1. Leading by Convening: The Power of Authentic Engagement
Joanne Cashman, Ed.D.
Director, The IDEA Partnership at
The National Association of State Directors
of Special Education (NASDSE)

2. I am glad to be here! Let’s find out….Who is here?
Very briefly,
Name
Current Role
Other roles you have held in education that shape your perspective
On Chart, tally
Roles : teacher, principal, curriculum, higher ed, transition, drop out, alternative ed
Years by 5’s
Experiences can influence perspective…open or close opportunities to learn
How are we doing on perspectives?
What important perspectives are not represented
Lets be aware of that as we work today.

3. Do We Have with Us Those That Are … or Have Been
Teachers
Special Ed … General Ed
Early Childhood Providers
Related Service Providers
Administrators
State Ed Agency
Special Ed…General Ed
Parents and family members
All kids … Kids with disabilities
Community Leaders
Professional Association Leaders
Family Group Leaders
Other ...
As we talk today ... let’s be aware of
the perspectives that are … and are not …in our experience.

4. Out Time Together... Identity and role Habits of Interaction
Coalescing
Relevant Participation
Doing Work Together
New Leadership Competencies
Becoming a Leader and a Learner
Creating ‘two-way learning’
Establishing a rhythm of Interaction
Engaging everybody
Developing ‘other leaders’
Building an ‘ally relationship
Perspectives that shape identity
Identity and role
Engagement as Strategy
Leading by Convening
New leadership
New skills

5. Identity We define who we are by what is familiar and what is foreign.
We define ourselves by what we are not as well as by what we are.
These relationships change. In changing, we carry a bit of each as we go around.
Our identities are not something we can turn on and off.
You don’t cease to be a parent because you go to work.
You don’t cease to be a nurse because you step out of the hospital.
Multi-membership is an inherent aspect of our identities.”
Source: Etienne Wenger, Organization, 2000
Do you have a multi-membership identity?

6. About Your Identity...
To what extent does limited or extensive past roles influence your current role?
To what extent do you believe that others can change perspective if they have different experiences?

7. Think about It… Do you have a ‘sticky’ trait?
What one skill or trait has persisted across the years to help you achieve what you have achieved?
Take one minute and write your sticky trait.
Share it with a partner
Facilitator asks for some of the traits identified…
Ask…what do the traits have in common…( hopefully most or all are ‘soft’ skills…skills on pesonal/human side.

8. Why does our personal value for human side not translate to our work in systems?
At a recent meeting of very high profile business, military and education leaders…this Wordle captures their sticky traits.
What do they have in common with the traits we identified today?
Observation. ..when we reflect on what accounts for our success…we identify the human side…yet when we address problems…we often overlook this insight!
Organizations and agencies also behave in this way…somehow the ‘human’ side is not where we go to find new approaches …or seek solutions …we have learned that
That is beginning to change…in greater numbers, we are learning that real progress has a human side.
Today, we ask you to consider how that understanding translates to the persistent problems in creatign comprehensive school based MH programs.

9. Does that understanding carry over to our role as SEA leaders?
As people we know the ‘human side’ is important to gaining our support and sustaining it.
Does that understanding carry over to our role as SEA leaders?

10. How Will We Meet the Challenge?
Is information enough?
Is evidence based practice enough?
Is implementation fidelity enough?
Can we make sustainable progress without the active engagement of those at the practice level?
Our current and multiple identities can help us bridge the gap.

11. Consider this... , "State of America's Schools"
“ …teachers were the least likely of any profession surveyed on workforce engagement to respond positively: whether they feel their opinions at work count, and whether their supervisor creates an "open and trusting environment." 
"State of America's Schools"
Gallup Poll, 2014
How might other school based professions respond?

