EXPLORING AND ENGAGING

CREATE RESONANCE

In the context of both formal and informal exchanges, the initiators of a collaboration process clarify the interest, commitment and participation of potential stakeholders. During this exchange process, the idea or the planned course of action becomes clearer. In informal bilateral conversations, the initiators can help to clarify the different possibilities for change and test for resonance with the relevant actors. This way, the common goal becomes clearer and is further developed with the help of stakeholder feedback.

UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT

Transformative change initiatives can only become successful, if the context is well understood. This includes a stakeholder analysis, a conflict mapping and a situation analysis. Beyond the important facts and figures it is crucial to understand formal and informal structures that have led to the current situation. Moreover, it is important to examine which attempts to tackle a challenge or solve a problem already exist or how structures and behaviors are impeding the envisaged transformative change process.

BUILD A CONTAINER FOR CHANGE

Transformative change needs people who see collaboration and dialogue as an important resource and who are capable of implementing it. Building a good Container for change consists of creating a small core group (between two and six people) made up of a few dedicated key stakeholders. This is a microcosm of the larger stakeholder system you want to shift into a functional collaboration ecosystem. The role of the container is to hold the process and ensure engagement, collaboration and dialogue of all participating stakeholders in a reliable way. Often supported by a project secretariat, its task is to keep the process on track.

Possible ways to CREATE RESONANCE:

Establish trusting relationships with potential partners.
Acknowledge people’s expertise or viewpoints of the current situation.
Facilitate a joint thought process towards a mutual goal and create brainstorming opportunities about possible implementation.
Clarify the idea for transformative change in bilateral or small group dialogue with stakeholders.
Acknowledge and understand the different interests of stakeholders and their institutions.
Engage stakeholders in inspiring and future oriented conversations.
Test the resonance for a collaborative approach.
Create opportunities for conversations that matter.
Begin to knit a network of people interested in transformative change.
Engage the support of potential high level actors through empowering and future oriented conversations.

Guiding questions:

Who shares the common goal?
Which important stakeholders can support our cause?
What makes our cause attractive for the different actors?
Where is there already energy/willingness for change?
With whom do we need to speak?
Who can help to clarify goals and possible implementations?
How can we build trust?

How to bring the Collective Leadership Compass to life while creating resonance?

Acknowledging how people see the current situation is the basis for engaging in empowering future oriented conversations.

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Possible ways to UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT:

Conduct a stakeholder analysis and identify interested and influential key stakeholders.
Benchmark similar attempts to tackle the challenge in other sectors, countries or subject areas.
Conduct technical studies or thematic situational analyses and make them meaningful to potential stakeholders by sharing and discussing the results.
Find out how the collaboration initiative can be integrated into existing structures or processes, and plan the change complementary to other existing initiatives.
Map potential conflicts and identify power differences and patterns.
Identify advocacy or capacity building needs for weaker stakeholders.
Identify information gaps for powerful stakeholders.
Clarify the need for high-level support.
Ensure collaboration competency building for all potential stakeholders.

Guiding questions:

Which stakeholders do we need to involve?
What do we need to know about the current situation and about future events?
Which partners do we need to ensure the success of our cause?
Who has influence in the outcome of our initiative, and how can we influence them?
Are there existing best practices that we can adopt?
Do we have to do any research on the issue?
Who do we have to talk to in order to complete our understanding of the overall system?
What do we know about experiences in similar situations?
What are the potential difficulties?
How can we support weaker stakeholders?

How to bring the Collective Leadership Compass to life while UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT?

Understanding the context is much more than doing studies and conducting a stakeholder analysis.

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Possible ways to BUILD A CONTAINER FOR CHANGE:

Build a core group of stakeholders that are both influential and interested.
If you don’t have enough influential and interested stakeholders: strengthen interested, but weaker stakeholders first, create resonance for change with more powerful stakeholders.
If need be, work with different containers first: foe example, create a container among public sector stakeholders, one among communities or producers, and another among private sector actors – then gradually bring them together.
Keep high level actors engaged throughout and commit them for a move into phase 2.
Lookout for energy and creativity – this is what you need to build on.
Make sure the container (core group) is building trusting relationships and can have fun together.
Ensure regular meetings of the container (core group) and facilitate an emerging goal clarity and implementation strategy.

Guiding questions:

Which actors do we need at the beginning of the transformative change initiative?
Who are the people who can drive change?
Which actors represent the larger system?
What setting for the first meeting will enhance stakeholders’ commitment and process ownership?
What needs to be discussed during the first meeting?
What could compel the actors to support the transformative change?

How to bring the Collective Leadership Compass to life while BUILDING A CONTAINER FOR CHANGE?

Building a container for change is a microcosm of the collaboration ecosystem that will eventually deliver the transformative change.

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The Dialogic Change Model

Invigorating Collective Leadership in the result-oriented, structured planning of collaborative change

EXPLORING AND ENGAGING

CREATE RESONANCE

UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT

BUILD A CONTAINER FOR CHANGE

Possible ways to CREATE RESONANCE:

Guiding questions:

How to bring the Collective Leadership Compass to life while creating resonance?

Phase 1 is the foundation for transformative change. All subsequent phases depend on the quality of the emerging collaboration pattern.

Possible ways to UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT:

Guiding questions:

How to bring the Collective Leadership Compass to life while UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT?

Phase 1 is the foundation for transformative change. All subsequent phases depend on the quality of the emerging collaboration pattern.

Possible ways to BUILD A CONTAINER FOR CHANGE:

Guiding questions:

How to bring the Collective Leadership Compass to life while BUILDING A CONTAINER FOR CHANGE?

Phase 1 is the foundation for transformative change. All subsequent phases depend on the quality of the emerging collaboration pattern.