KCFFI

Organizational Learning and Systems Thinking

May 7-8, 2008
 Core Theory of Success
Responsible leaders should ask themselves, “What good theories do we
have that provide practical guidance for ensuring our organizations future
success?” The more clearly you can articulate your organizations theories
about what leads to success, the more deliberate you can be about
investing in the elements that are critical to that success.

One such core theory would be based on the premise that as the quality of
the relationships among people who work together increases (high team
spirit, mutual respect, and trust), the quality of collective thinking improves
(people consider more facets of an issue and share a greater number of
different perspectives). When the level of thinking is heightened, the quality
of actions is likely to improve (better planning, greater coordination, and
higher commitment). In turn the quality of results increases as well.
Achieving high quality results as a team generally has a positive affect on
the quality of relationships, creating a virtuous cycle of better and better
results.

The most important point about this kind of systemic theory is that the
success is not derived from anyone of individual variables that make up the
loop, but rather from the loop itself. [This]…forces us to pay attention to how
all the variables are doing and how each is affecting the others in the loop
-Daniel Kim, (2001). Organizing for Learning
 Core Theory of Success
QUALITY OF
RELATIONSHIPS

QUALITY OF
QUALITY
COLLECTIVE
OF RESULTS
THINKING

QUALITY
OF ACTIONS
 Hierarchy of Choices
Relevant Questions Type of Choice Area of Focus

Who, what, OTHER

when, where,
CHOICES Activities
why, how?

