Resilience and the "New Normal" [By: Tim Brodhead]
Canadians, despite living in a relatively ordered and stable society, would probably agree. In the past decade we have experienced extreme weather events, public health scares, economic dislocation for workers in manufacturing industries, and of course all of this against the backdrop of global terrorist threats and an on-going financial crisis. The expectation of continuing improvements in living standards, "Freedom-55", and opportunity for all Canadians is being shaken. The need to plan for the unpredictable, to manage risk, to invest in preparedness rather than just mitigation of natural or other disasters, are becoming part of people's thinking, the "new normal." An individual, community or society's capacity to absorb shocks and stresses without losing its essential attributes and values is called resilience, a word we hear more and more frequently. We see it being tested now as Europe grapples with its spreading sovereign debt crisis, as the Philippines and other countries deal with extreme weather, as Middle East countries struggle with political change. Do a country's economic, governance and social systems enhance its capacity to adapt and change or render it more vulnerable to disruption and breakdown? In Canada we must ask the same question. Are our systems too rigid to adapt, our attitudes and expectations insufficiently responsive to today's challenges? How do we enhance the resilience of our communities and our society? We have many assets - a generally high level of education, great diversity in our population, and a tradition that seeks a balance between collective responsibility and individual opportunity. However recent evidence suggests our systems are under growing stress. The middle class is shrinking. The costs of health care are ballooning. Second generation Canadians are having less success than their parents entering the mainstream, and we are far from making full use of the diverse skills brought here by new immigrants. For years our economic productivity has been stagnant. Evidence suggests that individual resilience, or our ability to cope, is significantly affected by early childhood experience and the sense of control that we have over our lives. Communities need to build social capital, supportive relationships and a sense of belonging and contributing to the collective good, in order to decrease the isolation and vulnerability experienced by many people. Canadians need to ensure that our society is diverse but inclusive, cohesive in its embrace of common values but flexible and sensitive to the needs of the disadvantaged. A recent document from the McConnell Family Foundation explains how its various programs cohere around the concept of resilience. Whether linking community members around poverty eradication activities, as Tamarack's Vibrant Communities program does, or developing integrated strategies to increase food security or to facilitate access to suitable employment for qualified new Canadians, the goal is to ensure that Canada faces the future prepared for the 'new normal.' When the old rules break down we all feel the discomfort, even pain. Not everyone is equally well-equipped to deal with disruption and new demands and expectations. Some respond by clinging to what is familiar, refusing to accept that any change in the status quo is needed - at least by them. But it is increasingly clear that our high consumption lifestyle is not sustainable and that while the market generates wealth, if left to itself it also exacerbates inequality. Governments, business, and the community sector must find new ways to collaborate to address global social and environmental problems. Each sector will be challenged to re-think its purpose and methods. In a world of change, it is not the strong who survive, but those who are most able to adapt and innovate. A robust, resilient Canada will require that we all do our share to prepare for unpredictable, often disruptive change, the 'new normal', bearing in mind that the test of a country is not the quality of life for the best-off, but for the majority, including the most vulnerable. Related Links:
What Are You Skating Towards in 2012? [By: Al Etmanski]
Through these reflections I realize that truth seekers and pursuers of justice don't stand still. They, at minimum, are in constant dialogue with themselves. Making the elusive visible may get tested and refined in their conversations but I suspect more often in their actions. By the time they get around to writing about it, they are on to the next pursuit. To peek inside the souls of explorers I admire I have assembled a set of essays fashioned after my last year's popular Becoming Visible in 2011 collection. This year my question is: What are you skating towards in 2012? I invited people I had profiled or referenced in my blogs throughout 2011 to write about an idea, concept, or phenomenon that is capturing their attention. I was particularly interested in what was on their horizon, not yet clear, still amorphous. Their responses are deeply personal yet their canvas is civilization. If a theme emerged, it has been that of the citizen - citizen as being, citizen as doing. Being - anchored in the values of the heart, mystery, fallibility, joy, delicious ambiguity, empathy, love. Doing - the messy, unglamorous, tough work of constructive destruction, cooperating with opponents and strangers; and intervening to stop atrocities. If these essays are any indication, we may be witnessing a reclaiming of our narrative as citizen. One fused from personal and shared values, at the intersection of voice and agency and forged out of necessity and commonality. I released the first essay on New Year's Day, January 1st, 2012. You can access them here or in the What are you Skating Towards category on the right -hand side of my blog page. The full collection will be published shortly. To whet your appetite here is a list of this year's contributors. Adam Kahane, Alex Fox, Allyson Hewitt, Arthur Wood, Brad Johnston, Cairine Macdonald, Caroline Casey, Colleen McCormick, Cormac Russell, David Roche, Donna Thomson, Faye Porter, Gordon Atherley, Gordon Hogg, Gord Tulloch, Gregor Wolbring, Ian Curtin, Jacques Dufresne, Jacques Pelletier, Jim Fletcher, Jim Schwier, Joe Coughlin, John McKnight, John Mighton, John Stapleton, Kathy Bromley, Linda Couture, Linda Perry, Lindsay Cant, Maggie Vilvang, Marcel Lauzière, Mark Anielski, Mark Kingwell, Molly Harrington, Patrick O'Neil, Paul Born, Paul Pholeros, Peter Block, Peter Deitz, Richard Bridge, Richard Faucher, Richard Steckel, Sam Sullivan, Sean Moore, Shari Graydon, Shawn Smith, Sherri Torjman, Stefan Lorimer, Stephen Owen, Steve Sunderland, Ted Jackson, Ted Kuntz, Vickie Cammack and a few more... May 2012 bring you a long river to skate away on. Related Links
