The Gift of Generous Listening

A few days ago I received the gift of generous listening from a friend and colleague. It changed my perspective and lifted me out of the winter blues. She listened to my concerns without judging or trying to fix anything. She acknowledged me in a way that left me feeling valued and believing that my contributions make a difference. Our conversation reminded me that generous listening can change lives.

Generous listening is more than a skill, and it is much more than hearing what someone is saying. It is a way of being when you are interacting with others. Generous listening starts from a place of fully valuing people and a commitment to understand what is important to them. Generous listening can transform relationships at work, in families or in interactions anywhere. When we are the listeners, our lives our enriched, because it allows us to be fully value the people around us.

Creating a generous frame of mind - Generous listening is easiest with the people we get along with and most difficult when there is tension in the relationship. If there are thoughts and feelings that get in the way of generous listening with others, start by acknowledging those and letting go of them. Acknowledge and focus on what you value about them and what is possible. Listen and engage with them from that perspective.

For example, one Executive Director was discouraged because he believed that his board members were being unsupportive of staff when they questioned some of his recommendations. From this, he formed a judgment that the board members were unsupportive and uncaring. When he let go of this judgment and recognized the board members' need to contribute, it allowed him to come from a place of generosity in his interactions with them. He could then "hear" the positive intention behind their questions and concerns and see them as coming from a supportive place.

Guidelines for Generous Listening

1. Be present. Let go of the "to do" list and other distractions. Turn down the volume on the voice inside your head and be fully present with the person or people you are interacting with. If you are like me, you may have a habit of multi-tasking or side conversations in your head when engaging with others. If we learn to value being present with others as much as we value "getting things done", we can then be more intentional and learn to be present.

2. Let go of fixing, judging and defending. Don't assume that people want advice or that there is anything to be fixed. If they are sharing something that is challenging to them, resist the temptation to jump in to problem-solve. If you notice yourself making judgments, recognize them and let go of them. And, if you become defensive, take a deep breath and listen to what is being communicated. We are conditioned to be caretakers, problem-solvers and to defend ourselves. It takes a conscious effort to let go of these patterns.

3. Listen with full attention and interest. Focus on understanding the thoughts, concerns, needs and experiences that are being expressed. Let the speaker tell their entire story or complete their thought without interjecting your own. Give the speaker the gift of being fully heard. If appropriate, reflect back what you hear, so that they know that they are heard.

4. Listen deeply. Listen for the underlying feelings and needs and acknowledge them. Are there feelings that haven't been acknowledged or expressed? Is there a need that is being met or not being met? For example, tensions between staff members often come from unmet needs to feel valued and respected. Feelings of joy often come when needs for contribution and community are met. Listening with empathy is listening to these feelings and needs and allows for deeper understanding and connection.

5. Listen for possibility and opportunity. Generous listening allows us to become present to possibilities and opportunities that we may not have otherwise seen. For example, a supervisor shared frustrations in working with a staff member who was not meeting her expectations. She recognized her own feelings of inadequacy as a supervisor. Through conversation, she began to see possibilities for transforming her view of herself as a leader with something valuable to contribute and her view of the staff member as someone who was open to learning. Her view of the situation also shifted to one of possibility.

In conclusion, generous listening can transform how we view the people around us and how we see our lives. It can open up possibility that we didn't see. It can create workplace relationships where people are truly heard, understood and valued. Today, I am starting an experiment to practice generous listening with as many people as possible. I encourage you to do the same and welcome your stories about what happens!

For more information about my work, see my website or read past commentaries on my blog.

Note to readers: I hope you enjoyed reading my e-news. If you find this information useful and want to share it with others for purposes of learning (not for profit), please feel free to do so. Please acknowledge Mayeno Consulting and include my web address (www.mayenoconsulting.com) if you pass it on to others. Thanks!

