S.O.A.R. Meets Visual Explorer

I recently worked with an information technology services group in thinking through the changes emerging in their work. The design approach was framed around Appreciative Inquiry and S.O.A.R. The "A" is for Aspirations, and to work with that we used Visual Explorer.

The group had worked through an extensive Discovery phase over the summer, and prior to this session a few came together and synthesized their findings into Strengths and Opportunities. Working from those, we then articulated the group's Purpose. They were then asked to think for a few minutes and create a mental image about what life would be like if they were fluidly deploying those Strengths and Opportunities and serving that Purpose.

Around the room we had scattered the Visual Explorer cards, and we invited everyone to select one that best represented their mental image. They then worked in pairs to share their selections and thoughts, and subsequently the whole group worked with a cardstorming process to describe its shared aspirations.

Five Aspirations emerged. Once they were on the wall, they were asked if one of their selected Visual Explorer cards seemed to describe each one; some merited more than one image. They were then asked if there was a single image that seemed to represent the collection of aspirations, and they chose two: a picture of puzzle pieces as a description of where they are now, and a photo of Stonehenge to represent the firmness and completeness of their future.

Aspirations

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Quick'n'Dirty PowerPoint

Have you ever had a mildly complicated point that you wanted to get across to just a few people? Have you ever felt trapped and confined when someone turned on a projector? I recently confronted these puzzles and explored a low-tech approach: index cards. The logic I was presenting had 9 or so steps, so I wrote each in very simple phrasing on a folded index card. It took about a minute and a half to talk through them, standing each on the table as though dealing from a deck. At that point they were a lot more useful than a slide show because they were all on the table together, instead of one at a time. As the conversation continued we could refer to them, move them around and otherwise work from a complete picture.

I'm thinking a next step might be to find do-it-yourself business cards that are made with a fold, and try using more refined text and images.

A World Cafe for Entering Medical Students

Last week our newest class of first-year medical students arrived for week of orientation. One of the expectations placed on them is that they will make an early and formal commitment to a set of professional behaviors that they will honor throughout their education and then on into their professional lives.

The Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs asked if I would help her work with the group - 80 in all - to fashion an agreement. I suggested that we might not do justice to something that deep with so many in so little time - they had allotted two hours - and that we would do well to instead hold an exploratory conversation that would produce the content around which a written agreement could be drafted afterward. In that light a Cafe Conversation seemed perfect.

The session began with a presentation on the essential professional behaviors expected of physicians. These were described as Aspirations of Professionalism and I used those as a starting point on the graphic record drawing them in ahead of time.

Using a tent card, each table was designated as the site for one of the six aspirations. The students were instructed to then rotate each time to a different aspiration as well as to a different group of people. They were asked to reflect on this question with each aspiration: What commitments are we willing to make to our professional development and professional competence?

As I strolled the room during the table rounds, I began to be concerned as a couple of the sixteen tables were a little less engaged than the others. I didn't know quite how to read it, as this was only the second cafe I'd held with so many people. In many ways this particular week is a grueling boot camp for these young men and women, so I wondered if they were just running out of gas. Of course, I also had to second-guess the design.

The Harvesting, however, eliminated all doubts as the Cafe Magic kicked in. The reflections were slow to come at first, but as the outflow steadied it also grew deeper. By the time we were done the attendees not only expressed their satisfaction (and I love applause) but also took it upon themselves to designate a small group to craft the agreement that they will subsequently sign.
The graphic record moved the next morning into one of the classrooms they would be using during the day. Parents were on campus to see the "white coat ceremony" at days end, and I had the pleasure of seeing some of the students bring their family in to see the chart. the image will be included in their written agreement, and then kept around in poster form for the duration of this class's time here.

Mindmapping The Whuffie Factor

I recently read Tara Hunt's The Whuffie Factor, and it reminded me of one of the cards from Leadership Metaphor Explorer. From there I signed on for a trial copy of Buzan's iMindMap and gave it a whirl.Most of the mapping I've done so far has been with Mindjet. It's really powerful software but I'm thinking it just doesn't exert the same kind of energy as a more organic and free flowing form.

Toward a Diagnostic for Process Design

We've all been there: a carefully orchestrated change process is suddenly steered into another direction in the interest of "more action and less talk." Having embarked on an engagement designed to use Appreciative Inquiry and completing a first Discovery session, the decision was made that there would be no topical interviews and a revised schedule had no Dream phase. What happened?

