‘The pessimist complains about the wind The optimist expects it to change The leader adjusts the sails’

Real Time Strategic Change Learning Series Session IV May 18, 2009

Conference Call Dial In Number The conference call will begin at 12:45pm 1-800-511-7985 Access code: 241230

Series Purpose To learn how to make the future happen faster in all of your change work.

Series Outcomes Understand and be able to apply the six RTSC principles to accelerate all of your change work Know the best ways, best times, and best people to include in your change work to achieve the best results Understand how to identify key leverage points to accelerate your change work Gain insights that you can act on right away Know ways that you can support or sabotage your efforts

Session IV Purpose To make it easier to “RTSC-ize” your work by integrating all of your learning from the Series.

Session IV Outcomes Understand how to gain the most leverage in applying the Principles and Areas of Work Feel and be smarter about how RTSC can help you create even more value for your clients Know the best ways for you to continue learning about RTSC

Agenda Questions and Insights From Our Earlier Sessions Rules of Thumb For RTSC Practitioners “Live” Case Study Work

Questions and Insights In what ways have you found it easy to apply what you’ve been learning? In what ways have you found it challenging?

Rules of Thumb For RTSC Practitioners Focus on the client’s needs and on how RTSC can help meet those needs Get clear about purpose and outcomes and stay open to revising them when needed Be willing to start anywhere and go everywhere Integrate your work with other methods and stay true to the principles Approach “real work” as “change work” and “change work” as “real work” It’s all about large, complex, system-wide efforts and small, simple, individual actions Work on many fronts at once and align diverse efforts in a common direction Be aware of what “wants to happen” and continue aiming for what “needs to happen”

Focus on the client’s needs and on how RTSC can help meet those needs Start where the system is Real Time Strategic Change is a means to an end, not the end in itself Use the principles as a lens to see the organization more clearly Notice which principles are naturally managed well and which need special attention and focus The Areas of Work are “bases to cover,” not steps to follow

Get clear about purpose and outcomes and stay open to revising them when needed Related to Your Purpose and Outcomes… Who has a say in deciding them? What are you measuring to assess progress on them? Why are you assessing progress on them? When are you assessing progress on them? How are you assessing them?

Be willing to start anywhere and go everywhere… Find the energy in the system Understand it Respect it Support it Follow it

Integrate your work with other methods and stay true to the principles RTSC is an open platform; leverage the value offered by the many available “plug in’s” Find ways for RTSC to support work you’re already doing; you don’t have to “start doing RTSC work” now Use the principles as a litmus test; don’t get trapped by them becoming dogma Play with the possibilities of the many ways that RTSC can accelerate and sustain progress made with other approaches

Approach “real work” as “change work” and “change work” as “real work” It’s all work and it’s always about creating a preferred future RTSC is the same as and different from anyone’s “day job” The principles are agnostic – they don’t care how, when, or where they’re applied They are always about the same “why” – creating your future faster and sustaining gains made over time

It’s all about large, complex, system-wide efforts and small, simple, individual actions Take advantage of RTSC’s scalability – use it when and where it will add value Context and connection create power and leverage Large, complex, system-wide efforts are comprised of many Small, simple, individual actions are always part of some larger, complex, system-wide effort

Work on many fronts at once and align diverse efforts in a common direction Working on many fronts at once… Increases the likelihood of being able to “cook” on at least a few Accelerates learning Invites others to lend a helping hand Encourages experimentation Aligning diverse efforts in a common direction… Frees people to “do the right thing” without needing unnecessary oversight Leads to systems thinking – how things connect and relate to each other…and don’t Optimizes the use of limited resources

Be aware of what “wants to happen” and continue aiming for what “needs to happen” Marv Weisbord and Sandra Janoff: “Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There!” Meg Wheatley and Stuart Kauffman: “You get order for free” Henry Mintzberg: Crafting Strategy Ongoing oscillation – paying attention to what is and envisioning what can be

“Live” Case Study Work What’s the situation? Who’s involved? What’s your role? What’s working well already? Where are you feeling challenged? How would you describe what you’ve done already in the RTSC Areas of Work? Which principles seem to be well tended to in the system now? Which seem to need more attention and focus? What ideas so we have about how to “bring about greater health” in the system?

Thanks for Joining Us For The Real Time Strategic Change Learning Series! jake@windsofchangegroup.com www.windsofchangegroup.com