So for the past few weeks or so I  have been bemoaning the fact that I didn’t throw myself fully into the 2010 Spring conference season. This would include attending Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO), Association of Black Foundation Executives (AFBE), Young NonProfit Professionals Network (YNPN), Council on Foundations (COF) and a whole host of other gatherings.   And then I had an ahh-haa moment.

It happened when I started following GEO 2010 on Tactical Philanthropy.

First, I remembered that at my core I am introvert (really) and so conferences exhaust me, so it is likely that I would have never survived conference season as a fully functional individual.

Second, I realized that thanks to the great blog team (http://bit.ly/cDQdIO) that Sean Stannard-Stockton brought together, I was able to get snapshots in to the various sessions through the minds, hearts and souls of people I respect deeply; some of whom I am fortunate enough to know.

From GEO, the following posts are still resonating with me:

• Non Profit Next: A Model Conference by Stephanie McAuliffe which summarized a session by Heather Gowdy and David LaPiana which highlighted 5 trends they belive are impacting the non profit sector. http://bit.ly/92LICc. – I am always interested in what David has to say given his long and deep history in working in and with non profits.

• Creating a Culture of Foundation Effectiveness by Jim Coutre in which he shared some of the key themes of a session led by several CEO’s including the always informative Jim Canales from Irvine.  Key idea:  Empathy + Openness + Inclusion = Effectiveness. http://bit.ly/9vjjIv – The idea that there is a formula for effectiveness is an interesting one.  Assuming there is one, I would modify it by adding Context and Capacity as confounding or grounding  factors with a dose of Humility as well.

• More Ideas for Blowing Up the Conference Model by Teri Behrens where she shared some brainstorming ideas from the blogging team about how to shift away from the 90 minute conference session mode. http://bit.ly/dANMGY – This one is of particular interest given my last post on how we learn and our continuous efforts to create environments that support adult learning.

As COF is just ending, not sure what will have stickiness.  But I have found the Twitter exchange and the posts courtesy of the blog team (http://bit.ly/cEgrMU) sponsored by Philanthropy411 engaging and thoughtful. Also still thinking about YNPN which was quite active over the weekend.

Appreciations to Kris Putnam and Sean Stannard-Stockton for convening a broad set of perspectives with a range of experiences and positiona as it relates to philanthropy and the social sector.

” Personally I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.”

- Winston Churchill British politician (1874 – 1965)

A core objective of our consultancy is building the adaptive capacity of our client partners. To do so, we commit to the integration of adult (and increasingly also youth) learning principles into our work to support our clients’ understanding, learning and adoption of principles and practices that support evaluative inquiry, and more informed and strategic decision-making. We now do so not only in-person, but also virtually, in order to leverage resources, increase access and to because we recognize that people learn in a variety of venues.  This is an emerging area for us. We use applications such as Adobe and GoToMeeting.

The adult learning principles that we instill in our work is informed by the work of Malcolm Knowles (http://bit.ly/bWYzlO):

• Adults are autonomous and self-directed.
• Adults have accumulated a foundation of life experiences and knowledge that include work-related activities, family responsibilities, and previous education. They need to connect learning to this knowledge/experience base.
• Adults are relevancy-oriented. They must see a reason for learning something.
• Adults are practical, focusing on the aspects of a lesson most useful to them in their work.
• Adults need to be shown respect.

We are always looking for new principles to inform our approach. There is much to learn and potentially integrate from the discussions around networks, as well as those pertaining to generational and cultural differences explored by organizations such as CompassPoint (http://bit.ly/hTXGo) and by individuals, such as Rosetta Thurman (http://bit.ly/9ceXXO) .

As you review the list above,

1. Which ones resonate most with you?
2. Are there others we should consider?
3. What has been your experience in integrating learning principles into your work?

For me, Spring is a time for reflection and planning. Growing up outside of Philadelphia, the great de-thaw brought new opportunities. 

How we respond to change has always been of interest to me. To be an effective consultant, it is particularly important to be not only mindful of, but also skillful in, navigating the process of change and working with our clients to do so. Clearly, this is also critical to being an effective leader.

Most recently, a colleague who works in the human resource field shared a framework: The Change Cycle (http://bit.ly/16d97S).  It was developed by CCMC Inc., an international training and development company with offices in metro Washington, DC and Durban, South Africa.  What resonated strongly with me was its similarity to the Kubler-Ross grief cycle (http://bit.ly/4bnNnL).  And, also  the concept that time is the most important factor that allows one to move through the cycle. Personal note: My MPH specialty area was gerontology, so I have spent a lot of time studying the rituals of death and dying in different cultures.

It also made me thing of a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:  “For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”

Following is a quick overview of the six stages of change and the process within each:

• Stage 1 – Loss to Safety: You admit to yourself that, regardless of whether or not you perceive the change to be good or ‘bad,” there will be a sense of loss of what “was.”
• Stage 2 – Doubt to Reality: You doubt the facts, doubt your doubts and struggle to find information about the change that you believe is valid. Resentment, skepticism and blame cloud your thinking.
• Stage 3 – Discomfort to Motivation: You start to understand and accept. The change and all it means has now become clear and starts to settle in. Frustration and lethargy rule until possibility takes over.
  • The Danger Zone represents the pivotal place where you make the choice either to move on to Stage 4 and discover the possibilities the change has presented or to choose fear and return to Stage 1.
• Stage 4 – Discovery to Perspective: You are optimistic about a good outcome because you have choices. This represents the “light at the end of the tunnel.” Perspective, anticipation and a willingness to make decisions give a new sense of control and hope.
• Stage 5 – Understanding: You understand the change and are more confident, think pragmatically, and your behavior is much more productive.
• Stage 6 – Integration: You have regained your ability and willingness to be flexible. You have insight into the ramifications, consequences and rewards of the change — past, present, and future.

Regardless of your role in an organization, internal or external, think about these stages as they pertain to your work. Don’t forget that an organization is comprised of individuals and each individual will move through the stages at their own pace. A critical mass of individuals (a tipping point threshold) must be at the same stage before the whole organization can move to the next stage.

Personally, I seem to stay in stages 4-6. That is not to say that I am unfamiliar with 1-3, they just happen quickly for me. Perhaps that is why I was destined to do the work that I do.  I always see possibility.

However, as a frame for work and life, it is reassuring to know that these stages are ones that we all experience to some extent, just as the stages of death and dying are ones that are similar across many different cultures.  Perhaps it’s part of our human DNA to experience loss or change similarly.

So, in the time of transition that Spring often brings, feel comfortable knowing that, of all the things we know (and don’t know), change is the only constant.