Whole System - Critical Mass Conferences

John has convened over ten "Whole System - Critical Mass Conferences," which is an exciting and powerful tool for developing common ground and organizational consensus and are used to move organizations in a new direction quickly. These conferences take a variety of shapes, but the common themes include a high level of participation with all areas of the organization, information sharing, developing common ground, action planning, and developing a shared vision for the future. The "Whole System - Critical Mass Conferences," that John has convened have been affiliated with a number of desired outcomes, including the following:

1. Establishing a partnership and Alignment between management and non-management and between various organization departments and divisions.
2. Strategic Planning
3. Operations Improvement
4. Development of mission, vision and values

"People support what they help create."

In each of "Whole System - Critical Mass Conferences" John has facilitated, the organization has convened all members of the organization together for a one to two day Conference, which has resulted in agreement and buy-in on key policy choices and operational improvements, as well as in a sense of being a part of the larger organization. We have quickly developed alignment, reduced conflict and built partnerships. We have encouraged dialogue, modeled shared leadership, and encouraged creativity and self-management. The approach has helps create common ground, a shared "preferred future," and action plans for achieving them.

Future Efforts

The next scheduled "Whole System - Critical Mass Conference" that John will be convening will be with a municipal Parks and Forestry Department. Specific desired outcomes and activities of this Conference include the following:

• Continued momentum and confidence for positive results
• Categorization and listing of the major categories of improvement opportunities developed in earlier phases of the organization effectiveness effort
• Presentation of baseline survey information
• Consensus among all Department personnel as to the strategic areas of focus for the Division & the top initiatives to pursue
• Greater teamwork, cooperation & a sense of Department identity among work crew
• Better communications and input by supervisors, work crews, and administration regarding goals, problem-solving, and future needs
• Assumption of greater responsibility by work crews for the parks and urban forest they maintain
• Creating an opportunity for increased participation by employees in the planning and implementation of the above changes
• Develop agreement on the Monitoring and Evaluation process.

Future Reading

• Discovering Common Ground, by Marv Weisbord, Berrett-Kohler Publishers
• Future Search, by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff, Berrett-Kohler Publishers
• Real Time Strategic Change, by Robert Jacobs, Berrett-Kohler Publishers
• The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Special Issue, December 1992, 1992, Volume 28, No. 4, Sage Periodicals Press, Newbury Park, CA
• Large Group Interventions for Organizational Change: Concepts, Methods and Cases, compiled and edited by Tom Chase.

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