LESSON 9: FUTURE SEARCH

EXAMPLE OF FUTURE SEARCH CONFERENCE

I found a site which presented examples of future search conference used to catalyze change in health care. Here is the first example:

Building a Healthy Ocean County, New Jersey, November 1993:

"One health care facility cannot change the health status of the whole community alone," says CMC�s Debra Levinson. "We wanted a different way of involving the community at large to help make decisions." The original sponsors pulled together a 22-member planning group that included representatives of government agencies (such as the Board of Social Service and local school systems), politicians, members of the media, clergy, and business people, as well as the other three hospitals in the area. In the end, 72 people spent three days together with a facilitator from the National League of Cities.

The result: The whole group met for a reunion conference in November of 1994, over 150 people are involved in seven cross-sectoral work groups - and the planning committee continues to meet and help coordinate activities. "We had the fear that no one would want to come," says Levinson. "We wound up having people hear about it on the day of the conference, and demand to know why they weren't invited."

Another example for future search in health care is:

The Work Setting and the Community: Sisters of Mercy Health System - St. Louis, December 1994:

As one step in a major change initiative aimed at renewing an eight-state, 15-institution system, Sisters of Mercy in St. Louis brought together not only system executives, physicians, and board members, but also such stakeholders as government leaders and heads of educational institutions from the areas they served. It was a great success, according to Diane Carter who helped facilitate it, and some parts happened much faster than many such conferences, because success because it was not an isolated event: "The people who came were much better informed, because of the larger process. They understood what was changing. About 20 of the participants had already been involved in community forums or on our task force looking at work issues. They already knew where they were stuck - which came out pretty clearly in the 'prouds and sorries' part."


These are some of the examples for future search conference that were not mentioned in the group report. This would help me and others better understand the purpose and process of future search conference.

To check out other examples of future search conferences, check out this website:
http://www.well.com/~bbear/weisbord_examples.html