Finding Freedom from Self-Limiting Mindsets

Recently, while facilitating a workshop, I handled a participant's question in a way that was experienced negatively by the participant and others in the group. My immediate reaction was that I had really blown it, harmed another person, ruined my credibility and damaged trust. My fall blog is about making a difference by choosing our "mindset" in responding to our circumstances. In this situation, I wished I could turn back time and have a second chance at answering the question. I could not change what had already happened, but I did have a choice in how to respond.

So, how did I respond? I chose to trust myself and the group to be able to work together and learn from the interaction. I chose to stop the conversation to address what had happened. With the group, I used the interaction as an opportunity to practice the communication skills we were learning. I practiced being accountable for the impact my actions had on the participant, while modeling "being human". The group engaged in an honest and supportive conversation where everyone learned, trust was built and human connections were made. This interaction gave the group a "live" case example to demonstrate how we can shift our mindsets on a challenging situation to create opportunities for learning and growth.

In a reactive mindset, we tend to tolerate or survive our circumstances without experiencing freedom or choice. By shifting our mindsets, we can respond to challenging circumstances with greater freedom. We are no longer victims or villains, but have the power to create and shape our realities. This leadership competency can be developed through practice and can make a huge difference in quality of our lives, our personal and professional relationships and our work.

Here's another example about shifting mindsets on an organizational level. The staff in XYZ Community Center worked long hours to serve clients with significant health challenges and limited access to support services. They worked closely with these clients in a very vulnerable and challenging time of their lives. The organization's work patterns did not include time for staff members to process their emotions or get support from each other. At a staff retreat, some staff members said they felt isolated, unsupported and burned out. Together they identified a need for self-care, but recognized that they would not change their organizational patterns unless they examined their underlying mindset.

The staff then explored the self-limiting beliefs that get in the way of self-care. For example, many had been socialized to believe that caring for others was more important than self-care. Self-care was considered "selfish". Another underlying belief was that that people who work in non-profit environments must be self-sacrificing. People thought that they would be frowned upon for setting boundaries and saying "no" when a client needed support. The staff members recognized that these mindsets were learned and were not "the truth". In this story, staff members were martyrs and victims of bad circumstances, with no choices and no support. By holding on to this mindset as if it were "the truth", they were limiting their ability to respond proactively to their circumstances. They also realized that they had a choice - to let go of the mindset and create a new one that worked better for them.

They chose to reframe "self-care" as an issue of sustainability for the staff and the organization. They also reframed the ways in which they looked at the clients and their services to them. Rather than seeing their clients as needing constant support, they recognized that they were capable people and would be able to manage if the staff was not constantly available to them. With the support of the board, they made some structural changes to their work schedules so that they would have more down time. They also built in opportunities for staff to get support. This shift required adopting a mindset that investing in the wellbeing of staff was an investment in the wellbeing of the organization and the people it served. In the new story, the staff members were active agents in creating their circumstances, surrounded by supportive colleagues and capable clients.

Mindsets aren't inherent. They are learned. Our mindsets can keep us trapped in patterns that don't work for us. Mindsets can be held by individuals or by an entire group. When we separate our viewpoints from the circumstance, we can create a different mindset or viewpoint that allow us to break free of old patterns and create new ones. The following are steps that can be used in transforming mindsets:

1. Tell the story about the challenge you are facing. Write it down and tell it to another person or discuss it within the group. Include your story about the circumstances, yourself and others.

2. Separate your viewpoint from circumstances. Acknowledge what is real and what is the mindset or reaction to the circumstances. Underline or circle the circumstances that you don't control. Acknowledge that everything else is your viewpoint and that you have a choice to hold on to it or let go of it.

3. Acknowledge the impact that of your mindset. Is it self-limiting? Does it cause suffering or loss of power? Do you feel stuck, lacking choices? Are you in a reactive mode, rather than responding to the circumstances?

4. Acknowledge any resistance to giving up the mindset. Is there a need you are meeting by holding on the mindset? If so, honor that need and explore ways to get it addressed. Address the roots of that resistance and make a choice. If you choose to hold on to the mindset, don't make yourself wrong. It's your choice.

