Igniting Leadership at all Levels: EPA-ORD

Working Together to Ensure the Earth’s Vitality

Pervasive Leadership • Liberating Collaboration • Engendering Trust

* Slides for the ORD’s Leadership Summit Jan. 2003 in Baltimore. See http://ai.cwru.edu for David Cooperrider’s articles on Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and the “AI Summit” Large Group Planning Process.

“Internal & External Stakeholders”Caring Voices

Students

STAR fellows

Regional and other EPA staff

Other government agency staff

Business leaders

SES candidates

Program office representatives

College dean

ORD– Engineers

– Administrative

– Scientists

– Management

The First International Conference on

Appreciative Inquiry

U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Research and Development

Presentation to ORD Leadership SummitJanuary 2003

Creating an ORD Where Everyone CountsHenry L. Longest IOAA

Our Recent History

We started in 1995 when ORD was reorganized

We held Williamsburg I and II-to listen to our people about change

Management Meeting on our Strategic Plan

Administrative Conference -“Partners in Excellence”

The Science Forum, May 2002 and now a Leadership Summit to ignite Leadership at all levels

Our Commitment to Change

Throughout the last six years we have also implemented five ORD Organizational Climate Surveys with the last survey resulting in 75% response from you

We continue to ask you and you continue to tell us!

We are committed to continuing our change efforts and today begins a new era for ORD

The Question

“Is this the BIG one?”

The Answer

Yes, this is the BIG one!

Why We Need Pervasive Leadership

Our theme today and for the next few days is pervasive leadership—why do we need it

– A “retiring” explosion in the next few years with high projections of turnover

– Need new energy and new blood

– SES Candidates-None from ORD

ORD Rankings –Executive Core Qualifications

The Agency used a selection process based on 5 Executive Core Qualifications. ORD ranked this way

1. Highest Communications/Building Coalitions

2. High Results-Driven

3. Medium Leading Change

4. Lowest Leading People and

5. Lowest Business Acumen

ORD Results – SES SelectionTotal number of applicants 655

ORD applicants 40 (6%)

(ORD is 10% of the Agency)

Round 1

Of the Top Ranked 200

ORD applicants selected to move on 11 (5.5%)

(Based on core qualifications review)

Round 2

After SES Panel review

Round 3 4

After Assessment Center and Interview Panels

ORD applicants selected for program

ORD Results – SES Selection

ZERO!!!!!

Our history is top down and it doesn’t work anymore!

High Point Leadership Experience

Senior Master Sergeant relied on group leaders

Group leaders relied on their people

Their people relied on each other and their leaders

They listened to each other, helped each other

And got the job done

High Point Leadership Experience

The result?

Completion of the 40 units

Everyone pulling their weight

Relying on each other

Trusting each other

Celebration of getting the job done together!

Leadership Lessons from Football

The New York Times reported the reason why the Jets won:– ...” We had energy out there and we were feeding off each

other...among the Jets now, players listen to coaches, coaches listen to players, players listen to players. They are all absorbing the teaching, the preparation, sharing knowledge, trusting each other.”

Struck by the collaboration at every level resulting in a BIG win, the reporter wrote. “You get that and you get a beautiful thing!!! (41 - 0) !!!

My Charge to You

Make the most of the days ahead

Step outside of the box

Talk with each other

Discover, dream and plan

Create an ORD where EVERYONE counts

– An ORD for tomorrow

– An ORD working together to ensure the earth’s vitality!

It is not just change, but change in the order of magnitude of change…

The change that is taking place on the earth and in our minds is one of the greatest changes ever to take place in human affairs, perhaps the greatest, since what we are talking about is not simply another historical change or cultural modification, but a change of geological and biological as well as psychological order of magnitude. We are changing the earth on a scale comparable only to the changes in the structure of the earth and of life that took place during some hundreds of millions of years of earth development.. --Thomas Berry,

Dream of the Earth

A Time to Re-think Human Organization and Change…

Thank God our precious time is now – M.L. King

Global Context of Democratization

End of Apartheid

No Limits to Cooperation & No Boundaries in Knowledge

Anticipatory Learning… and Whole Systems Thinking Together

We are at the very point in time when a 400-year old age is dying and another is struggling to be born, a shifting of culture, science, society, and institutions enormously greater than the world has ever experienced. Ahead, the possibility of the regeneration of relationships, liberty, community, and ethics such as the world has never known, and a harmony with nature, with one another, and with the divine intelligence such as the world has never dreamed.

