Tuesday, May 9, 2017

For those who Literally Do Not Have the Bandwidth



Launching a Leadership Team
Resistance School, Marshall Ganz Modified for the Resistance School by Kathryn Short
(And by Wyndy Knox Carr for Indivisible Berkeley, hard copies and Luddites)
Congratulations on beginning the journey to launch your leadership team! Your diversity of resources
and unity of purpose are already in the room - this process is all about helping you create the structures
to make them come out and flourish as you engage in action together. Get ready and get excited -- the
work you do together in the next hour will set you up to make the sustainable and deep change our nation needs!
To complete this worksheet as a team, you will need:
● A copy of this worksheet for each team member (paper or soft copy)
● A whiteboard, flipchart, projected screen or some way to write so everyone can see
● Post-its, index cards or scratch paper - just something to write on!
● MOST IMPORTANT: The video entitled “RS Coach: Launching a Leadership Team”
Session Three Structuring a Leadership Team Worksheet page
Agenda: (1 hour total, including video)
1)Welcome (2 minutes)
2) Creating Common Values, Shared Interests and Unique Resources (10 minutes)
3) Our Shared Purpose (25 minutes)
4) How We Will Work Together: norms (5 minutes)
5) Roles: match responsibilities and people (5 minutes)
6) Name and Chant: give ourselves inspiration and motivation (5 minutes)
7) Conclusion: plus/delta, next steps (3 minutes)
SECTION 1: WELCOME (2 MINS)
Video:  Please play the first portion of the RS Coach Video until you see the screen that says“Values, Interests and Resources.” Then press pause to complete the table on the next page.
Goals
● To explain the purpose of the meeting
● To provide a roadmap for how the meeting will flow

Please select one person from your team to be a
timekeeper
and one person to be a
scribe.
SECTION 2: Identifying Common Values, Shared Interests and Unique Resources (10 MINS)
Goal
● To identify common values that made each of us join Indivisible Berkeley
● To identify interests shared by members of your team.
● To call out the diverse resources in the room.

Values
● If your team generated common values during Resistance School Session 1 or 2, list those here.
….find that common thread:
O Give each person a minute or two to reflect on the values that brought them to IB.
O Then, let each person in the group share what they wrote and why.
What do these values mean to them?
Why are these values so motivating?
O Now, what are the common themes you heard as a team across everyone’s values?
What are the common values that drive your team? …write them down on the Action Worksheet.

Instructions
● Create a table everyone can see with 3 columns:
Our Shared Values

Our Shared Interests
Our Unique Resources




Interests
…..a protocol to help you find that common thread:
O In pairs, spend two minutes each sharing what brings you to IB:
 What do you hope to change in the world?
What does “a better life” mean for you,
your family,
your community,
your society?










O In your whole team, report out what you learned about your common vision.
What do you all want to see change? Some examples might include “better schools,” “access to healthcare” or “a cleaner environment.”
















Resources
● Give each person post-its, index cards, scratch paper or something else to write on. (or this page)
● Think of as MANY resources as you can that you bring to the table in each category of Shared Values and Shared Interests. The timer will set the clock for 1 minute for each category listed below. Be expansive and creative! Ready, Set, Go!
Networks: I have: Schools, faith communities, social clubs...








Talents: I have: Playing the guitar, knitting, making spreadsheets, talking to people...









Knowledge: I have: The legal system, the immigrant experience, how to fundraise...









2  Physical resources: I have: A kitchen, a car, office supplies...






○ Anything else! ● Capture the results of your Unique Resources in the table.

SECTION 3: SHARED PURPOSE (8 MIN)
Goal
● To come up with a shared purpose for the team
● To explore differences in the context of commonality
Video:  Please play the RS Coach Video until you see the screen that says “Shared Purpose: Individual Writing Time.” Then press pause to complete your individual reflection.

