Change. It is everywhere. One only needs to look at the daily paper, newscast, listserv, podcast, or other favorite media outlet to see that this past year has been marked by some of the greatest social, economic, and political changes. We’ve elected the first African-American President, witnessed and chances are know someone who has lost a job, and flocked to new forms of communication like Twitter and Facebook. Locally, we have seen aircraft companies drastically reduce their workforces, a new governor and our share of Kansas weather—well, some things never change! CCSR, like many organizations, has had its fair share of changes this past year, including my appointment as Director. Change can come from external forces and decisions that can be a source of frustration, stress and uncertainty. These types of changes leave us with some options. First, we could watch the change go by and potentially be positively or negatively impacted by it. I’ve certainly been in situations when I’ve thought “now is not the time to jump in” or “if I don’t do anything, maybe nothing will happen and this will all just blow over.” Unfortunately, more times than not, things did happen and it did not just blow over. These past experiences lead to a second option: Recognize the change, determine how to proceed and potentially harness the momentum of change.
It is with this in mind that CCSR is currently conducting our “Listen. Think. Act” planning process. Due to changes at CCSR this past year, the staff, many close advisors, and I recognized that we wanted to determine our future. We wanted not to be changed, but to create change—both for ourselves, our organization and Kansas communities. “Listen. Think. Act.” is one way we are responding and already seeing significant impacts on our work. A brief review of the “Listen. Think. Act.” process:
Listen. CCSR embarked on its largest “listening campaign” in more than 10 years. We interviewed approximately 40 Kansas community partners, some whom we had worked with in the past and some whom we had not. Secondly, we held a series of CCSR retreats for CCSR staff and consultants to provide their insights and suggestions about our future. Finally, our WSU Advisory Committee has been very helpful in actively participating and providing suggestions to CCSR as we help in serving WSU’s urban-serving mission. I’ve enjoyed and appreciated the candid remarks and believe these conversations will serve as a healthy foundation for the planning process.
Think. CCSR staff and consultants continue to review the comments from Kansas community partners and WSU advisors. We are looking for connections across the comments and ideas that were previously shared. We are considering our mission, vision, and organizational values, especially in light of the identified needs and opportunities in Kansas communities. This review will help us focus our future efforts.
Act. This spring, CCSR will present a summary of our plan for the future. It will include and describe the direction of CCSR and its services to Kansas communities. This plan will serve as a starting point and guide for our work in future years. CCSR staff are known for taking action, and I believe this process will end no differently.
As the planning process unfolds, I and others at CCSR will provide additional updates. What information would be useful to you in these updates? Please share your thoughts and ideas by email: scott.wituk@wichita.edu.
- Scott Wituk, Director
--Picture courtesy of Aussiegall
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