Two things come to mind for future improvement: being more circumspect about taking "yes" for an answer, and becoming much more rigorous about jointly developing an agreed-upon change agenda. In this particular incident, AI was warmly viewed as an excellent tool for the issues at hand; however, it's possible that the AI solution was on the table before the task was fully analyzed. For instance, my assumption was that the change agenda had been previously determined as bringing Change, Progress and Renewal to the issue at hand. It was much later that I finally realized the intended message: the issue needs CPR. This is not the positive orientation upon which AI builds its success, and it seems to be a contributor to how things ran off the track.

The revised approach for this project will move more immediately into specific content and analysis; again, a pressure that many clients face for varying reasons. The choice that has to be made is around the value of a "deeper dive" that creates the capacity for fundamental change. For instance, we know that if new thinking doesn't permeate our conversations, our images don't change and therefore neither will our practices. We know from the Anticipatory Principle that there is huge potential in moving toward what we value as opposed to away from what we dislike. It can also be shown that the creation of images of ideal outcomes reveals alignment in group thinking; recent brain research shows higher levels of creativity in such positive atmospheres as opposed to the usual orientation of problem elimination.

A pattern that appears in a large body of work is that of a distinct "turn" in collective thinking under certain circumstances. Thomas Kuhn described it as the result of sufficient dissonance; Arthur M. Young showed it as a 90-degree turn, such that the new direction is equally different from its original destination and its source; Drexler and Sibbet described it as a point of commitment, Scharmer as the opening of will, Block as the point at which "the answer to How? is Yes!" Mapping these will often show a "u" or "v" shape, with various levels along the vertical dimension, and to these levels can be added those of the iceberg used in systems thinking.

The horizontal dimension can be described as moving from intention to action, as shown in the Enneagram work by G.I. Gurdjieff among others. So what's wrong with focusing on that direction? It's certainly how our day-to-day pressures present themselves. It's OK sometimes, but when? That's where a careful diagnosis of a situation merits as much attention as the process design itself.

So where might one begin? At a fundamental level, Heifetz's Leadership Without Easy Answers offers a starting point. In describing when to use technical versus adaptive practices, he suggests we consider the extent to which the challenge is well-defined and the likely solution already known. Similarly, Carlson and Bailey describe the use of the processing mode of thinking for when the variables are known, but the application of the flow mode for when they aren't. A diagnostic tool that allowed a designer to chart a client's situation among such markers would be invaluable.

Additional resources can be found in the literature on various approaches. For instance, on the AI Commons can be found advice on when NOT to use AI: predictable, linear process and outcomes are required; problem-identification/problem-solving is the preferred method for change; there is lack of support for passionate dreaming and inspired self-initiative.

The Creative Problem Solving Process may be a place to start with the development of such a diagnostic tool. In what ways might we use that process to design process?

CPSI #55

The 55^th running of the Creative Problem Solving Institute was held this past week in Danvers, MA. It's the oldest conference most of us know of, sustained annually by the high energy that participants bring as well as their commitment to the sponsor, the Creative Education Foundation.

We heard Sarah Miller Caldicott talk about Thomas Edison, his charismatic optimism and his use of the analogical thinking that the human brain really enjoys. Claude Stein reflected on the Essence of Leadership: identifying a message, finding true heart and then convincing and persuading others. Dean Kamen distinguished invention, which is usually about technology, from innovation which is usually about people. He also had the best one-liner for the week: the difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits. Keith Sawyer told us about the creative power of collaboration, using improv theatre as an example of how it's not so much the individuals as the interactions between them. His experience suggests that everyone can be creative, and that creativity always emerges over time and always involves sharing and collaboration.

For the week I attended the Tools and Techniques component of the Facilitating Creative Leadership track. Our large and revved-up group learned about the work of Guy Aznar; his flow from concept to image and then to sensation is one I'll explore further in the context of Theory U, Arthur M. Young and systems thinking's iceberg. Especially cool tools were the Ladder of Abstraction, How-How and the Problem Police.

As usual, I captured what I could in my journal from day to day. To some extent it was hit and miss because we were rarely allowed to just for long periods of time without getting up and doing something. Many kind people commented on what I was doing, expressed curiosity about it and asked if they could take a look at week's end. For them, the pages are reproduced here through Picasa.

NACUFS Meets Idealized Design

Last week I conducted the Planning Institute for the National Association of College and University Food Service (NACUFS), one of an impressive array of offerings they have for their members. Originally scripted with NACUFS as well as the Society for College & University Planning and conducted in 2007, the workshop uses Russell Ackoff's Idealized Design as a platform for learning about issues in planning.