TERTIARY
WHICH? CHOICES Tactics
SECONDARY
HOW? CHOICES Strategy

WHAT? PRIMARY CHOICE Vision

FUNDAMENTAL
WHY? CHOICE Purpose
WHO? Identity
CORE VALUES
Kim, Daniel H. (2002). Foresight as the Central Ethic of Leadership
KCFFI Core Values Statements
• KCFFI is committed to seeking out and implementing the most innovative,
creative ideas to expand what is possible and make our vision reality.
• The Food & Fitness Initiative will incorporate and inspire people to have fun
because we believe it’s a natural way to bring families and communities
together through meals, recreation, celebrations, music, art, and play. Fun is
an essential path to health and well-being.
• Social Justice: Everyone has the right to wellness, health, opportunities,
power, and choices.
• KCFFI is committed to structuring our work so that youth participate
meaningfully & effectively. Creating opportunity for growth through shared
learning and support. Generating interest and participation by meeting
young people where they are.
• Community Driven: Create a transparent and meaningful decision making
process. That directly involves our diverse community.
• We are a diverse and inclusive collaborative that encourages and embraces
all ideas, communities and people.
 What’s Right with King County?
• Access to parks and natural spaces
• Positive policy regarding food and built environment, and transportation
• We’re all here!
• Lots of food distribution alternatives.
• Interest and commitment to promoting equity
• Diversity of experiences, people, resources, places
• School food service director interested in improvement
• Youth engagement
• Many groups forming spontaneously around food systems
• Total openness to change
• Success of Green Fest
• Inspiring leadership
• Strong systems connection to nature
• Great transportation system
• Legacy and history of environmentalism
• Value history of native people
• Legacy/history of a progressive culture
• Lots of university resources (research)
• Financial wealth concentration
 KCFFI Vision from greater
collaborative (page 1 or 2)
• Walkable communities where people can walk to school, groceries, etc.
• Community schools where people can come together
• Social time available when we have the two items above
• Familiarity, safety, affordability
• Local grocery stores give residents power (talk about what’s there/not)
• Networks of trust-know who lives near you
• Know who represents you
• Celebrate, build culture of sharing food (what did they leave behind? What
do they miss?
• Harvest locally grown food
• People working/living across ethnic and other differences
• Finding reasons and excuses to celebrate
• Shared open spaces
• Collective ownership/responsibilities
• Eyes on the street (watch others’ kids)
KCFFI Vision from greater collaborative
(page 2 or 2)
• Intergenerational actions around food, arts, service connected across generations
cooking together, skill sharing, role recognition, increased understanding among
groups
• Time to enjoy food with others
• Eating, cooking with others
• Farm to table representation
• Making farming viable and easier
• Farm/city exchanges
• Policy and systems pieces to make farming viable and enjoyable (healthy for people
and environment
• Farmers/Consumers relationship
• Organized recreational activity for all ages
• Integrated nutrition programs (with organized recreation)
• Wednesday night youth trail walking/running (for example)
• More space/encouragement for informal activities and play
• Encouraging change in thought (active spectators)
• Economy/structure of communities with upcoming fuel changes/impact food systems
structured around local foods (livable way—dense population)
 Concepts from LC based on
greater collaborative (page 1 of 2)
• Accessible resources and information and services
• People on the sidewalk, in public spaces and out of the streets
• Neighborhood classes teaching community members of all kinds about cooking, farming, nutrition, and the food
system. (maybe at community kitchens?)
• Innovative ways to provide access to local food (E.g: the grocery store bus?)
• Safe inviting opens spaces (walking trails, parks, festivals/events)
• Farmers are able to make a decent living growing food
• All suitable King County farmland is in production and growing affordable food for our communities.
• Walkable neighborhoods where people meet and interact with people in their communities when walking/biking
for groceries, school, restaurants, libraries, etc.
• Familiarity, safety, and affordability (spurring civic participation)
• Active participation in sports (kids involved)
• Access and training in regards to health foods grown locally or at home
• Celebrate/ build cultures of sharing food and integrated nutrition programs
• Organized recreation
• Engaged youth and creation of space for meaningful youth engagement
• There is time built into all our lives for physical activity, cooking & eating (not on the run)
• Safe natural spaces in the city for unstructured play and active exploration.
• Making available to the community events, activities, physical environments and other resources to facilitate and
encourage people taking steps to improve their health.
• Walkable, healthy, local groceries, parks, art, fun
• Support changes that create time to enjoy food and fun with others.
• Car dependence is significantly diminished; our communities provide places to walk, play, shop, use transit and
bike to serve our daily needs for persona and community health.
• Food is fair and just from farm to table
• Improving access to healthy foods as well as classes in nutrition and providing foods which honor everyone’s
cultural background and wisdom.
KCFFI Vision from LC (page 2 of 2)
• Strong communities
– Connected communities
– Connected over food and gardening or other activities (physical activities)
– Community ownership over initiative
• Walkable communities
– Safe and friendly streets
– Destinations that are community oriented, linked by safe corridors
• Physical, economic structure in our communities model solutions to big economic, environmental resources
challenges facing us into the future.
• Strong connections between vital and vibrant rural communities—where food is grown—and urban/suburban
communities.
• Affordable prices and access to fresh food as a social justice issue.
• Food gardens abound
• Schools offer all students healthy foods and PE everyday.
• People have equitable access and interest in healthy food and physical activity no matter their color, language,
shape, or size.
• Sustainable economic development in all areas of food supply and production to create neighborhood jobs to
grow local jobs.
• Organized recreational and nutritional activities for all ages: a physically active community.
• Partnering with community organizations to integrate programs and provide resources
– Organized youth leagues, healthy snacks
– Organized senior activities
– Organized park/trail activities
• Local power, collective ownership, indigenous leadership
– Farmers markets
– Local grocery stores
– Created local responsibility
– affordability
 Mental Models (1 of 2)
Example 1:
Food: Food purchasers and consumers believe that local healthy food impacts their health, benefits
the local economy and is more valuable; therefore, they are willing to commit more of their
resources to find and use local healthy food
Example 2:
Built Environment: Families and people of all ages believe daily physical activity is necessary for their
health and well-being; therefore, they will prioritize their time and take advantage of our places
and spaces for physical activity and play.
SCHOOLS:
Schools and teachers recognize that healthy food and ample physical activity are crucial to the
physical, emotional, and mental health of children and help create a positive learning
environment: Therefore they will ensure that fresh local foods and ample opportunities for
physical activity and play as well as education, recognizing their importance, are readily available.
YOUTH:
Youth of all cultures believe that they will have a key role in creating and sustaining positive
community culture by supporting their belief that eating healthy local foods, engaging in daily
physical activity is key in creating a long fulfilling life: Therefore they will participate in planning
activities which promote these beliefs.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS:
We believe that families and community members in White Center already desire healthy and safe
activities for people of all ages, therefore they will provide input and engage in a decision-making
process that will help them prioritize time for these activities.
 Mental Models (2 of 2)
ELECTED OFFICIALS:
I: Vision: Walkable Communities
Walkable communities are essential for climate protection, healthy neighborhoods, a better
transportation system, and healthy local economies. Therefore, we are willing to fund bicycle and
pedestrian infrastructure and change policy for transportation and land use to support walkable
communities.
II: Vision: Organized Recreational Activities
I believe organized recreation builds community involvement gives youth a strong tool to succeed in
school and after school, helps seniors stay active longer, and brings cultures together. Therefore,
we will support funding for programs and continue to provide maintenance and staffing for
facilities.
BUSINESS
Business are active in community and responsive to community needs and are driven by sustainable
and ethical methods. Therefore, businesses follow a model that recognizes how business
themselves benefit the community—not just how they benefit from the community (monetarily $).
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS:
Community Organizations believe that they are more effective when brainstorming and engaging
county stakeholders. Therefore, we will grow our network to increase
access/awareness/affordability of good food & a healthy lifestyle.
REGULATORY AGENCIES:
Regulatory agencies recognize and promote the connection between health and safety as they relate
to our food system and built environment. Therefore, the legislation put for by the agencies reflect
a whole community health perspective and address social equity.
 KCFFI Vision Deployment Matrix
Level of Desired Current Gaps, Action Indicators Timeline
Perspectiv Future Reality Open Steps of
e (Action Reality Issues, Progress
Mode) Questions
Vision
(Generativ
e)
Increasing Leverage

