The Exchange emerged from a process initiated by SkyCity Foundation, Auckland Communities Foundation and the New Zealand Leadership Institute.
This process saw members engaging with the NZ Leadership Institute in a series of clinics dedicated to increasing collaboration among organisations who are working together to reduce social isolation among migrant and refugee background women.
Here we learned how to leverage frustration, provocation and unsettledness; and to enable difference, disruption and disappointment (at a tolerable level) as well as how to identify divergence, emergence and convergence then applying these ideas to resolve “Goldilocks problems”.
We also learned about engaging with those who are currently outside our current sphere of influence but who are potentially interested in contributing to our kaupapa. We recognise that innovation can be about connecting things that often aren’t.
With these things in mind, our leadership approach embraces lessons from Random Hacks of Kindness, Ferrari pit stops, the role of orchestra conductors, adaptive leadership, appreciative inquiry and design thinking. We create space to identify assets, to build on those and to experiment. In short, we have shifted from leadership by expertise to leadership that opens space for others.
All of this means that the Exchange Collaborative works in adaptive ways because the nature of actions to improve social connection and reduce social isolation among migrant and refugee background women requires a variety of approaches and responses, and new possibilities emerge as we go.
The responses we commit to require ongoing reflection and learning to be able to capitalise on new possibilities that emerge. Our approaches will change as situations change and are focused on empowering potential beneficiaries of the work by supporting them to lead and be actively involved in creating and delivering solutions.
The process has produced:
- A cohesive core group of 6 organisations whose achievements have surpassed what any single organisation could have achieved alone.
- Opportunities for two volunteers to contribute their skills to this kaupapa.
- A report outlining key elements of social isolation among stakeholders.
- A growing Facebook page with reach well beyond its ‘likes’.
- Four video stories about overcoming social isolation.
- A workshop attended by over 80 women to “create solutions together” leading to seven ideas in development by newly established teams.
- Better understanding of social isolation and the capacity of stakeholders to build connection.
We continue to learn together and are currently developing our next steps as a collaborative. Get in touch to find out more.
