changing the world one meeting at a time
DESCRIPTION
Presentation at the symposium of the Society for Organisational Learning Austria, 19 October 2012TRANSCRIPT
Changing the world one meeting at a time
Creating a culture of participation with the principles of Large Scale Interventions
Symposium SoL Austria, 19 October 2012
Tonnie van der Zouwen
2
Topics of the presentation
How academic research on Large Scale Interventions produced guidelines for effective use, based on a set of principles
What does sustainable change, meaning ongoing collective learning in organisations, look like?
How Large Scale Interventions principles can be used for rapid change (falling trees in the forest, making a lot of noise)
How these principles can be used in almost every meeting, making them more productive and meaningful, creating a culture of participation (silently growing the forest)
Sharing experiences and learnings
3
What is LSI?
Large Scale Interventions (LSI) form a participative approach for change with the whole system.
On one or more occasions the whole system is invited into one room to work on strategic issues.
The task/issue determines what the system is: Who do you need for successful change?
LSI comprises a whole family of methods for working with the whole system in the room, such as Open Space, the World Café, Future Search, Search Conference, and Whole Scale Change.
4
Involvement of people in a top-down approach
“I have shared my vision, so now we have a shared vision”Cartoon by Mark de Koning
5
Involvement of people in a participative approach
Working interactively to build a shared vision on the system, looking for common ground for action
Cartoon by Mark de Koning
Four basic principles of LSI
1. Systems Thinking:Things are connected in time and space, change in part of the system will influence the whole system
2. Participation of stakeholders: Active participation and self-management enhance commitment to change and learning
3. Action learning:Not seperating thinking and doing in time, or in roles of participants, facilitates real time change
4. Understanding the whole (sensemaking)When participants find common ground, by sharing views and experiences, it is possible to move forward; focus is on future possibilities, not on past problems
The 4 principles produce a web of success factors
Architecture of an LSI trajectory for organisational change (example)
9
Research looking for evidence
When and how is LSI successful? What does success look like?
A disturbing gab between success stories in literature and my own experiences as a consultant and trainer of LSI methods
Growing use and abuse of participative change approaches for organisational change
Claim on “sustainable change” in literature, but hardly any research done on effectiveness on the longer term
Why Client Information Leaflets for medical treatments and financial products and not for consultancy interventions?
Research ModelBased on the model “The elements of an intervention” of Jac Geurts et. al. 2006
Context/Task
Effectiveness
Client
Consultant
Intervention
Methods
Large Scale Interventions
Conceptualisation
Concepts
Relationships
Theory
Logic of feeling, Collective learning, Systems thinking,
SensemakingSustainable change
Results in : Insights
Results in: Insights
Selects
& steers
Fills & deepens
Structure
& steer
Structure
& steer
Contribute to
Operations
Actions & Events in LSI trajectories
Loading
Characteristics of the cases
Results in : Experiences
11
Research phases and steps
1. Exploring the field: Literature study, interviews, websites, documents, action research (participating in conferences and network), text analyses of documented cases
2. Developing an evaluation instrument: Text analyses using an analytical framework (research model) approach; building a theoretical framework for sustainable change
3. Testing the evaluation instrument: Case study, evaluating past projects
4. Checking validity and usability of the practical guide: Research conferences as member check
Impressions of the exploring phase
13
How can effectiveness be evaluated?
