Since coalition work involves working with people, there will always be conflict. 🙂 Conflict can be helpful, healthy and can aid the coalition in making better collective decisions. Unresolved conflict can be very destructive to a coalition and can erode trust and engagement. Conflict may be related to coalition decision-making, priority setting or among member […]
Partnership Pitfall #10: Unresolved conflict Read More »
One of the best ways to energize your coalition toward collective action is to identify passionate champions who can provide leadership, inspiration and energy to accomplish the collective goals and objectives. Sometimes, these passionate champions can be very loud and insistent on their way. If “their way” aligns well with the coalition interest overall, that
Partnership Pitfall #9: Letting the loudest voices get their way Read More »
When we are leading a coalition, we can feel like we are always talking about what we are doing and can sometimes start to think that everyone else knows what we are doing too. 🙂 Even though we can be easily overwhelmed by emails, if there is infrequent and only occasional communication with only a
Partnership Pitfall #8: Under communicating Read More »
As a coalition, it can be easy to be overcommitted (which we talked about as our Partnership Pitfall #2). A related pitfall happens when we communicate to our partners and stakeholders that we can do more than we can actually do. In our enthusiasm (and sometimes our people-pleasing tendencies), we can communicate unrealistic expectations and
Partnership Pitfall #7: Overselling and Under delivering Read More »
This week’s pitfall is connected to last week’s post on self interest vs. group interest. If you have ever struggled with which logos to put on a document or whose name goes first on a document, you have likely experienced the challenge of “sharing credit.” If specific organizations attempt to take credit for the coalition’s
Partnership Pitfall #6: Taking credit vs. sharing credit Read More »
Happy Thanksgiving! This week’s post can apply to our coalition work and our family dynamics as well. 🙂 Coalition building is all about finding “win-win” opportunities for your coalition members and the coalition’s purpose. In order to attract organizations to be part of a coalition, there need to be clear benefits for each organization to
Partnership Pitfall #5: Self interest vs. Group Interest Read More »
When leading coalitions and partnerships, sometimes getting groups of people to work together happens fairly easily and other times it seems impossible. Since our coalitions and partnerships involve passionate people with different perspectives and personalities working together, there are many potential barriers, obstacles or challenges that may prevent us successfully working together. As a coalition
10 Partnership Pitfalls Read More »
During times of change, it can be easy to live in a “reactive” state. When we lead coalitions and partnerships, it can be easy to think that we always have to be reactive and ready to respond to anyone and everyone’s requests as soon as possible. This can be particularly true if you are
Change: Now is the time to create your “ideal week” Read More »
How often do you feel overwhelmed? Is it daily, weekly or only occasionally? When we are working with partners and coalitions, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all that needs to be done in order to successfully work together well. In this season of tremendous change, increased needs, reduced funding and continued uncertainty, it is
Change: I’m done with being overwhelmed Read More »
As we are continuing to adapt and adjust to change, one of the most frustrating aspects of change is when we have a plan and that plan gets interrupted, changed or completely revised. My mom recently gave my daughter an old Weekly Reader book “Frog and Toad Together” and the first story is about Toad
Change: That wasn’t part of my plan! Read More »