt need” Identification of Problem Analysis of Causes Analysis and Possible Solutions Action Planning (Treatment) Basic Assumption: An Organization is a Problem to be Solved Appreciating and Valuing the Best of “What Is” Envisioning “What Might Be” Dialoguing “What Should Be” Basic Assumption: An Organization is a Mystery to be Embraced PROBLEM SOLVING APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY

  9. Case Study • New York Consulting Firm specializing in organizational conflict: labor-management, gender and diversity issues • Contracted with Fortune 500 corporation to address sexual harassment issues • Over two years, by every measure, problem grew • Number of complaints • Lawsuits • Training evaluations • Word of mouth

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

  11. 1.DISCOVERY “What gives life?” (the best of what is) Appreciating 2.DREAM What might be? (what the world is calling for) Envisioning Impact 3. DESIGN “What should be – the ideal?” Co-Constructing 4.DESTINY “how to empower and adjust/improvise?” Sustaining

  12. Appreciative Inquiry Resources • Appreciative Inquiry: Collaborating for Change, David L. Cooperrider and Diana Whitney: Berret-Koehler Communications, Inc., pp.37 Appreciative Inquiry: Rethinking Human Organizations Toward a Positive Theory of Change, Cooperrider, Sorensosen,Jr.,Whitney, Yaeger: Stipes Publishing, pp.287

  13. Six Degrees of Separation • At your tables talk about who you know that knows “someone famous” • See how many “important” people you are connected to right at your tables • Let’s hear from just a few tables….

  14. Designing Public Dialogues Purpose: IDENTIFY COMMON GROUND FOR ALL TO SEE MUST: • Represent Fairly the Diversity of Perspectives • Focus on the Dialogue among the Participants • Articulate and Publicize Common Ground

  15. Key Vision Events • June 2005, Kick-off Meeting: Diverse group of 65 invited citizens and workers (max-mix); • Identify key areas of inquiry – Connectivity, Transportation, Health, Special Urban Place • June 2005-January 2006, Interviews; Individual, Group and online with 1,000 people • Feb. 2, 2006, Pre-Summit Meeting, 70 invited citizens (max-mix); a cross-section of the community, members of the Partner organizations • Review the interview data • Propose Challenging Possibilities to bring to the Town Summit • February 12, 2006, Town Summit, 200 volunteer citizens • Propose priorities (among the existing 8 Goal Areas and the new, Challenging Possibilities) • Identify promising actions • Sign up to participate in future action steps

  16. Volunteers are a blessing and a challenge They, • Work hard • Add energy and their networks • Bring an important perspective and continuing interest • Monitor integrity of the process

  17. Vision ProcessOverview

  18. The process is an expanding conversation to: • Design, facilitate and support visioning - Project Team • Invite community-wide participation – City Council & Community Partners • Discover the topics for inquiry (Kick-off) – Invited Maximum Mix of citizens and workers • Interview as many individuals as possible – Citizen Volunteer Interviewers • Discover common ground themes (Pre-Summit) – Invited Maximum Mix • Identify priorities for committed action (Town Summit) - Participants

  19. Mayors Youth Award at Summit

  20. The Town Summit

  21. Identifying Priorities for Action

  22. Proposing Outcome Measures

  23. Vision St. Louis Park “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” Joel Barker

  24. Now what? • Reviewing the data • Council retreat • The first 18 months • Externally • Internally

  25. THANK YOU! • Tom Harmening, City of St. Louis Park, City Manager tharmening@stlouispark.org 952-924-2526 • Marjorie Herdes, Mobius Inc.; Partners for Strategic Change marjorie@mobiusmodel.com 952-927-7141 • William Stockton, Ph.D. Mobius Inc.; Partners for Strategic Change william@mobiusmodel.com 952-927-7141 • Bridget Gothberg, City of St. Louis Park, Organizational Development bgothberg@stlouispark.org 952-924-2684

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