5. Create and try on different viewpoints. You may want to try on a number of different viewpoints or mindsets until you find one that resonates for you or the group. Create a new viewpoint about the circumstances, yourself and others.

6. Communicate/share with others in a way that moves and inspires you. As you share with others, you fortify your own shift in mindset and create openings for others to shift theirs as well.

7. Identify and take actions based on your new viewpoint. Notice any difference in how your circumstances occur to you. Continue to share with others.

8. Repeat the steps in the process any time you feel "stuck" are suffering in your circumstances. Stay connected to others for support and keep channels of communication open.

In conclusion, it is not our circumstances that cause suffering or joy. It is the viewpoints we hold toward them. We have a choice about our viewpoints and can build our individual and collective capacity to choose viewpoints that empower us. In a reactive mindset we tend to tolerate or survive our circumstances and experience little freedom or choice.

For more information about my work, see my website or read past commentaries on my blog.

Note to readers: I hope you enjoyed reading my e-news. If you find this information useful and want to share it with others for purposes of learning (not for profit), please feel free to do so. Please acknowledge Mayeno Consulting and include my web address (www.mayenoconsulting.com) if you pass it on to others. Thanks!

When Expectations Aren't Met: Responsive Employee Feedback

Greetings and Happy Summer!

Recently, several people have asked for training or support for supervisors on giving feedback to employees. My summer blog shares some ideas and principles that I have found to be valuable in responding when employees don't meet expectations. While the focus is on feedback from supervisors to employees, the principles apply in other situations. Rick Bowers, Mediation Consultants, LLC, shared valuable insights and wisdom that made this article possible. Your feedback is welcome!

Laurin Mayeno
Mayeno Consulting

When Expectations Aren't Met: Responsive Employee Feedback

If you've ever dreaded giving feedback to an employee who has not met an expectation, you are not alone. The case scenario below will be used to introduce an approach based on principles of transformation and Nonviolent Communication. This approach is responsive, because it enables both parties involved to respond to needs in a proactive and supportive manner.

Alex was responsible for organizing a community celebration. Staff and volunteers were expected to assist with the different tasks on the day of the event. Jayden is Alex's supervisor. A few weeks before the event, Jayden asked Alex to develop an assignment list. On the day of the event, Jayden noticed that there was no written assignment list and that guests started to arrive before the registration table and food were set up. Jayden wanted to give Alex some feedback, but was dreading it and feared that it wouldn't go well.

Feedback Mindset - Feedback is often viewed in an either-or, positive-negative dichotomy. If we're not giving praise, we are giving negative feedback, which is often laced with judgment and blame. Alex's work did not meet Jayden’s expectations, and Jayden’s mindset was that both the feedback and the process of delivering it must therefore be negative. This mindset stems from a larger culture that exists in many organizations. In this culture, feedback is often viewed as a way for dominant supervisors to assert their authority over subordinate employees and correct bad behavior. In this mindset, the supervisor is the judge and the employee is being judged. Needless to say, this approach fosters defensiveness and tends to close down communication.

Rather than acting as a judge, Jayden chose to engage Alex based on their mutual commitment to meeting goals and needs. When Jayden made a shift in mindset, Jayden began to think of feedback as an opportunity to open up communication, rather than shut it down. The chart below shows the contrast between the judgmental mindset and the responsive mindset that Jayden chose.

Feedback Mindsets
Judgmental	Responsive
Good/Bad, Positive/Negative Criticism/Praise	Works/Doesn't work or could work better. Meets goals and needs/Doesn't meet goals needs
Supervisor correcting employee	Connecting based on mutual commitment to meeting goals and needs
A necessary, but unpleasant task	An opportunity for connection, mutual understanding, growth and exploration

Workability - Rather than feedback consisting of judgments of good or bad, we can ask questions such as: "What worked? ", "What didn't work?" and "What could work better?" This way of thinking brings the focus to the work and removes connotations of right and wrong.