--Dee Hock, Founder & CEO--Visa

Ap-pre’ci-ate, v.,

1. Valuing …– The act of recognizing the best in people and the world

around us;

– Affirming past and present strengths, successes, and potentials;

– To perceive those things that give life (health, vitality, and excellence) to living systems.

2. To increase in value, e.g. the economy has appreciated in value. – Synonyms: valuing, prizing, esteeming,

and honoring.

In-quire’ (kwir), v.,

1. The act of exploration and discovery.

2. To ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities.

– Synonyms: discovery, search, studyand systematic exploration.

What is an “AI” (Appreciative Inquiry) Summit?

The AI Summit:Key Characteristics

“Whole System” in the Room Task is Clear Future Focus & Continuity Search Self-Management, Dialogue, Inquiry Honor Differences, Discover Common Ground 3-4 Day event/100 to 2000 Participants Uncommon Action/Follow Through—

Leadership at Every Level Exciting Examples: Navy, Cleveland Clinic,

Roadway, etc.

Discovery•Opportunity & Call

•Positive Core

Discovery•Opportunity & Call

•Positive Core

Dream•Images of Future•Shared Visions

Dream•Images of Future•Shared Visions

Design•Possibility Propositions

Ideal Organizational Designs

Design•Possibility Propositions

Ideal Organizational Designs

Destiny•Actions/Projects

•Pilots •Improvisation

Destiny•Actions/Projects

•Pilots •Improvisation

AI Summit “4-D” Cycle

Igniting Leadership Every Level:

Working Together to Ensure

the Earth’s Vitality

Today

DISCOVERY

Opening Inquiry

Forming Groups: Trends, Events, Opportunities, and patterns/causes of moments of effectiveness

Analysis of the “Positive Core” for Our Future

Continuity, Novelty, Transition: Three Tasks of Leadership

Stories of Change In the Area of “Pervasive Leadership at Every Level” e.g. US Navy, Roadway

The Future of Science…Getting Ready for Tomorrow

Opening Conversation (using all 6 questions on page 4-8)

A-->B (40 min)

B-->A (40 min)

Spirit of discovery

Someone from a different function, level, etc.

Take brief notes, search

At the end.. summary & thanks return at: 10:50

Self Management and Group leadership roles…

Discussion leader

Timekeeper

Recorder

reporter

Groups Form: 2+2+2+2=8see worksheets, p. 10-11

1. Introduce your partners vis-à-vis your interviews—share highlights, insights—using questions in #1 abc & #2 ab.

2. Everyone listen for patterns/insights in two areas (see worksheet on page 11):

High Point Stories of Change: Root Causes of Success?

Key Trends, Events, Developments ORD Opportunities?

PLUS: choose one “high point” story from your group for someone to re-tell

Reports at: 11: 40

On the theme of leadership…

“These are hard times in which a genius would wish to live. Great necessities call forth great leaders.”

Abigail Adams in a letter to Thomas Jefferson

--1790

Management ofNOVELTY

Management ofNOVELTY

Management ofTRANSITION

A-->B

Management ofTRANSITION

A-->B

Management of CONTINUITY

Management of CONTINUITY

Leading Change:Searching For Vital Balance

Functions of Continuity

For Individuals:

Pride, confidence to act, ethical guidance connection to others, freedom

For the Organization: Strengthened commitment, better decision making; decentralized control; mission stability; organizational learning; long term thinking; customized change.

What We Want to Carry Forward… “Positive Core” ORD

See page 12-13 for groups

reports @_2:10______

The US Navy Story of Change

V. Admiral Al Harms, Chief of Naval Education and Training

Served on many ships: USS Ranger, Commanding Officer USS John F. Kennedy

Many decorations of merit

Leading “Bold and Enlightened Leaders at Every Level: Forging a Culture of Excellence

A great person!

An Exciting Story & Example of Ai In Action

Recently Featured in Fast Company.

From 300 to Zero Grievances, e.g. Akron Terminal

Powerful Product Innovations, e.g. Mannhatten Project

New Culture of Leadership…Leaders Developing Leaders at Every Level

Powerful Learning Partnerships: Alcoa, Boeing, Cisco, Harley-Davidson, US Navy.

Beyond Negative Culture (“Internal Dialogue”) to a Narrative Rich Positive Revolution in Change

Many thanks…Sheri Schulte!

The First International Conference on

Appreciative Inquiry

Pioneering ResearchAcross Many Fields

An Emerging Vocabulary of “Positive Change”

• Positive Health…Placebo, etc.

