Building Sustainable Networks
A Learning Laboratory - December 8th, 2006
Proposed Agenda
Purpose Statement
The Building Sustainable Networks learning laboratory aims to strengthen leadership development that transforms individuals and society by building a learning community to explore creating vibrant networks of leaders, foster collaboration and encourage sharing of ideas, resources, lessons learned and innovative practices.
Notes on purpose statement:
Need to expand our terminology around leadership to include our vision and not just responding to the worst that the word and concept has come to represent.
Points raised:
- Individual and Collective
- People and Community Development
- Claiming Wisdom of older traditions
- Be explicit about power, purpose & transformation - we are talking across paradigms
- Sustainable and life affirming
- Inclusivity
- Collaboration
9:30 Welcome Reflection-Overview of Day-Introductory Visioning Activity
• Welcome reflection: The Seven of Pentacles, Marge Piercy
• Agenda preview and a bit about this work and our hopes and expectations
• Visioning: Why ‘sustainable networks’? What do they look like or create?
10:30 Review and Agree Upon (above) Purpose Statement
11:00 Case Studies on Building Sustainable Networks/Small Group Conversations
Key Question 1: What are current successful and innovative practices that sustain connection and action among leadership program participants beyond their program experience?
• Perry Chen, LeaderSpring alumnus/LLC X-Program Collaboration participant
LeaderSpring/Eureka model:
• 2-year on the job leadership program for nonprofit Executive Directors
• Technical Assistance in a small regional ongoing peer group
• Study Trip/Group - visit other organizations anywhere in the country for a week
• Peer-based study - New and more seasoned E.D.s some 1 year on the job - some 15 years
• Alumni: Alumni Board is established and meets 4 or 5 times a year. Alumni gathering happens once a year. Each cohort encouraged to get together once per year for a lunch. Looking at variations on University Alumni programs as models to some extent.
• Challenges: Varying experiences, purpose (many people come back for the relationships & social aspects), engagement, collaborations around projects not compelling unless something right in middle of mission and already doing (collaboration can't be a forced template - needs to evolve from the relationships). Focused on individual development (what do E.D.s do next).
• Alum Group Components: Self-managed by alumni, priorities determined by alums
• Martha Lee, Executive Director, Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance (Ill, not present) Deborah Meehan, Kellogg Fellow and Executive Director of the Leadership Learning Community
• Public Allies Case Study
12:30 Lunch
Open Space: Time to both network and explore relevant questions/strategies/challenges in pairs/small groups
1:45 Re-convene to share highlights, key learning and questions
2:00 Roving Conversations Activity: Emerging Lessons
Key Question 2: What actions and strategies are diminishing barriers and cultivating collaboration among leadership development programs and their participants?
• Exploring ‘framework’ lessons learned
• Additional experiences and learning: what is missing?
Key Question 3: How can we learn about and extend the impact of collaborative fellowship networks on social change efforts regionally and nationally?
• Bridging strategies: what is the appropriate forum for ‘making an impact’?
• Gallery walk: new understandings and a-ha’s
3:30 Sustaining Learning: Next Steps?
Key Question 4: What are structures and practices that can help to foster collaborative efforts and link activities, resources and networks?
• Re-visioning
• Brainstorm ideas
• Commitments
4:30 Closing Reflection: Possibility, Frances Moore Lappe
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