Needs - In addition to defined goals, there are often underlying needs that people have. Universal human needs (from Nonviolent Communication) are deemed "universal" because they are needs that everyone has, such as autonomy, contribution, purpose, support, trust and understanding. When people have needs, they are not only for themselves. For example, both a supervisor and an employee may have needs for partnership, harmony and effectiveness on the team. When we are aware of our own needs and can understand the needs of others, we can then find ways to respond to those needs. When we acknowledge and communicate our needs, there's a special type of connection that allows natural giving to occur. As a supervisor, Jayden can also acknowledge what Alex's needs might be. For example, Alex may have a need for autonomy or flexibility.

Generosity - Another crucial element of feedback is our mindset towards our selves and others. If we harbor resentments or guilt, our feedback is more likely to be laced with blame and judgment. Self-reflection allows us to acknowledge those feelings and the needs underlying them. With practice, we can also move to a space of compassion and generosity for our selves and others.

Self-reflection on Mindset - Following is a tool that supervisors can use for self-reflection before giving feedback. This tool is designed to support supervisors in creating a mindset for responsive feedback. Here are some questions for self-reflection with examples from Jayden’s case scenario.

Questions for Self-Reflection	Jayden’s Reflections
What thoughts and feelings do I have about giving feedback?	I'm afraid that I will hurt Alex's feelings and make Alex mad. I don't want to come across over-controlling and picky. I don't want to damage relationships. I don't like receiving "negative" feedback, so I don't see why Alex would like it.
What thoughts and feelings to I have about the person I am giving feedback to? Can I give feedback from a place of generosity and compassion?	Alex is a real flake and doesn't care about being organized. I am frustrated and mad. I would probably be judgmental and blaming if I tried to give feedback.
What needs of mine are most important in this situation? (Universal human needs or values, not specific strategies)	I have a need for trust. I also have a need for collaboration and a need for harmony.
What opportunity or gift is there in giving this feedback?	I can practice being non-judgmental, while also being direct. I can connect with and learn from Alex. I can discover Alex's needs and strategies to meet both of our needs.
Are there any shifts I can/will make in my mindset so that I can give feedback from a place of generosity?	I can let go of judgments and appreciate Alex's commitment and dedication to the community. I can also let go of my fears relate to myself and Alex as people who are capable of hearing, understanding and responding to feedback.
What is my intention in giving feedback?	On reflection, I see that my intention was to blame Alex and control Alex's behavior. I now want to support Alex, mutually explore how to meet needs, and strengthen our working relationship.

Elements of Responsive Feedback

The following are some elements can be used when giving responsive feedback. These elements are the same whether they are in response expectations that were met or not met. Using this approach to feedback may not feel natural at first, because it is a shift from long standing communication patterns. Real life interactions call for flexibility in using these elements, rather than a linear, step-by-step process.

Element	Jayden’s Feedback
Clarify your intent. Frame the conversation so that the employee is clear on your intention and mindset.	I'd like to give you some feedback about the planning for our event and what is important from my perspective. I'd also like to hear your perspective about how we can strengthen our teamwork and ways that I can support you in coordinating events.
State your observation of what the employee did/didn't do. Be specific. Focus on what happened, not on your interpretation of what happened.	I didn't see any written assignments for staff or volunteers at the event. I also noticed that the food and registrations tables weren't set up before guests started to arrive.
State why this matters. (Include the underlying needs.)	I had an expectation that you would have a plan for working with staff and volunteers. I'm concerned and have a need for trust that I can count on you to work effectively with staff and volunteers. I also have a need for collaboration and harmony among all of us.
Elicit the employee's perspective.	Would you tell me your feelings and thoughts about what I just shared?
Connect to the employee's needs.	What needs are important to you in this situation?
Develop Strategies. Explore ideas and make requests and/or commitments.	What ideas do you have for meeting both of our needs?
Identify follow-up steps. Review what was agreed upon and make specific commitments for any next steps.	We agreed: 1) To have a conversation with staff at the next meeting about ways to work together in planning events. 2) To have a check-in meeting one week prior to each event to review the plan for staff and volunteer assignments. 3) To check in again in a month to see if there are any other needs to be addressed.

