Synergetic Strengths

Synergy: the cooperation of members such that the resulting combined effect of their work is better than the effect caused by the effect of one member's work

Focus on strengths. What does that mean? It means that four towns and one tribe have five times the resources available; call on them. It means that diverse ideas provide more options. It means that many small events combined meet more needs.

Module Two in Leadership Plenty helped attendees refocus limitations to reducing poverty through a lens of strengths. They found creative and nontraditional ways to work with leadership assets within the organization and the greater community for a synergistic effect.

"Individuals, associations, and institutions -- these three major categories contain within them much of the asset base of every community." The evening event brought these avenues together while planning for economic development, resource books, child care, and a community center.

"Deficit-based thinking discourages action, fragments communities, and encourages dependence on outsiders."

Rather than worry about the problems created by different governmental agencies (towns, tribal, parks), instead focus on the resources available -- probably many more than other areas.

Build strengths: find unusual partnerships, and bring traditional and nontraditional leaders together.

What does that look like? Just one example from the synergy of the group brought forward by Janice Elvidge:

Assimilate all the various school and church child care and after school activities under one umbrella in order to highlight for grantors all that we already do in separate venues, and the services of which would greatly improve under one community center.

Real change will only occur when we engage the full community: school, church, associations, institutions, individuals. Won't you join us? Please contact:

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

HORIZONS: Community Leaders Reducing Poverty
Working together to move from poverty to prosperity for all.

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/