Summary: We’re all familiar with buzz words such as “integrate” and “collaborate.” But how do you actually get people to take the next step and move from talk to action? On this Birth2Work Radio program, co-host Rick Stephens and I have invited Kevin Buck, principal and co-founder of Emergent Success, Inc., to discuss precisely that. What is the leader’s role as a facilitator of collaboration and action with measurable results? The facilitation role Birth2Work prefers requires the leader to invite every sector to answer fundamental questions about the whole group, "Who are we? What are our common goals? What do we want to accomplish together? And how might we work better together?” Integration happens when there is a shift in language among participants who want a new outcome, where they take ownership over their group process and there’s no need to “sell” anyone on an idea. Birth2Work and Emergent Success share a passion for a system’s approach to working on tough, complex issues because there’s no such thing as a single solution to any of today’s prominent problems. In a tightly interconnected world like we live in, we feel the effects of global activities in our own backyards. The economic sectors that drive commerce - business, government, education, healthcare, media, and community groups – are interdependent and rely on the stability of each other for their progress and survival. Businesses need the education system to supply them with capable workers. Education depends on the government and business for funding. The students in the education system depend on their parents and communities for support in order to grow and learn. Parents and their communities depend on businesses, community/non-profits, and the local healthcare system to be stable, provide jobs and services that make their lives work. The media which overlay them all have become the drivers which shine a light on the distinctions between one place or another in society shaping who and what we think is important. But who’s paying attention? Hopefully, it’s the community stakeholder leaders. What Birth2Work is about is showcasing the people who are in your own communities; those who are taking action right now in their work to lead and facilitate systemic change and progress on critical social issues. Like Kevin, they are motivated by real collaboration in business offices, hospitals, or community town hall meetings, where local stakeholders have come together to solve problems that require the input and work of those who are affected by the plan, right where they are. - Elane V. Scott www.Birth2Work.org
