During the past week, I’ve been asked numerous times why last week’s launch seemed so different from the average book launch. The answer is easy: It wasn’t a book launch!
We realized early on that The Pollyanna Principles is not just another “book to be marketed.” It is instead one part of a larger effort to help this sector grab hold of its power to change the world.
So last week we indeed launched the book. But we also launched the consultant curriculum at the Community-Driven Institute. And we launched what we hope will be an ongoing dialogue about creating visionary improvement in our communities and our world.
To that end, over the next few days I want to share some of the rich discussions I have been privileged to have about just those topics. The first is a conversation I had with John Haydon. Those who have read some of my posts about Social Media and Social Networking know that I have recommended John’s straight-shooting approach to using tools like Facebook and Twitter for community benefit work.
Last week, John interviewed me at his blog. His was the most to-the-point interview I had all week, and because of that, it was the most fun. In two words, John “gets it.” I love his choice of words – words like “powerful” and “courageous.” How much more can one ask for?
I hope you enjoy the conversation John and I shared, which you will find at this link. And please, comment at John’s blog as a way of thanking him for being part of this movement!
It’s Monday! Another week of creating a healthy, vibrant, compassionate, resilient future for our communities and our world!
And no, I don’t want to hear the Top 10 list of reasons we must postpone thinking about creating that future. “We’re struggling to survive. We can’t spend time talking about some impossible pipe dream. We can’t even provide our current programs, and you want to talk about the future? We just can’t!”
Can’t Can’t Can’t with a dash of Impossible for good measure. Well, you all know what happens when someone tells me “It’s Impossible!”
The Culture of Can’t pounds at us from all sides, telling us our goals and dreams are not possible. Tell that to Elias Lafuente and the dancers he teaches at Danza Down.
For all of you stuck in the Culture of Can’t, here’s a reality check: We can focus on what sucks about today for our organizations, or we can make sure we are doing everything we can to create a better tomorrow for our communities. The difference is this: We cannot change today. But we can indeed create the future, and we are doing so right now, with every action we take.
That is why we created a discussion group at Facebook, to begin exploring how we CAN create a better future – not 50 years from now, or even 10 years from now, but a year or two from now. We kicked off that discussion last week with this thought:
Economic hard times will not last forever. Knowing that, we can choose to plan merely for surviving these times – OR we can plan to ensure our communities are ready to soar once good times return.
If we want our communities to be poised to do great things once the economy turns around, what would our communities look like if they were poised to take off? What would the people and institutions in our communities be ready to do / accomplish?
The discussion has been rich, and we are excited that it has taken off so quickly. Here is just some of what folks have said:
• Our communities would have to have educational infrastructure in place to make the leap to whatever is next
• The organizations in our communities would be poised for taking that next step.
• Our communities would have a spirit of embracing art and artists who live within the community.
• Our communities would consider all actions with one thought: How will this create a great world for our children?
Is it possible to accomplish all that before the economy turns around? We will not know until we try. Like the young people in Danza Down, though, we will likely accomplish far more than onlookers might think, simply because we are aiming at doing so. And that’s because unless something is physically impossible, it is possible – period.
I hope you remember that in everything you do this week. And I hope you will join the energizing discussion at our Facebook page.
Have a great Monday and a great week, all!
Many thanks to Romina Oliverio, who sent along this week’s wonderful video. Thanks, Romi!
The 3 case studies in The Pollyanna Principles can show you how to turn your dreams for the future of your community into real cause-and-effect plans.
The class touched on a range of questions, including these:
• What is Community-Driven Consulting and how is it different from the consulting I’m doing now?
• Will I have to learn all new consulting tools / approaches?
• How is the consultant / client relationship different?
• In these fearful times, how do you convince a group to take a community-driven approach? Is this even realistic?
Dimitri and I were joined by Community-Driven Institute advisers Rick Carter and Elizabeth Sadlon for that conversation. Next week we will have the recording of the event streaming at our site.
For now, though, we wanted to at least share a bit of the conversation. As the four of us were energetically covering all sorts of topics, the ever brilliant and ever capable Nick Perona was live-tweeting the event!
And so, below you will find not only Nick’s live-tweeted comments, but the comments of others – some of whom were on the call, and some of whom wished they had been there! Enjoy this glimpse into both the call and the amazing world of Twitter. And we’ll let you know when the recording is streaming at our site next week! (March 31 note: the full 75 minute recording can be heard here - scroll to the bottom of the page)
romioliverio: On the “Intro to Community-Driven Consulting” teleclass. Live tweeting follow @communitydriven or @HildyGottlieb)
communitydriven: Great initial discussion about creating visionary change and ends v. means. What would you cmnty look like if you are successful?
communitydriven: @HildyGottlieb says Community members care little about the internal effectiveness of orgs. they care about their communities
romioliverio: “Orgs need to lift their heads up and look around.”
