Hamilton Musings

Each of us bringst to the collaborative process our unique ideas, expectations, perspectives and lenses.  The collaborative work brings us together in a common cause, but also challenges our individual approaches.  Can we truly achieve more together?  What difference will engaging in this collaborative effort make to me as an individual and to the organization(s) that I connect with?

I have been exploring these two questions with members of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction over the past month.  While I have not yet completed all of the one-on-one interviews, there are some interesting themes emerging. 

Collaborative work does change our perspectives and our lenses.  We are impacted by our partners in ways that we never imagined and the work drives us to consider not only our own perspective more deeply but also to reflect the perspectives of others. 

In cross-sectoral collaborations, this impact becomes even deeper.  Although some express frustration with the length of time it takes to both find common ground and then work towards new solutions, everyone believes that finding common ground is critical. 

How much time do we spend in a reflective state when in the midst of a collaborative effort?  What is the impact once the collaboration has concluded?  I would expect that the views at conclusion would reflect a deeper connection but would have to consider whether the partners considered the effort to have achieved success or not. 

It is very much like a kaleidescope, this collaborative work, the colours come together and make patterns, separate from one another as you spin the work forward or backwards, and new patterns emerge.