Working Towards Working Smarter

Have you noticed how much time can get hijacked by meetings?  And they're all important meetings for a good reason that should probably be attended.  But unfortunately it takes time.  And eventually...we have to say no.  The Alliance recognizes and values the incredible contributions made by senior management staff of our member agencies. 

To respond to the challenges of availability and multiple meetings for multiple causes, the Alliance has begun a new Collaborative Management Group (we had our first meeting yesterday) to bring together senior management staff at a single table to integrate strategies across intersecting projects to impact change with a systems level approach. 

What does this mean?

We are piloting this approach with a focus on our HPI-funded projects of Transportation, Capacity Building, and Street Health. In the past, we have had three individual working groups each focusing on these projects as separate topics.  Because of the time commitments for three sets of meetings, it has been difficult to involve management staff directly, which left a gap in the decision-making level.  In this new approach, we are pulling out key components that need to be discussed at a management level to make it easier for decision-makers to be directly engaged with fewer meetings (once a quarter for two hours).  This way, senior management staff can provide direct input and recommendations across multiple topics to impact change in our community through an integrative, systems level approach.

What about non-senior-management staff contributions?

Non-management and middle-management staff are equally as valued in this process because there will still be topic-specific working groups formed to drive the task-oriented work to support the strategies and decisions made by the Collaborative Management Group.  There will be regular and frequent communication between the Collaborative Management Group and topic-specific groups to enable all members to contribute valuable recommendations, suggestions and contributions.  The formation of the Collaborative Management Group also takes some pressure off non-decision-making staff by directly engaging decision-makers.

In effect, we are attempting to work smarter to impact real change.

I'm stoked.  It was a lot of information to chew on at the meeting yesterday since we're just getting started, but I really do think we're on to something that has potential to change the way we work for the better.  It was great to have so many people at the table yesterday who are interested and eager to try this out.  Thank you all for coming.  I'm sure by working smarter together we will be able to improve conditions for the local agencies and their clients dealing with poverty and homelessness in York Region.