This year The Center for Social Capital, the new non-profit arm of Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC welcomed several dozen folks to our by-invitation-only conclave of customers, critical thinkers, and stakeholders to discuss issues of implementation and sustainability regarding Customized and Self-Employment for individuals with significant disabilities. This year these leaders were joined by representatives from British Columbia who are implementing a new Work First policy, and by folks from twenty states.
Each year it seems we struggle to bring meaning to the meeting and leave with a To-Do List for changing our parts of the world. What has become evident is that we spend a good deal of our waking professional lives on To-Do Lists and that this Rendezvous really represents an opportunity to meet others facing similar challenges and simply share ideas and situations without fear of judgment; to offer helpful advice without seeming condescending; and to simply be who we are. Peter Block has been exploring leadership for many years, and he recommends creating similar environments and "communities."
He writes: "This is not an argument against leaders or leadership, only a desire to change the nature of our thinking. Communal transformation requires a certain kind of leadership, one that creates conditions where context shifts:
From a place of fear and fault to one of gifts, generosity, and abundance
From a belief in more laws and oversight to a belief in social fabric and chosen accountability
From the corporation and systems as central, to associational life as central
From a focus on leaders to a focus on citizens
From problems to possibility
For this shift in context to occur, we need leadership that supports a restorative path. Restoration calls for us to deglamorize leadership and consider it a quality that exists in all human beings. We need to simplify leadership and construct it so that it is infinitely and universally available.
He goes on to say:
"...we hold leadership to three tasks:
Create a context that nurtures an alternative future, one based on gifts, generosity, accountability, and commitment.
Initiate and convene conversations that shift people's experience, which occurs through the way people are brought together and the nature of the questions used to engage them.
Listen and pay attention." (Peter Block, Community:The Structure of Belonging).
Judging from the great comments we've received, it sounds as if we created, together, an atmosphere where possibilities are openly explored!! Thank you all for that!!
Author Doug Crandell (dougcrandell.com), Georgia writer of the year, fresh from signing a movie deal for his first novel, The Flawless Skin of Ugly People, opened our Open-Space discussions, with a review of media & literary images of people with disabilities, and readings from numerous sources, including his new novel, Hairdos of the Mildly Depressed. Doug led participants in a descriptive writing exercise aimed at polishing our skills when relating stories concerning the successes of people with disabilities, while minimizing stereotypes. (The writing exercise was a good warm-up to critical thinking and descriptive writing needed when answering the Discovery question, "who is this person?" as related later in the Rendezvous by Ellen Condon). A discussion about mitigating prejudice and building social capital that facilitates employment immediately followed.
Open-Space small group discussions focused on issues of Organizational Changes necesseary to augment Social Capital; Using our organizational economic and political power to increase Social Capital; Social Capital and Natural Supports facilitation; Staff recruitment and retention; Amalgamated funding; Increasing and measuring Quality of Customized Employment, et al.
Day Two began with a discussion about tightening up the Discovery process, which can sometimes be implemented in a fashion too casual to accumulate helpful information and without the sense of urgency needed to foster proper employment development. Ellen, who directs the Transition Projects for the Rural Institute at the University of Montana (http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/transition) used rich examples from the field to move the discussion along, and to help participants revise their approaches upon returning to their agencies. Some additional materials useful in guiding Discovery will be sent to all attending.
On the final day, Corey Smith challenged us with a discussion about changing large, established organizations or starting small, largely single-purpose CE agencies brought powerful statements from many in attendance. The systems change struggles most of us have weathered lead us to consider that perhaps "small is indeed beautiful" or at least manageable! The move towards more flexible funding, the willingness of funders to reach out for what works instead of more years of Day Wasting programs, and the self-determination movement present us with opportunities for invention that didn't exist even 5 years ago.
Throughout the Rendezvous, discussions of next steps, best-practices, roadblocks, and opportunities were discussed in both large and small gatherings. And while most people shared that they had concrete steps to implement upon their return to civilization, they were also charged with adding to this blog, something they would quit doing that was not promoting CE or success, or that was simply wasting time and resources.
A special note of thanks to Tammara for all her hard logistical work, and to Meg Hammis for her guiding hand as well! Thanks again to Debbie Gilmer for introducing us to Jesse and Jane Bell, and for the great pictures. Kudos to Debbie Ball for some great shots too! Thanks to Doug Crandell for stepping in at the last minute!