Working in island-mode whilst wearing blinders isn’t conducive to
thriving.
communitydriven:Communities need an environment where they can engage the cmnty and each other, engagement is PRACTICE
communitydriven: Cooperation vs. competition! Current systems teach competition, then complain when orgs. compete
romioliverio: Engagement makes it “all us.” The mission is what you do: the vision is what you can DO as a community.
communitydriven:Changing work means changing focus… community success = organizational success
communitydriven: It’s not about exchanging one consulting “tool” for another. It’s about changing how we think.
romioliverio: RT @communitydriven It’s not about exchanging one consulting “tool” for another. It’s about changing how we think.
communitydriven: Forward thinking is number one. Look up from short term work and focus on the future
communitydriven: Fear is a main cause of short term focus. A network of support is helpful in visualizing the future
romioliverio: IMO, bleak and challenging times (as now) often provide a reset button for organizations to recalibrate their modus operandi.
communitydriven: How do people react to a feeling of scarcity vs. a feeling of strength and support?
communitydriven: Fear and scarcity breeds pessimism, strength and support = just the opposite
romioliverio: instead of examining org’s weaknesses – ask ‘what are the strenghts of our community and how can our org contribute to these’
communitydriven: Creating visionary community change can’t be accomplished alone! Find others who share your vision!
romioliverio: Finding others who share your vision is mandatory. Leverage strenghts and passions of other orgs to accomplish change.
romioliverio: Funny how if you ask the right questions, the answers will somehow fall into place.
communitydriven: Problem: Orgs quantifying comm. change using benchmarks fall victim to scarcity model. Aim for complete success!
communitydriven: Orgs. are not simply “government service providers”, orgs. exist to create community change.
romioliverio: Don’t aim to solve the problem only. Aim to work backwards from a vision of a vibrant and resilient community. Bigger picture!
communitydriven:Rather, the short term ought to be viewed as a continuous path to the future we want to create
communitydriven: How does this change the consultant – client relationship? Consultant is no longer a “service provider”
IrasciblyYours: #nonprofit Fantastic dialogue going on at #CDConsult. If you’re not reading it, you should be! Xtremely valuable 140 char tweets.
communitydriven: Consultant is, instead, a trusted partner to client as they work towards creating community change
romioliverio: Shift organizational mindset from the all-too-common ‘what will this cost us?’ to ‘what impact will we be able to create?’
communitydriven: Getting some GREAT ?s from participants. Whatever we don’t get to in the class will be answered at @HildyGottlieb ’s blog.
WisdomKeepers: RT: @IrasciblyYours: #nonprofit Great dialogue going on at #CDConsult. If ur not following, u should be! Xtremely valuable 140
char tweets
communitydriven: We can accomplish what we hold ourselves accountable for
romioliverio: @WisdomKeepers are you on the call? I am. Fabulous stuff!
communitydriven: How do you measure success? What outcomes are you looking to create?
communitydriven: Consultant – client relationships are lasting and strong when you offer more than just the “widget”
communitydriven: A board of directors is there not because they like balance sheets
communitydriven: The board is there because want to change the world. Build excitement for change while focusing governance.
romioliverio: Consultants and organizations should work in tandem,
not as separate entities. Bring down the walls and extend trust.
communitydriven: If you want a client to focus on collaboration and outcomes, shouldn’t you walk your talk as well?
communitydriven:Why are we focusing on consultants first instead of boards and orgs?
communitydriven: We share our vision with an army of consultants to bring visionary change to sector as a whole, instead of one org at a time
communitydriven: As an independent consultant, it’s important to have ongoing relationships with others in your field
mbopartners: RT @communitydriven: As an independent consultant, it’s important to have ongoing relationships with others in your field
communitydriven: Hildy’s famous faith analogy: Faith is not about a one time set of commandments for governing
romioliverio: Scale of the community work that needs to be done now is unprecedented. Consultants need to be fully supported within the sector
communitydriven: Faith is about regular practice: weekly church, meditation, etc. Same idea applies to creating visionary change for this sector
communitydriven:Creating visionary change is about regular practice and reaffirming. Remember, you’re not alone in this effort!
communitydriven: What “yeah but” or “Aha!” questions/comments do you have? teleclass@communitydriven.org
communitydriven: This process flexible and moldable, it is not a rigid series of rules and tricks
communitydriven:When engaging a client, think of important questions you can ask about community potential
romioliverio: Start thinking in terms of potential, not only in terms of the tools you have.
communitydriven:Thanks to all who followed and participated!
Please continue to follow us here, at Hildy’s blog, and at
communitydriven.org
communitydriven: We’re looking forward to working together with all of you to create an awesome future. Stay in touch!
HildyGottlieb: Thx to everyone in ‘Intro To Community Driven Consulting’ call. Pls add ur thoughts here
#CDConsult (HUGE “LiveTweet” Thx to @rawr_Nickzilla !)
HildyGottlieb:Just read live tweet transcript of this morning’s Community-Driven Consulting #CDConsult. WOW we covered a lot! Pls read & add ur thoughts.
