Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Hello and Welcome to the MN Next System Project Community!

Please mark your calendar for our Next System Project teach-in on September 19. Learn more buy clicking on the Teach-ins tab above.

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Monday, July 25, 2016

What's Next? August 3 Densford Center Next System Dilogue


The Katherine J. Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership is hosting a Densford Center Next System Project Dialogue on August 3, 2016.

We are forming a next system community of practice for learning and research related to community health. Through innovation and design we are creating healthy communities using systems thinking, complexity science, principles of action research, and agency.

On August 3, we advance our investigation into next systems of health thinking by exploring a community-wide approach developed in Ramsey County for prevention of family violence. Donald Gault, former Healthy Communities Section Manager for Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health will lead us through the ABC’s of Communication. This is a continuation of the process we stated in community on June 29th. 

Join us as we work together to achieve our vision of healthy communities. All are welcome!

Shape the future.
Connect your creative ideas.
Discover the next system. 

August 3, 2016, 3-6pm
3:00 pm Introduction and Updates from the Next Systems Project, 3:30pm-6pm ABC dialogue
Bentson Healthy Communities Innovation Center
Room #4-130
308 Harvard Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455


Notes from the June 29 Densford Center Next System Dialogue


The ABC’s of Communication Process

The ABC’s of Communication is used for generating a marketing a message in community. Donald calls it Marketing 101. Eighteen of us entered the ABC process with the intent of developing an initial joint vision and action statement to guide the efforts of the Minnesota Next System Project Community.

The process has three main objectives:
  1. Develop clear and unambiguous AWARENESS of product or idea
  2. Demonstrate the BENEFIT to persons you are trying to convince
  3. Develop and provide a clear and doable CALL to ACTION

Our Group’s ABC Process

The MN Next System Project Community directed its focus toward answering two questions intended to help us get clear and concise about what we are here to do  together.

  1. What is health?
  2. How will we work together to achieve our vision of healthy communities?

Donald Gault led us through the process using several iterations. We worked as a whole group to start then moved into two groups to drill into the ABC process, completing the evening by sharing notes from each group. 

During the first round we turned our focus to applying the ABC Process to the What is Health? question. Two whole group rounds generated a list of words from the  community in response to our focus question. From there the list was narrowed to nine key words including:

Happiness   Balance Connectedness Peace, Thriving, Resilience, Joy, Energy

We then broke into two Action Teams to apply the nine words and others to the ABC formula. At the end of our time, many more creative inspirations continued emerging from us. We felt pressed to wrap up and share team notes with the entire group. 

Join us on August 3, 2016 from 3-6pm to complete the ABC’s of Communication process.


Action Team A Summary
Health is…

Feeling good Mobility Wholesome
Belonging Challenged Strong & Fit
Endurance Future Humor
Calm No Worries Just Be
Purpose Relationships Perfect health lies within
Comfort Running through a Spring meadow
Friendship Community Interdependence
Uninjured Give, receive love The ability to do, to be
Breathing Intraconnected Total Being
Ease of mind

We believe health is a balance punctuated with happiness, connectedness, peace, joy, and energy that drives actualization, resilience and the ability to flourish/thrive.

Be with each other, Intention, All voices, Hear stories

Action Team B Summary

Health is…

for all
the actualization of purpose
To be happy, to flourish
To be Joyful, to have balance and thrive

with the energy to connect to life

Be contagious 
Go viral with Joy
Take time to connect


Post Dialogue Notes

After the Densford Center Next System Dialogue we received notes from several participants who continued to massage the words we collected into the ABC formula. Their submission are included below.

Submitted by William G. Nelson

My definition from the descriptive words we "settled on" Wednesday ...

HEALTH IS…

HEALTH is … the actualization of purpose: to be happy, to
flourish, to be balanced and resilient - yet, overflow with an abundant
energy necessary to connect to life.

Verses Bertrand Russell’s depiction of dying - "...all used-up and thrown on the scrap pile of life.”

Submitted by Craig Alciati 

I normally sleep pretty soundly, not for very long, but soundly.
Anyways, I woke up and felt I should work on the ABC thing some more.  

Health is at the heart it
Our Health is precious 
Get Busy

Submitted by Oriana Beaudet

A few quotes that bubbled up during our evening:

“We believe that health is a balance punctuated with happiness, connectedness, peace, joy and energy that drives activation, resilience, and the ability to flourish and thrive.” ~Melissa Horning
“Be with each other” ~ Pam Glenn 
“Health is an extension of the interconnected world.  Humans are delicately balanced   beings with immeasurable resilience.  With the ability to thrive through expressions of joy, happiness and actualization, in peace with ourselves, each other and the world around us.” ~ Oriana Beaudet 
“HumanKind – Be Both” ~Glenn Kuschke (note: this is a known bumper sticker)