Welcome to Year 2!October 23, 2014

Agenda Today

• Welcome + New Team Members• Warm Up for Transparency• Who, What & Why of Transparency• Sharefest A• Learning from our sources• Lunch with discussion topics• Where: Case Studies• How: Team Work• Sharefest B• Bringing it all home…

Let’s Play A Game

For this game, we need 2 volunteers from each table to step outside for a moment.

The Game: Insiders vs. OutsidersWhen the outsiders come back in they will be instructed to figure out the sequence that your group is following by asking a series of questions.

You need to pick a sequence for responding – for example:• Alternate male and female responders• Every other person around the table• Begin all answers with the same letter or word or in

alphabetical order• Incorporate one specific word in each answer

Go ahead and choose your sequence at your table. Make sure everyone understands it so they can be consistent!

Play The Game!

Debrief the Game

• What just happened?• How did it feel to be the outsider?• How did it feel to be the insider?• Mashal and nimshal (parable and moral):

how does this relate to the question of transparency?

Warm Up: Transparency

Think about a person or community that is important to you. (Not the congregation!)• What role does transparency play in this

relationship? • Why was it important? • Was it hard? Why?• What was the pay-off? • What could have been different without

transparency?

Connected Congregations deeply understand the meaning of community, and work explicitly to build a strong, meaningful and engaged Jewish community. Connected Congregations prioritize relationships and shared values as the foundation of a successful synagogue, and align all aspects of institutional management in service of this community. Those who are part of connected congregations feel a sense of shared ownership and responsibility for each other and the collective, and are empowered to contribute their ideas, energy and resources.

What does transparency have to do with being a Connected Congregation?

WHAT IS IT?

Transparency… implies openness, communication, and accountability…

Transparency is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are

performed. It has been defined simply as "the perceived quality of

intentionally shared information.”

-Schnackenberg, A., Tomlinson, E., 2014. Organizational Transparency: A New Perspective on Managing Trust in Organization-Stakeholder Relationships. Journal of Management DOI: 10.1177/0149206314525202.

WHY?“Like authenticity, transparency is not defined by you as a leaders, but by the people you want to trust you and your organization. How much information do they need in order to follow you, trust you with their money or business?”

- Charlene Li Open Leadership (pg. 193)

How does this relate to the culture and function of your congregation and its leaders today and in the past?

What does it mean for you as a connected congregation?

Community Organizing

• Identity of “belonging”. Access to information makes one feel like they belong.

• Engagement – we want people to lean in and be involved and committed. What’s the reciprocal “leaning towards” from the organization?

Community Collaboration

Community Collaboration

What has to happen for a community to co-invest in shared goals and assets?

• Clarity of purpose

• Understanding of what it takes to achieve it

• All reading from the same playbook

• Understanding roles and the nature of the teamwork

• What else?

Generational Differences

Importance of transparency increases with each generation. As you consider your own transparency, design for the future, not for yourself.

http://www.jwtintelligence.com

Areas for TransparencyFinancial Process Personnel PolicyRitual Decisions Change Process What else?

Personal Transparency: Rabbis

Organizational Transparency: The Dashboard

“Our surveys of 20,000 synagogue members have shown that the key driver of synagogue membership is the perceived value for the dollar of membership. What most strongly correlates to perceived value for the dollar? Budget transparency.When leadership doesn’t share the true cost of programs, and uses funds to subsidize programs as it sees fit, not only do recipients undervalue the program, but they also feel a disconnect with the synagogue that ultimately causes them to the congregation. Including members in the conversation about budget priorities and explaining the rationale behind expenses is a great step to retaining members and ensuring financial sustainability.

-Sacha Litman, Measuring Success

“Show Them What You’re Working with: How Transparency Leads to Sustainability”

Organizational TransparencyWhat is today’s version of an annual report, congregational meeting, or a state of the union?

What kind of transparency, in what formats, helps stakeholders feel like insiders?

Let’s Discuss Risks & Benefits

• Transparency feels scary or risky. Why?• What does transparency “buy” you?• What are the risks of NOT being transparent?• How does transparency advance your vision?

Transparency as a Sandbox

There are boundaries and rules.

Boundaries on Transparency

• Not “show and tell”• Not “over-sharing” to confuse or complicate

(present with context to clarify and make useful)• Not breaking confidentiality• Not sharing sensitive or “developing” issues

(especially legal)• Avoid extreme departure from the established

culture (be attentive to what it implies about the past)

• Others?

BREAK

COME BACK FOR SHAREFEST FROM430 DEMOTT and SSTTE!

