The first Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s event of the new year, hosted in partnership with the Northern Ireland Chairs’ Forum, took place in Riddel Hall on Wednesday 11th January 2017, and focused on ‘Leading More, Controlling Less.’
The keynote lecture was delivered to a capacity audience by Dr Sandra Janoff, Director and Co-Founder of the international Future Search Network, based in the USA. She drew upon her extensive research and experience to provide an informed overview of how to transform whole systems, and how to run meetings ‘that matter’.
She challenged the audience to think about their own experience of leadership and how it affected their organizational outputs and effectiveness.
Thorough analysis of the ‘Learning Curve’ concluded that getting everyone in the room together was the key to success in transforming whole systems, and Sandra echoed this in a list of recommendations for leaders. These included a thought-provoking reflection on the old Indian parable of the blind men and the elephant, as well as emphasizing the importance of focusing on the future, common ground and self-management.
Mr Colm McKenna Chair of the NI Chairs’ Forum chaired the question and answer session before thanking Dr Janoff for her presentation, and closing the event.
Sandra Janoff has twenty-five years’ experience planning, designing, and facilitating whole-systems interventions in the public and private sector. She co-developed [with Marvin Weisbord] the principle-based methodology called Future Search.
Dr Janoff has worked with communities all around the world. In Northern Ireland, she supported a city-wide effort for a unified regeneration plan for Derry-Londonderry. She has also worked with the cities of Strabane, Coleraine and the county of Fermanagh to engage all stakeholders in formulating their own integrated economic plans. Currently she is supporting the community surrounding Lough Neagh to develop shared ownership and usage of Lough in the face of centuries of contention.
Sandra directs the international Future Search Network and is co-author of Future Search: Getting the Whole System in the Room for Vision, Commitment, and Action (3rd edition, 2010), Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There! Ten Principles for Leading Meetings that Matter (2007) and Lead More, Control less: Eight Advanced Leadership Skills that Overturn Convention (2015). https://www.futuresearch.net/