12. Engagement as Strategy
Strategy is more than a goal, an objective or an activity. It is a course of action that impacts change at many levels in the desired direction.
NASDSE, 2014
We need a new way of working
recognize the value of stakeholder engagement
a new role for state and local agencies – leading by convening
We need to draw attention to the power of relationships and the strategy of convening
We need to pursue engagement as strategy at national, state, local and building levels
There are predictable issues when working with individuals and the same is true with states, agencies and districts….
Some people don’t recognize they need to change; they will not do it in a deep way…essentially, they will continue to do things in essentially the same way with a few new ‘bells and whistles’
Some know they need to change but they do not really know how …or are ambivalent about engaging their stakeholders . They are used to a one way relationship…but know they know that they have to develop a two- way relationship. They need encouragement to make the change
Some of the people who know they need to change, and want to engage in more authentic ways, need support/encouragement/accountability through the change
We believe this is a time to draw attention to the power of relationships in achieving change
stakeholders as allies in making the change
convening as the strategy for building a organizational culture that can sustain the change

13. Importance of Relationships in Change
There will never be enough laws, policies, processes,
documents, etc. to force change.
Change is best realized through the relationships we build with those people and groups that have a common interest toward solving a persistent problem or seizing an opportunity.
Bill East, NASDSE, 2012
In your view…where is the promise an the challenge with this statement?
This understanding speaks to the current move away from compliance as the single indicator of success.. This is an important opportunity for change. The Partnership work on Authentic Engagement and Leading by Convening is built on this understanding.

14. Living the Logic Multiple stakeholders Multiple perspectives
Multiple agencies and divisions with multiple initiatives
Building the relationships that help us cross boundaries
Reaching out to those with influence an those in authority
Reaching out to engage each other!

15. Leading … and Leading by Convening
Many want to be more inclusive in their leadership style
There are specific behaviors that advance or are constrain engagement
We can learn to be aware of and change those behaviors
Engagement is a habit that can be cultivated!
Leading by Convening: A Blueprint for Authentic Engagement is designed to convey the lessons learned over 15 years
General and Special Education
Educators and families
Education agencies and related state and national agencies
Page 5 Leadership Styles
What is the best and worst of top down and bottom up approaches
How is Leading by Convening become a hybrid

16. Convening as a ‘New Discipline’
Convening is:
More than a meeting
More than facilitation
The beginning of a relationship focused on practice change
Bringing people together in face to face and virtual ways is just the start…we have to find ways for people to contribute…and help them do it!
This is the new role as a convener……we are talking about convening across school and community efforts ..and sometimes across agencies…a ‘system convener’ role
So…why convene?
We need to become allies in making the changes to practice stick…we have evidence based practices…but face continual challenges to implementation and fidelity...no group, agency or organization can do it alone.
Predictable changes in leadership make it critically important to have deep understanding in the field that will help the work go on across leadership changes.
In the connected world we live in now…stakeholders expect to be engaged…to have a role. If we do not engage them authentically and as allies in accomplishing goals…..we risk having opposing groups undermine efforts with misinformation

17. Persistent Challenges
Technical Challenge
Requires information, knowledge or tools
Adaptive (Relationship) Challenges
Requires understanding and a willingness to make behavior changes
Source: Heifetz and Linsky, Leadership on the Line, 2002
We are really very good at technical challenges…but how well do we address adaptive challenges? To meet its promise, the SSIP must address technical and adaptive challenges.
This is where the Blueprint supports the change.
The Blueprint is based on the social learning work of Etienne Wenger on CoP …and Heifetz and Linksy on Technical and Adaptive change.

18. The Leadership Challenge
Learning that technical solutions are necessary but often not sufficient
Knowing when a persistent problem needs a adaptive (relationship) solution
Building adaptive (relationship) skills as a part of strategy
This should be informed by a deep conversation with a wide group of stakeholders who understand the diverse implementation environments and provide insights that cannot be conceptualized within the organization or by ‘experts’ that do not have direct experience with the forces that drive and restrain change within and across the districts.

