This document discusses the concept of Strategic Doing, which enables people to quickly form action-oriented collaborations, work towards measurable outcomes, and make adjustments. It describes identifying group assets, brainstorming opportunities to connect assets, selecting an opportunity and defining a successful outcome, designing a project pathway to reach the outcome, and establishing a process to maintain momentum. The goal is to address issues like workforce development through agile, iterative strategic planning and collaboration.

1. Strategic Doing:
Designing & Achieving Measurable Outcomes with
Action-Oriented Collaboration
Ivy Tech – Southern Indiana Region/WorkOne Region 10
Sellersburg, Indiana
August 22, 2014
Copyright 2014 – Ed Morrison & Scott Hutcheson
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.

4. Better understand he nature of collaboration
Identify what stage your collaborations are in
Consider ways to move a collaborations to the next level
Mountain
Home,
Arkansas

6. •Social Organizations – economics, education,
politics
•Individual Human – language capacity,
knowledge accumulation, design and use of
tools
•Animal – mobility, information processing
•Plants – viability
•Open Systems – matter, energy
•Cybernetics – computers
•Clockworks – engines
•Frameworks – buildings, cells
Hierarchy of Complex Systems
Complex i t y
6
Boulding, K. (1956). General systems theory—the skeleton of science. Management Science 2(3): 197-208.

7. The Extension Economist Vs. The Rocket Scientist
7

8. •Social Organizations – economics, education,
politics
• Individual Human – language capacity,
knowledge accumulation, design and use of
tools
•Animal – mobility, information processing
• Plants – viability
•Open Systems – matter, energy
•Cybernetics – computers
•Clockworks – engines
•Frameworks – buildings, cells
Hierarchy of Complex Systems
Complex i t y
8
Boulding, K. (1956). General systems theory—the skeleton of science. Management Science 2(3): 197-208.

9. •Social Organizations – economics, education,
politics
• Individual Human – language capacity,
knowledge accumulation, design and use of
tools
•Animal – mobility, information processing
• Plants – viability
•Open Systems – matter, energy
•Cybernetics – computers
•Clockworks – engines
•Frameworks – buildings, cells
Hierarchy of Complex Systems
Complex i t y
9
Boulding, K. (1956). General systems theory—the skeleton of science. Management Science 2(3): 197-208.

10. •Social Organizations – economics, education,
politics
• Individual Human – language capacity,
knowledge accumulation, design and use of
tools
•Animal – mobility, information processing
• Plants – viability
•Open Systems – matter, energy
•Cybernetics – computers
•Clockworks – engines
•Frameworks – buildings, cells
Hierarchy of Complex Systems
Complex i t y
10
Boulding, K. (1956). General systems theory—the skeleton of science. Management Science 2(3): 197-208.

13. Strategic Doing enables people to form action-oriented
collaborations quickly, move them
toward measurable outcomes, and make
adjustments along the way.

14. Strategic Doing
Leverages the
Value of a
Network
10 nodes, 9 connections
10 nodes, 45 connections

15. Strategic Doing Accelerates Collaboration
Turf
Trust
TIME
Sharing
Resources
Sharing
Information
Mutual
Awareness
Co-Execution
Co-Creation
Acknowledgment Exploration Cooperation Collaboration Innovation
Adapted from Collaboration Continuum from ACT for Youth

16. Strategy
Answers Two
Basic Questions

17. Strategic Doing Divides the Two Basic Questions into
Four Appreciative Questions
17

18. Strategic Doing Moves from the
Linear to the Agile

19. Strategic Doing Is Iterative & Ongoing

20. • Think about workforce issues differently
• Accelerate the collaborations needed to
address them
• Create and guide agile, asset-based
strategic action plans to meet a progressive
series of clearly defined objectives
Addressing
Workforce
Issues

21. • Think about workforce issues differently
• Accelerate the collaborations needed to
address them
• Create and guide agile, asset-based
strategic action plans to meet a progressive
series of clearly defined objectives
Addressing
Workforce
Issues

