Leadership Conference (Nov. 2010) - "Making Innovation Happen"
Leadership, like learning, is a journey of discovery
The Ottawa Carleton District School Board has been on a journey to redefine leadership within our organization. Through this journey we have begun to embrace a shift in our understanding of leadership. Our emerging model of leadership is underpinned by the degree to which all individuals in our organization impact positively on those around them. In stark contrast to more traditional notions that see leadership as a hierarchical structure founded upon positional authority, our leadership vision is founded on three principles that provide a unifying framework:
• Each individual has unique capacities & ideas that need to be recognized, valued and tapped into,
• By harnessing these individual capacities, the organization will be enriched and invigorated, and
• The culminating effect will be to achieve a culture of engagement where people feel valued and engaged in an environment that embraces and systematically promotes ongoing learning fostered through internal and external dialogue.
Our next stop on the journey was our Fall 2010 Leadership Conference . The first day of this exciting conference saw the OCDSB partnering once again with the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) to present "Creative Leadership: Making Innovation Happen" with keynote speaker John Sweeny.
Day 2, organized by the OCDSB, presented an inquiry based approach to innovation. We expanded on our leadership initiative by examining what it means to know that you truly belong to an organization and how energetic engagement can increase, entrench and expand a sense of connection and commitment through appreciative inquiry. Participants had the opportunity to hear from speakers such as Dr. Martin Brokenleg, of Reclaiming Youth International, and Dr. John Barell, noted educator, author, explorer and adventurer www.morecuriousminds.com. Building on those presentations, participants were able to share and learn from a wide variety of amazing creative initiatives going on in our District.
Leadership is happening every day! We asked our teams to recognize someone who is making a difference to their school community by inviting him/her to participate in Friday's portion of the conference as our guest. These invited guests are those whose interest may be sparked to become engaged in our professional learning community, such as an employee, a community partner or business, a school council representative or parent.
Creating a Culture of Engagement
Appreciative Inquiry focuses on the possibilities, opportunities and potential within every organization. As a means of affecting change, Appreciative Inquiry shifts the focus from a deficit model that seeks first to identify problems and then potential solutions, to a model that recognizes the plentiful potential that already exists within our organization. In their book, Appreciative Inquiry: a Positive Approach to Building Cooperative Capacity, authors Barret and Fry identify several foundational assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry1:
• Every organization has strengths. Appreciative Inquiry aims to discover and celebrate those strengths. Participants in appreciative inquiry are asked to search out the practices and potential within the organization that enable it to be at its’ best.
• Appreciative Inquiry is an artful search. It aims to uncover the best of what we do and to create the conditions under which the very best can be shared and nurtured across the organization.
• Appreciative Inquiry is collaborative. Appreciative Inquiry asks participants to be open to learning together. Through this approach, participants work together to spread the seeds of best practices across the organization.
• Appreciative Inquiry is inclusive. It invites participants from across the organization – from every corner – to become involved in discovering and articulating the potential already present within the organization.
• Appreciative Inquiry is productive. It aims to create the conditions in which stakeholders can come together to redefine the culture of the organization.
“Problem solving as we know it sometimes gets us into a rut. Appreciative Inquiry will help us to find new direction, utilizing all the skills and talents within our own site, to make our own success stories. My school has lots of success stories which are in-house most times.”
“It took practice to not see the bad things first, but to learn to see what was working and what was wonderful first instead and to focus on that. In doing this, I felt inspired and energized to pass on that positive in my work.”
— Quotes from participants
Make a Positive Impact (April 2010)
On April 28th, 29th and 30th, 2010 eighty individuals from across the Ottawa Carleton District School Board – parents, community partners and staff from a variety
of roles – came together to Make a Positive Impact. Using an Appreciative Inquiry approach, participants spent a full day touring sites – a total of 20 schools and facilities representing a wide variety of programs across the District – to witness some of the creative and innovative ways that we work together to support student learning. They then came together for a full day to share what they witnessed and discuss ways of bringing more of what we saw into our own schools and spheres of influence.
Feedback from the schools and sites visited indicated that they appreciated the opportunity to host the Make a Positive Impact groups. Staff and students felt proud to share the unique learning experiences fostered at each of their sites.
Participants described the event as creative, optimistic and energizing. The opportunity to connect with parents, community partners and staff from other sites across the District was well-received. Several participants indicated that the timing for this event was perfect, as it led them to renewed commitment to thinking and acting creatively in order to best meet the needs of all students.
Photos were taken at the kick-off session doing the "Stick Dance" icebreaker
“The bon mots that come to mind when reflecting on the bus trip include: enthusiasm, affirmation, validation, collaboration, commitment, dedication, caring, pride, warmth, kindness, family, and connectedness.”
“The abilities and skills of the student ambassadors/guides who facilitated our visits through the different sites were exceptional. When you try to recreate an ideal image of our organization that is what I will hold firmly in my vision: people actively demonstrating their joy, pride and ownership in being part of that particular learning community. It happened in every site we visited, on numerous occasions, in a variety of situations and was pervasive. People took time out of their obviously busy schedules to share a moment of something about which they felt passionate. . . . This now ranks as my all time favourite field trip!”
— Quotes from participants