Skill of the Month: Power Sharing

Welcome to the very first Skill of the Month.

Each month I'll take one skill that culturally inclusive engagement depends on, and show you what it actually looks like in practice. No jargon. No theory for theory's sake. Just things you can use. Happily many of the skills can be applied to other areas of inclusive practice, e.g. accessibility and gender equality.

Let’s talk about power sharing.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: most engagement doesn't share power at all. We invite people in, we ask what they think, we thank them warmly - and then we go away and make the decision ourselves.

That's consultation. It has its place. But it isn't co-production or collaboration, and communities can tell the difference instantly.

Power-sharing means people shape and even own the outcome, not just comment on it. It's the skill that turns a nice conversation into real influence and impact.

What it looks like in practice

Actually, power-sharing is a collection of skills, so I’m cheating slightly! 

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Check your assumptions.

The idea of power can differ between cultures and individuals, so reflect on that and consider how you scope out expectations of what power looks like to different people. Is it about owning assets? Is it reading and signing formal documents (or not) confirming ownership? Is it leading on their own activities within their own community? Maybe some people are comfortable with hierarchy and not quite ready to share power?

Navigating organisational structures.

This deserves its own newsletter in the future! For now, bear in mind that internal hierarchies can block inclusive engagement, e.g. senior staff or the Board hesitating to embrace more non-traditional practice.

Bring people in at the start.

If communities only see your plan once it's drafted, you've already sent the signal that you hold the power. Involve people while it's still a blank page - co-producing the agenda of the very first gathering. Or hold a gathering without an agenda - see what happens!

Share the decision.

Tell people what's genuinely open to change - and what isn't. Fake choice erodes trust faster than Lewis Hamilton on the F1 track.

Put resources behind it.

Power-sharing required additional budget lines: people's time, travel costs (for them and/or for you), childcare, payment for lived expertise. Work this into your funding application or internal forecasting. The money will not only give you the time earlier than usual, but also compensate people for participating more and at a deeper level.

Keep people informed.

All too often organisations go cold on communities when an engagement programme is over. But if you truly value community relationships, you need to find resources to keep those relationships warm. If, for some reason, you can't do that, please end your engagement well. Be clear about why it's ending and when - but manage expectations right at the beginning.

If you fall off the radar (which happens when we get busy within organisations), you're letting communities down. It can even cause trauma among people who've shared challenging personal experiences with you. I strongly recommend hardwiring compassion and empathy into your engagement from day one.

Your starting point

You don't have to overhaul everything this week. Just pick a future project and ask one question: Where and how can I start to share power? 

If the honest answer is "we can't right now," that's where your work begins. You’re in a good position to start creating impact and grow it over time.

Take deliberate steps that move you from talking to communities to deciding with them - eventually handing over to them.

See you next month for the next skill, and quick updates in between!

Any questions? Get in touch for a chat: hello@elmaglasgowconsulting.com.