19. The IDEA Partners have used the work of Etienne Wenger on social learning and communities of practice ;and Heifetz and Linsky on Technical and Adaptive Change to describe deep interaction that change the way people behave.
They have developed a Blueprint for authentic engagement that supports convening as a leadership behavior and habits of interaction

20. Coalescing around Issues
Adaptive/Human Elements
Technical Elements
Value each and all perspectives
Acknowledge individuality of language
Agree upon the accurate data
Reach consensus through common understanding in the group
Acknowledge and agree a collective impact is greater than the individual impact
Agree to move on specific actionable goals
Determine the issue
Seek out and acknowledge related initiatives at differing levels of scale
Develop mission, vision statement, guiding principles, and ground rules of interaction
Develop process of continued engagement
Develop work scope and actionable goals
Use a process of reflection

21. Ask Yourself….. Which side might be the most challenging?
Where might you begin?
What could go wrong?

22. Coalescing Around issues
Depth of Interaction
Informing Level
(sharing/sending)
Networking Level
(exchanging)
Collaborating Level
(engaging)
Transforming Level
(commitment to consensus)
Acknowledging and valuing diversity
Core group of interested stakeholders disseminate information to potential interested stakeholders, across roles, to inform about issues and invite into the discussion
Stakeholders from diverse roles exchange ideas and resources with one another; Clarification on role-specific vocabulary is at beginning stages; Outreach to others with a specific focus on roles not yet involved continues
Diverse stakeholders engage in dialogue about issues; Differences are acknowledged and explored; A common vocabulary begins to emerge
Diverse stakeholders with diverse perspectives are engaged through multiple ways in active collaborative dialogue about issues in order to reach consensus about priorities and future research, policy, and practice opportunities
Researching and agreeing on relevant data
Personal and professional experiences (anecdotal) are the primary source of evidence for consideration
Stakeholders consider what other data beyond personal stories could be a source of evidence and begin collecting relevant data and resources
Stakeholders identify relevant data from across disciplines, examine for common themes and understanding (collective analysis)
Through consensus, stakeholders agree on the anecdotal and research data from various perspectives and sources relevant to the issue
Decision-making through consensus
Core group identifies an issue of importance
Stakeholders contribute to the discussion bringing in other perspectives
Stakeholders take into consideration the whole issue, develop a common understanding, and develop areas of agreement
Through consensus, stakeholders determine the specific aspects of the issue that the group will move forward to influence
Coalescing to move to future work together
Core group intentionally shares with others, who are not already stakeholders, the reason for caring about this issue; Meeting one on one with targeted persons/ organizations/etc.
Stakeholders are intentional about inviting new members into the group work; Being purposeful in getting the people in the same room to work together
Stakeholders develop grounding documents (mission, vision, guiding principles, and ground rules; Stakeholders develop and agree on a process of continued communication that fits their needs
Through consensus, stakeholders develop a set of actionable goals that define the work scope of the effort; Relationships have been built for strategic advantage
Review the rubric…then put a check on the deepest level of collaboration that you have been engaged in

23. Let’s look at the tools for Coalescing
Explore: Four Simple Questions
Meet the Stakeholders

24. Ensuring Relevant Participation
Adaptive/Human Elements
Technical Elements
Demonstrate a commitment to inclusion and participation
Engage stakeholders who are representative, relevant, purposeful, knowledgeable, and influential
Acknowledge disagreement as part of the process to move forward
Engage through leadership; begin with a skilled facilitator; continue through shared leadership
Implement a process of welcoming and orienting
Develop guidance on when to convene
Develop and follow communication protocol
Contribute to and create a shared vocabulary
Conduct an environmental scan
Use a process of reflection

25. Relevant Participation Has Several Faces: Range, Frequency, and Role
In your own words …
If we want to create relevant participation…what do
we need to pay attention to ?
On the technical side
Could these actions be addressed with a tool, a protocol or a plan?
On the adaptive side
What does the adaptive side require that the technical side does not require?

