The process of Mobilization
I moved this tedious sounding text to an appendix, for those who might be interested in how systems can get better coordinated, and don’t mind the bureaucratic details.
Mobilization is related to the currently popular (Google, Amazon, Uber….) concept called OKR, for Objectives and Key Results. In that respect, it is already a familiar and proven idea to many. The following are possible steps to apply such methods to problem areas:
- Maintain systems-wide communication, access and transparency.
- Identify major issues and concerns.
- Define the organization structure, or community, around those concerns. List the players involved, and their general attributes. If possible, estimate the importance, or level of influence for each player (ie. Due to funding, resources, authorization).
- Through discussion, discover and communicate goals and objectives of all significant players in the overall system (real, actionable goals). Compile these objectives using a central, universal database and mapping application.
- Establish certain system-wide criteria, or ‘indicators’, that will enable shared vision and focus. These would be a distillation of Key Results throughout the community. Examples of such indicators? For the stock markets, Profit! For transportation, number of accidents. For Climate, ppm CO2, or increase in average degrees C. For the Chesapeake Bay Initiative, TN, P, and TS in the water.
These steps above are the main ingredients in facilitating alignment in a diverse working community. They will help to enable further actions, such as:
- Develop and coordinate collective strategies to meet those criteria and wider objectives.
- Track the results, and continue to re-adjust as circumstances change.
- Focus on the most necessary, feasible and effective objectives at any given time. Avoid low-return investments and distractions. Prioritize!
- Repeat
Panicaea 