Session 1 - Kickoff Meeting
September 16, 2008
Outcomes: Purpose, concept, and approach clarified and understood.
TThe “Lee’s Summit 360: Charting Tomorrow” Strategic Planning Committee met for the first time today at Lee’s Summit High School. Committee Co-chairs Jon Ellis and Vicki Cundiff along with Mayor Karen Messerli welcomed the stakeholders’ group of 270 citizens. Derek Okubo, National Civic League, led a discussion about the strategic planning process, past Lee’s Summit accomplishments, and goals for the stakeholders’ group. The roles of the Initiating Committee, Coordinating Committee, and Implementation Committee were outlined. This purpose of this first meeting was to orient the stakeholders on the strategic planning processes in an inclusive manner.
After introductions, stakeholder members were divided into small discussion groups to focus on two concepts: (1) What are the pressing issues facing the Lee’s Summit community? and (2) What makes addressing these issues difficult? The small groups reported their findings back to the entire stakeholder committee.
Mr. Okubo then began a discussion about the realities of community problem solving, visioning and strategic planning processes and timelines and roles and responsibilities of stakeholders. Ground rules for conducting the meeting and small group operation were established. The small groups were then tasked with defining their vision of Lee’s Summit.
Key concepts of the meeting included:
Old Assumptions Regarding Change
1. Government owns the public agenda
2. Progress is based on zero sum politics; there are winners and losers; majority rules
3. Very few voices matter; power is held in blocks; only like thinkers sit at the table
4. Implications for change: decisions are easy because few people are at the table and they all think alike; things move along easily
New Assumptions Regarding Change
1. Public agenda is jointly held
2. Progress comes via consensus; differences are acknowledged; commonalities are the focus
3. Many voices matter; different thinkers at the same table; power is shared
4. Implications for change: messy, more time consuming and difficult; outcomes take longer to reach but are stronger in the long term