In conclusion, a responsive approach to employee feedback involves a shift from a judgmental model to one where supervisor and employee connect based on a focus on workability and universal human needs. Practicing this approach requires flexibility and willingness to stretch beyond habitual patterns of interacting. The rewards may include stronger collaboration and effectiveness, more authentic connections and greater satisfaction for all members of the team. When practiced throughout an organization, responsive feedback can help build a transformed work environment where everyone is fully valued and contributing fully.

For more information about my work, see my website or read past commentaries on my blog.

Note to readers: I hope you enjoyed reading my e-news. If you find this information useful and want to share it with others for purposes of learning (not for profit), please feel free to do so. Please acknowledge Mayeno Consulting and include my web address (www.mayenoconsulting.com) if you pass it on to others. Thanks!

I invite you to e-mail me at laurin@mayenoconsulting.com with topics that come up in your work. As a special incentive, I will provide 3 hours of free consultation to organizations that send me topics or "Dear Laurin" letters that I use for future commentaries.

Transformation and Multicultural Organizational Development: What's the Connection?

Greetings and Happy Spring!

Today's blog was inspired by a conversation with a potential client. The potential client was grappling with how to support organizations that have already done some work around cultural competence and want to engage in multicultural transformation. I hope you enjoy reading and welcome your feedback!

How can leaders who want to build transformed, multicultural organizations conceptualize and approach this process? Many organizations have engaged in work to improve their services for diverse populations. Sometimes there are new programs in place, new staff hired and new policies. Often, individuals experience deep reflection and learning. This work sometimes, but not always, is transformative in nature. Today I discuss some key concepts and suggest steps for organizational leaders who want to transform their organizations.

What is a transformed multicultural organization? Transformation is distinct from incremental or discrete changes, which do not fundamentally impact an organization. Multicultural principles, such as commitment to equity and valuing socio-cultural similarities and differences, are embedded in all of domains of the organization. This includes the organization's mission, vision, programs and services, people, organizational culture and communication, policies and procedures, resources and infrastructure and engagement with community. A core element of a transformed multicultural organization is the capacity to engage, value and learn from diverse cultures and people. Multicultural transformation is not an end result, but an ongoing process.

Orientation toward Culture and Difference - An organization's mindset toward culture and difference is a determining factor in its approach to multiculturalism. If culture and difference are seen as problems to solve or specific issues to address, the process may be incremental or discrete. On the other hand, transformation occurs when culture and difference are valued as relevant throughout the organization's work.

Deficit to Opportunity - I often get called to work in organizations when they are stuck in conflict and don't know how to move forward. Sometimes, they are entrenched in a deficit-based approach focused on solving the "problem" of culture and difference. For example, problem-solving may focus on programs that lack the ability to serve different language or cultural groups. In such situations, staff often view cultural responsiveness as a burden; one more thing to add to their long to do list. When culture and difference are viewed as problems, people may be cast as victims and villains. There is often blame. shame, defensiveness or demoralization. One step in transforming the organization's approach is reframing the deficit orientation to one of opportunity.

A transformational approach does not ignore problems or challenges or side step the need for people to be heard. I have seen some of the greatest transformation come from acknowledging the tense and difficult situations and seeing the opportunities that can come from them. For example, an incident of staff insensitivity was reframed as an opportunity to clarify organizational expectations. A conflict was reframed as an opportunity to share and learn from different perspectives. A complaint from staff about inaction by management was reframed as an opportunity for managers to step beyond their comfort zone and develop new leadership skills. An underlying assumption in the transformed multicultural organization is valuing culture and difference and the real life experiences that happen in culturally diverse organizations.

Additive to Integrative - In an additive approach, an organization might hire culturally diverse staff and/or add on new services and programs to reach different populations, without integrating multiculturalism into other aspects of the organization. The mindset underlying this approach is that culture and difference only impact some communities and only comes into play in specific contexts. Often, in this approach, the people who work with "diversity" are marginalized in their organizations. They often perceive that other people in the organization, particularly those in management, don't understand their communities or the issues that they deal with.