1. Building a theoretical framework for sustainable change:
Non-sustainable change contributes to getting more and better work done (first order collective learning)
Sustainable change contributes to developing capacities for change (second order collective learning)
2. Developing an evaluation instrument based on audit methods used in quality management systems, such as ISO 9000: audit matrix, score tables, evaluation reports
Time
Development ofCapacities
Grief
Anger
Fear
Safety
Justice
Acknowledgement
Informalcapacities
Formal capacities
Communicativecapacities
Stored in: Structures, rules, procedures, functions, management systems
Stored in:Symbols, traditions, stories, rituals, styles
Stored in: Images for the future
Natural System Internal steering by will
Social System of rulesExternal steering by discipline
Communicative self- steering System Self-steering in communication
The Logic of Feelingmodel for organisational change
Our feeling makes us aware of the character of new experiences
Knowledge SystemDriving force
Time
Development ofcollective learningin an organisation
Phase 1: Zero-order collective learning:- Only individuals learn- Implicit rules, mostly tacit- Internal steering by will
Phase 2: First-order collective learning:- Collective learning of explicit procedures
and rules- External steering by discipline
Phase 3: Second-order collective learning:- Collective learning of principles
behind the rules- Testing against goals- Continuous collective learning
DepressionCollective communication is invited, but it does not lead to readjustment
Disorientation: Lack of a guiding vision for the future leads to frequent changes in strategy
Growth fixationDoing without thinking
StagnationNo development
ChaosNo explicit agreements for cooperation
BureaucracyToo many rules and norms cause inflexibility
Emancipation
Disciplining
Burn-out
Aggression
Obstacles
Learning phases
Natural System Internal steering by will
Social System of rulesExternal steering by discipline
Communicative self- steering System Self-steering in communication
Sustainable change: Ongoing collective learning
16
Phase 3: Testing and improving the evaluation instrument
1. Testing and improving the instrument by reconstructing 3 cases, 2 years after the LSI
2. Developing a practical guide for LSI
3. Making a Summary as Client Information Leaflet
Phase 4: Checking validity and usability in a research conference
Content of the practical guide to LSIA Client Information Leaflet)
What is LSI?
What does LSI do?
Before using LSI, contra-indications
How to use LSI?
Possible risks
Expert Section: Guidelines for facilitation and evaluation
For assessment of preconditions before the start
For assessment of performance during the LSI
For evaluation of effectiveness after the LSI, with procedures and tools
Success factors of LSI
LSI has to be worth the effort, stakeholders need each other for success
The system has to be ready for a participative approach, leaders are willing to take contributions of stakeholders seriously
Facilitators have to ‘cook with the principles’, making a good match between situation, task and design
The right people in the room, the choice of what the system is, is crucial
Expectation management is essential to build and keep trust
Sustainable change requires follow up: Focus on the larger change process (prolonged engagement), not on events
Effects of LSI
Better and faster implementation of change
Collective learning and changing continue, increased capacity to change
Communication is more direct (two way) and more constructive
More permeable boundaries: opening up the organisation, inviting diversity; focus on how good the system is; more systemic thinking
Increased reflective self awareness
Using the LSI principles in change processes with large
group meetings
The falling trees making a lot of noise
1. College: Discussing priorities for organisational development
Stakeholders: Teachers, managers, service employees, students,
board members
2. Local social care: simulation of client procedures
Stakeholders: Local government, clients, healthcare organizations,
volunteer workers, food suppliers
3. Twenty four primary schools: involving parents in school development
Stakeholders: Parents, teachers, directors, board members
Appying the LSI principles for leading meetings that matter:
The silently growing forest
Get the whole system in the room
Define the whole system. Who ARE – IN? A group that has within various people with:
A = Authority to actR = Resources, such as contacts,
time, or moneyE = Expertise in the issues to be
considered
I = Information about the topic that no others have
N = Need to be involved because they will be affected by the outcome and can speak to the consequences
Control what you can, let go what you can’t
Forget about being able to control behavior of people
• Exercise maximum control before the meeting, on structure and conditions
• Exercise minimum control during the meeting, just keep the space open for everyone who wants to contribute
Explore the “Whole Elephant”
Explore the whole before fixing any part
• Bring the enviroment in the room in the form of people
• Use techniques to collectively get the whole picture (timelines, mind maps, flow charts, go-arounds, …..)
Let people be responsible
• Accept people the way they are, not as you want them to be
• Do less, so others can do more
• Encourage self-management
Find common ground
• Focus on what people can agree on and not on what they cannot resolve
• Focus on the future, tap into the dreams and hopes of people
Learn to say No if you want your Yes to mean something
1. Planning group meetingExploring the whole with timelines
2. Community gathering
Stakeholders: Local government, police, citizens, community
associations
More information
Book: Building an evidence based practical guide to Large Scale Interventions. Towards sustainable organisational change with the whole system
Book: Don’t just do something stand there. Ten principles for leading meetings that matter (Weisbord & Janoff). See summary leaflet
Book: Productive Workplaces third edition (Marvin Weisbord)
Article: Detecting and approaching obstacles for collective learning (Tonnie van der Zouwen) Journal Challenging Organisations and Society, October 2012
www.tonnievanderzouwen.com
What did we hear?
What questions do we have?
What are our ideas for the future?
Welcome to the sharing and reflecting
session