Boundaries

In our coalition work and other domains of life, our culture supports constant productivity but doesn’t praise or support rest (or play). We also struggle with having enough margin in our lives to rest when we face the unexpected. When we are constantly focused on checking one more thing off of our to-do list and […]

The word evaluation can elicit excitement, curiosity, confusion and dread. When working with coalitions, evaluation is a necessary part of the work, but the way we do evaluation varies considerably depending upon the experience of the coalition leaders, resources available, requirements from funders, and interests of the coalition. Join me this week as I provide

The reason many people join a coalition or get involved in a partnership is because they want to do something to make a difference in a cause or topic they want to support. While the organization they work for may be sending them to the coalition, the reason they work for the like-minded organization is

One of the most important and challenging aspects of coalition work – and sometimes life – is prioritizing. When leading a coalition, you can see all the needs and all the opportunities. There is always more to do than you have time, resources or partners who can do it. I remember the first coalition I

Coalitions are often under-funded and under-resourced to accomplish the lofty health, environmental or social goals that align with their purpose. An important role of the coalition is to find ways to catalyze and combine efforts so that collectively the coalition can accomplish much more than could be done by any one organization working independently. In

Engagement is one of the most critical components of coalition work and it can also be one of the most challenging. With our busy and overwhelming schedules, finding ways to intentionally and successfully engage our coalition is incredibly important. When I first began leading coalitions, engagement primarily happened through in-person meetings and email communication. Now,

One of the first and ongoing coalition activities is planning. Whether you are working on a strategic plan, an action plan or an upcoming meeting plan, you are constantly planning something. When you are considering hiring for a coalition position, you need them to be great with people and skilled at planning. As you are

Coalitions focus on different topics, causes and are often related to improving a health or social outcome. They focus on achieving results that can only happen when people work together rather than on their own. While this may appear clear, simple and straightforward, the real impact happens when the coalition takes action together. And what

Have you ever been in a coalition where you were not sure why you were there or what you were going to do? Have you been in a coalition that was clearly focused and seemed to be functioning smoothly? Coalitions, like other groups (think Tuckman’s stages of group development) have stages of development. And the

In the public health world, the word “coalition” is pretty common. When I try to describe my work to others, I often get confused looks and questions about what I mean by “coalition.” Without realizing it, many of us may be involved in coalitions but we don’t necessarily call them  “coalitions.” If you have ever