outrage

10 TIPS FOR ENGAGING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES & HIGH ANXIETY

10 TIPS FOR ENGAGING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES & HIGH ANXIETY

Facing community crises at any time is difficult. When there are ‘concurrent crises’ it makes it even more challenging and complex to respond and engage.

Community members can feel disturbed, frightened or anxious. At the same time, organisations are also grappling with how to adjust, change and continue to move forward. There is value in continuous connections.

For those who missed our first ‘continuous connections’ webinar, we’ve pulled our top 10 tips for engaging through difficult times & working with high anxiety into a free, downloadable resource.

KEEN TO UPSKILL? MIX & MATCH TRAINING MODULES NOW AVAILABLE

KEEN TO UPSKILL? MIX & MATCH TRAINING MODULES NOW AVAILABLE

Looking to up-skill your team or build internal community engagement capacity? Searching for an online option during the COVID-19 pandemic? We might be able to help.

We’re excited to announce that our recently relaunched, interactive training modules can be mixed + matched, so you can build the perfect training experience for your team or group. PLUS almost all are available online and can be delivered to remotely based participants.

DILEMMA DISCUSSED: 'HOSTILE' AUDIENCES (PART 2)

DILEMMA DISCUSSED: 'HOSTILE' AUDIENCES (PART 2)

Late last year we published the first post in a two-part series on dealing with this ‘subscriber dilemma’. In part one we explored how to plan for conflict, outrage and emotion when you know it’s likely to arise. Today, in part two, we’re providing 10 tips for working with high emotion in the moment – when you didn’t expect or plan for it at all.

DILEMMA DISCUSSED: ‘HOSTILE’ AUDIENCES & HIGH EMOTION

DILEMMA DISCUSSED:  ‘HOSTILE’ AUDIENCES & HIGH EMOTION

This post tackles a big, scary dilemma – conflict, outrage and emotion.  We’re often asked for advice around this topic, because it’s something that worries many people in the engagement space -  even experienced practitioners and facilitators.

Partly, this fear is underpinned by a lack of ‘tools’ or skills. So, we’re going to give you some tips to help you prepare for and/or work with conflict, outrage and emotion in a meaningful way. 

Because it’s a big, difficult topic, we’re going to address it in two parts:  Part one (this post) is about how to plan for it, and in part two (next month) we’ll talk about what to do if you walk into it unexpectedly.   

#MONTHLYMYTH: TRANSPARENCY & RISK GO HAND IN HAND

#MONTHLYMYTH:  TRANSPARENCY & RISK GO HAND IN HAND

‘Transparency’ is a key term in the world of engagement.   We all know that it’s central to any robust, effective engagement process.

It’s also a word that, for some, goes hand in hand with risk and a loss of order and control.  That makes sense - because being honest, sharing the problem and providing in-depth insights into an issue can feel scary. 

Today, we're addressing this myth and providing some reasons to be brave, risks to be aware of and key starting points when it comes to transparency. 

#MONTHLYMYTH: DISTRUST IS DUE TO A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING

#MONTHLYMYTH: DISTRUST IS DUE TO A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING

Our May #MonthlyMyth focuses on an assumption that is often made about the community by managers, project leads and technical 'experts'.  

Statements like "if only they understood X, Y or Z, they would see we were right!" are an indication of a potentially risky, yet common assumption that community opposition or distrust is based on ignorance or incapacity. 

11 ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHALLENGES & HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

11 ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHALLENGES & HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

Advisory committees – we love them and we hate them – and we can’t stop setting them up. They're possibly the number one method of engagement in Australia.

When used effectively, these groups (also called stakeholder/community reference groups and a whole host of other titles) can provide an opportunity to gather local knowledge and input, test ideas and proposals and improve communication and relationships.  However, when used improperly, run poorly, or put in place as a substitute for a comprehensive engagement process, they can create more risk than reward.

This post will help you to overcome some of the biggest challenges associated with advisory committees, and ensure that both organisation and group benefits from the experience.