Adventures in Regional Collaboration: 6 Lessons

Adventures inREGIONAL COLLABORATION:3 6 LESSONS
KRISTIN WOLFF
SOCIAL POLICY RESEARCH ASSOCIATES

Why regions?

Our problems lie at the neighborhood, regional and global levels…our problem-solvers work at the local, state, and federal levels. Richard Bradley, Downtown DC

1. Shared understanding

What are we doing & why?
Innovation & entrepreneurship!
Growing more grads!
Increasing quality of life!
Filling up vacant office space!
Eliminating graffiti!
Creating JOBS!
Going solar!

Vehicles for generating “shared understanding”
BIG Documents (Insert groan here)
Strategic plan
Business plan
Grant application
Comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS, required for EDA grant submission)
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/admin/pdfs/MontereyCntyFinalCEDS062308pdf_doc.pdf

More…
Theory of Change or Logic Model
http://www.grantcraft.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&pageId=1542

More…
A “Compact”(community commitment or public promise and strategy for achieving fulfilling it)
http://www.bostonpic.org/policy/boston-compact

More…
Community Indicators (or similar metrics)
http://www.metrocouncil.org/planning/framework/benchmarks.pdf

Recovery.gov

2. BIG (HAIRY) AMBITIOUS GOALS (& the ability to track them)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerblackwell/4122194718/sizes/z/

For example…

More…

3.Flexible, evolving structure
Constellation
Network
Partnership
Task Force
Collaborative
Action Team
Unstructured
Panel
WorkGroup
Coordinating Body
Committee
Organization
Board
Institution
Structured

More smart networks!
What do they look like?
Core: Different perspectives, trusting relationships
Periphery: New ideas & resource
What happens in them?
People experiment, learn
Small projects grow
Breakthroughs emerge

4. Small change(s), aggregated
http://www.flickr.com/photos/restlessglobetrotter/3823683431/sizes/l/

5. Narratives (stories)
Meaning-making
Learning
Sharing
Inspiring
Engaging
Documenting
(It’s never been easier)

6. Trust matters.
(It’s the most important ingredient, and any region can cultivate as much as it needs.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/create-learning/3947714949/sizes/l/

6 Ingredients that help Regional Collaboratives Succeed
Shared understanding of what & why
Big, ambitious goals
Flexible organizational structures
Small, consistent action steps (or pilots)
Compelling narratives
Trust

Leadership Lessons from a Shirtless Dancing Guy

Closing ideas/opportunities
Macrowikinomics meets people2.0
Social innovation/entrepreneurship

THANK YOU!
KRISTIN WOLFF (@kristinwolff)
kwolff@thinkers-and-doers.com

Adventures in Regional Collaboration: 6 Lessons

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