Part One: We’re better together: Collaborating during and post-COVID
Event Details
Among the many lessons from our current world situation, COVID has re-affirmed that extensive collaboration is not only possible, but essential for solving complex problems. Consider, for instance, the efforts of different levels of government working together or scientists dropping their competitive mindsets to work together to find a vaccine for COVID-19. As ENGOs, we’ve often worked with other ENGOs, but not necessarily far beyond that.
The time is now to work together as never before. We need expertise from many perspectives, and new and non-traditional partners to appropriately adjust our pre-COVID course (the right “people”). We must, as many have said for ages, “get out of our silos” and have a bigger view of the elements of the system and their interconnections (shared “purpose”). And, we must work together in civil, respectful and co-creative ways (good process).
This series of webinars will provide a structure for working together. If you’re experienced at collaboration, it will reinforce good practice and help you add a tool or two to your toolkit. If you’re new to thinking about collaboration and working together, you’ll have a framework for getting started (people-purpose-process) and an understanding of essential factors to consider.
In addition to the framework, we’ll look at special considerations for working together on-line, as well as explore common challenges and how to manage them. As a result of participating in these webinars you will:
– Increase your understanding of the three essential elements of collaboration
– Have tools to guide you in assessing each element (people, purpose, process)
– Be able to define “give-get” thinking
– Expand your thinking about potential partners
– Learn possible solutions to address some common pitfalls in collaborative efforts
– Be able to name at least one specific consideration for on-line collaborative efforts
Register for all 3 sessions
Cost: $99
Includes access to a recording (same day) of each workshop and presentation slides so you can catch up even if you have to miss a live session or simply review material at your leisure. Please note, all registrants will receive a confirmation email from Eventbrite and a link to join the Zoom Meeting.
Session 1: Thursday, October 15th from 1:00-2:15 PM ET
After a segment on why we should work together, we’ll introduce the framework ? “people-purpose-process” – all essential ingredients of working together/collaborating/partnering.
After that, we’ll take a deeper look at the element of ‘purpose’. What is it? Why should we care? What are ingredients for powerful purpose?
Participants will leave this session with:
– A context for the types of collaboration we’re talking about
– An overview of the three element framework of collaboration
– A description of the notion of “purpose” including examples of good and poor purposes
– An overview of common mistakes regarding “purpose”
– Increased awareness of implications for “purpose” when we’re working on line
Session 2: Thursday, October 22nd from 1:00-2:15 PM ET
Intertwined with ‘purpose’ is the notion of the ‘people’ i.e., who should be involved in your effort to work together. As it’s impossible to figure out a shared, committed-to ‘purpose’ without having ‘people’ defined, now we’ll explore the element of ‘people.’ Who should we collaborate with? What makes a good partner? What are common challenges?
And, once we’ve looked at both ‘purpose’ and ‘people’ we cover the concept of “WIFFM” and make sure it’s on your radar as you proceed.
Participants will leave this session with:
– A refresher on the three element framework
– A description of the “people” aspect of the framework
– An exploration of kinds of partners ENGOs can stretch to
– A list of desired personal characteristics of potential collaborators
– Increased awareness of implications for choosing and working with partners on-line
Session 3: Thursday, October 29th from 1:00-2:15 PM ET
‘Process,’ or how we work together, underlies ‘people’ and ‘purpose.’ Yet, over the years, I’ve seen groups and organizations often jump to ‘process,’ sometimes called “governance” or “work structure,” without sorting out why they’ve come together in the first place or who should be at the table. So, we explore “process” last. We’ll look at options for working together and the pros and cons of those different choices.
Participants will leave this session with:
– An understanding of what is “process” and how it links with “purpose” and “people”
– A typology of potential structural arrangements
– Examples of effective ground rules
– Increased understanding of common challenges with setting up effective “process” and potential ways to manage them.