Part of our rationale in choosing this model was based on the assumption that food service operators should be able to quickly grasp the systems analysis with which the process begins. In 2007 we actually struggled with this piece moreso than any others, so a redesign was in store this time around. Here, we mixed very simple approaches with modest requirements for results, and when this was coupled with the extraordinary work effort that NACUFS members bring to these events the results were incredible. Dubious at first, they all saw their sticky notes transition from chaos to order.

One of the struggles I currently have with this particular approach is that it begins with a deficit orientation; in fact, most of the training I've had so far in systems thinking emphasizes problem-seeking. Rather than just sell Ackoff short, attention was called to that issue as they were asked to reflect on how heavy the atmosphere was as we "designed the mess." We also asked for their own experiences in dealing with positively focused issues as opposed to the usual negative orientation.

They toughed through relatively mindfully, and continued their solid work. The mission statements they developed were as good if not better than most I've seen in the "real world," and they produced them with a minimum of wordsmithing. As they discovered the need for collaboration among groups, they began with a few representatives at first, and eventually entire teams were pairing up to work through issues. The systems thinking approach apparently helped them, as their proposals and solutions clearly had an eye on the total campus context, and not just dining.

We introduced them to a variety of tools. A trends analysis was done by assembling and analyzing a large collage made from magazine clippings. We used Creative Problem-Solving as a reference for careful sequencing of the work, and then added some fast brainwriting to quickly seed idea sessions. CCL's Visual Explorer was used with one group to write the story of "the mess," and with another to help start the Idealized Design. Rather than use the traditional gap analysis to move from Idealized Design to Means Planning, we borrowed from Appreciative Inquiry and helped them collaboratively write Provocative Propositions.

It's often the case after an event like this that we go home full of excitement, but then it passes in the face of the next week's demands. To confront this head-on, we designed a set of reflective questions, based in concept on the Dream stage in AI but blended with Idealized Design, and asked them to work in pairs to write and share a story about what the next year would be like for each of them. Some of the thoughts we heard were:

• The quote I'll remember: It's easier to tame down a wild idea than to wild up a tame one;
  
• The provocative propositions work was really nice. We NEVER write down these things;
  
• I have a great team! I can do this! Let's think bigger!
  
• Sometimes a peak experience begins with a setback;
  
• We're all in this together;
  
• I can start my own story now;
  
• A cookie cutter approach is not what we did this week. Thank you, Bruce!
  

The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet

I'm curious if anyone has seen this book. A review showed up in today's newspaper, and it included this paragraph:

T.S. Spivet - his initials stand for "Tecumseh Sparrow," which is fully explained - is a rather peculiar 12-year-old boy, narrating in his inimitably charming voice. He lives with his family on a ranch in Montana, where he spends his days immersed in cartography. No topic is too esoteric for his intricate maps and diagrams, displayed in the book's margins. (They were created by the author and Ben Gibson, who designed the book's quirky typography.)

There is also a very cool website.

A Tip o' the Hat to Squarespace

I first set this blog up right after reading The World Is Flat. It seemed so easy that I then went after my own website, but that's been a little different story. Even software that I call "web tools for dummies" made updates a chore if not an event to be dreaded.

While prowling in Lifehacker I found Squarespace and gave it a try - it didn't take long to convince me. So far I've found it relatively easy to use, and I'm continuing to figure out just what I can do with it. The best part: I can update and experiment constantly.

Their customer service is really strong. They were quick and expansive when I asked questions before signing up. When I blacked out my whole site by putting the wrong code in the wrong place (nothing is completely idiot-proof, huh?) they fixed it and had me back up in an hour. Highly recommended!

Picasso's War

A 5-for-$15 sale at BetterWorldBooks landed a copy of Picasso's War, by Russell Martin. It tells the story of the village and the painting, from 1937 up through the work's return from exile to Spain in 1981. Among the things I learned was that Dora Marr photographed the painting at various stages. Those images are shown in the slideshow below, and a lot more can be found on an extensive website belonging to David M.Hart.

Those tic marks on the horse? They were added by Marr working along with Picasso, and it's believed to be the only time he ever allowed anyone to work on one of his canvases.

"Third Loop" meets the World Cafe

Subsequent to the discussion with the campus group described in the post below, a committee of energetic and creative people was appointed to plan the event. Although I'll lead the cafe event itself, I figured out very quickly the best thing to do was to give them a few pointers and then get out their way! I am not accustomed to such strong, positive forces in a university setting, and it is a TREAT!!!

They've created an event as well as a video teaser, graphics and a t-shirt design. They've identified themes for framing the event. We'll have 175 students and another 75 staff, parents, faculty and alums. Holy catfish - what a crowd!

The challenge to come: designing the cafe's question.