26. Ensuring Relevant Participation
Depth of Interaction
Informing Level
(sharing/sending)
Networking Level
(exchanging)
Collaborating Level
(engaging)
Transforming Level
(commitment to consensus)
Ensuring diversity among relevant stakeholder representatives
Core group of interested stakeholders disseminate information to potential interested stakeholders, across roles, to inform about issues and invite into the discussion
Stakeholders from diverse roles exchange ideas about who else might be important to this issue (relevant stakeholders); Outreach to others with a specific focus on roles not yet involved continues; Ideas about method preferences, accessibility, and responsibilities are exchanged
A process of welcoming and orienting is in place for new members; Inclusion and participation supports are in place
Supports for participation are a natural way of working together; Each and all in the group take responsibility for inviting and orienting new members of the group
Creating opportunities for engagement on the issue
Core group of interested stakeholders invite others to participate in various ways (on- or off-site)
Stakeholders share preferences for on-site and virtual methods of communication
Group develops guidance on when to convene; Stakeholders consider suggested communication methods that meet the needs of the members and match methods with purposes and/or types of engagement activities
The group considers and utilizes, as appropriate, multiple methods for engagement (online, face-to-face, conference calling, etc.; Methods are utilized and modified as needed; Flexibility in method use is demonstrated
Working together to facilitate understanding of the issue and diverse perspectives
Core group initiates an environmental scan to determine who else has resources to contribute to the work
Stakeholders from diverse roles exchange information, share work that has been done previously; An environmental scan is conducted and others with expertise, materials, and resources are invited into the group
Stakeholders contribute to and create a shared vocabulary; They reach across systems in reviewing, critiquing, and revising/confirming the issue to be addressed
Stakeholders demonstrate disagreement is a way to reach agreement; A common vocabulary is used; The question of who else needs to be involved continues to be addressed
Evolving leadership roles
The core group identifies and shares a variety of different roles and functions that can occur within the group as it evolves
Stakeholders discuss roles and responsibilities and determine who is interested in assuming specific roles for distinct periods of time or in relation to a particular sub-issue or activity; Flexible leadership is emerging
Group members are working together and assuming roles and responsibilities appropriate to their knowledge, skills, and interests; Shared leadership is emerging
Shared responsibility and accountability for all roles and activities is evident; Roles are flexible and different people assume them at different times, as needed
Look at the Operational Decisions.
How do they support kinds of relevant participation (Range, frequency and role)
Look at the first 2 columns…how common are these behaviors
look at the last 2 columns…how common are these behaviors
Lets look at the tools…
Engaging Everybody
Take the temperature… where are you on the utility of relevant participation for your work?

27. Explore: Engaging Everybody
Let’s look at the tools for Relevant Participation
Explore: Engaging Everybody

28. Adaptive/Human Elements
Doing Work Together
Adaptive/Human Elements
Technical Elements
Value and appreciate diversity in participants and interactions.
Model and demonstrate respect for and among all participants.
Practice shared leadership.
Encourage and support participants’ personal investment in the value of the work.
Acknowledge the human need (individual and group) for recognition.
Develop and maintain principles for interaction and engagement.
Develop a structure for convening and working together.
Create and maintain systems to support group interactions.
Identify levels of potential interaction/influence.
Develop and implement an action plan.
Use a process of reflection.
Look at both sides. In your experience, which is harder?
On the technical side…what do you notice?
On the adaptive side…In your view, which is the one most overlooked?

29. Think about it….. Look at the technical side ….
Is it primarily one-way or two-way interaction?
Now….look at the adaptive side.
If you were to rank the statements…how would you rank them … starting with the most important?

30. Doing Work Together
Doing the Work Together
Depth of Interaction
Informing Level
(sharing/sending)
Networking Level
(exchanging)
Collaborating Level
(engaging)
Transforming Level
(consensus decision-making)
Engaging diverse participants in completing the relevant work
The expanded group (after coalescing) informs others about the proposed work and the anticipated outcomes, along with the opportunity to participate.
Each group agrees to become the conduit for their members to learn and be involved.
Stakeholders work together to share unique perspectives and begin the work. Efforts to find others who might be important to this work are ongoing and intentional.
Partners who have experienced working together with a diversity of individuals cannot think of any other way to work. This type of engagement is internalized and expected.
Evolving leadership roles
The expanded group informs their constituents that the effort is underway and opportunities for engagement continue.
Stakeholders share levels of expertise in organization, facilitation, etc.. Members begin to identify and ask individuals to facilitate certain activities.
Meeting facilitation is shared among members of the group. Flexibility in leadership is evident based on comfort and skill levels of the individuals.
Members of the group demonstrate willingness to work together to accomplish a common goal. Flexibility in leadership is evident. When designated facilitator becomes unavailable another steps up from the group.
Working together to understand and articulate the issue
The expanded group communicates evolving ideas, issues and resources.
The expanded group seeks opportunities for their constituents to respond to the current ideas, issues and resources.
Stakeholders consistently revisit their structures for interaction and revise as needed.
Group members agree and clearly articulate the work through the products created and/or their discussions with others.
Working together to plan and implement action
The expanded group identifies strategic ways in which to customize messages for their audience and help them to act.
Participants exchange ideas about the work and how it could be accomplished, possible action steps and timelines.
Through shared decision-making, stakeholders create a well-developed action plan. They share responsibility and are actively engaged in implementation of the plan. Transparency and open communication occurs between and among different levels.
Vertical and horizontal influence occurs as a result of implementation of the action plan. Practitioners influence policy, policy influences practice.
Look at the behaviors to carry out the operational decisions
Look at the last two columns…
How would work change if these behaviors were common?