In an integrative approach, multiculturalism is part of the lens through which all of the organization's work is viewed. The underlying assumption is that culture and difference impact all of the organization's work. Therefore, rather than relegating responsibility for being culturally responsive to a few "diverse" staff members, it is owned by the entire organization and embedded in multiple areas of work. In an integrative approach, multiculturalism is not limited to interactions between the organization and the population it serves, it is also germane to interactions internal to the organization. One crucial step in organizational transformation is establishing explicit values about multiculturalism and aligning key organizational players around those values.

Orientation toward People and Work - Another crucial aspect of transformation is in the view of and approach to people. Dominant organizational culture tends to treat people as "instruments" that perform tasks. Relationships are based upon performance of job function and people are viewed narrowly as task performers. The needs of individuals are often put aside in deference to the demands of the work. I have often heard from people in organizations I work with say that they feel undervalued and disempowered and don't have a voice. Non-managers often see managers as having all of the power. Those who are not in management roles are seen as subordinates with no real power.

In a transformed multicultural organization, people are seen and engaged as whole human beings and as agents of transformation. Each person has specific job responsibilities and is also valued for what they bring beyond their job description. Culturally diverse staff members, clients, community partners and volunteers are valued for the experiences and perspectives that they bring to the organization. For example, an administrative staff person may come from and live in a community being served by the organization. This person may have deep cultural knowledge and connections with key community institutions and leaders. There are opportunities for this staff member to share this knowledge and for organizational learning to take place.

As agents of transformation, staff members actively engage in sharing responsibility for creating open, collaborative patterns of communication. For example, many organizations I work with adopt guidelines for collaborative multicultural communication. These guidelines are utilized for staff meetings and people share responsibility for supporting each other to practicing them.

There is a culture of learning and a commitment to developing the leadership of both individuals and teams. The support of individuals is acknowledged as a crucial part of organizational sustainability. For example, one organization established support systems to enhance staff well-being in serving a highly distressed client population. This required that the organization transform its implicit view that "self-care" was low priority in contrast to serving clients. The transformed way of viewing people also extended to the organization's work with clients. Rather than viewing clients as helpless recipients of service, they were seen as whole human beings, capable of taking responsibility for their own lives. Another key element of multicultural transformation is defining the organization's orientation toward people and work and bringing its culture and practices into alignment with this orientation.

This article offers some ways to think about and approach multicultural organizational transformation. While it is not a blue-print for action, it suggests some steps that can be taken. These steps are not linear in nature and the different elements of transformation are interconnected. If you'd like to read more about MCOD, read Multicultural Organizational Development : A Resource for Health Equity or Multicultural Organizational Development in Nonprofit Organizations: Lessons from the Cultural Competence Learning Initiative.

For more information about my work, see my website or read past commentaries on my blog.

Note to readers: I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. If you find this information useful and want to share it with others for purposes of learning (not for profit), please feel free to do so. Please acknowledge Mayeno Consulting and include my web address (www.mayenoconsulting.com) if you pass it on to others. Thanks!

I invite you to e-mail me at laurin@mayenoconsulting.com with topics that come up in your work. As a special incentive, I will provide 3 hours of free consultation to organizations that send me "Dear Laurin" letters that I use for future commentaries.

Engaging Diverse Stakeholders in Coalitions

Dear Laurin: How do you engage diverse stakeholders fully in a coalition? There are some groups based in communities of color in our coalition, but they don't have the staffing to participate consistently. Sometimes decision-making is held up because representatives aren't at the meetings when decisions need to be made. Any advice? Michelle

Dear Michelle: Thanks for bringing up an important concern. Though you raise the topic in the context of work with coalitions, it is also relevant to other organizations seeking to engage diverse participants. An underlying issue at play is the historical marginalization of communities of color and other groups from civic discourse and decision-making. Many communities have experienced both institutional neglect and intentional efforts to undermine community power. As a result, many communities lack developed infrastructures or resources to participate in coalitions or initiatives. They are often sought out by numerous coalitions and initiatives to "represent" their communities. We offer the following principles, questions and pitfalls to avoid.