A Third Loop

With some groups I've been using a planning process taught by the Institute for Cultural Affairs. Known as ToP Strategic Planning, it lends itself to a generative way of thinking. In particular, the sequence for developing purpose, mission and values has so far produced succinct results for my groups without the usual tortuous wordsmithing.

As ICA presents it, it's a sequential process, and that bothered me initially. Although they point out the importance of acting on our values, it seemed that those two pieces needed a stronger connection. There was also a need for "reality" to get in there somewhere. It eventually occurred to me to think of this process as two loops that connected through Reality, and I drew it for myself as shown here.

This process is taught for use in a facilitated engagement. To ICA and others who have presented similar sequences I have always inquired: "I work in a university, and we claim to require data. Where does the data come in here?" There's never been a satisfying answer. Recently I was asked to help a campus group talk through the start of a planning process, and their first and highest concern was how to tackle what appeared to be a an enormously complex situation analysis. In the scripted process they were using, this piece of work was near the middle of the sequence. I scribbled out the ToP methodology for them and asked "What if we looked at our situation first, instead of later?" What emerged in the conversation was a third loop that may well answer my questions about data and other tools for getting at reality.

It seemed to me that we might best start by looking at the situation very broadly, and then "noticing what we notice." By taking stock of emergent issues we spend our time on things that are more likely to be important. In this instance, I recommended a World Cafe that might be quite large to assure that we had the entire system in the room. Knowing that a carefully crafted question would yield a cogent collection of topics, we could drill down as needed. Data-gathering and validation methods could be chosen to suit the issue: focus groups, surveys, Walkabouts just to name a few. The findings could then be synthesized and converged into "the story," an elegant narrative easily told by anyone that accurately describes the situation we're about to work with. Once we can do that, we should have a solid and shared context within which to ascertain our organizational identity.Such a whole system/divergent/convergent process has features worth paying attention to. First of all, it doesn't really care about top-down thinking, and instead allows important issues to emerge on their own. It doesn't respect silos either, and there is little that will be off-limits. It can be a hugely creative experience with persistent dialogue among those doing the data-gathering. Although the book Good to Great is sometimes accused of having done harm because it gets used as a cookbook, the really fascinating story in it is about how they discussed and probed their findings in dialogue with each other in order to develop their conclusions.

A few days after this discussion, I began getting ready for a teleconference about a workshop I'll present in June. For this particular association, we use Russell Ackoff's Idealized Design as a framework for surfacing the many issues that arise in university planning. This third loop that has emerged offers some similarities to "designing the mess" as described by Dr. Ackoff. If we were to find a place to insert a bit of systems thinking into this emergent approach to a situation analysis it just might really become something!

Feeding Our Mental Models

Thanks to Richard Karash I’ve been reading O’Connor and McDermott’s The Art of Systems Thinking. I have to admit that as a novice on the topic I found the first few attempts challenging, but that was before mainlining on systems thinking at the Pegasus Conference. I sat down with it again yesterday and it now reads like a novel!

In their explanation of generative learning, they describe the changes that can take place in our mental models. The change occurs in response to feedback that can only be received through our senses. This might be from messages in our body such as pain, discomfort or general un-ease. It can also be messages from other people’s bodies by way of tones in speech or body language. Unfortunately we each have thresholds in that sensitivity, often a product of our mental models themselves, that cause us to miss the feedback.

In what ways might we improve that sensitivity? I’m thinking a place to start is with a change in the medium. In a post below is a description of using Visual Explorer as a tool for finding a message inside us. We can also learn from our own images as described in Fox and Ganim’s Visual Journaling: Going Deeper than Words. Their process begins with noticing the messages from our bodies, and visualizing what those sensations might look like. I have found that as I work into the depths of their program, images and messages have appeared that were astounding. They seemed to have been imported from somewhere or someone as they just didn’t “fit” my usual lexicon. Among my mental models is one that says when I surprise myself, it’s time to pay attention and learn something.

Such visual work can go even deeper if we use Tsultrim Allione’s Feeding Your Demons. As in Visual Journaling one begins by noticing an internal sensation, and then visualizing it. The next step is to then personalize the image by looking for its living features like eyes, ears, hands a mouth; at that point one of your Demons has appeared. A conversation follows that leads you to offering the Demon what it tells you it needs, and then seeing it transform. Under certain circumstances, an Ally can emerge at the end of this exchange.

Among the reasons I was drawn to the book was a conversation I had with Diana Whitney. I had tossed out that old line about how people resist change, and she issued a pointed rejoinder: “People don’t resist change. They resist any situation in which they’re not getting something they need.” Might we work with our Mental Models as with our Demons: by giving them what they need and allowing the transformation to unfold?