Transcript The First Years Last Forever

Building, Growing
and Sustaining Partnerships
The First Years Last Forever
Garrison Kurtz
Director of Programs
Charge for the Day:
•How Can Librarians be Invited to the
Table from the Beginning?
•How Can We Maximize Our Effectiveness
as Partners?
The First Years Last Forever
•How Can We Make Sure That We Form
the Right Partnerships?
Overview
Know Your Mission and Goals
Know Your Assets/Challenges
Know Your Collaborative Partner
Why This Project/Partnership?
Relationships,
Relationships
The FirstRelationships,
Years Last
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Single-Mindedness
Influencing the Success of the Collaboration
1. Know Your Mission and Goal
• What do your customers think?
• What does your funder think?
• What do staff members think?
• What is needed?
• WIIFM?
The First Years Last Forever
2. Know Your Assets
• Facilities
• Dedicated, educated, experienced staff
• Untarnished image and unparalleled public
and civic support
• Data and Information
The
First
Years
• Access
to diverse
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• Funding
2. Know Your Challenges
• Image
• Language, Acronyms
• Organizational Culture
• Fast Changing Environment
• Siloing & Isolation
The First Years Last Forever
3. Know Your Collaborative Partner
• What type of organization is it?
• Funding source
• Customer base
• Mission
• Political pressures
The
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• What do they need but not have in order to be
successful? WIIFM?
4. Why This Project/Partnership?
Efficiency?
• Simplicity of message
• Easier access for customers/ Recruitment to
increase utilization of libraries
(Early Literacy Initiative Evaluation 2003)
• Stronger case to funders
• Less redundancy
The
First
Years
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Effectiveness?
• Better outcomes
• Easier assessment
4. Why This Project/Partnership?
Systemic Challenge
• Societal or transorganizational challenge
(e.g. reaching diverse populations)
• Resource limitations
• Booming demand
• Societal change
Access to Expertise and Resources
First
•The
Marketing
• Funding
• Image
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5. Relationships, Relationships, Relationships
• When facing the choice between a task and a
relationship, choose the relationship
• Dedicated time for staff and volunteers to attend events
• Careful selection of advisory group, board members-Engage key “types” of players (Gladwell)
• Make it easy for others to know what you are doing
• LEVERAGE, LEVERAGE, LEVERAGE
The First Years Last Forever
• Promote the work of others
An Experimental Study of Search in Global Social Networks
Table 1. Type, origin, and strength of social ties used to direct
messages. Only the top five categories in the first two columns have
been listed. The most useful category of social tie is medium-strength
friendships that originate in the workplace.
Type of
relationship
%
Origin of
relationship
%
Strength of
relationship
%
Friend
67
Work
25
Extremely close
18
Relatives
10
School/university
22
Very close
33
Co-worker
9
Family/relation
19
Fairly close
22
3
Internet
6
Not close
4
The First
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5
Mutual
friend Last
9
Casual
Sibling
Significant other
Peter Sheridan Dodds, Roby Muhamad, Duncan J. Watts, Columbia University
follow up to Stanley Milgram’s , “The Small World Problem
5. Relationships, Relationships, Relationships
• When facing the choice between a task and a
relationship, choose the relationship
• Dedicated time for staff and volunteers to attend events
• Careful selection of advisory group, board members-Engage key “types” of players (Gladwell)
• Make it easy for others to know what you are doing
• LEVERAGE, LEVERAGE, LEVERAGE
The First Years Last Forever
• Promote the work of others
6. Single-Mindedness
• Reduce and/or Manage complexity
• Make it easy to say YES! And carry
the message (Allport)
• Use language, brand and communication
mechanisms to convey your focus
• Employ all your staff, volunteers and partners
The
First
Years Last Forever
towards
the goal
The Information Chain Theory:
Population + Motivation + Technology + Codification + Centrality + Symbols
 Scale of Cooperation (ICL)  Wealth.
The First Years Last Forever
http://www.siue.edu/SOCIOLOGY/journal/blain.htm
6. Single-Mindedness
• Reduce and/or Manage complexity
• Make it easy to say YES! And carry
the message (Allport)
• Use language, brand and communication
mechanisms to convey your focus
• Employ all your staff, volunteers and partners
The
First
Years Last Forever
towards
the goal
Every Child
Ready to Read
The First Years Last Forever
6. Single-Mindedness
• Reduce and/or Manage complexity
• Make it easy to say YES! And carry
the message (Allport)
• Use language, brand and communication
mechanisms to convey your focus
• Employ all your staff, volunteers and partners
The
First
Years Last Forever
towards
the goal
7. Factors Influencing the Success of the
Collaboration (Amherst H. Wilder Foundation)
http://www.wilder.org/pubs/collab_bibliography/collaboration_bibliography.htm
Environment
• History of community cooperation
• Favorable political and social climate
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• Collaborative group/players are seen as leaders in
community
7. Factors Influencing the Success of the
Collaboration (Amherst H. Wilder Foundation)
http://www.wilder.org/pubs/collab_bibliography/collaboration_bibliography.htm
Member Characteristics
• Ability to compromise
• Mutual respect, understanding and trust
• The
Appropriate
of members
Firstcross-section
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• Members see collaboration in their self-interest
7. Factors Influencing the Success of the
Collaboration
Process and Structure
• Flexibility
• Adaptability
• Appropriate pace of development
• Development of clear roles and policy guidelines
The First Years Last Forever
• Members share a stake in process & outcome
• Organizational participation at multiple levels
7. Factors Influencing the Success of the
Collaboration
Communication
• Open and frequent communication
• Established informal relationships and
communication links
The First Years Last Forever
7. Factors Influencing the Success of the
Collaboration
Purpose
• Concrete obtainable goals and objectives
• Shared vision
• Unique purpose
The First Years Last Forever
7. Factors Influencing the Success of the
Collaboration
Resources
• Sufficient funds, staff, materials and time
• Skilled leadership
The First Years Last Forever
7. Factors Influencing the Success of the
Collaboration
Program + Development + Communication =
Growth &
Sustainability
The First Years Last Forever
Garrison Kurtz
[email protected]
206.525.4801 x 28