1. Be clear about what you want to achieve by engaging diverse stakeholders. Some of the reasons for including diverse communities may be to:

• Gain support and increase the impact and reach of the coalition
• Learn from diverse perspectives on the issues the coalition is set up to address
• Strengthen the voices of diverse communities in the community or policy change
• Build mutually beneficial relationships that can be sustained over time
• Strengthen leadership within the coalition so that it is more reflective of/responsive to diverse communities

It is useful to distinguish between the short-term goals of the coalition and long-term movement building goals. Long-term, the coalition may be interested in building a sustainable base of community power so that policies and decisions are community-responsive. Short-term, there may be a focus on a particular campaign or issue that requires involvement of as many communities as possible in order to achieve a "win".

Questions to explore:

• How does engaging diverse stakeholders fit into your goals?
• What do you hope to achieve in the short-term and long-term?

Pitfalls to avoid:

• Trying to engage people without clarity about why you want to engage them
• A tokenistic approach where you focus on "getting people to the table" without commitment to authentic partnership and learning

2. Invest in building relationships and trust. Recognize that long-term relationship building may be ultimately more important than the short-term goals of the coalition. Without building trust and shared ownership, community groups may feel used by the coalition to gain legitimacy or connections. Invest the time to talk with the groups you want to engage, understand them and learn about what they are committed to. Understand their strengths and what they bring to the community with their work. Explore how the coalition priorities intersect with their interests. Find out the best ways to engage them. For those who are already involved in the coalition, there may be opportunities to strengthen relationships based on common interests, authentic communication and mutual support. Be intentional about this relationship building in addition to the immediate tasks at hand.

Questions to explore:

• What types of relationships exists with and among the different stakeholders?
• What are different ways to strengthen those relationships and build trust?

Pitfalls to avoid:

• A narrow focus on "getting people to the table", rather than partnership building
• A paternalistic approach that doesn't recognize strengths
• Unwillingness to hear any feedback that isn't positive
• Overlooking the importance of relationship-building and focusing only on tasks
• Focusing prematurely on the formal structure of the relationships

3. Recognize and work with different agendas and interests. Part of authenticity in partnerships is being transparent about interests. Usually, the organizations involved at a core level of a coalition have chosen to be involved because it helps them further their own goals. They may already be working on the issue and find added value in coming together with others. It is important for the core groups in the organization to be honest about their interests and how much they are willing to share power, resources and control.

The coalition agenda may or may not be a priority for the organizations you seek to engage. In other words, they may or may not have a stake in what the coalition is doing. Smaller organizations may be supportive of the coalition, but have other priorities, such as building their basic infrastructure and constituency. Recognize where the interests coalesce and where there is a common agenda. Recognize also the different agendas that drive participation/non-participation in the coalition.

Questions to explore:

• What are the priorities of the different stakeholders you wish to engage?
• What are the common interests?
• Can involvement in the coalition add value for their work or help them achieve their goals?
• Do the agendas of the dominant groups within the coalition get in the way?

Pitfalls to avoid:

• Assuming that the coalition issue should be a priority for everyone or that people who don't engage are apathetic.
• Allowing agendas of one or a few groups to dominate the coalition.

4. Explore different strategies for engaging communities. There are different ways to engage people and membership in the coalition may not be the best approach. Explore ways to involve people, depending upon your goals. Some coalitions have different levels of membership or ways for non-members to participate. If your goal is to be more informed by different perspectives, consider engaging people who don't have time to come to regular meetings as advisors. Key informant interviews could be a way to elicit their input. You may want to start with networking and gradually build towards more formal relationships, sharing of resources and decision-making. If your goal is to build community leadership, consider a community organizing approach. You may also want to consider a hybrid between coalition building and community organizing.

Questions to explore:

• What are the best strategies and structures to reach your goals for engaging different stakeholders?
• Are there other strategies, beyond coalition-building that might meet your needs?

