Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 1
In Level 1 we talked about STARTING coalitions. In Level 2 we will talk about MAINTAINING coalitions. Go through Level 1 & Level 2 Objectives. Level 1 objectives: * Describe the purpose of collaborative approaches * Describe the strengths and weaknesses of different types of collaborations * Identify benefits and challenges of working in groups * Initiate steps to start an IP coalition Level 2 objectives: * Describe and discuss coalition pitfalls and their solutions * Provide insight on keeping coalitions motivated * Identify attributes of a good facilitator * Describe the coalition evaluation process Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 2
In Level I the focus was on starting a coalition using the 8-step guide developed by the Prevention Institute. (review briefly the first 6 steps). In this course we will focus on step 7 of the 8-step guide- maintaining the vitality of the coalition. The topic of improving the effectiveness of the coalition through evaluation will be introduced. Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 3
After a coalition gets started how do you keep it going? How do you address common problems that plague coalitions? Today we’ll answer these questions by looking at addressing difficulties and challenges or “coalition pitfalls”. Coalition pitfalls are barriers that keep a coalition from being productive. Tips and tools for recruiting and involving new members will be discussed. Promoting renewal for members and celebrating and sharing success will also be discussed. Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 4
Let’s start with a buzz group exercise. NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR: •Divide large group into smaller groups of 6-8 members. •Distribute Coalition A/Coalition B scenarios with questions. •Have small groups read and discuss scenarios and answer the questions. •Allow 15-20 minutes for small group work. •Reconvene large group and discuss what each group learned (5-10 minutes). Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 5
Note to Instructor: Debrief this exercise by having groups report their answers to the questions and record responses on flip chart. Draw a line down the center of the flipchart paper and label one side, “Barriers” and the other side “Strengths”. Hang flipchart paper(s) on the wall. Discuss their responses prior to reading list of tombstones provided on the following slide. Read the questions on the Slide Possible Answers… 1. too many professionals, turf war, no ground rules, hidden agenda, no accomplishments, no plan of action, no goals/focus, lack of good facilitator, lack of buy-in, lack of communication between meetings, compliance vs consensus, stubborn, mostly professional 2. goals, diversity, communication, consistent meetings, strong stakeholders as facilitators, incentives, success, grant writer, commitment, recognition, meeting with consistency, had disagreements but worked through them 4. What are strengths (proactive people, top down support, outside agency support & resources, positive personality, success) or barriers (accountability, no top down support, historical differences, proactive people, people with too many things on their plate, negative personalities) you have experienced in working with coalitions? Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 6
In addition to the items bulleted on the slide, the following are ‘other’ pitfalls you might consider giving as examples: Miscommunication / non-communication •Turf Battles •No Ground Rules •Letting the Flame Die •Ineffective Leadership •No plan of action / Failure to Act •Dominance by Professionals / Lack of Community Support •Confusion about goals, objectives, priorities, methods •Inefficient, Unproductive Meetings •Giving Up on Outreach after One Attempt •Using the Same Method for All Outreach (e.g., mailings) •Distrusting Citizen Participation •Inflexibility •Protecting too much Territory •Insufficient Outreach to Key Players •Lack of Follow-up, Follow through •Necessary Resources Not Secured •All Work, No Play •Losing One’s Balance Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 7
Although there are many coalition Pitfalls we will focus on the following five: •Miscommunication / non-communication •Turf Battles •Failure to Act •No Ground Rules •Motivation Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 8
The first coalition killer is poor communication. Good communication is critical for a successful coalition. So when there is poor communication within the coalition it is very difficult to be productive. There are many underlying reasons for poor communication that may influence how we interact with the people in our group. They may include unique personal attributes like appearance and education. For example, we tend to listen more closely to someone whose appearance is clean and neat. Also, a person who is calm is better able to receive a message than someone who is angry. Cultural differences may be another underlying reason. People of different cultures and background may interpret the same information differently. These factors can’t be changed within the coalition setting, however, it’s good to be aware of them. However, there are specific situations that are barriers to good communication, and can be dealt with to keep the coalition from getting bogged down and stalled. Two common ones are turf issues and the absence of or non-enforced ground rules. Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 9
We will also discuss the importance of having a good facilitator. A good facilitator can make a big difference in alleviating communication problems. Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 9
One of the Coalition Killers that we talked about was Turf Battles Understanding why Turf Battles happen is a step towards solving problems. Ask group for root causes. Why do Turf Battles happen? Turf battles can take place for four fundamental reasons, all related to the perceived effect on power: 1. If one organization perceives the other as a direct and regular competitor for resources that are not likely to be shared. 2. If one organization perceives a “marginal cost” to the proposed cooperation in money, time or energy greater than perceived benefits of collaboration. 3. The degree of which the organization feels it is flexible to change its current goals, tasks and philosophy to adopt the course of action being proposed. 4. Another reason for turf battles is the lack of knowledge or mistrust of the other organizations. Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 10
The Prevention Institute published Effective Turf Management: Tools and Tips (12/03) to assist in resolving turf issues in a coalition setting. For this presentation we will focus on a few of these tools and tips, however, additional tools and tips are discussed in some detail in the publication included in your binders. There is no one shot formula for a coalition to avoid turf struggle. Working collectively takes hard work, and requires a combination of strong relationships, planning for sustainability and focusing on the big picture. Today we’ll discuss some practical ways to deter and solve turf battles.(Prevention Institute-The Tension Turf: Making it work for the Coalition) Making fair decisions. It is critical that the decision –making process is consistently applied and is based upon majority support. The group should be able to discuss the impact of a proposed action on the mission and finances of each organization. This assures that the adopted decision has genuine support from the membership. Remind participants of the big picture. When turf issues arise, certain members, based on their role or professional identity can be effective in Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 11
re-unifying the group and reminding it of its common goals. These can be people like survivors, youth, faith leaders, a respected elder or a good facilitator. Remind members of why the group came together and of the issue at hand. Encourage flexibility. The more rigid people are, the harder coalition cooperation will be. Create an open environment where members feel comfortable with diverse perspectives and with conflict. Some ways to do this include using humor, giving everyone a voice, and developing ground rules that provide structure yet enable flexibility. Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 11
Let’s take a closer look at ground rules. Ground Rules are rules decided on by the team that they will follow when meeting or working together. Ask the group: Have they ever been in a situation where they set ground rules, and if so, can they give some examples? (Prompts if needed: Stay on task/ agenda; Don’t interrupt; Pay attention when someone is talking; respect others opinions; start and end on time.) The meeting facilitator should go around to each team member & ask for a ground rule. The ground rules should be written on a flipchart & hung up so that the team will be reminded what they had agreed on. Ground Rules are designed to make meeting & working together as a team more productive & pleasant. Coalitions Powerpoint Presentation Billings Area 2011 12
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