• Pygmalion: We are Made and Imagined In Each Others Eyes

• Imbalanced “Inner Dialogue”

• Rise and Fall of Cultures

• What Good are Positive Emotions? Inspiration, Hope, Joy, Curiosity…

• Affirmative Capacity

Many Many DisciplinesDisciplines

Positive Positive Images of Images of Future ---> Future ---> Positive ActionPositive Action

Images of the Future: Dreams of ORD We Want

See worksheet page: 15--16

Creative presentations at: 11:10

What Do We Mean by “Design” ?

Both a product and a process

As a verb…”to design”…Is to invent, to innovate, to conceive and to make choices - about the purpose, principles, roles, processes, practices and structures which will house, support and give life to the organizations members and the dream they have created.

As a noun, “the organization design” …Is the set of choices we have made about the above

Does Design Matter?

“ First we shape our structures and then our structures shape us ”

Winston Churchill

Does Design Matter?

“ Most people spend 50% of their time not just doing their job but fighting their own institutional bureaucracies ”

- Dee Hock, Founder, Visa International

Does Design Matter?

“ All systems are perfectly designed to achieve the results they are currently achieving”

Example

The Dream

Key Relationships/Partnerships(Internal and External)

Choices/Elements in the Formal Organization

Ways we move, assign and develop people

RecruitmentRetention strategies

Who makes what decisions

Reward/recognitionpractices

Tools and Equipment

Our practices for challenging ourselves. renewing ourselves And continuously improving

How people are grouped together

Ways of connecting with the BU’s

Processes for understanding the business context and setting priorities

Mechanisms we usewithin to stay

linked and in sync

Processes forPrioritization

Goals and Measures of PerformanceThat we use

Physical layout And location

Who has whatInformation and how?

Professional Bodies

Universities

External Suppliers

Technical VP’s

Bus. UnitLeaders

Gov't andRegulatory agencies

Our Staff

“Design Elements” in the dreams:

See page

Open forum discussion @

Design elements…things heard, implied in presentations

High quality magnetic work environment—work is exciting, attracts great people

Scientific Excellence: World class reputation for science (how we are seen)

Elevated, ignited sense of purpose

Proactive partnerships with industry, ngos,

Collaborative, team based work environments

Enthusiastic people, fun, high passion

Design elements…things heard, implied in presentations

Organizational agility, capacity to change

Organizational learning capacity—foresight, anticipation, innovation,

Technologies for virtual team and collaboration (virtual office)

Positive climate of trust, enthusiasm,

Diversity and valuing diversity

Global environmental relationships (international partnerships and impact)

Design elements…things heard, implied in presentations

Great training and leadership development opporunties

Structures—networked, flat, flexible

Rewards and recognitions systems (valuing, celebrating)

Effective communications and connectivity with public

Business (financial excellence) and collaborative use of resources

Organizational agility, capacity to change and grow

Design elements…things heard, implied in presentations

Internal communications

Decision making

Career development, mentorship, performance appraisal

Mechanisms for best practice sharing

Planning Processes for the future and clarity across all levels

Collaboration with and support of the Program Offices

Education of the public

Design elements…things heard, implied in presentations

Design elements…things heard, implied in presentations

What area (design element) generates the most energy for you?

Look around the room at the design elements on flip charts on the walls.

Think about one area (e.g. communications, training, organizational learning, etc) that generates energy for you—something that you can contribute to—on behalf of the whole.

Go to that flip chart and form a new group of 8. If there are 16 people there, then form two groups of 8. Its OK to have several groups using the same design element.

Organizational Design Elements we heard in the Dreams

Structures (from vertical hierarchies to networked systems)

Communications in ORD

Communications with the world (marketing etc)

Organizational learning processes/events

Partnerships with industry

A Possibility Proposition is...

A statement describing your ideal organization.

It is a bridge from the “positive core” of past and present to the desired and new future.

Its like being an architect…a social architect.

Example Proposition:Strategic Impact in World

ORD is a vital force in the EPA and is the world’s premiere environmental research organization. Through our science and massive public education and awareness building capabilities, an environmental ethic is replacing ignorance, and ecological awareness based on good science is shared throughout the country.

Example PropositionDesign Element: Org. Learning

Fairmont Minerals is an organization that is productive with learning where everyone is part of an online positive change learning network, constantly searching for and spreading stories of innovation, achievement, and generosity. Our online positive change web is alive with sharing because every year we bring together all stakeholders in a person summit to do the annual best practice sharing for the future. Through this process we have created a climate of participation where the organization is in “full voice” and everyone feels part of one seamless and integral whole.

