Generative Governance and Conversations
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The document discusses generative governance, emphasizing the importance of decision-making that aligns with an organization's mission in the face of complexity and chaos. It outlines various challenges in governance, the types of conversations that can foster new insights, and the barriers to generative conversations. Additionally, it highlights the key mindset shifts needed for effective governance through cooperation and integration among stakeholders.
Generative Governance and Conversations
- 1. Generative Governance, Relationships and Conversations Mark Holmgren www.markholmgren.com 1
- 2. GOVERNANCE is about MAKING DECISIONS TO ACT OR THAT FRAME or LIMIT ACTION, based on explicit commitments to the organization’s mission and vision, the people served and the people serving. STRATEGY PRIORITIES RESOURCES RISK RULES 2
- 3. Governance Challenges Complexity CHALLENGES ARE: SIMPLE like a recipe. COMPLICATED like a rocket COMPLEX like raising a child YOU ARE HERE YOU ARE HERE YOU ARE HERE YOU ARE HERE YOU ARE HERE 3
- 4. Governance Challenges Unpredictable Order Affectionately known as “Chaos.” 4 Chaos, from a static view, is “pieces waiting to come together,” an embryonic pattern about to happen. Chaos, from a dynamic view, is a process. It has a consistency to it. From a scientific standpoint chaos has a pattern, a kind of rhythm, ebbs and flows. Source: University of Kentucky
- 5. Governance Challenges Rapid Pace of Change 5
- 6. Governance Challenges Unlimited Information can negatively impact decision-making 6
- 7. Governance Challenges DOGMA EXAMPLES Best Practice Outcomes This is how “we” do it Bias-based thinking Majority Rules Cultural Norms Limited Inquiry a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true. 7
- 8. Governance Continuum: A New Mindset? Standalone Cooperate Collaborate Integrate Organizational Fixation Our Mission Sovereignty Us versus Them Our Resources Organizational Focus Our Mission Helped Sovereignty Us and Them Our Resources Leveraged Organizational Outreach Our Mission plus Your Mission Co-Sovereignty Us with Them More Resources for Each of Us Organizational Weaving Common Mission Loss of total Sovereignty We More Resources for the Cause 8 Should the goal be to be a NETWORKED ORGANIZATION Or is it to see THE NETWORK AS THE ORGANIZATION?
- 9. Types of Governance Fiduciary Strategic Generative Key Question What’s wrong? What’s the plan? What’s the question? Board Focus Define Problems Review Performance Solve Problems Shape Strategy Frame Problems Sense-Making Central Purpose of Board Steward of Assets Partner with Management Source of Leadership Board’s Role Oversight, Authority Strategist Fresh Perspective Board Process Parliamentary Logical, Empirical Informal, Creative Problems are… Spotted Solved Framed Decision-making Resolution Consensus Framing Question Metrics Facts and Figures Indicators, competitive analysis Signs of learning and discerning SOURCE: Chait, Ryan, and Taylor 9 Communication Limited, controlling Bi-lateral, episodic, advocacy Multi-lateral, ongoing to learn
- 10. Definitions Generative: “of or relating to reproduction.” Conversation: “the informal exchange of ideas by spoken words.” Generative Relationship: “produces new sources of value which cannot be foreseen in advance” (Lane and Maxfield, 1996). 10 Generative conversation is practised when we are attempting to create new knowledge; it is creative, divergent, and builds new relations between previously separate bodies of knowledge.
- 11. TYPES OF GENERATIVE CONVERATIONS ACTION SHIFTING SPECULATION REFLECTION Discovering Cause and Effect – Evaluating and Learning Organizing Differently to Create Focus and Synergy Identifying What Could Be – Building Options, Exploring Ideas Generating Compelling Action GENERATIVE CONVERSATIONS 11 Based on and adapted from DDJ Myers, Ltd.
