Get Your Debate On!

As part of our 21 Leaders program, the Leaders work in small groups (of 3-4) with a nonprofit or on a project of their creation that helps solve some of NB's most pressing challenges. We call this component of the program Community Solutions Projects. One of the groups this year has organized a debate to be held during our upcoming Accelerator in Bathurst. I asked team member Jennifer Dysart to write a post for the blog. This is what she sent. If you're in Bathurst you should definitely make time to attend.

What better way to learn about issues affecting your province than through a heated debate?

As part of the 21 Inc. program, David Michaud, Alain Parent, and myself had the opportunity to come together and transform this concept into reality. After a few weeks of brainstorming, Have Your Say! NB Debates/Debats NB: Prenez Position! was born.

It's a project aimed at increasing awareness among New Brunswickers about issues affecting the sustainable economic development of their province. The project will consist of a series of debates held in both urban and rural venues between local experts and leaders with a focus on public engagement. The topics of the debates and the debaters will be chosen based on current issues affecting the particular location and availability of suitable individuals.

The first debate is scheduled to take place at the final 21 Inc. accelerator weekend in Bathurst on May 28^th at 7:30 a.m. at Danny's Inn.

THE APPROACH & OUTCOMES

Three debates will be held in 2010; one in Bathurst, Sussex, and Moncton/Dieppe. The debate in Bathurst will be bilingual, the one in Sussex will be held in English, while the debate in Moncton/Dieppe will be held in French. Hosting of the debates will be a collaborative effort between Have Your Say! NB Debates and partnering organizations.

During the actual event, a poll of the audience will be conducted before and after the debate. The results of the debate will be publicized, and will hopefully act to educate and motivate public action.

If you are in Bathurst next Thursday please come join the debate!

Jennifer Dysart lives in Sussex and works to support rural economic development in New Brunswick.

Important Days in History (of 21inc, at least)

In 10 years time we could look back at last Friday as an important day.

A working group of four 21inc board members and myself met in Fredericton for an all day planning session to look at our governance model.

Our governance structure is by no means broken. But given our growth and future goals, to quote Marshall Goldsmith, what got us here won’t get us there. With the blessing of the board at large we set out to review, renew, and reshape how the board supports, guides and propels 21inc’s mission.

This time we had the benefit of two previous iterations of what 21inc’s governance structure should be. Some things really worked from those efforts, others didn’t. Perhaps the biggest change is our need to formalize roles and lines of responsibility. All start-ups depend upon informal communications. The founders have a close relationships and a shared vision – usually found in their heads and not on paper. The early phases of an organization emphasize entrepreneurship and creativity, testing various products and approaches until something sticks.

Once something sticks the organization focuses energy there and efficiencies are found. We’re in between phases. We know areas that need consolidation while others are still in the test & validate stage. We defined these areas on Friday and put in place a structure to support both the emergence of formal structures, and support for continued creative output.

We're also much more comfortable than we used to be with the idea of continuous improvement. It seems every non-profit (and for-profit, for that matter) is dealing with some kind of governance issue. I have yet to hear about or see a structure that is perfect. Organizations are human institutions and will never run like machines (and should not). They will always need methodical and strategic stewardship with an organizers touch.

What we designed on Friday will not preclude future change. It will give more direction. It allows for more effective delegation and autonomy. And in 18-36 months we might need to do it all over again.

New Favorite Quote

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the

chance to draw back, always ineffective,

concerning all acts of initiative (and creation).

There is one elementary truth the ignorance of

which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:

that the moment one definitely commits

oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts

of things occur to help one that would never

otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of

events issues from the decision, raising in one’s

favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and

meetings and material assistance which no man

could have dreamed would have come his way.

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin

it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

Begin it now.”

Goethe

APEC luncheon

A few weeks ago, maybe a month, APEC hosted a luncheon with their board in Halifax. It was a great discussion and Elizabeth Beale and her team were able to impressively gather some heavyweights from the Halifax (Atlantic) business community. Here are a couple pictures I've been meaning to post here from that lunch.

This is Phil Holmes from Ambir conveying his experience with 21inc to the group

Elizabeth Beale and I

Myself, yammering away about something