The Four Ps
Principles, Possibility, Partners and Passion
1. Principles
The SOAR change process invites participants to subscribe to a set of core principles or ways of being that are universally recognized as essential to building healthy relationships and a cohesive community. As well, we invite clients to add their own ways. Here are SOAR's twelve core principles:
Inclusion
Seeking out and inviting all stakeholders to participate in the major decisions of change
Trust
Trusting in others and expecting trustworthiness in return
Transparency
Sharing information freely, expressing genuine thoughts and feelings, and giving clear messages
Integrity
Walking one's talk and acting honestly and fairly with people
Accountability
Being accountable for one's actions and holding others accountable for their's
Recognition
Taking time to recognize and celebrate the achievements of employees and community members
Caring
Genuinely caring for others and expressing it through one's actions
Support
Supporting (materially and emotionally) the efforts of others
Equality
Providing opportunities equally to all and encouraging 'small' voices to participate
Fraternity
Creating opportunities for people to socialize and have fun, and taking the time to do it
Diversity
Being open to different ideas and ways of doing things and seeking them out
Service
Being of service to others
2. Possibility
SOAR chooses not to focus change efforts directly on the solving of problems. Instead, it focuses on identifying and building on present strengths and on creating and realizing a community vision on the very edge of possibility.
Using an approach to transformative change called Appreciative Inquiry, SOAR walks participants through four steps:
1. Discover: uncover the best of what is
2. Dream: imagine what could be
3. Design: shape what will be
4. Destiny: create what must be
In the final step, self-organized action teams develop, implement and manage the new, strategically important community resources.
3. Partners
The best ideas and the most successful actions occur when people work together - in conversation and in action. Throughout the change process SOAR emphasizes self-organized partnerships, not only as a way to make change but as a 'way of being' for the long term.
Partnering gives people the opportunity to know each other as human beings, to exchange perspectives and reach mutual understanding. Those human connections are the building blocks of community cohesion and collaboration.
Partnering in SOAR takes many forms. SOAR encourages participants to make use of New Earth Village's Four Realms - places to connect and form working and social relationships with people in other communities - people with different ideas and knowledge, different experiences and different skills.
SOAR encourages administrations to create self-organized teams that cross traditional functions and levels in the hierarchy, and that bring together staff, community members/clients and other stakeholders.
SOAR's change process relies throughout on teams. Each team plays its own crucial role, and all teams must work together to make the community vision a reality.
4. Passion
We talked in SpiritMakers about the importance of leaders having passion for the change effort and conveying that to members. But for members to feel that passion, they must feel ownership for the vision, feel valued and trusted by the organization, and feel supported to be creative and daring in their work. When those conditions are met, the passion (life-centred energy) flows, people self-organize and remarkable things happen.
SOAR is designed to help you create the conditions for passion to flow.
SOAR generates this crucial energy for development by helping you reshape the messaging and actions of your organization to align with the concept of the Life-Centred Learning Community.
Passion is born in the hearts of employees and community members when what the organization consistently says and does is this:
' We value you, we support you, we give you voice, we challenge you, we celebrate you and we hold you accountable.'