- 12. Speculative Conversation Moving beyond issues to strategic dialogue that wonders about… what could be or what wants to be. New visions may emerge out of the learning realized in the Reflective Conversation. Speculation advances curiosity to explore possibility. KEY ELEMENTS What if questions abound. Creativity and imagination are undertaken collaboratively. Our speculation can challenge sacred cows, historical assumptions. New insights are explored. Based on and adapted from DDJ Myers, Ltd. 12
- 13. Shifting Conversation New pathways open up as a result of new possibilities being seen. The shifting conversation works to overcome resistance and blind spots which prevented new possibilities in the first place. New commitments are pursued as a result of these conversations. KEY ELEMENTS The conversation is broadened to include more in the understanding and the development of the new or changed way of working. The conversation leads to aligned commitment to act. There is recognition that not everyone can come along in the same way at the same time. Based on and adapted from DDJ Myers, Ltd. 13
- 14. Action Conversations • Organizes and inspires people to move. • Produces observable results. • Generates requests and offers. • Allocates resources and priorities. Action Conversations involve negotiation toward accountabilities and clear conditions of success. KEY ELEMENTS 14 Conversations take place across strategic, objective and tactical domains. Proposals are made. Commitments reached. Metrics set. Based on and adapted from DDJ Myers, Ltd.
- 15. Reflective Conversations Explores the state of what is and the outcomes of our actions. • Did we do what we said? • Was the quality sufficient? • What did this cost? • What is the real purpose of that program, action, etc.? It is “open” curiosity driven to understand, not judge. KEY ELEMENTS Pulling things a part to look at them. Honest assessment of intent versus outcomes. Values and beliefs are explored. Course, direction, and destinations are questioned. The obvious is brought into light. The unobvious is uncovered. Based on and adapted from DDJ Myers, Ltd. 15
- 16. Barriers of Generative Conversations 16 The Battle of the Certain. Inequity of Participation
- 17. Barriers to Generative Conversations Limiting Possibilities Hidden Agendas 17
- 18. Barriers to Generative Conversations Lack of Disciplined Facilitation Unprepared Participants 18
- 19. Necessary Foundation We are here to learn. We are here to help one another learn. We know that learning is about change. 19
- 20. Necessary Foundation We need to be intentional about understanding one another. I need to speak my truth without having to prove another truth wrong. 20
- 21. Necessary Foundation Contrast Bias Each of us is biased. We need to Status Quo Bias Contrast Bias help work with that and break Commitment Bias through what stops us from being Confirmation Bias open. Bias Blind Spot Commitment Bias Silence is okay. Don’t fight it. Negativity Bias Normalcy Bias Each of us is biased. We need to help work with that and break through what stops us from being open. Confirmation Bias Status Quo Bias Attentional Bias Bias Blind Spot Negativity Bias Normalcy Bias 21
- 22. How can “I” Foster Generative Conversations? Avoid ‘YOU” Avoid “You Think You Got It Bad” 22
- 23. How can “I” Foster Generative Conversations? Avoid Moralizing and Being Preachy Avoid “Yeh But” 23
- 24. How can “I” Foster Generative Conversations? Avoid Show Stopping Judgment-Words 24
- 25. Parting Words “We move in the direction of what we are curious about. The more positive and life-giving the question, the more positive and long lasting the change” (Claire Fialkov & David Haddad). 25
- 26. ABOUT MARK HOLMGREN Mark’s consulting practice has delivered social housing, strategic plans, new programs and services, innovations, evaluations, and research and analysis for a wide variety of organizations and departments including governments, human service agencies, funders, arts and culture groups, health organizations, educational institutions, and faith communities. In early 2014, Mark was recognized by Tamarack Institute as one its national thought leaders and appointed to the Mayor of Edmonton’s Task Force on Eliminating Poverty. Currently he is the CEO of Bissell Centre, a position he has held since the spring of 2011. www.markholmgren.com | @mjholmgren 26
Editor's Notes
- #22: Confirmation bias: I prefer information that supports my position. Status quo bias: There’s no reason to change. I do not feel compelled to change. Anchoring happens when a small set of data anchors me to a position. Attentional bias: I consider what is before me and nothing else. I limit choices to the ones that have my attention. Bias Blind Spot – I am not as biased as you are. Contrast Bias: My position on crime and safety contrasted against “I was robbed yesterday”. Information bias: Don’t need more to act but we seek it anyway to avoid action. Semmelweis reflex: I reject that data or evidence because it contradicts what is deeply true for me. An availability cascade is a self-reinforcing cycle. A novel idea or insight, usually one that seems to explain a complex process in a simple or straightforward manner, gains rapid currency in the popular discourse by its very simplicity and by its apparent insightfulness