Mental
Models
(Reflective
)
Systemic
Structures
(Creative)
Patterns
(Adaptive)
Events
(Reactive

The Vision Deployment Matrix offers a schema for strategically planning how to cross the “chasm” between current
reality and vision by painting a comprehensive picture of the desired future reality and current reality at five levels of
perspective. The Vision Deployment Matrix is meant to help everyone in the organization understand the current
reality, the desired future reality, the gaps between the tow, and the actions that should be take to close the gaps.
 Expanded Definitions
• Events: Specifically identifiable occurrences
such as late delivery of an order.
• Patterns of Behavior Over Time: Trends or
changes in things over time.
• Systemic Structure: Organizational charts,
information systems, policies, and procedures,
and other kinds of infrastructure.
• Mental Models: Deeply held theories of how the
world works.
• Vision: Essence or image of desired future.
 1. Possible Desired Future
For each level of perspective, ask questions that clarify your desired future
reality. Start with Vision and move down.
Level of Sample Questions Possible Desired Future
Perspective
(Action Mode)
Vision What is the vision of the future
(Generative) we say we want to create?

Mental Models What beliefs and assumptions

(Reflective) will be congruent with our
vision?
Systemic How can we create systems that
Structures will be consistent with our
(Creative) mental models?
Patterns What patterns of behavior do we
(Adaptive) want the structures to produce?

Events What tangible events would

(Reactive indicate that our vision has been
achieved?
 2. Describe Current Reality
Start with Events and move up.
Level of Sample Questions Possible Current Reality
Perspective
(Action Mode)
Vision What is the current actual
(Generative) vision?

Mental Models What current assumptions,

(Reflective) beliefs, and values sustain the
existing systemic structures?
Systemic What system structures are
Structures producing the behavior pattern
(Creative) behind our current results?
Patterns What behavior patterns of key
(Adaptive) indicators characterize the
current system?

Events What events characterize the

(Reactive current reality?
 3. Identify gaps (or challenges) between
desired future and current reality.
Level of Sample Questions
Perspective
(Action
Mode)
Vision •How clearly articulated is our vision of our desired future reality?
(Generative •How aware are we of the difference between our stated (espoused) vision
) vs. our actual (in-use) vision?
Mental •Where in the organization are the biggest and most critical gaps?
Models •How do we know whether we are ready for change or capable of shifting
(Reflective) our mental models.archetypes shed light on the structural gaps?
Systemic •How can systems
Structures •What changes in measurement systems (reward and recognition,
(Creative) productivity, etc.) might we use?

Patterns •What is the relevant time history of the patterns?

(Adaptive) •How deeply entrenched are the patterns?

Events •What daily incidents can make it hard to do things differently?

