10 steps to creating the right culture for equal partnerships.

Photo by Kalle Kortelainen on Unsplash

JRF have been moving to a more partnership approach with people in poverty. This is a long journey, but we are making progress; sometimes this feels surprisingly fast and other times (like this year) it feels like the brakes have been put on. Here, I will share some of the learning from the ongoing work that has been required to create this culture shift across the organisation.

1. Relationships, relationships, relationships. Building them right across all levels of the organisation. Top to bottom. Open conversations, inviting in challenge, concerns, doubts, questions. This can’t be done in one big strategic meeting it requires individual relationships.
2. Buy-in across all levels of the organisation. From the most senior at CEO-level to those who enable things to happen. If you have the senior buy-in but not the driver, it won’t work. If you have the driver but not the buy-in, it won’t work.
3. To get buy-in you need a compelling and inspiring vision — it’s all about the ‘why’!
4. Wonderful colleagues who care deeply about the issue and who want to work more closely with those on the receiving end of the policies they are looking to influence and who will go above and beyond to support it to happen.
5. Demonstration. To get buy-in you need to demonstrate what is possible and why it’s effective. This means creating opportunities, linking in with groups affected by the issue, relationship building, developing partnerships, connecting, managing power relations.
6. You have to do all of these things (1–5) and you have to do them all at once!
7. Skills and expertise to know how to do it well. This means investment in in-house expertise to guide the rest of the organisation, to get buy-in from across the organisation and to support on how to do it. There’s an assumption that this can be added on to an existing person’s job and sometimes a misunderstanding that this is just about treating people nicely. It’s not. It’s about shifting mindsets and sharing power — it’s tough, challenging work that requires a huge amount of courage.
8. Plus, someone who has double the amount of passion, energy, and commitment to drive it, building relationships and buy-in across the organisation. Along with the skills and expertise and confidence to break ground in this area for your organisation.
9. Ultimately, it’s a huge organisational culture and mindset shift that is required. This takes a lot of time, energy, passion, and commitment from across the organisation. And it’s never ‘done’. It requires ongoing gentle nudging to shift how people with experience of the issues are considered and involved.
10. There are loads of great grassroots groups that do this well. If you don’t employ someone internally, it might be worth connecting with a community partner and paying them to share their expertise with you, thus supporting vital work happening on the ground and respecting the skill set needed to do it. If not a grassroots group, a consultancy who specialises in co-production/design.

In conclusion, this needs deep commitment and investment from across the organisation.