22. Practicing Strategic Doing
22

29. Strategic Doing Pack
Sellersburg , IN - August 22, 2014
Our Table’s Framing Question:
Our Knowledge Keeper Name and e-mail:
Our Table Guide name and e-mail: _
Copyright© 2014, Purdue University, all rights reserved
Table of Contents
What’s
your
30/30?
What
COULD
we do
together?
What
WILL
we do
together?
Section Explanation Page
Group Assets Identify assets we are willing to share Page 2
What Could we do together? Brainstorm how we might connect our assets Page 3
What Could we do together? Connect assets and define 1-3 new opportunities Page 4
What Should we do together? Select 1 opportunity & define a successful outcome Page 5
WhatWill we do together? Define a Pathway project and action plan to get us to our outcome Page 6
WhatWill we do together? Map our successful Outcome, a Pathway Project and key next steps Page 7
What’s our 30/30? Define a process moving forward Page 8
Participant List Sign-in sheet – tear off to pass, reattach to the pack after completed Page 9
What
SHOULD
we do
together?
What would it look like if our area had a ready pipeline of
qualified candidates for the jobs in the manufacturing
community?

30. Focus Areas for Today
30
1. Changing Regional Perceptions
1. Changing the Image of Manufacturing
2. Addressing Technical Skills Valued by
Manufacturers
3. Addressing Employability or “Soft” Skills Valued
by Manufacturers

31. Framing
Community
Conversations

32. Reframing Workforce Issues Appreciatively
32
People can’t pass the drug screenings needed to
work for our region’s manufacturers.

33. Reframing Workforce Issues Appreciatively
33
People can’t pass the drug screenings needed to
work for our region’s manufacturers.
BECOMES

34. Reframing Workforce Issues Appreciatively
34
People can’t pass the drug screenings needed to
work for our region’s manufacturers.
BECOMES
What would a collaboration look like that assured
an ample, constant pipeline of drug-free
candidates for our region’s manufacturing jobs ?

35. 1. Changing Regional Perceptions
2. Changing the Image of Manufacturing
3. Addressing Technical Skills Valued by
Manufacturers
4. Addressing Employability or “Soft”
Skills Valued by Manufacturers
Develop
Appreciative
Questions

36. Strategic Doing Pack
Sellersburg , IN - August 22, 2014
Our Table’s Framing Question:
Our Knowledge Keeper Name and e-mail:
Our Table Guide name and e-mail: _
Copyright© 2014, Purdue University, all rights reserved
Table of Contents
What’s
your
30/30?
What
COULD
we do
together?
What
WILL
we do
together?
Section Explanation Page
Group Assets Identify assets we are willing to share Page 2
What Could we do together? Brainstorm how we might connect our assets Page 3
What Could we do together? Connect assets and define 1-3 new opportunities Page 4
What Should we do together? Select 1 opportunity & define a successful outcome Page 5
WhatWill we do together? Define a Pathway project and action plan to get us to our outcome Page 6
WhatWill we do together? Map our successful Outcome, a Pathway Project and key next steps Page 7
What’s our 30/30? Define a process moving forward Page 8
Participant List Sign-in sheet – tear off to pass, reattach to the pack after completed Page 9
What
SHOULD
we do
together?
What would it look like if our area had a ready pipeline of
qualified candidates for the jobs in the manufacturing
community?

37. Strategic Doing Question 1: What couldwe do together?
Introduce yourselves by describing 1-2 assets you are willing to share in a new network Identify the assets
Everyone should outline 1-2 assets they are willing to share.
Assets can be tangible (places to meet,money, Internet resources, and so on) or intangible (knowledge, experience, networks, passions). Focus your
conversation not somuch on what people do, but on what they are willing to share to a new network. Listen carefully for what people are willing to share
and how connections using these assetsmight be built.
Examples: Bill K – connected to young professionals; Jane S -- skill of conducting surveys; Susan D. – social networking skills; Bob S – understanding of
City government
Name Assets
Use the next page to connect the assets to create new opportunities. 2

38. Strategic Doing Question 1: What couldwe do together?
Connect the assets you shared to create new opportunities. Brainstorming and Notes
Quickly jot down connections that spring up from the discussion. Ask questions like ‘what would that look like‘ or ‘what
if we…..’.
Example of an opportunity connecting these assets:
Bill K – connected to young professionals; Jane S – skill of conducting surveys; Susan D. – social networking skills; ;Bob S –
understanding City government
“We could use Jane’s and Bob’s knowledge and skills to create an online survey of ideas for connecting young adults to government . We
can use Bill’s connection to young professionals to know who to survey and Susan’s social networking skills to survey online and thru
venues such as Facebook and Twitter.”
Use the next page to narrow your ideas to 3 opportunities 3
8