Ideas We're Following...Join the Dark Horse Conversation [By: Colette Murphy]If there is one new resource to add to your 2012 reading list about leadership I would recommend, The Dark Horse Conversation: Nonprofit Leaders Talk about Vocational, Organization and Civic Renewal, the second of two papers by Metcalf Foundation Innovation Fellow Pat Thompson. This paper continues Pat's exploration of the concept of renewal and the role of vocation in sustaining the vitality of nonprofit leaders. The paper illuminates the crucial role that reflective conversations can play in uncorking creativity and inoculating us from workplace stress. More than 150 leaders in the arts, environment, and community sectors responded to the invitation Pat extended in her first paper to talk about the sense of purpose that inspires and sustains their work. She has chronicled these conversations and reflected on what they reveal about the challenges and opportunities of vocational, organizational, and civic renewal. This lyrical new paper takes the form of a letter to colleagues and invites further reflection on what these times are asking of nonprofit leaders and their organizations. It unpacks learnings on such varied themes as: how we define leaders; what makes work meaningful; the power of emotion in shaping organizational culture and driving change; challenging conventional thinking related to layoffs or terminations; and, how architecture and physical space shape the nonprofit sector and its work. Through her new website, onealphaavenue.org, Pat will continue and extend the conversation. The site is also a repository of resources and provides opportunities to connect with others on themes related to discovering, renewing, and sustaining work that makes a positive difference in the world. She is co-hosting this site with Kay Dyson Tam, a second-year University of Toronto student. They look forward to facilitating a multi-dimensional conversation on the issues, events, and people that help us see the connection between work and vocation. Engaged and inspired leaders are in the best position to step forward imaginatively and effectively to advance the common good. Tending to one's own professional vitality and its link to organizational and civic renewal is well worth the investment in 2012. Related links:
Circles of Change [By: Sylvia Cheuy]Stories move in circles. They don't go in straight lines. So it helps if you listen in circles. - From A Traveling Jewish Theatre, Coming From A Great Distance In Circles of Change, author Tracy Thompson explores the power and effectiveness of one of civilization's oldest organizational forms: the circle. Whether it is "lending circles" that encourage micro-finance in India, organizationally-based quality circles in industry, or study circles developed to support adult learning programs and citizen-action initiatives, circle technology has proven remarkably successful in fostering enhanced well-being, development and autonomy in both individuals and groups within a wide variety of contexts. Citing examples from a vast array of cultures and situations, this paper which was published in the Fall 2011 issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, concludes that circles are "one of the oldest, most widespread, and effective tools for creating personal and social change." There are many variations to how circles are established and sustained, however four core characteristics distinguish the form from more typical triangle-like, hierarchical social structures. The four characteristics of circle are:
Circle is effective in creating and sustaining individual and social change because its structure offers individuals the support they need to change while also generating the group's collective capacity for effective action. Research shows that individuals are more likely to learn and change when "they experience an environment that feeds three basic and universal human needs: relatedness (being connected to and experience caring for others); autonomy (voluntary, motivated action towards a desired outcome with a sense of efficacy); and, competence (being effective dealing with one's environment)." Circle's capability of meeting these three needs explains its effectiveness in fostering both the motivation and ability for individuals to learn and change. The challenges of helping others to help themselves and the tendency to unconsciously revert back to hierarchical, triangle-like structures that are more typical in human interactions can make circles difficult to introduce and sustain. Skilled facilitation, training and careful attention to group process and dynamics are all key ingredients to circle success and sustainability. Circle's emphasis on respectful peer dialogue is instrumental in establishing strong social connections between participants. The strong, trusting ties that develop between members enable them to share the resources, knowledge and effort needed to take action on social issues. In this way, social capital is built and the collective power of the group is enhanced. This is why circles have proven to be so effective at enabling social change within the broader community.Related links:
Five Themes to Build a More Prosperous Canada
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