These days, we are all very differently informed. We have different experiences, expertise, and perspectives. This uniqueness can be a strength—but all too often, these differences lead to distrust and polarization.
These are also complex times, with multiple areas of systemic breakdown. These kind of issues can’t be addressed in a silo. There needs to be high levels of community engagement and collaboration.
We design and facilitate creative engagement via collaborative meetings and events, both online and in-person, and through designing and managing ongoing collaborative multi-stakeholder networks and coalitions.
Services
Whatever stage of collaboration you’re in, We can help assess your needs and bring the right resources and team together. Start with a conversation with founder, Todd Erickson. He can bring a wealth of experience and creativity to help you:
- Launch new collaborations
- Design and facilitate collaborative meetings and events
- Provide online meeting technology support
- Manage ongoing collaborative action
- Create and execute public and multi-stakeholder engagement plans
Complex problems often don’t have a single “owner”.
They can’t be solved by any one organization, discipline or sector.
We help diverse groups come together and take on these challenges collaboratively.
Launch New Collaborations
We work with you to:
- Convene diverse groups to build trust and nurture connections
- Build shared understanding and alignment around a meaningful goal
- Identify opportunities for collaborative action
- Create the conditions for effective ongoing collaboration
Outcomes we achieve:
- Trust is built
- Common ground is found
- A meaningful goal is identified
- The right diversity of individuals and expertise is brought together
- Governance and decision-making authority is set
- Clarity of purpose and motivation to act is ignited
“As a City Manager, it can be difficult to engage an entire community, but Collaboration Arts made it effortless and gave our leadership valuable insight into what makes Raymore home for more than 21,000 residents. Todd approached our Community Conversations with a creative technical touch that ensured everyone felt that their voices were heard, and they made a difference.”
Mike Ekey, Assistant City Manager, Raymore, MO
Collaboration Arts enables you to engage your community or other large, diverse group in an inclusive process to find areas of agreement and identify priorities. We support both in-person and online meetings and events with group process design, facilitation, and engagement technology management.
We design meetings and events that are memorable, inclusive, productive, and effective at generating plans that give participants a sense of ownership .
Design and Facilitate
Collaborative Meetings & Events
We work with you to:
- Identify clear objectives and outcomes
- Create processes that are engaging and purposeful
- Choose appropriate technology and tools to support the process and work for participants
- Facilitate engagement and manage the technologies
- Provide a detailed post-meeting report documenting the key themes, raw data, and priority recommendations.
Outcomes we achieve:
- Build community trust
- Clarity around the diversity of perspectives that exist in the community
- Find areas of agreement among a diverse group on polarizing issues
- Identify priorities and recommendations that have support from a broad spectrum of the group
Types of meetings (online or in-person):
- Collaborative Community Conversations
- Town Hall Meeting
- Strategic Planning
- Listening Session
- Cross Functional Leadership Summit
- High Engagement Conference Session
- Focus Group
- Collaborative Sense making
- Roundtable Discussion
“Todd was wonderful to work with and made what could have been a very unwieldy collaborative virtual meeting with 70 attendees a streamlined, productive, and even fun (!) event. If you are in need of expert assistance to pull off the multi-stakeholder gathering you've been dreaming about, look no further than Todd. He'll help you craft your agenda, identify the right technologies for your needs, and sooth your nerves throughout. In addition to getting the work done -- and done well and joyfully -- you'll also have the pleasure of spending time with a kind, thoughtful, and generous person.”
Alyssa Hartman, Executive Director, Artisan Grain Collaborative
Collaboration is complicated. it takes time to get everyone connected and aligned around an ambitious shared goal.
This doesn’t happen overnight and not without thoughtful, planning, nurturing, and support.
Manage
Ongoing Collaborative Action
We work with you to:
- Create roadmaps for collaborative action; outline objectives and activities for the different stages needed to reach the ultimate goal
- Help choose the appropriate leadership model, decision making rules, and governance structures
- Design and facilitate leadership team meetings and strategic community events
- Provide and manage engagement technology, enabling ongoing collaboration and co-creation
- Identify metrics for success and track progress
Outcomes we achieve:
- Diverse group of connected stakeholders is committed to a compelling shared goal
- Roles, governance, and decision making are all made clear
- Shifts needed to reach the goal are identified
- Experiments and other actions are undertaken to reach the goal
- The momentum to maintain collaborative action is managed
“This was an excellent exercise and great discovery mechanism to help us better define complex future health issues.”
“Thank you for the opportunity to learn and understand a difficult problem.”
“Thank you for including our voice.”
Participants in Improving the Working Definition of Long COVID Virtual Focus Groups
Solid public engagement starts with a detailed plan that clearly lays out a roadmap for meaningful dialogue around the areas of concern that participants can have an actual impact on. We lead an inclusive planning process that paves the way to achieve the outcomes desired. We manage a variety of engagement activities that enable the diversity of perspectives needed to fully participate and be heard.
Create and Execute
Public and Multi-Stakeholder
Engagement Plans
We work with you to:
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Create detailed plans that articulate context, scope, purpose, objectives, relevant parties to engage, methods of engagement, sequencing, communications, outreach, data collection, and reporting.
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Detailed process design and management of engagement activities.
Outcomes we achieve:
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Comprehensive plans that clearly articulate a roadmap for effective and inclusive engagement with specific goals and measurable impacts.
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Engagement activities that respectfully allow for broad and inclusive participation, efficient collection of perspectives, and rapid identification of areas of agreement and difference.
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Participants that trust and enjoy the process and are more informed and understanding of the divers perspectives among members of the community.
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Decision makers gain valuable insights regarding the perspectives and priorities of diverse community members regarding important issues.