Springfield Public Schools
Generative Adaptive Action
Planning – a new model for
strategic planning
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Quickly changing, turbulent landscape
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Relevant, cost effective, and transformative
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Help individuals, teams, schools and districts
respond and adapt to new demands and
emerging issues
Traditional Strategic Planning
Generative Adaptive Action
•Provides a 3-5 year path of
planning that is definitive and set
•Provides a path that shifts as
needed to respond and adapt to
environmental changes
•Assigns small number of goals at
top; unlimited activities at worker
level with multiple and often
unconnected measures of success
•Separates long-range planning
and strategic work from daily
routine
•Offers general organizational
direction and success measures,
with opportunities for decision
making and contribution at the
worker level
•Integrates organizational strategic
work into daily routine
•Works from a “video” perspective
•Works from a “snapshot” of the
of organizational needs and action
organization at a point of time that over time
is frozen in the plan
•Adapts to significant change in
•Assumes forces for change can be both the local and larger
environment
itemized and managed
•Assumes forces for change must
be met and considered as they
emerge
Adaptive Action Planning
Background
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Research
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Experience
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Ball Foundation
Generative Adaptive Action: WHY?
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How can public school systems plan for
moving forward in a culture of schooling that
is highly diverse and massively entangled
with government mandates, vendors,
customers, competition and other sources of
influence and pressure?
How can public school systems plan for and
work toward a future they can neither predict
nor control?
Complex Adaptive System
1. High dimension – Adaptive capacity means
we are able to deal with high levels of
diversity (of all kinds)
2. Open - requiring us to pay attention to
and be accountable for our impact on and
support for the whole, part, and greater
whole.
3. Non-linear - requiring us to engage with
today's experiences to make meaning of and
learn in preparation for tomorrow's work
Strategic Landscape
Seeking
Learning
Adapting
Operating
Strategic Landscape
What patterns are forming
and how might they
impact us?
What are the top areas for adjustment
and/or improvement?
How might we build capacity for those areas?
To what timeline?
Who are we?
What are we doing?
© Mary Nations, adapted from R. Holladay, D. Ch
Adaptive Action – WHAT?
•A process that enables people to respond to their
environments in coherent and productive ways.
•Adaptive Action assumes that, although human
systems may seem hopelessly complex and
unpredictable, in fact, patterns emerge from the
dynamics of these systems.
•Adaptive Action provides a systematic approach to
identifying these patterns and responding
appropriately.
•People can learn from their experiences and work
together to influence systems toward more coherence
and greater sustainability.
Adaptive Action – WHY?
•Focus on persistent issues in
practice.
•Move toward patterns that are
both coherent and adaptive.
•The goal is to work together in
healthy and sustainable ways to
respond to changes in the system,
in its parts, and throughout the
greater whole.
Adaptive Action – HOW?
What?
An
intentional,
reflective
process based
on three
questions
So What?
Now
What?
Strategic Landscape
Seeking
Identify emerging opportunities
Learning
Explore shifts and options
Adapting
Establish/strengthen fit
with
environment/partners/allies
Operating
Define & sustain core functioning
Eliminate what is no longer needed
Generative Adaptive Action: WHAT?
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Purpose statement that is ‘good enough’ to move
the district forward – open to review as
environment dictates
Frequent conversations among and between
Cabinet; Site Leadership; Teachers; Support Staff –
alignment must be constantly explored
Small number of strategic priorities pursued by
everyone across the district
Talk and action are closely connected and
frequently evaluated
Measurements that are based on a variety of
relevant factors
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An integrated review of the past through the
lens of personal, organizational and world
events and milestones.
Allows us to develop a picture of where we
have been and how we got there.
To create a shared frame of mind/reality for
the work we are doing.
Identify patterns in our history and present.
Goals, Goals, Goals, Goals
Strategic Priority
Structures
Simple Rules
Purpose
 Provide
the highest level of
learning for all and create
and maintain a culture
where learning never ends
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To identify and clarify organizational values.
Define how we will work together to make our
values come to life.
Design structures that support how we will
work together.
Springfield’s Simple Rules
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Teach and Learn in every interaction
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Reinforce strength of self and others
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Behave cooperatively to help all do
their best
Demonstrate commitment to the part,
the whole, and the greater whole
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Actively embrace genuine curiosity
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Find common ground
Structures
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Access to:
People
Information
Resources – time, money
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To immerse us in our collective concerns,
face the confusion, and provide a basis for all
talking about the same world.
We create a picture of all the issues and
trends impacting the system’s current reality.
Connect patterns above to trends, issues that
are impacting our school.
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Identify the top three issues on the mind map
that, . . .
if addressed, they would hold the greatest
potential to support the success of all
students learning at high levels.
Use Data and Expertise
Springfield’s Strategic Priority

Establish high expectations and
supports for all to be successful.
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Ongoing, iterative cycles of inquiry
Daily work designed to support
strategic priorities
Frequent evaluation and assessment of
work
Follow according to our simple rules
while standing in inquiry.
Work of Springfield Cabinet

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Research review – complexity and
human systems dynamics
Build skills for generative
conversations
Gain understanding and ability to
use Methods and Models for
complexity
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Adaptive Action
Radical Inquiry
Generative Engagement
Landscape Diagram
CDE Model
Architectural Model
Four Truths
Conflict Circles
Change Maturity Model
Next Steps
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Create Adaptive Action
plans by stakeholder
groups as identified
Begin Adaptive Action