the swampy ground research project
a resource about partnership working for managers & educators in health & social care
Themes from participants
Surfacing [analysing] key issues in partnership
Professions - the power of expertise and the role of expertise in the interface between professions The complexity of diversity and of differences, and their interaction - but we have to 'dig inside to see it'
- The centrality of diversity issues to the stories - how influential on action these issues were
- Stakeholders - crucial for them to 'buy-in'
- The paradox of both compromising ['it's good enough'] and also knowing when to hold out and not move your view - doing both
Issues blocking partnership
- 'Culture eats strategy for breakfast' - how we can re-create the culture we are trying to change, despite our best plans
People who are sceptical of change but we can recognise small shifts they make - and the positive power these bringWhen you are challenging the status quo - People displaying and expecting different kinds of leadership
Obstacles - but how they can in fact help in the long run by requiring new thinking - Importance of 'gap analysis' - where people are now and then where they are later on - how can we see and mark change?
- Noticing the changes and differences is key and celebrating them....'I came to know' - gradually realising things, prior knowledge is 'blanked out'
Waking up to my difference and how it could help me make sense - I was trying to be a 'British Nurse' when I am not
Experiencing the power of review as a process
- Personal investment in the partnership
- Personal investment of the change leaders - important and their tenacity too
- Could have been undermined but kept going, were committed
- Partnership happens slowly - takes time - but then you can see change happening and that helps re-energise ..
- Do we only recognise 'hard S's' -strategy, systems & structure, and not the 'soft S's' of style, skills, staff & shared values?
The impact on our personal feelings of partnership work - our integrity and how it feels to stand up for it
Blocking and Unblocking issues
Blocking
- Idea of entrenchment - 'being in a trench'
- Power as a negative
- The idea of 2 camps in the partnership - the old and new people, 2 differing teams coming together
Unblocking
- How to involve other parties to make the link to purpose?
- Power to unblock and affect change - to 'ignore the war' using traditional authority
Personal Investment
- The strength of personal feelings - 'it's about my job'
- Hate' expressed in partnership - very strong emotions
Environment
- Structural change at the same time didn't help build partnership
- The history of organisations and groups persists - like families and weddings, ideas of 'baggage' and 'garbage'
Being stuck in roles and silos vs 'freeing self up'
- We needed to find out partners 'asset base' and not only go by job titles - what do we each bring to the partnership?
- Recognising unforeseen outcomes - does this connect to initial planning and thinking?
Surfacing or analysis
- An initial burst of energy and then a loss of momentum
- Seeing the seduction of conflict as against not enough energy to hold people in the partnership
Unblocking issues
Catalysts - who?
simply someone's presence may bring about change
- Power of having an 'ally'
- New and/or external people and their role as change agents
- Impact of allowing people to air their views and not let it fester
- Having a new body or subgroup recognised partners and their contribution - in a way individuals previously had not
- Helpful to move away from personal issues - whether of blame or adulation - to focus on issues for the group
Personal Investment
- The strength of personal feelings - 'it's about my job
- 'Hate' expressed in partnership - very strong emotions
Environment
- Structural change at the same time didn't help build partnership
- The history of organisations and groups persists - like families and weddings, ideas of 'baggage' and 'garbage'
- The issues of how to 'break free from the historical backdrop'
Learning...
- Conversation is action - dialogue is key
- Learning from the reflection in the process of the partnership, with the 'ally'
- Recognising unforeseen outcomes - does this connect to initial planning and thinking?