In our coalition work, we are constantly planning and hosting meetings, projects and events. Depending upon our time, staff/leader capacity and partner availability, these can have varying levels of complexity and require us to consider many factors. Last week, during one of these planning meetings, I came up with lots of ideas that would result …
As we plan and prepare our coalition meetings, we have lots of decisions to make about the type(s) of meetings we host. We once again have opportunities to meet in person, sometimes we host hybrid meetings and we continue to have most of our meetings in a virtual platform. Prior to 2020, virtual meetings were …
One of the most important and challenging aspects of leading a coalition – or really any team – is getting clear on roles. This is especially true when you have new staff, leaders and members. When you find yourself overwhelmed by all of the work or frustrated that no one is volunteering, unclear roles are …
Although you have a shared passion and interest for the work, staff (and contractors) have much more capacity to spend time in the coalition than leaders or members. In most coalitions, staff are paid and volunteer leaders and members are unpaid. Even if your coalition leaders or members work aligns very closely with the work …
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When working in coalitions, you are constantly thinking about roles. How can you engage your members in meaningful ways? What roles will people play (or not)? One of the areas we don’t spend nearly enough time considering is the specific roles for staff to play. As coalition staff, it can be really easy to become …
You can have a clear purpose, a prioritized strategic plan and clear roles and responsibilities but still struggle with your coalition. While these are important aspects of coalition building, they are not enough to keep coalition members working together. The “secret” to sustaining coalitions is Emotional Intelligence. When we demonstrate high levels of Emotional Intelligence, …
Once you have clarified your coalition’s overall role, roles for staff and leaders, it is much easier to clarify the roles for members. Even though coalition members may have initially joined because they believed in the coalition’s mission, this won’t be enough to keep them engaged. If you want them to actively participate, they need …
Depending upon the structure of your coalition, you may have formal or informal coalition leaders. In most situations, the leaders are unpaid volunteers in the coalition. They may have a passion for the mission of the coalition or their work may closely align with the work of the coalition. Defining roles for leaders can vary …
As coalition staff, it can be really easy to become overwhelmed by all that needs to be done with the coalition. You are likely in a staff position because you are passionate about the work of the coalition. You realize that there are so many needs and opportunities that it is difficult to say “no” …
Although you have a shared passion and interest for the work, what role you play in a coalition as staff vs. leaders or members is different. In most coalitions, staff are paid and volunteers are unpaid. Even if your coalition leaders or members work aligns very closely with the work of the coalition, their job …
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