There needs to be milestones set so that as the change process progresses the employees can see that the work that they are doing is actually accomplishing the goals that have been set forth. 8. What characteristics of Dr. Mimi Silbert, leader of the Delancey Street Foundation, make her approach to change so innovative and successful?

Mimi Silbert does not share the same background as her fellow residents but she lives at Delancey Street, abides by its rules, and takes no salary. Her determined spirit and unlimited energy have built an organization that is unique in its entrepreneurial and self-governing structure. Her dedication to enacting her vision of an educational community of change has inspired residents to break their destructive cycles and take responsibility for themselves and others. Dr. Silbert has gained national and international attention for her achievement at Delancey Street, demonstrating her belief that the people who are the problem can, themselves, become the solution. Mimi Silbert has lived with and cast her lot with society's outcasts in order to prove her belief that with struggle, courage, and discipline, together they can be winners and transform impossible dreams into reality by pooling their resources, supporting one another, and living lives of purpose and integrity (Mimi Silbert, 2007).

Mimi Silbert has been so successful because in order to facilitate change she leads by example. She feels that in order to gain buy in from people one must put it all on the line and prove to those around you that you really believe in what are you trying to change. If those people who you are trying to change do not feel as if you really want the changes to occur then getting them to follow through will be nearly impossible. Thos who have a great conviction for what they are trying to do are those how have the greatest success. This is true with anything, but is especially relevant when talking about change management.

9. Describe the change process that has resulted in the near eradication of the Guinea worm (story in the Infuencer). How have The Carter Center and Dr. Donald Hopkins been able to change behaviors so dramatically?

Behavior change is hard and communication is the key. Dr. Hopkins has come up with creative ways to communicate the Carter Center's health messages, such as hosting festive evening programs in which educational skits are combined with music and dancing. Having people understand what the problem is and what needs to be done to correct it is the way to make sure that change in successful (To The Source: Guinea Worm Eradication in Africa, 2004)

The people who suffer from Guinea Worm disease want good water, not filters and instructions. But due to the fact that clean water is scarce in many parts of Ghana, particularly during the dry season from October to March, the Carter Center's eradication strategy relies heavily on water filtering. Digging deep wells and boreholes is one solution, but the process is costly and time-consuming, and boreholes can fall into disrepair (To The Source: Guinea Worm Eradication in Africa, 2004)

With the support of more than a dozen governments and private partners, the Carter Center has provided millions of white cloth filters to households in endemic areas. They handed out nearly a half- million last year in Ghana alone. They have distributed some nine million plastic pipe filters in Africa, which are worn around the neck on a string and can be drunk through like a straw. Another component of the eradication program involves treating stagnant water sources with the chemical Abate, which kills Guinea worm larvae but is not effective in large bodies of water (To The Source: Guinea Worm Eradication in Africa, 2004). The...

Hopkins have been successful in changing behavior because they involved those who were to be affected by the change in order to get cooperation and thus achieve success.
10. What are the benefits of a group based approach to organizational change such as the Future Search process? How does such a system deliver results where others have failed?

Future Search is a proven design for involving large numbers of people in dialogue and decisions about issues of importance. Future Search is intended to engage whole systems in conversation. This approach stresses the value of including many diverse points-of-view. Future Search selects a representative sample of the whole system to ensure that those with authority, resources, information and a stake in the outcome are present. Future Search is designed to help the group arrive at agreements about the future they want and actions to achieve it (Lent, McCormick and Pearce, 2005).

Future Search can accomplish two very specific outcomes: creating a common set of agreements about the desired future, and building action steps to get there. Future Search relies on two characteristics that affect how it is used. The first of these is the number of participants. The design of a Future Search conference is based on a series of small group activities and whole group conversations. The number of participants is limited to about eight groups of eight people since eight is about the maximum size for effective, self-managed, small group work (Lent, McCormick and Pearce, 2005).

A second characteristic of Future Search is planned, sequential activities that build dialogue and move a diverse group towards a shared set of outcomes. This structure is very effective, but in politically charged environments there may be such a low level of trust and strong feelings that some individuals believe certain topics cannot be raised or will not be heard. In these situations, the structured activities of Future Search design may cause some to resist the approach as not responsive to their concerns (Lent, McCormick and Pearce, 2005).

References

Change management. (2009). Retrieved November 23, 2009, from Businessballs Web site:

http://www.businessballs.com/changemanagement.htm

Facilitation Resources. (2009). Retrieved November 23, 2009, from University of Minnesota

Web site: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/citizenship/DH7429.html#overview

Gardner, Jay. (n.d.). Values: The Impact on Organizational Effectiveness. Retrieved November

23, 2009, from Institute for Criminal Justice Education Web site:

http://www.icje.org/organizational_values.htm

Lent, Richard, McCormick, Marie and Pearce, Donna S. (2005). Combining Future Search and Open Space to Address Special Situations. Retrieved November 23, 2009, from Web site:

http://www.brownfieldandlent.com/pdf/jabs.pdfMcNamara, Carter. (2008).

Mimi Silbert. (2007). Retrieved November 23, 2009, from Delancey Street Foundation Web site:

http://www.delanceystreetfoundation.org/president.php

Organizational Culture. Retrieved November 23, 2009, from Ask.com Web site:

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=Organisational+Culture&page=1&qsrc=121&dm=all&ab=3 &title=Organizational+Culture&u=http%3A%2F%2Fmanagementhelp.org%2Forg_thry%2Fculture%2Fculture.htm&sg=c7Y5cEbsO3296G4rA%2B6m9fUz3LjxigUJ6BwZUvw

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To The Source: Guinea Worm Eradication in Africa. (2004). Retrieved November 23, 2009,

from The Carter Center Web site:

http://www.cartercenter.org/news/documents/doc1788.html