WORKSHEET: DEVELOPING SHARED PURPOSE
There are four parts to this exercise.
As individuals, you will clarify your own thinking about what the purpose of your team could be.
(2) As individuals, you will write a sentence that you think captures the purpose of your team.
Part I: Individual Work (5 MIN)

What is the unique purpose
of your team? What’s its goal?
Who is your team organizing?
Who is your constituency?
What are the people like and what are their interests? What will engage them?
How will your team meet its
goals? What kinds of activities
could your team engage in to
fulfill its purpose organizing
this community?



After brainstorming answers to all three questions by yourself, take a few moments to write a sentence that you think best describes your team’s goal, its constituency, and its activities.
Our team’s shared purpose is to


Draw on all three columns.
Example of a shared purpose sentence:“Our leadership team's shared purpose is to ensure greater health care for all by organizing doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals in Cleveland through pop-up clinics, rallies at hospitals and visits to the state capitol.”
3
Our team’s shared purpose is to Video:  Please play the RS Coach Video until you see the screen that says “Shared Purpose: Team
Work.” Then press pause to complete your teamwork.

Part 2: Team Work (10 MINS)
(3) As a team, you will share your sentences, look for the common focus, and discern a purpose you can all support.

(4) And finally, as a team, you will consider the second round of sentences (from step 3) and decide on one that best articulates your team’s perspective.

As each person reads his or her Shared Purpose sentence, ask the scribe to note the key words on the chart below (on a flipchart, projected screen, google doc, etc) on

  • goal (what),
  • constituency (who), or
  • activity (how).

Note specific words that speak to you, spark your curiosity, or give you energy.
When you are done, draw out the words that are more or less the same as foundational for your shared purpose and identify the points of greatest difference so as to discuss them explicitly before the next round.

What is the unique purpose
of your team?
Who is your team organizing?
Who is your constituency?
What are the people like and
what are their interests?
What will engage them?
How will your team meet its
goals? What kinds of activities could your team engage in to fulfill its purpose organizing this community?



Video: Please play the RS Coach Video until you see the screen that says “Shared Purpose: Individual Work.” Then press pause to complete your individual draft.

Part 3: Individual Work (5 MIN)
In light of what you learned from the last session, write a new sentence that you think can articulate a shared purpose, using some of the key words and themes.
Our team’s shared purpose is to


Video: Please play the RS Coach Video until you see the screen that says “Shared Purpose: Team Work.” Then press pause to complete your teamwork.

Part 4: Team Work (5 MINS)
Read all of the sentences from step 3 and choose – or combine – one that can best articulate the shared sense of your team.
Our team’s shared purpose is to

Congratulations on writing your shared purpose!
Capture this statement somewhere your team can see and reference often. Many teams put the shared purpose as a header for agendas, or in a shared drive.

SECTION 4: DEVELOPING TEAM NORMS (5 MIN)
Goals
● To create a structure that will enable you to govern yourselves effectively, responsibly and transparently
● To help create a collaborative group environment
Video: Please play the RS Coach Video and follow the coach’s instructions for pausing between each section laid out below.

WORKSHEET: DEVELOPING TEAM NORMS
Review suggested norms below. For each section, clarify, add or subtract as your team wishes.
Discussion and Decision-making (2 MIN): As a team, how will we discuss options and reach decisions to ensure both vigorous input and debate and agreement on courses of action?
Decide how you will decide: voting, consensus, delegation, flip a coin, a combination?

Always
Engage in open, honest debate
Ask great questions
Balance advocacy with inquiry
Never
Engage in personal attacks
Fail to listen to what others say
Jump to conclusions

Time Management (1 MIN): How will we manage meetings to respect each other’s time?
Always
Start on time; stay on time
Be fully present throughout the meeting

Never
Come to meetings unprepared
Answer cell phones or do email
Honoring Commitments (2 MIN): How will we delegate responsibilities for actions and activities? How will we follow through on commitments?
Always
Clarify understanding
Provide follow-up on action items
Ask for/offer support when there is a need
Weekly check-in (When? Where?)