Your propositions…enter them on disk

Choose someone to finalize your draft proposition

Type these onto a disk (word perfect)—there are 8 computers in KENT A&B on harborside level—leave your disk in the box right there…by 6:30pm!

Also bring the proposition (well written) on a flip chart and leave in KENT room

Tomorrow we will …move to action…destiny.

Joyce…closing tonight.

Good (Design) Propositions

They are bold…they are a stretch “provocative”

Build on strengths (continuity) and vision (novelty)

Represent real beliefs you hold about the healthy, vital, significant organization of the future (are not platitudes but point the way toward actionable practice)…think of them as guiding principles, like a constitution.

Stated in the present…”ORD is an organization that…”

Group task: see page 18

Craft a possibility proposition, and write your draft on a flip chart page.

Presentations on propositions at:

TodayMoving to Action “Destiny”

Improvisation and Creativity , Frank Barrett Phd.

Re-visiting our possibility propositions for the future as a prelude to moving to action

Leadership and open space—what is open space?

Open space: round one

Open space: round two

Looking at all the propositions as a package

We will review and get a sense of the meeting with a polling process;

We will have a chance to write post-it notes to add, edit, challenge, change.

All this will be taken up by a group to go through more drafting and improving.

Overview of all the propositions

Green: “I like the substance of the proposition and (assuming some editing) feel like it is an ideal we should aspire to”

Yellow: “ I like the substance mostly and would like to add some notes for either 1. stretching it further 2. making some additions or changes, or 3. deepening our discussion of it.”

Red: “ This is a red light for me…not a direction I think we should go”

Open Space: If anything imaginable was possible…?

Conveners can convene and open space group around an initiative, a project, a topic for learning, a possibility—ways to help us move in the direction of igniting leadership at every level

Whoever comes is the right people

Whatever happens is the only thing that could have

When it starts is the right time

When its over it is over

“the law of two feet”

Possible roles in open space

Convener—proposes the “first note” of an idea for an initiative or project or simply a topic for dialogue.

Collaborative partners —might co-create and commit to helping make something happen….

Thinking partner– interested in the topic/initiative today…and wants to help today to lift up or enrich the action plan.

afternoon

Round one open space sessions 1:00—2:30

Round two open space sessions 2:30—4:00

Closing our day getting ready for presentations next morning 4:00 (ballroom)

Conveners see: Action planning sheets, pg 21-22…bring these tomorrow

Tomorrow presentations (e,g collaboration website, etc)

Action planning sheets, page 21-22

Conveners and reporters will bring summary of the initiative or project to whole group.

All summaries will be part of the summit report.

Presentations on morning last day (Thursday).

Today

Projects, Initiatives—Highlights and Summaries

Chance for one more quick “huddle”—set very next step

Key learnings, reflections on our work

The power of appreciation

Closing

Open Forum on Highlights From Your Open Space Planning

Highlights…group name, contacts, purpose, next steps

Up to 2 minutes

Also: need hard copies of everyone’s project/pilot/action ideas (see page 21-22 for forms) before leaving today (box up front). Thanks conveners!

Some Closing Reflections on The Power of Appreciation

We Are Born To Appreciate: Three Facts About All Human Beings

Exceptionality

Essentiality

Equality/Voice and Vision

Wide Ranging Applicability of Appreciative Inquiry

Wide Ranging Applicability of Appreciative Inquiry

AI Organization Summit Method Strategic Change/Planning Full Engagement of People: Organizations,

Schools Communities. Networks. AI Benchmarking Tools/Learning Partnerships Labor-management Partnerships Transformation of Measurement Systems Project Teams, Rapid Design Events Mergers, Alliances and Customer Partnering Knowledge Magnification: The “PLN” Software Action Learning & Leadership Development Call Monica: CWRU for training 216-368-6405

Being a Coach(turn to person next to you)

What do you do best already--from a life-affirming leadership perspective?

What would you like to do more of?

One leadership or personal development initiative (small or large) you would like to take on-- to develop yourself and/or others?

What one message, positive action, or commitment do you want to take from this summit and share with others that were not here?

Closing Reflections and Learnings About Our Work Here

Insights, learning, new understanding?

Feelings?

One big hope?

Website Sharing AI Tools and Writings... Leading Positive

Change

http://ai.cwru.edu

www.worldinquiry.org

“Appreciative Inquiry Commons”

Weatherhead School of Management,

Case Western Reserve University