430 Demott Sharefest

Immersing our congregation into our process Shalom article describing Connected

Congregations

- Challenging the congregation with THE questions

Mission statement - what our goals are

Quick guide - What is a Connected Congregation

High Holiday sermon on what our team is doing and importance to all congregants and our future

High Holiday ‘handout’ describing CC and communicating next actions for congregants

CC workbook exercises at Board of Trustees Retreat

Community Forums scheduled for December 7th and 10th

Community Conversations scheduled for the Spring

Questions we are raising for our congregation Why is each of us here today on Yom Kippur? Why are we part of

a Jewish Community?- Spiritual and intellectual growth? A deeper sense of belonging to something larger? - Meaningful personal relationships?

What does “community” mean? What should a 21st century synagogue look like? What are the new ideas and latest experiences with alternative

financial models?

Our goals are to: Explore/articulate what it means to be a member of our

synagogue community Establish the importance of a new financial model for the future

existence of a vibrant synagogue life Reinforce the value of connecting to Jewish life through a

synagogue

Quick Guide to a Connected CongregationWhat is a “Connected congregation”? One that deeply understands the meaning of community, and

works explicitly to build a strong, meaningful and engaged Jewish community.

What do “Connected congregations” do differently? They prioritize relationships and shared values, and align all

aspects of institutional management in service of the community.

How do these differences manifest for the congregants of a “Connected congregations”? Those within connected congregations feel a sense of shared

ownership and responsibility for each other and the collective, and are empowered to contribute their ideas, energy and resources.

Quick Guide to a Connected Congregation

What is a guiding principle for a “Connected Congregation”? At every decision point, we ask “Is this intended to benefit the

community, or is this intended to benefit the institution?”

What are the 3 most important measures for a congregant of a “Connected Congregation”? Vision and Values of Synagogue Resonate Clergy’s vision of Jewish life resonates Development of meaningful social connections

What are the 3 key aspects of Synagogue life for a congregant of a “Connected Congregation”? The spiritual/intellectual growth as a Jew

- “The synagogue has helped me grow spiritually and intellectually as a Jew”

Personal relationships that are meaningful and real Feeling a deeper sense of “belonging to something Larger”

From Our Sources

Yitro: Establishing a System of Transparency

Sara Shapiro-Plevan, Rimonim Consulting

LUNCH: YOUR TABLE TOPICS1. What is “membership”? Sharing our learning about community

and financial models.

2. Making this the M.O. of the congregation: Rippling out and normalizing change.

3. How do we leverage pastoral and other social-emotional skills as assets for organizational and community building?

4. How do we communicate about switching gears and implementing change?

5. How do we recognize success when we see it? How do we know when and how to make mid-course corrections?

6. Designing for Social: What have you done or are working on?

WHERE of TRANSPARENCY

PLEASE SIT IN YOUR CONGREGATIONAL TEAMS

Let’s hear from some real-lifetransparency pioneers.

Amy Asin, Congregation Beth Am Los Altos Hills, CA

• Currently about 1,600+ households• Los Altos Hills, CA – middle of Silicon Valley• Large staff – 4 pulpit rabbis, cantor, Exec Director, 2

Master’s Degree level educators, Teen Director• Culture of extreme engagement of lay leadership

Three Stories of Transparency

• The new building• Keeping family education going• Partnering B’nai Mitzvah

The New Building

Beit Kehillah Ark

Construction Delays Start of Programming in September, 1998

2000 Dot Com Bust

2004 – Too Many Teens

Congregation Bulletin Ad Copy

Notes from Intro Remarks

Opening Question

• A memorable experience from a Bar or Bat Mitzvah

• Your Goals for your Child

Stories shared

Showed them the Data

60%

90%

Flipcharts!!Mandatory Pairing

Voluntary Pairing

Add a Friday Night

Havdallah service

Other

Other Task Forces over the Years

• BAEC – Beth Am Education Committee reimagined children’s education in 1992

• RE-IMAGINE 2.0• Worship Task Force• Teen Task Force(s)• New Land Task Force• Dues Task Force• Interfaith Task Force• INCLUDE Task Force• Hebrew, Israel, Communications/Branding

Questions???

HOW of TRANSPARENCY

How can you increase transparency in your congregation?

Where will you start?

How will you evolve transparency?

See Worksheet!

Sharefest 2

The Community Synagogue Temple Beth Abraham

Park Slope Jewish Center

Bringing It Home…

• Reflections on the day?• What are you going to do next?

What’s Next?Upcoming Webinars:November 13, 1-2pm Building a Culture of TransparencyDecember 16, 1-2pm Connected LeadershipFebruary 12, 1-2pm Planning for Change w/ Room for Agility

Next Workshop:January 27, 9am-4pm Workshop on Connected Leadership

Other SYNERGY events:November 19, 6-9pm Syn fundraising strategies for 21st CenturyDecember/February Empty Nester EngagementFebruary 2, 10am-4pm Relational Dues Model: Exploration & Training

Please leave your nametags on the table!