Why Strategic Doing workshops are different
Just got a welcome note from James Hardway, Executive Director of the Hawaii Workforce Development Council on my visit last week:
As I said before, I have never been a fan of forums or retreats as I hardly ever see progress or action afterwards. This was remarkably diffent. Your facilitation and method really inspired and gave guidance to our members and stakeholders in moving forward. For that I am eternaly grateful.
As James learned, Strategic Doing workshops are unlike most training workshops. The reason: we move forward in a “real” way. We focus on connecting big ideas and pragmatic next steps
Every region or state has a strategic conversation taking place. Sometimes, the conversation is fragmented, disjointed, incoherent. In other places, the strategic conversation is more understandable and focused. In virtually every place, people have difficulty translating their strategic conversations into action.
The reason is easy to understand. Guiding complex projects in open, loosely joined networks is not easy. Networks do rot respond to the linear, “command-and-control” logic of hierarchical organizations. Because we cannot control networks, however, it does not mean that they are chaotic.
Networks are complex adaptive systems. We can guide these networks, even manage them, if we follow simple rules. And that's the point. We cannot guide complexity with complexity. Strategy in complex adaptive systems emerges from following simple disciplines.
In Strategic Doing we teach these simple rules and apply them––not in some abstract sense––but in a practical way to focus the strategic conversations that are already taking place. We convert these conversations into action in the space of a few hours. That's why Strategic Doing workshops are different.
That's why James Hardway came away from our session last week deeply appreciative.
