Mwwting of government, non-profit and business sectors to explore how we can work together to solve the wicked problems caused by the recession,

1. Can we leverage community to build
Can we leverage community to build
a stronger Maryland?
‐ A conversation among leading
Maryland Associations
Maryland Associations
MACPA Columbia Center
February 26, 2009
February 26, 2009

2. Can we leverage community to build a stronger Maryland?

3. Jeff De Cagna –Principled Innovation
Gretchen Pisano – Sounding Board Ink
People are asking every day, on street corners, at kitchen
tables, on trains, planes and in cyberspace, quot;What are you
thinking?quot; We think that business as usual doesn't cut it
anymore and that fundamental changes to our economic
foundation are upon us. We want to know what role
Maryland s associations can play in our economic recovery. And
Maryland's associations can play in our economic recovery And
we wonder ‐ Can we leverage community to help us connect
better to our members and to each other to build a stronger
Maryland?
We were joined by two leading experts in working with
Associations. Jeff De Cagna who led our discussion about
“wicked problems” and if/how social media could be used to
wicked problems and if/how social media could be used to
leverage our collective strengths in helping the Maryland
community. Gretchen Pisano joined us as our strategic
facilitator to guide us through these conversations.

4. Social Media & Wicked Problems

5. After introductions, Jeff led us in a conversation
about social media and the notion of wicked
problems as a framework for discussing the current
problems as a framework for discussing the current
economic climate.
We then set up the time to talk through 4 major
p g j
questions – 1) What are our wicked problems; 2)
What gets in the way?; 3) What resources do we
have; 4) Who are other voices of Maryland we
should have?
should have?
quot;Wicked problemquot; is a phrase used in social planning
to describe a problem that is difficult or impossible to
solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and
solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and
changing requirements that are often difficult to
recognize. Moreover, because of complex
interdependencies, the effort to solve one aspect of a
wicked problem may reveal or create other problems.
ikd bl l h bl
Source: Wikipedia
The note at the left shows the work of one group as they
worked on identifying one problem for the exercise – this
worked on identifying one problem for the exercise this
illustrates the complexity of the current environment. A great
example of a “wicked problem”.

6. Resources – What have we got to work with?

8. Next Steps
Next Steps
• Participants – Maryland Bankers Association, Maryland
p y , y
Chamber of Commerce, Maryland Department of Business &
Economic Development, Small business Association, Greater
Baltimore Tech Council, Maryland Association of CPAs,
Baltimore Tech Council Maryland Association of CPAs
Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce, World Trade Center
Institute, and several national thought leaders from the CPA
Profession
• We agreed to distribute the results and schedule a tele‐
conference to discuss next steps including work on a
conference to discuss next steps including work on a
stakeholder map for making the conversation bigger and a
resource repository exploration.

9. Thanks to Jeff & Gretchen
Thanks to Jeff & Gretchen
Jeff De Cagna is chief strategist and founder of Principled Innovation LLC, and the
•
association community’s leading voice for innovation. After serving as an association
executive for more than a decade, Jeff founded Principled Innovation LLC in 2002 to
executive for more than a decade Jeff founded Principled Innovation LLC in 2002 to
help associations realize their full potential by thinking differently about the future. He
is an author, speaker and advisor to associations across North America and around the
world. E‐mail: jeff@principledinnovation.com
Gretchen Pisano Through her expertise in creative process design and the artful
•
guidance of meaningful conversations Gretchen has been contributing to the
development and growth of individuals and organizations, around the world and across
industries for the past 13 years. Clients have included the Secretary General s cabinet of
industries for the past 13 years Clients have included the Secretary General’s cabinet of
the United Nations, The World Bank, the International Finance Corporation,
Government Services Administration (GSA), Air and Army National Guard, Intel
Corporation, Federal Express, Hewlett Packard, Arthur Andersen, Liz Claiborne, Philip
Morris, Nestle, Royal Dutch Shell, Quaker, Clos du Bois, the Richmond Public School
, ,y ,Q , ,
System and the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce to name a few. She is a
partner with our Business Learning Institute.
E‐mail: gretchenpisano@mac.com

10. Hosted by:
Hosted by:
Maryland Association of CPAs
Tom Hood, CPA tom@macpa.org
443‐632‐2301
Jackie Brown jackie@macpa.org
443 63 300
443‐632‐2300