SOAR's 19 Ways

Get to know the SOAR process from its nineteen ways

 

The Four Stages 

 

Learn about the stages and steps of SOAR                          

 

laughing man

 

New Earth Village TIPS:

Training
Ideas
Partners
Support

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Nature of the Process

Nineteen ways of SOAR

 

 

Culture-rooted

Invites communities to include cultural practices into the change effort, grounding change in traditional beliefs and ways that bind the community together

 

Life-centred

Focuses change efforts on inspiring and empowering people to use their creative and intellectual genius to advance the community

 

Learning-focused

Encourages the organization to become a learning community; encourages the organization’s members to embrace learning, to view life-long learning as a key to the success of their community and to fulfillment in their work and personal lives

 

Strengths-based

Focuses not directly on problems but on what's working, on positive possibilities and opportunities. Doing so elevates and expands change outcomes

 

Story-grounded

Relies on personal stories (experiences, feelings and views) to keep the process grounded in what works, what’s relevant and what’s deeply desired

 

Vision-guided

Focuses first efforts on creating a vision that then guides the change effort

 

Flexible

Is your process to modify as you see fit. Experiment. Apply your in-depth understanding of your situation to make it soar

 

Whole person

Engages the mind, heart, spirit and body of participants

 

Whole community

Invites the whole organization (or a fully representative portion) to participate in the change effort. It is purposely labour-rich to engage many in the change process

 

Back and forth

Is roughly step-by-step in nature but people are free to move back and forth in the process as needed

 

Deep change

Redesigns organizational structures and ways of doing things to create an inclusive, supportive environment for people, then invites them to self-organize to achieve the vision

 

Clear communication

Emphasizes transparent, clear and frequent two-way communication among stakeholders

 

Organic

Is roughly planned but largely evolves based on trial and error according to the opportunities uncovered and to what works and advances the vision

 

Principles-based

Proposes a set of principles to guide how people should behave with one another both during the change process and in day-to-day interactions at home and at work

 

Improvisational

Encourages participants to launch new initiatives at any stage and to develop and implement strategies on the spot in response to presenting challenges

 

Free choice

Invites (never directs) participation. Participants volunteer - they are there because they want to be. Whenever possible, participants engage in the activities for which they have the most passion

 

Partners enriched

Encourages the formation of strong partnerships within and outside the community. Partners bring authority, resources, ideas, energy, labour and experience to the change effort, raising the quality of outcomes and reducing development time

 

Acting 'as if'

Invites SOAR participants to be - live - their most desired future as they carry out the change effort. By acting 'as if,' the changes they wish to see become the new reality. Others observing the changes are, in turn, influenced to change as well

 

Non-hierarchical

Encourages anyone to apply for any change effort role, regardless of their position in the day-to-day hierarchy. Hence, a receptionist or community member might serve as a team leader, a manager as a member of a change team. Removing the hierarchy and blurring the lines between administration and community values participants and provides them with opportunities to grow their capacities

 

 

 

earth
feather to wind
feather to water
feather to fire
 
First Peoples, Life-Centred