One of the most important roles for a coalition leader to play is that of a “master facilitator.” Although you may think you need to be the one to “do” everything, if you are really going to be able to achieve more together than you can on your own, facilitate conversations and connections. Join me as I provide three ways you can facilitate conversations and connections as a coalition leader.
I have two more dates available for my FREE live Masterclass (March 3rd and March 8th). Join me for the time and date that works best for you.
Listen
Listen closely to your coalition members in order to understand their goals, interests and passions. Take notes on conversations with your coalition members and consider potential connections.
Link
Send emails and conduct small-group meetings that link your coalition members to one another. When meeting with your coalition or team, find ways to encourage “win-win” opportunities. Find ways to connect the goals of your coalition members to the work of the coalition. Facilitate conversations during your meetings that connect coalition members together.
Look
Look for opportunities for your coalition members to interact with one another. Create meeting agendas that include intentional time for networking. Remember Coalition Engagement Skill #2: Create a neutral forum.
I recently facilitated a meeting that focused on a complex policy-related topic. At the beginning of the meeting, I did not know how we were going to be able to move forward together. During the meeting, I asked each participant to share what role they wanted to play and which audience they wanted to reach. As I listened and took notes, I realized that the best way to move forward was to have each participant “lead” in the area that resonated with their interests. My role was to provide a forum to facilitate and connect them so that we could make a greater impact together.
So what about you? What are you going to do to facilitate conversations and connections in your coalition, partnership or team?
Download my newest free resource where I provide additional guidance on how to facilitate conversations and connections.
Photo by Daniel Moody @danielmoodyphotos