39. Strategic Doing Question 1: What couldwe do together?
Use the next page to convert one opportunity to an outcome
Describe up to 3 opportunities
3
9
Narrow your ideas from the brainstorming phase to 3 the top choices
that connect the assets
How could you describe this opportunity in one or
two phrases?
Example: Start an initiative to introduce young people to city
government
Opportunity 1:
Opportunity 2:
Opportunity 3:

41. Select ONE opportunity & define success
Strategic Doing Question 2: What should we do together?
Pick one of your opportunities and covert it to an outcome by defining measurable success
Example: Our Opportunity: Connecting our assets could lead us to an open innovation “hack” for Government 2.0
Our Outcome: An engaged community of at least 20 volunteers who produce new prototypes for government services and launch at least one
redesigned service by 2015.
Use the next page to design a pathway to your outcome
4
1
Success characteristic 1: Engaged city government volunteers Metric: Number of volunteers
Success characteristic 2: Young adults enrolled in the introduction course Metric: Number of young adults
participating
Success characteristic 3: At least one service project with the groups within a year Metric: One service project launched
Our Outcome: How will you know if you’re successful? Hint:
If you cannot figure out how to measure, the
initiative is too vague to be useful.
Characteristic 1: Measurement:
Characteristic 2: Measurement:
Characteristic 3: Measurement:

42. Strategic Doing Question 3: Whatwill we do together?
Name one “pathfinder” project that can get you to your outcome, then fill out the action steps in your project
1. Define a Pathfinder Project (a pathway that
moves you to your outcome)
2. Define the pathway with 2-3 milestones
(key steps that are critical to your success,
so you know you are not getting lost)
3. Define an action plan for the next 30-90
days.
Our Pathfinder Project:
Milestone 1: By we will
Milestone 2: By we will
Milestone 3: By we will
Our Action Plan for the next 30-90 days
4
2
Who Action Step ByWhen

43. Strategic Doing Question 3: Whatwill we do together?
Map your outcome and project
Our Outcome.— (Where we are going):
Our Outcome or Success metrics.— (How we know we
have arrived):
1.
2.
3.
Our Pathfinder Project.— (How we will get there):
Milestones along our way.— (To make sure we are not
lost):
Our Key Action Steps to get started.— (What we will start
doing by next week):
1.
2.
3.
4.
4
3

44. Moving Forward
Maintaining alignments and connections is a dynamic process requiring
continuous (but not constant) attention.
What’s been done in the last 30 days? What needs to happen in the next 30 ?
Small amounts of time (1-2 hours per month) can be devoted to revising our
strategy. The point is to come back together share what we have learned,
realign ourselves, and figure out our next steps for the next 30 days.
Internet Details
How will you use the Internet to stay
connected?
We’ll use e-mail for now. Might focus on
a group blog. Bill will explore.
Internet Details
How will you use the Internet to stay
connected?
Strategic Doing Question 4: What’s our30/30?
4
4
Follow-upMeeting (Sample)
Date Dec 1
Time 2:00PM
Place Conference call: Susan will arrange
Follow-upMeeting
Date
Time
Place

45. 9
Strategic Doing Pack: Sellersburg
The first step in a Strategic Doing workshop involves capturing the names and contact information of all the people
around the table. Please pass around this sheet of the Master Pack, so that everyone can sign their name. Give this
to the Table Guide or Knowledge Keeper and attach to the Master Strategic Doing Pack.
Name Organization E-mail
Materials developed by the Purdue Center for Regional Development - Please contact Peggy Hosea at PCRD for
more information: phosea@purdue.edu.

46. To know what you
you’re going to draw,
you have to begin
drawing.
- Pablo Picasso

47. For More Information & to Connect
Scott Hutcheson, Ph.D.
765-479-7704
hutcheson@purdue.edu
www.linkedin.com/in/scotthutcheson/
www.twitter.com/jshutch64
www.facebook.com/scott.hutcheson
http://www.slideshare.net/jshutch/
Copyright 2014 – Ed Morrison & Scott Hutcheson
Slides available
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.