31. Leading by Convening means we…..
Meet people ‘where they are’ on the issue.
Bring people together to build support for addressing the issue.
Convene the stakeholders to discover why this is important and how it will improve practice.
Translate complex challenges into ways that individuals can contribute.
Help people ‘lead in place’ regardless of role, position, or title.
Create new knowledge together.
Solve complex issues that need the various perspectives/aspects that contribute to problems/solutions.
Build a personal commitment to working in this way because we believe inclusive work is better and more sustainable work.
Cultivate the habit of collaboration.
Integrate collaboration into the identity of the group and the individual.
Other…..

32. Group Change: Toward a Culture of Collaboration
Leading by Convening
Informing Level
(sharing/sending)
Networking Level
(exchanging)
Collaborating Level
(engaging)
Transforming Level
(consensus decision-making)
Evaluating and showcasing collective influence through accomplishments and positive outcomes
Disseminating program outcome data to interested stakeholders
Sharing success stories (anecdotal)
Exchanging ideas about what we think and believe was successful and has been accomplished
Determining together what constitutes the standards for success
Reviewing together work based upon these standards
Identifying, sharing and celebrating accomplishments
Looking for opportunities to influence change as a result of these accomplishments
Considering opportunities for replication and generalization
Observing there is vertical and horizontal influence that occurs as a result of this work
Have you ever experienced a Culture of Collaboration?
Peter Senge…The Learning Organization…
In your view .. can organizations learn?

33. Individual Change: Toward a Different Identity as a Collaborator
Leading by Convening
Depth of Interaction
Informing Level
(sharing/sending)
Networking Level
(exchanging)
Collaborating Level
(engaging)
Transforming Level
(consensus decision-making)
I am a learner and a leader
stating clearly that I am here to learn from others
stating clearly that I am willing to share leadership
acknowledging leading comes through skill development
asking others to come to the table as learners and to lead as they feel comfortable
relying on leadership from those with influence and expertise as needed
knowing that in the role of leader I am still a learner
moving with ease in and out of the learner and leader roles
When meeting a new challenge/issue, I cross environments by…
consciously seeking out others with interest in the challenge/issue and sharing my information and questions with them
consciously ensuring that others I seek out are coming from differing roles/ experiences/perspectives
exchanging questions, ideas and resources with one another
clarifying role-specific vocabulary
consciously asking who or what perspective is still needed to make the best decisions and inviting them into the conversation
engaging in dialogue about the challenge/issue with as many differing perspectives “in the room” as possible
utilizing communication systems that support working across environ-ments (conference calls, electronic media, etc.)
no longer needing to bring the process of crossing environments to the conscious level
inviting and engaging with others automatically
I rely on a blended leadership style to address new challenges/issues by…
analyzing data around the issue
sharing my perspectives with others
asking others to share data and perspectives
listening carefully to what others have to share
asking clarifying question
offering possible solutions
calling on others in the group to lead or facilitate discussions
ensuring that each has an opportunity to share
encouraging consensus decision-making
consciously building relations that attend to the human as well as the technical side of working together
using with automaticity activities/strategies that support relationship-building
acknowledging that each and all stakeholders have a role and their interactions produce value
With ongoing interaction…can people change? Our experience says YES.