(Reactive •What short-term negative events might occur as we make progress in the
longer term?
 4. Formulate action steps that would help to
close the gaps.
Level of Sample Questions
Perspective
(Action
Mode)
Vision Example: The gap between “Quality of job 1” and “Quantity of job 1” is
(Generative surfaced. Action: Identify the groups in the organization who need to
) come together to grasp the impact of this gap, and who might clarify what
vision would produce the results we truly care about.
Mental Example: Senior management and production disagree about the
Models “doability” of current production targets. Action: Convene the relevant
(Reflective) parties to surface, suspend, and question their own mental models.
Systemic Example: Current scheduling of line workers makes it difficult to conduct
Structures quality checks throughout the production line. Action: Determine what
(Creative) system changes would provide greater assurance of quality, and assess
the implications of those changes with those who will be affected.
Patterns Example: The prevailing pattern has been operating for over a decade;
(Adaptive) people are skeptical about reducing defects. Action: With front-line
people, try to identify the pattern of related variables that may underlie
the skepticism (e.g., increasing workload and stress; decreasing morale).
Assess how those variables would need to change to achieve the desired
defect level.
Events Example: A crisis in supplier quality requires a decision to either shut
(Reactive down production or use defective parts and do the necessary rework later.
Action: Decide to continue and rework later. But also explain reasoning
and duration to everyone on the frontlines.
5. Establish progress indicators and define appropriate
time frames during which to expect progress.
Level of Sample Questions
Perspective
(Action
Mode)
Vision Internal and external feedback about the “feel” of the organization’s
(Generative actions from each important stakeholder group (5 years- in the context of
) a 5-year vision).
Mental Level of openness and genuine interest in hearing each other’s views, as
Models measure by the number of open-ended, inquiry-driven questions between
(Reflective) senior management and production (2 years).
Systemic Monitory of levels of all key variables already identified (time frame
Structures varies).
(Creative)
Patterns Monitoring of levels of all key variables already identified (time frame
(Adaptive) varies).

Events Tracking of the number of crises and comparing its frequency with desired
(Reactive future reality (3 years).
W.K. Kellogg Foundation Food & Fitness Initiative
Creating a Community Action Plan
The goal of the Food & Fitness Initiative is to create vibrant communities that support equitable access to locally grown, affordable, healthy food,
and safe and inviting places for physical activity and play. Accomplishing this vision requires a focus on policy and system changes and changes
in custom and practice. Each community is responsible for one deliverable at the end of the two-year planning phase: A Community Action Plan
to achieve its vision for the Food & Fitness Initiative.

What your Community Action Plan is expected to include: How will you create your plan?

Policy and System Change Strategies Through Engagement

Clear goals and objectives to implement change strategies Identify key audiences & engage partners at local, state and national
Strategies for improving local food systems and creating sustainable access to locally grown, affordable, levels
healthy food by community members Identify & engage youth leaders
Strategies for enacting policies that result in community design and development that promote and ensure Identify processes to ensure equitable engagement of all members of
safe and inviting opportunities for physical activity and play communities of focus
Strategies for enacting policies that strengthen and support families in support of Food & Fitness goals Through Collaboration
Strategies for addressing social inequities in communities of focus in support of Food & Fitness goals Learn each others’ stories, and multicultural and social perspectives
Strategies for building advocacy capacity Establish a common language among key stakeholders and collaborative
Resource Strategies partners – develop local definitions related to community, food systems &
Strategies for ensuring sustainability of Food & Fitness efforts fitness environments
Strategies for securing and/or continuing existing or new funding needed to support Food & Fitness efforts Through Assessment
Strategies for leveraging Food & Fitness resources for additional resource development Assess built environment & community design regarding safe and
Collaboration Strategies inviting spaces for physical activity and play
Strategies for linking efforts between food systems, built environment/physical activity, communications Assess the food environment—to what degree is it local, healthy and
and evaluation affordable – to whom? Where?
Strategies for building on and coordinating with other community efforts Assess community disparities in health and access
Strategies for increasing the interactions of families in community and institutional settings in support of Identify the historical context, community assets and priorities related to
Food & Fitness goals Food & Fitness
Strategies for ensuring participation of youth, families and individuals from diverse cultures in Assess local & state policies (i.e. laws, regulations, customs & practices)
implementing the Community Action Plan that have an impact on food and fitness environments
Communication Strategies Assess community readiness and opportunities for change
Identification of target audiences relative to change strategies Develop a portfolio of existing efforts and initiatives working on similar
Development of key messages that will persuade and engage target audiences issues
Identification of appropriate messengers who will communicate your messages effectively to a specific Through Strategy Development
target audience (e.g. policy makers, a specific minority community) Define your vision and objectives informed by assessment findings
Strategies for reaching the target audiences who will help you achieve change Identify your priority policy and systems change strategies based on
Evaluation Strategies assessment findings
Provision of baseline assessment findings Identify strategies based on communications research to support your
Identification of intended outcomes for the implementation phase plans
Identification of indicators and measures to be used to track progress toward outcomes over the Identify the outcomes you plan to achieve through implementation of
implementation period these strategies
Strategies for participation in the cross-site evaluation