THE THREE PLANNING TASKS
The Three Essential Planning Tasks: Making the Map; Minding the Gap; and Building the App.
Making the Map is the process of getting our bearings by locating environmental (“situational”), group and individual channels—both open and clogged—within the five nested domains. This involves the following tasks:
Minding the Gaps is the process of uncovering trapped energy through evaluating the vitality (or lack of it) of the channels that have been identified as problematic. This involves the following tasks:
Building the App is the process of designing the platform upon which the change maker can take action—including a vision statement, the approach, the channels, the catalytic agents (a team), the message (“sticky”) and intended measurable results. It focuses on applying leverage along selected channels to release trapped energy. This involves these, and more, tasks:
By exercising these planning tasks changemakers are now prepared take action, whether the approach is direct, indirect or group -- or any combination of approaches.
Making the Map is the process of getting our bearings by locating environmental (“situational”), group and individual channels—both open and clogged—within the five nested domains. This involves the following tasks:
- Scan the environmental domains (tool needed)
- Identify environmental domains that are underperforming
- Identify groups that inhibit kids (tool needed for formal, informal and invisible)
- Identify unproductive mindsets, values and social belonging.
Minding the Gaps is the process of uncovering trapped energy through evaluating the vitality (or lack of it) of the channels that have been identified as problematic. This involves the following tasks:
- Describe the clogged channels (how intentions are prevented from becoming results)
- Identify the nature and strength of the barriers in these channels
- Analyze how these channels got that way (situations, groups and individuals)
- Rank order the channels as to degree of difficulty
Building the App is the process of designing the platform upon which the change maker can take action—including a vision statement, the approach, the channels, the catalytic agents (a team), the message (“sticky”) and intended measurable results. It focuses on applying leverage along selected channels to release trapped energy. This involves these, and more, tasks:
- Decide on one or more of the “three approaches” (or entry points)—direct, group or indirect—enlisting the channel or channels that have the greatest potential.
- Determine how much force to exert as leverage (drawing on what is learned from how systems break down) in order to release trapped energy (potential)
- Then build in all the other components of the app, which include designing the platform upon which to lower costs and add value, forming a team, articulating a vision, creating a “sticky”message and system of accountability that can measure intended results.
By exercising these planning tasks changemakers are now prepared take action, whether the approach is direct, indirect or group -- or any combination of approaches.