The Program

Collaboration, Creativity and Conflict

People, and the relationships between them, are the beating heart of systems change. Multi-stakeholder groups are crucial, for if we are going to shift systems we actually need to have and harness lots of different viewpoints and perspectives to find an emergent way forward. But our fears of disagreement and preference for ‘peace’ can often become obstacles that get in the way of our work. Being strengths-based and positive is important, and often, so is conflict and disagreement. Regional areas amplify this. Disagreements, conflict and relationship ruptures can be acutely felt in smaller, local places – let’s face it, it’s much harder to avoid folks! On the other hand, the close proximity of local relationships in regional areas also means people implicitly understand and value interconnectivity, and can therefore be more respectful and forgiving.

In these increasingly polarised times, we must create strong, deeply engaged and resilient groups that can navigate their differences and the inevitable conflict it will bring well, and more than that – can lean into them and use their differences for innovation and their collective purpose.
This workshop takes participants through 3 simple steps to work with disagreement and conflict in collaborations, to harness its creativity and for it all to be a little less scary.