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YWCA Capacity Building Institute
February 6-8, 2014
Strategic and Generative Thinking Skills
and Techniques for Board and Staff
Workshop Toolkit
Frank Martinelli
The Center for Public Skills Training
www.createthefuture.com
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Exploring Our Mental Models
Mental models are deeply ingrained assumptions or generalizations that influence how we understand the world and how we take
action. Some other words we use for mental models are perspectives, beliefs, assumptions, and mind set, to name a few. Mental
models, especially when they have grown out of date, are often the greatest barriers to implementing new ideas in organizations, but
they are also the area of organizational learning where organizations can make the most significant impact.
Here's an example: In the past, one mental model of library leadership might have been expressed as "A library is a building with
shelf space to house book collections; patrons come to the library and check books out for reading elsewhere." With such a mental
model in place, library leadership would have had difficulty noticing, understanding, and then acting up implications of the Internet,
and the rise of social media use especially by young people, on future planning for libraries. A new mental model of the library as the
gateway to an expanding world of information changes how the library defines success and how it plans for the future.
One way to surface our mental models is to reflect on what we hear ourselves and others saying. People express their beliefs and
mental models through four linguistic forms:
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Values: "It's important to me that..." "I like when... " "I don't like it when..." (These statements express values that are important to
people. Values are our expression of how we'd like the organization, the industry, larger society to be."
Rules: "We can't..." "You/we have to..." "You/we must…, must not …" (Words like "can't", "must", "have to" signal the rules we
and our organizations live by and believe in, our beliefs about what is acceptable and unacceptable, what is right and wrong.)
Cause–Effect: "That's why it happened.". "If we do that, then..." (Statements that demonstrate cause and effect show a person's
beliefs about how things are related/connected in the organization, industry and in the world.)
Identity: "We are an organization that..." "We are an organization known for..." "We are not just a …" (Statements that include "we
are" in some form express and individuals or an organization's beliefs about themselves, about who the organization is, the
organization's identity.)
YOUR TASK: Reflect on the definition, example, and mental model forms above and then respond using the worksheet on the next
page:
 In the left column below, list what you believe are some of the most important mental models, beliefs, paradigms and
assumptions that we operate from in nonprofit organizations that influence how we act internally and externally.
 In the right column, share your comments about each mental model: How does this mental model affect our actions? Is this
mental model still valid and what is the evidence that the mental model still works? (Are we sure?) Conversely, is this mental
model obsolete in some way and if so, how? Again what is the evidence that the mental model no longer works?
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Exploring Our Mental Models Worksheet
Mental models that we operate from in Is this mental model still valid and useful for nonprofits? Does it seem
nonprofit organizations
inaccurate/ outdated and no longer valid or useful? Can this mental
model be improved? How?
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Organizational Learning Disabilities Worksheet
Review the descriptions of organizational learning disabilities in the left column; then with reference to your own nonprofit,
complete the right column.
Organizational Learning Disabilities
1. “I am my position” Most people confuse their jobs or roles with their identities (I’m a
teacher; I'm a board member). While they understand their daily tasks, people don’t
understand the purpose of the organizational enterprises they take part in. Instead they
see themselves in a system in which they have little power and no need to take
responsibility for poor results. (Variation: “We are the organization we’ve always been.”;
I'm just a volunteer board member")
2. “The enemy is out there.” Some organizations and people find an external agent to
blame when problems arise, a result of looking at the world in non-systemic ways.
Focused on our positions, we can’t see how our actions have an effect beyond their
boundaries. Focusing on an external enemy is almost always a mistake – usually “out
there” and “in here” are part of the same system.
3. The illusion of taking charge. “Proactive” leaders are encouraged and admired
when they tackle problems fast, but is taking action against an enemy on the “outside”
really proactive? “Proactiveness” is really disguised reactiveness. Being truly proactive
means seeing how we contribute to our own problems and solving those first.
4. The fixation on events. We’re dominated by events: last month’s client counts, new
budget cuts, who got fired, new program introductions, and so on. “Events” distract us
from seeing long-term patterns of change that lie behind them. That, of course, inhibits
us from understanding these patterns. Slow, gradual processes like the erosion of the
educational system environmental decay, a general deterioration of program/ service
quality, or a steady decline in donations are much more destructive that sudden events.
5. The delusion of learning from experience. We may learn best from experience, but
people often never experience the consequences of many of their most important
decisions. It may take years to see the impact of a new program or course of action.
