It’s good to have peers who push you to be your best and who can challenge you to overcome the hurdles or step back onto the path you’ve momentarily strayed from. Life Club is a group of three of us who made a pact to make the most out of life and pursue those passions and ambitions that have been bubbling away. It works because we want the same things out of life even thought we do it differently. We want to create, talk, share ideas, do something. But we also have different strengths and passions. And we know each other well enough to be brutal and direct. With a little gentleness and kindness rubbed in.

Collaborative work can thrive when a diverse group of people are pulling in the same direction – however much we’re tussling and jostling along the way. The collaborative working group model derived from an International Development project (read more here) highlights four key areas to address. Firstly, starting conditions and assumptions. Where is everyone starting from? What assumptions about the project, the outcomes, those being included etc. are held? Where are we starting from? Secondly, context and system dynamics. How will this work? What might happen over time? What constraints are we working within? What is happening right now in this field/ context/ globally that will influence what happens? Thirdly, how diverse are we? Which voices will we hear? Which voices are missing? How can those in positions of power elevate those with less? How can we really hear what each other is meaning? And finally, what is emerging? What have we learnt? What have we seen and heard? What gaps have we shone a light on? What’s now needed? I love this model. And don’t stop banging on about it. All credit to Jude Fransman and team (read more here) for such an insightful piece of work that is shaping the way I think and seek to collaborate.

Image by jcomp on Freepik