Step Five: Broaden Engagement to Ensure Consensus
Basically, it's asking a wider group of participants: ‘Did We Get It Right?’ And, if we did, how can we work together to make it happen? If we didn’t, what’s missing? The focus here is on qualifying the impact and relevance of the initiatives being suggested and their potential scope as well as their cost and timing.
A useful metaphor is to think of this as it relates to pouring concrete. The smaller Collaboration Convenors team have built a frame to contain the cement. However, the cement is still wet enough that when participants and other organizations are invited to be part of the next step, they are able to ‘write’ their own ideas in it, thereby building the ownership and motivation for the engagement that will make it a reality.
In other words, the broader group of participants will be involved in designing the details of the direction, recommendations, and implementation of the plan. Because stakeholders are involved at this stage, they are more likely to ‘buy in’ and make the future direction their own.
Engaging others will lead to staff, volunteers, organizations, businesses, and other partners working together. It will also facilitate the potential for more partnerships and collaboration between individuals, organizations, funders, and businesses.
This step will typically require a larger scale gathering(s) that can be planned using a variety of different facilitative techniques that will empower participants and allow their voices to be heard.
Tools for Broadening Engagement to Ensure Consensus
We empower communities by supporting capacity for a whole-community, sector-connected approach to social, economic, and environmental well-being.
Individual and organizational future-readiness is supported increasing capacity for (1) community and stakeholder-led development, (2) systems-practices, (3) strategic foresight, and (4) digital optimization. We've learned these four components are necessary for the project and systems collaboration and informed decision-making we have experienced as being essential for transformative change and innovation.
Innovative projects require being bold, perseverance, tenacity and a sprinkle of panic.
-- Michelle Baldwin
Many situations in life are similar to going on a hike: the view changes once you start walking. You don't need all the answers right now. New paths will reveal themselves if you have the courage to get started.
--James Clear
Leadership today is about courage. Courage to realize our challenges are complex and no one individual, organization, or sector can resolve them on their own. That means we have to let go of the idea that we alone have the answers. Instead, we need to strengthen our individual and organizational competencies in order to become sector connectors who call meetings before we have the answers, aren't intimidated by messy, and can ensure a culture where all voices are heard. Only then, can our collective gifts, experience, and wisdom be focused on building a better future for all.
--Brenda Herchmer
In times of change it is the learners who inherit the future. Those who have finished learning find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.
-- Eric Hoffer