6. The myth of the leadership/management team. In some organizations, a
leadership/management team stands ready to battle with problems and dilemmas. At
times, teams tend to fight for turf and avoid anything that will make them look bad. To
keep up the appearance of a cohesive team, they hide disagreement and come up with
watered-down decisions that everyone can live with.
Examples You’ve Observed
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Tools to Identify Root Causes
There are a number of techniques that can be used to analyze a problem or issue in order to come to a deeper
understanding of its “root causes”. The three techniques we will use are Force Field Analysis, “The Iceberg", and "Keep
Asking Why".
Instructions on Using the Force Field Analysis Worksheet:
1. Go to the Force Field Analysis Worksheet on Page 7. Write your selected issue on the blank line in the middle of the
large arrow at the center of the worksheet. Look at the sample of a completed Force Field Analysis Worksheet on
Page 8.
2. Discuss and list all the things -- all the positive forces -- that you know will help you resolve the issue. These are
things that are now in the picture (in the field) that will be driving forces toward a solution. Please note: Do not list
actions that you intend to take in the future to solve the problem. We will get to this step later. Write the positive forces
down in the small arrows on top of the worksheet.
3. Then do the same for barriers or restraining forces -- all the negative forces that are in the picture (in the field) that get
in the way of solving the problem/issue. Write the negative forces down in the small arrows on the bottom of the
worksheet.
4. After completing the Force Field Analysis Worksheet, briefly discuss your results.
Instructions on Using the Iceberg Worksheet:
1. Go to the Iceberg Worksheet on Page 9 of the print packet. Write your selected issue on the blank line at the top of the
worksheet. View a sample on Page 10.
2. Follow the worksheet directions to complete your task.
3. After completing the Iceberg Worksheet, briefly discuss your results.
Instructions on Using the Keep Asking Why Worksheet:
1. Go to the Keep Asking Why Worksheet on Page 11 of the print packet. Write your selected issue in the box at the top
of the worksheet. View a sample on page 12.
2. Start by asking the question why with reference to your selected issue. Write your responses on the first level below
the dotted line. Next ask “why” a second time for each of the first level responses. Write those responses on the
second level.
3. After completing the Keep Asking Why Worksheet, briefly discuss your results.
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Force Field Analysis Worksheet
FORCES THAT
PROMOTE A
SOLUTION
Problem/Issue: _____________________
FORCES THAT
WORSEN THE
PROBLEM
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Force Field Analysis Worksheet
Force Field Analysis Worksheet Example
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The Iceberg Worksheet
Problem/Issue: ________________________________________________________
Use the iceberg worksheet to discuss patterns relate to your selected problem/issue. With
reference to your issue, respond to the following questions:
1. Events: What is happening? What’s observable? After you determine this, go on to “Patterns”.
2. Patterns: Have the same or similar things been happening over time? What are the trends we
have seen? After you determine this, go on to “Structures”.
3. Structure: Why is this happening? What forces (including underlying mental models) have created
this behavior? List all of the forces you identify. If needed, prioritize the list.
Events
Patterns
Structures
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The Iceberg Worksheet: An Example
Events
Patterns
Structures
Two more
volunteers
just quit
Volunteer turnover has been
steadily increasing over the last year
Growing staff resistance to having to manage
volunteers; Budget cuts and associated staff lay-offs
including full-time volunteer coordinator
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"Keeping Asking Why" Worksheet
Issue/Problem/Issue We Wish to Address
___________________________________________________
Why is this happening?
Cause
_____________________
Cause
_____________________
Why is this happening?
Why is this happening?
Cause
___________
Cause
___________
Cause
___________
Cause
___________
Cause
_____________________
Why is this happening?
Cause
___________
Cause
___________
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"Keeping Asking Why" Worksheet
Issue/Problem/Issue We Wish to Address:
Lack of younger leaders on our board
Why is this happening?
Cause
No plan to recruit them
Cause
Cause
Don’t know where to look
They aren’t ready yet
Why is this happening?
Why is this happening?
Why is this happening?
Cause
No
leadership
commitment
Cause
Cause
Have good
leaders now
Lack of
knowledge
Cause
Cause
No contacts
They need
to pay their
dues first
Cause
Too young
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Action Planning Notes
Use this worksheet to begin development of personal action plans to apply some of the tools and techniques offered in
today’s workshop . Also reflect on the potential barriers for implementing change in your board and organization.
Also consider: what are the implications of strategic and generative thinking for the design and conduct of your future
board and staff meetings as well as committee work.