The Elevate Journal
Does collaboration work?
Somebody asked me the other day if I really believed in collaboration. We were kvetching about the challenges of doing Collective Impact work, and at the time, I sort of laughed it off and made light of it. But it made me think…do I really think collaboration - amongst organizations within a social service landscape, to solve a specific social challenge or improve outcomes for a certain population - works? And if so, what makes it successful?
What is Organizational Learning?
For nonprofit organizations, we want to be good stewards of the resources provided to us, therefore pilots and accepted failure may be scary concepts to try. However, breaking through an organizational learning disability and creating learning networks can start small, on the individual level, and embody the best stewardship of all: adapting from what you're learning.
Listening, Learning, and Planning for Action
We unequivocally believe that Black lives matter, and we recognize the power that data and narrative have in the fight for justice. We recognize that as a team of mostly White women, we are privileged in that, most days, we are able to compartmentalize these conversations. We know we don’t have the answers, and we know we will not get it right, but we are committing to making space to reflect, learn, unlearn, and grow.
Evaluative Thinking in Times of Crisis
Last week, while listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Pantsuit Politics, something that one of the cohosts really stood out to me. She said, “What a ‘pandemic world’ does is accelerate change and clarify problems.”