Building relationships

Building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders is a core function throughout the collaboration process starting at the pre- implementation stages and needs to be sustained throughout planning and operational phases. 

Strong and trusting relationships enable good communication and well-informed decisions making as projects progress.  It enables speedier responses to opportunities or roadblocks when collaborators can confidently share relevant information and insights that add to the knowledge base for the work involved.  

Relationships and trust are also recognised enablers of stronger collaboration as parties are more willing to take risks where they trust their partners and are also more likely to recommend someone on to their own networks if they trust the person being recommended.  It is also true that most stakeholders are more likely to follow through on contacts or leads provided by people that they have a trusting relationship with.

It is important to invest time in getting to know the key drivers and policies of organisations and departments that you engage with and to seek to find the alignment between each organisations goals and the purpose behind the Schools as Community Platforms work. 

Relationships are enhanced by mutual respect and acknowledging the expertise of the stakeholders you are engaging with, seeking their ideas or perspectives about the purpose and proposed strategies, and inviting their involvement in developing the concept further.  Parties don’t always need to be in complete agreement to have a good working relationship.

Our Experience/Learnings

Relationships are built over regular interaction or contact.  The time spent on a phone call, coffee meetings, asking or responding to a question is an investment in a good working relationship. Scheduling regular check ins and progress updates once there is work in progress is an effective pathway to good working relationships.

Allocate time, finances, and personnel to establish and nurture collaborative relationships. As the partnership grows, there is a facilitation aspect needed to allow partners to develop trust in each other, understand each other's capabilities, and build a foundation for effective co-design. Multiple opportunities to unpack the shared goals and intrinsic motivations for the work are needed to build a shared commitment and openness to test different ways of working. 

Be prepared to refresh the relationship and shared understanding when there is staff turnover in the stakeholder departments or organisations. Actively seeking to build relationships and alignment with multiple individuals in a stakeholder group and asking department contacts to hand on the internal champion mantle are a starting point which will help, but in the end we needed to be prepared to revisit the vision and purpose and potential with each new contact in the stakeholder groups.