Collaboration can be challenging work. We convene colleagues together and try to work collaboratively, often providing only limited support and resources to move the collective effort forward. It is no wonder that the experience of collaboration can be frustrating.
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Six years ago, Palm Health Foundation made a risky decision. Dissatisfied with the short-term gains of responsive grantmaking, the foundation launched the Healthier Together initiative in an effort to forge a deeper connection to community through the social determinants of health. With no roadmap to follow, the foundation granted $1 million to six communities and asked residents to lead the way in creating lasting, systemic, transformative change.
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It’s not yet Winter in Canada, and yet many of us feel frozen. We are six months into the COVID pandemic and things have shifted. We have moved into remote work environments, shifted how we do business, are spending a great deal of time in zoom meetings. But now, as the pandemic moves into its second wave, and the future looks blurry, if not completely opaque - we are frozen.
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The last few months have challenged many of us working for community change. There has been a rapid succession of disruptions to organizations and communities which include responding to a pandemic; moving into virtual workspaces; and trying to support workforces during rapid changes. In some communities, these disruptions have also included climate impacts like floods and forest fires. Each of these shifts have uncovered the reality of inequity and structural racism embedded in our communities and systems.
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There was a time, just before I was to leave for a week of learning at Roffey Park in the UK, where I could make the case not to go. I was too busy. The holidays were coming up. I was just back from travelling and now was packing my bag again. The tree was not decorated. The dog needed attention and on and on the excuses went.
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In his ground-breaking book The Speed of Trust, Stephen Covey describes five waves of trust. The first two he tackles are self trust and relational trust. He notes that foundationally, we must trust ourselves, living with integrity and fulfilling our commitments. The second relational wave of trust is based on the principle of consistent behaviour and investing in and generating trust with others. Throughout the book Covey describes the reciprocal nature of trust, that it is about giving and receiving.
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