by Neel Hajra

Whew, it’s been such a long day that I feel compelled to start with some fluff:

  • Fluff #1: I experienced 2 flight delays and 2 de-planings in the course of a single day of travel. Cue the violins, please…
  • Fluff #2: StrategyLab participants are not party-centric… most were headed back to their rooms before I could even crack open a second beer! All work and no play…

Okay, on to more important matters: the StrategyLab. First impression: Impressive start, and a lot of potential for good things. Read on…

The people

Wow, what a collection of amazing individuals. Big names, big organizations, and everyone’s very collegial. The ethnic diversity is also extremely impressive – a nice cross-section of different ethnic/racial backgrounds, much more than the norm I’ve seen at other broad sector convenings. It *is* an older crowd though – I’m very accustomed to being the ‘young CEO’ at gatherings, and this isn’t really any different. There are a few Gen X and Y folks in attendance, but we’re definitely in the minority. So far everyone’s been incredibly collegial, and hopefully that continues tomorrow (instead people falling back into their usual ‘me old, you young’ first reactions). On some level, it’s actually GOOD that it’s an older crowd, because the goal of the StrategyLab is probably more transformative for the older generation than it is for the youngbloods who are living and breathing change and innovation (more on that below).

The energy and intellect of the group is awesome. In just one dinner, I had several intriguing interactions:

  • Chatted about venture philanthropy and nonprofit capital flow with Ben Rattray (CEO, Change.Org)
  • Had a spirited discussion with Barbara Arnwine (CEO, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law) about the challenges of their effort to seek federal legislation around voter registration, and what arsenal of tools she had at her disposal
  • Enjoyed connecting with Steve Gundeson (CEO, Council on Foundations), who was refreshingly candid about the successes and continued challenges within the foundation sector.
  • Exchanged ideas with Rick Sperling from Mosaic Youth Theater about CEO/COO structures.

With this sort of chatter over the course of an hour-long meal, I can’t wait to see how tomorrow unfolds.

The format

This has got to be the coolest format I’ve ever seen at a gathering. Highly organized, yet loose and creative.  Sure, every conference does small groups, idea boards, video integration, and so on, but I’ve never seen it synthesized so effectively. One example was a fake Time Magazine from the year 2020 that we all had to read when we got there. It was extremely well done, and represented a snapshot of a best case future. Then we broke down into small groups to discuss what had to happen between now and 2020 in society to end up at that future. Neat idea, and it worked. Just as important, that little exercise was a consistent part of a broader continuum of activities that got everyone to really engage in the past and future. The folks running the show REALLY know how to get the most out of groups.

The goal

The goal of the StrategyLab is a bit fuzzy, actually. I’m starting to get a sense of what it is NOT. It is NOT supposed to be a small group of people who map out the future of the sector. This is a good thing because it avoids the trappings of total elitism. Instead, so far there are two themes that have stood out:

  • Asking the right questions: Part of our goal is not to generate answers to existing questions, but to generate the right questions going forward. This will be way tougher than it sounds, but it makes sense – it simply helps frame issues of emerging importance, which is key for any sort of future-looking discussion
  • Determining what each of us can do: Although the sector as a whole is part of the conversation, there’s a clear desire to translate it into what each organization can do to get us to a better future. I like this a lot because it’s action oriented, keeps us out of the ivory tower (well, at least out of the top floor), and most important: it encourages progressive thinking by the powers-that-be. Like I mentioned before, it’s a somewhat older crowd, but as someone else at the conference noted, I think this is the group (maybe myself included???) that would benefit the most from stretching their ideas of what their institutions can do differently to effect a positive future. Put differently, the group on hand has the greatest potential for the greatest amount of internal organizational change. I’m not saying that I’m glad it’s an older crowd, but I do see some of the benefits.

I’m also sensing that this is just a start of a broader effort that will continue through (and hopefully beyond) the Independent Sector Conference in November (in D-Town, baby!!!).  Knowing that this is a start helps put the whole thing in perspective.

More to come

Given that I missed the bulk of the action this afternoon, I’ll have a lot more to say tomorrow evening (I wish I could blog/tweet during the proceedings, but no devices allowed while in session). Okay, it’s time to go eat some absurdly priced Oreos from the hotel snack bar.

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