 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||
Notes
from the Field
Strategies for Integrating Strength-based
Approaches into Everyday Community Development
by Mary Emery
Today,
many people in community development use tools or strategies based on
assets or strengths. Beyond these specific applications, we can also look
at ways to integrate strength-based approaches into our everyday experiences
of community development.
- Develop an appreciative eye by looking for what is working, what people feel good about, and what brings out people’s passions and energy. For instance, a good way to start a meeting, create positive energy, and mix people up is to ask participants to find someone they don’t know well and share a story about a positive experience related to the topic of the program. We often start our staff meetings with an opportunity for people to share a positive experience from the last week.
- Inquire
into the best elements of the situation by asking about what is working
and why.
Collecting specific stories of success provides a rich resource for discussion on what conditions support these successes. From these discussions, participants can uncover the
“positive core” of the project, program, community or work and identify what things they can do more of. - Participate
with others as a co-learner by honoring the wisdom of others, engaging
in positive dialogue of what is working, and offering opportunities
to reflect with others on what is working and why. In the field we have
many opportunities to discuss community needs and wants. Changing the
focus to what is working elicits wonderful conversation about successes,
reinforces community efficacy, and provides valuable insight into the
elements of success at the community level. Moreover, it grounds conversation
about next steps to bring out the positive possibilities.
| In
July 2004, we held a focus group on the North Central Regional Center
for Rural Development as part of the Center’s strategic planning
process. While listening to the participants, we heard that they appreciate
the opportunity to hear what others are doing in the field. They also
see the Center as a vehicle for sharing ideas, tools and approaches
that they can apply to their own work.
In response to these comments, we are introducing a “Notes from the Field” column in Rural Development News. We invite you to share any ideas, tips or approaches you have found useful in your own community development work along with a URL to additional resources if that is appropriate. Please contact Mary Emery at memery@iastate.edu if you have something you would like to share with us. |
Return to Inside this Issue (Vol. 27, No. 2, 2004)
Return to Rural Development News Index
North
Central Regional Center for Rural Development
Iowa State University
107 Curtiss Hall
Ames, IA 50011-1050
(515) 294-8321, (515) 294-3180 fax
For questions, comments or concerns about the NCRCRD website, contact
.
Last updated May 12, 2006 .