The Work Before the Work
SETTING THE STAGE
As a strategic communications firm, our primary role is helping clients solve a wide range of problems. Sometimes those problems are straightforward and easy to define. In other cases, they feel sticky and unclear.
There's truly a spectrum and, for us, that's what makes this work so rewarding and interesting. Each time we embark on a new project, we have to understand a unique set of circumstances and audiences, gain the knowledge we need to be successful, and then act accordingly. Every day is different, and every high-stakes moment brings its own set of opportunities (and inherent hurdles).
But there's a crucial step we take before solving a problem, and it is a through-line across nearly every project. We believe our clients must find common ground before they can solve any problem effectively.
You simply cannot work together to address a crisis communications issue, develop a mission statement, or identify strategic priorities for the future without establishing a shared understanding of the things you collectively care about and the situation you're facing.
That's not to suggest we should ignore disagreement or avoid complexity, though. Far from it. With the help of a strong facilitator, groups can make disagreement productive and use it to push conversations deeper. In fact, healthy disagreement often makes collective decisions more impactful and sustainable in the long run.
HOW IT LOOKS
We often help businesses think intentionally about community engagement and philanthropic giving. This work can be prompted by public feedback or internal confusion – or a mixture of both. In those moments, our team works closely with clients to develop a corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework that provides more structure and purpose.
But the most important part of that process happens before any framework is written. Prior to developing philanthropic pillars and commitments, we help clients slow down, name the values they share, and build agreement around what should guide their decisions. When that common ground is clear, CSR planning becomes more strategic and mission aligned. Giving decisions are rooted in shared purpose rather than individual preferences, and team members have a stronger foundation for moving forward together.
SEEKING NEW TOOLS AND STRATEGIES
Our team has access to a range of tools and insights that help us show up with the confidence to ask thoughtful questions and uncover collective wisdom rather than jumping straight into recommendations. If we're doing our job as facilitators correctly, we should be listening more than talking, especially during the early common ground phase of a project. Consulting and support come later.
We have been exploring several new resources from organizations and institutions like the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation and UMass Lowell to expand our knowledge and rise to our clients’ challenges. Each offers useful ways to sharpen our facilitation practice, from ensuring psychological safety to developing and asking questions that embrace complexity.
For us, it's all about a few simple but powerful commitments:
Slow down to speed up
Lead with listening
Ensure everyone is operating from the same foundation
Without building this common ground, even the best idea, strategy, or action is likely to fizzle out. That's the true work before the work.
Connect with me to talk more about uncovering common ground and solving problems.