Pitfalls to avoid:

• Structuring the coalition in a way the makes it difficult for groups with fewer resources to participate
• Restricting engagement strategies to coalition building

5. Build an inclusive coalition culture. As you're working towards bringing new leadership into the coalition, recognize that capacity building may be in order for the existing leadership. The coalition may have developed a culture or way of doing things that is not welcoming or inclusive to people from different backgrounds or with different languages. Get past the habitual ways that the dominant culture runs meetings and normalize diversity in how meetings are run. The best way to determine what would work is by learning from the communities you wish to engage. Consider the way the agenda is structured, as well as the timing and location of meetings. Training in cultural humility and/or multicultural communication may help participants understand their own cultural lens for viewing the work and be able to listen and engage with people with different perspectives and experiences.

Questions to explore:

• Are there barriers to participation built in to the way the coalition is structured or how it conducts business?
• What type of coalition culture would be most welcoming and inclusive to diverse groups?

Pitfalls to avoid:

• Making assumptions about how to be inclusive without talking to the people you want to engage
• Attachment to the "right" way to do things, leaving no room for exploration

6. Acknowledge and address differences in power and resources. Effective work across difference requires acknowledging and addressing power dynamics and differences in resources. The more "mainstream" organizations with more resources may dominate the process by default because they are the ones with staff time and resources to contribute. There may also be an insider/outsider dynamic if there are groups that have a long history of working together and new groups that don't share that history. Sometimes the actual substantive discussions happen informally, outside of meetings and the result is disenfranchisement of the newcomers. Groups who are used to calling the shots and doing most of the work may be reluctant to share power or resources with others.

Smaller, less resourced groups are not without power. For example, organizations based in particular communities may have the power to legitimize the coalition or leverage relationships to a particular base of people. They may also hold the power to hold up the process, by being absent when key decisions are made.

Building trust, and being explicit about how decisions will be made and how resources will be used can be one way to address these dynamics. There may also be an option of allocating some resources to "level the playing field" such as supporting smaller organizations to build their infrastructures or providing them with funding and technical assistance to support their participation. Local and national coalitions and initiatives have used this strategy successfully, particularly when there are grant funds available to support coalition work.

Questions to explore:

• How do differences in power and resources impact the coalition and the partnerships between groups?
• What are workable ways to navigate those differences and share power?
• How can different groups in the coalition share their resources and strengths in a way that will benefit everyone?
• Are there ways to invest resources to build infrastructure and support the participation of groups that have fewer resources?

Pitfalls to avoid:

• Ignoring differences in power and resources and operating as if they don't exist.
• Undervaluing the strengths of groups that have fewer resources
• Bringing people to the table without sharing power
• Allowing any group or clique to dominate the coalition

In conclusion, effective coalition building is strongly rooted in an understanding of and sensitivity to the dynamics of power and the practice of cultural humility. We offer these insights and tips with the full recognition that building collaborative partnerships that truly honor diversity can be both challenging and rewarding. It calls organizations and individual staff to reflect honestly and communicate authentically about interests and commitments, culture and difference. These discussions are essential to building effective coalitions, powerful partnerships and responsive and inclusive policies and systems.

Laurin Mayeno, Mayeno Consulting
Galen Ellis, El-Askari Consulting

---

More Resources - Here are a few resources on coalition building that you might find helpful:
Developing Coalitions: An Eight-Step Guide, Prevention Institute
The Community Toolbox
Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Prevention Resources

---

For more information about my work, see my website or read past commentaries on my blog.

Note to readers: I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. If you find this information useful and want to share it with others for purposes of learning (not for profit), please feel free to do so. Please acknowledge Mayeno Consulting and include my web address (www.mayenoconsulting.com) if you pass it on to others. Thanks!

I invite you to e-mail me at laurin@mayenoconsulting.com with topics that come up in your work. As a special incentive, I will provide 3 hours of free consultation to organizations that send me "Dear Laurin" letters that I use for future commentaries.