About Deborah Maher

My Work: Interactive Strategic Change
Based on over 25 years of experience and education I have created the Interactive Strategic Change (ISC) model which uses a range of best practices to benefit all levels of an organization leading to overall alignment and clear direction for the future. I bring all levels of an organization into a strategic planning process so that it is not a one-time only event rather it becomes a way of seeing and of working. My work engages everyone in the organization and brings them all together (gets the whole system into the room) to work collaboratively. When everyone has a part in creating the big picture, they feel like their contribution matters and they can see the importance of what they do. My work is informed by Appreciative Inquiry a methodology and philosophical framework that seeks to discover the strengths in people and organizations and to build on them to create a new future.

I Began My Collaborative Work in Communities
I first started working this way when I worked with public-private partnerships at the neighborhood level through-out the country while at Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. I became steeped in the Servant as Leaders model as taught by Robert Greenleaf and it involved working with all stakeholders to reach a common goal. In this case it was to create re-investment strategies for distressed neighborhoods involving local government, community residents, banks and corporations. Later I worked for the Baltimore Development Corporation where I managed many projects in and around the famous Inner Harbor. One of my most satisfying projects was coordinating the development of Camden Yards Baseball Stadium on behalf of the City. It was my responsibility to convene mega meetings with all key stakeholders at the City to ensure all aspects of the City’s work was expedited.

I Applied Collaborative Methods in the Private Sector & Public Sector
I was later recruited by Ernst & Young in San Francisco to help IT companies become more productive by bringing groups of people from different departments together so they could leverage their knowledge and skills to get global IT systems up and running. This involved working with various cultures from around the world and creating effective teams to insure that new IT systems would continue to run smoothly. Even though it was about upgrading IT systems; it was really about the people.

I returned to Washington DC after the downturn in the California economy and continued to consult with IT organizations within the federal government. I discovered that the issues that were present in the private sector were also present in the public sector; trust issues, turf issues, inconsistent communications, lack of clear vision and projects that did not align with organizational goals; just to name a few. In short there was little difference between the how the public and private sector functioned.

My Key Learning: Regardless of the setting, people in organizations struggle with the same issues. They continue to work in “silos” and often don’t realize that their work impacts others. It has become imperative that we see our inter-connectedness in communities, in organizations and in the world, if we are to create a positive future.

My Goal: To join with others of like mind to create a synergy that can mobilize amazing results beyond our wildest dreams. I offer the Interactive Strategic Change model as a way to promote interconnectedness, the art of the story, and business process best practices to enterprises seeking to make a positive contribution to the planet.

Education:

• MBA; Loyola College; Baltimore, MD

• Masters Public Administration; San Diego State University

• BA Political Science and Speech Communication; San Diego State University

Certifications:

• Appreciative Inquiry Certificate in Positive and Business Change; Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio

• Project Management Professional, Project Management Institute

• CMMI Certificate; Software Engineering Institute

• Advanced Facilitator Training, Interactions Associates, Boston

• Organizational Change Management, Organizational Design Research, Atlanta, GA