leadership for organization development
ignite theory into practice presentation & handout
Our cohort each designed an application and integration project in which we took one or two of the concepts we have discussed or have read about in our Organizational Development course and considered how we might use that conceptual idea in our workplace. The goal was to draw on the theoretical understandings we gained and applied them to an organizational ‘problem of practice’ we face in our context. Make the presentation theoretically grounded and connected to practice considering issues of equity and social justice. We considered our audience to be a well-informed governance board representing our organization. For the presentation portion we used an ‘ignite’ format in we had 20 Powerpoint slides/images that rotated after 15 sections providing us with exactly 5 minutes to get our points across. We also prepared a handout of our presented topic that linked both theory and practice drawing on the readings from the course.
My ignite presentation focused on the need for revolution, not reform. Reform involves fixing a broken model whereas revolution is a radical design that transforms. Although change can be exhausting, I draw attention to a simple and yet profound catalyst for change...love. Love is not mere roses and fluff, but is radical, transformative, and unique to the one who delivers and receives it. We all already do this selfless act. Why not use it to create change in our organizations? Geoffrey Canada's Harlem Children's Zone long-term commitment to change the statistic of its youth is a beautiful example of this revolutionary love. I build on this idea through Heath & Heath's (2010) book Switch where organizations find "bright spots" or evidence of the change we want that's already happening and make it public so that it becomes infectious to create more "bright spots".
We then use these "bright spots" to guide our path to a revolution of love. We set up small milestones along the way to celebrate what has been accomplished so that there is motivation to keep on the path. It is inevitable to hit road bumps of conflict, struggle, and sacrifice. Instead of fearing them, we welcome them as part of growing on the journey. All of these efforts of love must involve approaching this journey with a heart that is willing to understand rather than wanting to be understood. The act of asking and listening to all members, including students, is crucial because together we are magnificent.
My ignite presentation focused on the need for revolution, not reform. Reform involves fixing a broken model whereas revolution is a radical design that transforms. Although change can be exhausting, I draw attention to a simple and yet profound catalyst for change...love. Love is not mere roses and fluff, but is radical, transformative, and unique to the one who delivers and receives it. We all already do this selfless act. Why not use it to create change in our organizations? Geoffrey Canada's Harlem Children's Zone long-term commitment to change the statistic of its youth is a beautiful example of this revolutionary love. I build on this idea through Heath & Heath's (2010) book Switch where organizations find "bright spots" or evidence of the change we want that's already happening and make it public so that it becomes infectious to create more "bright spots".
We then use these "bright spots" to guide our path to a revolution of love. We set up small milestones along the way to celebrate what has been accomplished so that there is motivation to keep on the path. It is inevitable to hit road bumps of conflict, struggle, and sacrifice. Instead of fearing them, we welcome them as part of growing on the journey. All of these efforts of love must involve approaching this journey with a heart that is willing to understand rather than wanting to be understood. The act of asking and listening to all members, including students, is crucial because together we are magnificent.
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