Never
Assume you have agreement
Assume tasks are getting done
Commit to a task that you know you won’t do
How will you "self correct" if norms are not followed?

SECTION 5: TEAM ROLES (5 MINS)
Goals
● To practice matching people and roles based on strengths and limitations
● To ensure your leadership team is appropriately diverse
Video: Please play the RS Coach Video until you see the screen that says “Team Roles.” Then press pause to complete your teamwork.

WORKSHEET: DEVELOPING TEAM ROLES

Based on your shared purpose, what kinds of roles will be important for the team?

Use the “Team Coordinator” role as an example, and brainstorm as many as you can. Be sure to think about both functional roles and constituency-based roles (i.e. Team Coordinator, and West Side Lead Organizer) ​(1 MIN)
○ NOTE: Each of these roles is a leadership role, which means that each person accepts
responsibility for offering the team leadership in this domain. At the same time, the
most critical roles other than coordinator are those that reach out to engage members
of your constituency in action. For example, accepting responsibility for engaging
residents of a particular town or community, members of a particular constituency, etc.

Within each role, what are a few key responsibilities?

Remember, we think about responsibilities for outcomes, not tasks. (1 MIN)

For each role, what kinds of traits, skills, talents or resources might make for a good fit? What kind of traits, skills, talents or resources might make for a bad fit? (1 MIN)

Based on the discussion about the roles, go around the circle and ask each person to share their strengths and their limitations. Then go back and try to match people and roles. (2 MINS)

Note: When you do this for your projects, team roles should not be seen as permanent. Also, for the team to be strong, all leaders should have to earn leadership by carrying out responsibilities relevant to the role they seek.







Role
Responsibilities
You would be good
for this role if you . . .
Interested Team
members & Related
Skills/Talents
EXAMPLE: Team
Coordinator
Coordinate the work of
the leadership team.
Prepare for meetings,
give support and
coaching to the team.








EXAMPLE: West Side Lead Organizer
Reaching out to organize
constituents on the West
Side of town: identifying,
recruiting, and developing
leadership teams, engaging constituents, coaching action.







































Role
Responsibilities
You would be good
for this role if you . . .
Interested Team
members & Related
Skills/Talents




















                                                                                                                                                                                                                 















































SECTION 6: TEAM NAME AND CHANT (5 MIN)
Goal
● To celebrate your commitment to your shared purpose.
● To remind your team of their strength, unity and motivation
Video: Please play the RS Coach Video until you see the screen that says “Team Name and Chant.” Then press pause to complete your teamwork.
Instructions
● Be strict on time! Time pressure spurs creativity, especially if you take the “yes, and” mentality of building on one another.
● For a team name, try just all saying words that resonate with you at the same time and build on what comes out.
● For a chant, try getting a volunteer to just start making a beat to play with!
● It will definitely feel silly, but when you come up with something good it will give you energy at the end of long meetings and bring you all closer as a team.

SECTION 7: CLOSING (3 MINS)
Goal
● To end with clarity and shared understanding of how the team will move forward
● To learn about how best to work with your group
Video: Please play the RS Coach Video until you see the screen that says “Closing: Pluses and Deltas.” Then press pause to complete your team evaluation

Instructions
●Review the decisions made (when you’ll meet), what the roles are, any other big decisions
●Evaluate the meeting with plus/deltas - What went well? What do you want to be sure to improve next time you meet?
●End with a closing reflection.

Please play the RS Coach Video until you reach the end, and then read on!
Go to the Resistance School Session Three Update to share with us your team name, shared purpose and an audio or video clip of your chant!

Originally adapted from the works of Marshall Ganz of Harvard University
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/marshall-ganz
Modified for the Resistance School by Kathryn Short
If you have any questions about these terms, please contact marshall_ganz@harvard.edu or Marshall Ganz, Hauser Center, Harvard Kennedy School, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.