ACTIVATING WHOLE SYSTEM THINKING
Engaging critical stakeholders, making decisions that are best for the system, taking aligned action.
What’s at the heart of our approach to activating whole system thinking?
Purpose. Purpose drives everything we do.
We take the time to work with your organization or community to deeply understand the desired outcomes.
Flexibility. We have the ability to customize the process based on your specific needs and desired outcomes.
Engagement and Action. Our role is to design a process where diverse participants are actively engaged in, gaining a better understanding of their common context, on hearing a variety of perspectives on key issues they have identified, and determining joint action that can be taken on behalf of the system.
Inclusion and results. We help the system develop an inclusive process. A cornerstone of the process is usually a whole system summit. A summit is task focused and yields concrete outcomes such as shared goals, a compelling vision, and bold ideas. A summit also yields intangible outcomes such as a deepened sense of community, enhanced trust across groups and a newfound spirit of collaboration. VIDEO: Vision Summit - LaGuardia Community College.
What’s at the heart of our approach to activating whole system thinking?
Purpose. Purpose drives everything we do.
We take the time to work with your organization or community to deeply understand the desired outcomes.
Flexibility. We have the ability to customize the process based on your specific needs and desired outcomes.
Engagement and Action. Our role is to design a process where diverse participants are actively engaged in, gaining a better understanding of their common context, on hearing a variety of perspectives on key issues they have identified, and determining joint action that can be taken on behalf of the system.
Inclusion and results. We help the system develop an inclusive process. A cornerstone of the process is usually a whole system summit. A summit is task focused and yields concrete outcomes such as shared goals, a compelling vision, and bold ideas. A summit also yields intangible outcomes such as a deepened sense of community, enhanced trust across groups and a newfound spirit of collaboration. VIDEO: Vision Summit - LaGuardia Community College.
TWO CASE EXAMPLES:
Wausau School District:
Inspired by their desire to continue to be a high-performing district, even in difficult economic times, the Wausau School District convened a Futures Summit "A Summit on the Future of Education in Wausau" in the Spring of 2011. They brought together nearly two hundred stakeholders representing a cross section of the school district and the community to build clarity and commitment around a set of key underlying interests that are now shaping the future of education in Wausau.
Video: Planning for the Future - A Summit on the Future of Education in Wausau
The Rossier School of Education at USC:
In 2001, The Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California held a three-day Futures Conference which became a pivotal event in the life of this organization. Ten years later it is still a frame of reference for the coherence it brought the school. Because of the commitment to a shared vision developed at this conference, changes were made that led to financial stability, increased recognition in the field, a focused commitment to urban education and a model doctoral program for practitioners.
"It isn't typical for a facilitator from outside the university to have an ongoing impact on the direction of an academic program. But Nancy Aronson is not your typical external consultant. Because of her expertise in facilitation of large group strategic planning, Nancy Aronson has contributed to the school's commitment to and implementation of its strategic vision for urban education. Nancy has earned our trust and confidence in her ability to bring the best out in all of us."
Karen Symms Gallagher, Ph.D, Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean, USC Rossier School of Education
MORE EXAMPLES OF OUR CUSTOMIZED LARGE GROUP MEETINGS (Click for downloadable pdf)
