COLLABORATE. ”Build a culture of trust and innovation.” This is the cover story of the current issue of the Harvard Business Review. It couldn’t be more timely–whether it’s at an ‘all-time low’ at the state legislative level or actually on the rise in the Twin Cities region as a collection of government, business and nonprofit organizations seek to build out a regional transit system.
Tonight, my organization, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), joins with the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to host the first of three community forums to launch “The Big Picture Project,” an effort to bring together the public, private, and community sectors to focus on a collective plan for creating and preserving affordable housing along the Central Corridor light rail transit line now under construction. Supported by the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, The Big Picture Project is striving for a unified housing strategy that will help attract investment and focus policies to make neighborhoods along this $1 billion public investment not only more attractive and livable but also affordable places to live.
Exceedingly desirable for the common good, successful collaboration by its very nature is a high bar to obtain and also fraught with risk and conflict. It isn’t easy. It’s hard work. Whether it’s asking unlikely allies or competitors to come together or residents to engage with “powers that be” in new and different ways, I believe the ability to collaborate to embrace shared goals (and actually achieve them) is worth the potential discomfort and uncertainty in the moment.
I was once reminded “that’s why the word ‘labor’ is in the middle of collaboration.”
Through this process we’re asking people with a wide range of interests and experiences to come together to share information and draft strategies for better coordination and outcome. We’re not asking people to put aside their self-interests and values or organizational desires and constraints, but rather to learn more from each other, build trust and seek innovative solutions together. As facilitators, we’re committed to ensuring open communication, to promoting transparency and authenticity, and to supporting engagement and fairness in the process. All key elements, I believe, in achieving successful collaboration.
I hope you’ll join in to check it out for yourself and to let us know how we do.
