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 whole-community engagement and collaboration.
We design and facilitate creative engagement in collaborative meetings and events, whether online or in-person, and through designing and managing ongoing collaborative multi-stakeholder networks and coalitions.
Opportunities for Engagement
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
- Manage ongoing collaborative action
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, highly productive, and help you to achieve results in the most effective means possible.
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 documentation, analysis and thinking on next steps to keep momentum going after the meeting
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
“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