What compelling issue would aggravate and ignite you into coming together with others to solve it?
Imagine someone placing a cup on a table to represent an issue that is aggravating and igniting them…. they have courage to name it and then seek to see if others around them join the conversation, because they too are aggravated and ignited because they care. As more people join this table around the cup – the compelling issue, a shared purpose begins to emerge followed by a flow of ‘what if?” ideas and possibilities. This in turn leads into some of these ideas being scoped and defined into actions and prototypes, then resourced and implemented. Some work well, others don’t and this learning is quickly fed back into the co-design process to fine-tune the next steps in the initiative. The cycle of design, do and review continues and over time, elaborate, bespoke, targeted and expontentially impactful solutions emerge…
We have developed the following “Showing up differently” approach and its principles over a number of projects and find that it is fundamental to our impact and the ultimate meaningful outcomes
This is not the solution. Its the issue that has aggravated someone to the point where they find the courage to name it – hoping that others also feel this strongly about addressing it. Sometimes its communities, other times its providers or funders who start the process by naming the issue.
These pervasive social issues;
View the full process diagram here
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How does this compare to a transactional approach?
View full diagramOthers who care about this issue now join the conversation because they too are aggravated and ignited. Over time – and perhaps many cups of tea where;
As more and more people join the conversation, the shared energy and growing commitment builds a ground swell of interest and determination
As more people join this table around the cup – the compelling issue, a shared purpose begins to emerge followed by a flow of ‘what if?” ideas and possibilities.
This in turn leads into some of these ideas being scoped and defined into actions and prototypes, then resourced and implemented. This step involves;
Initiatives are now launched in order to test the prototypes. Everyone is involved in some way by bringing their time, expertise, resources or moral support to the process.
Developmental evaluation allows ongoing feedback to be collected regularly from all involved. Some ideas work well, others bomb and this learning is quickly fed back into the co-design process to fine-tune the next steps in the initiative.
Success and failure is understood from all sides, and changes made accordingly.
The cycle of design, do and review continues and over time, elaborate, bespoke, targeted and impactful solutions emerge due to the inclusion of all involved and the ongoing fine-tuning of approach
Interestingly – this process not only creates innovative solutions to the original issue that started the process. Exponential impacts are also common where people involved in the process grow to trust each other and understand the importance of the co-design process which leads to them initiating new projects in the same way. These unintended consequences extend well beyond the scope of the project and contribute to significant shifts in the wider system.