The first thing is that I’ve gone a bit rogue in designing some workshop content. I’ve used the term co-production (not my favourite) AND I’ve used the same term for the second workshop, which is about co-production with team members.
But this isn’t a blog about my workshop design process, albeit the iterations of it got me thinking and reading about power, power sharing and why we find it so hard. Neither am I an academic, rather someone who has tried things, failed at things and now wants to continue the conversation and share experiences, especially with charity and social enterprise leaders stretched beyond all measure and still being told, especially by funders (who won’t fund it), that they’re not co-producing enough.
So you’ll forgive the shorthands for people charities and social enterprises work with (‘beneficiaries’) and involving them (‘co-production). This isn’t a blog about co-production, consultation and the various ladders of participation, but they are essential concepts in the process of considering what we involve people in as part of the design of our organisations.
Rather than the what, I’m more interested in the why and the so what else?
Whether we’re talking about co-producing with our ‘beneficiaries’ and communities or with our colleagues and teams, at the root of the approach we take are the same three questions.
- Why are we doing this?
- Are we really ready to relinquish power?
- What else should we be thinking about in terms of the consequences of doing so?
Some considerations when you ask the questions:
Why are we doing this? Being honest about your organisation’s intentions, values alignment with relinquishing or sharing power, resource available and risk appetite of your board are a good starting point. If you intentions are to please a funder, then your actions are probably going to be pretty far down the Ladder of Participation – or ticking boxes. If your motivations are because you truly people that the people you support are your equals, are capable (with support and/or context) of making decisions that you will give equal value to and your organisation will be stronger as a result – then you’re in a better place than most. Values – what they are and what they look like in practice. How do equity, power, accountability, reciprocity and respect show up practically day-to-day in your organisation? Do they show up at all? Is there the resource to do co-production well? If the resource isn’t there now, can it be built into this year’s fundraising strategy review after that scoping workshop with the Board? My experience (albeit not a ‘fly by the seat of my pants’ sort of CEO), is that it’s better (and probably more ethical) to do it well than to nibble at it a bit and risk letting people down. The risk of doing more harm than good in an organisation where trust is not high, is real.
Are we really ready to relinquish power? The big one. Have you worked through not just the resource implications of this, but the ego implications. Many on boards and in leadership and management positions quite like those positions of power and don’t respond well to being challenged and told they’ve got it all wrong and have had it all wrong for some time. I remember the first time I got that feedback and it was brutal. The fact that it made be a better, more equitable and inclusive leader, is undeniable. Relinquishing power might mean decisions take longer, might mean they don’t go your way and might mean the strategy, governance and direction of the organisation has to change, to say nothing of the disruption to the work you actually do, the partnerships you have worked hard at and the assumptions people make about your organisation. It will turn everything on its head.
What else should we be thinking about in terms of the consequences of doing so? Above I’ve already alluded to some of the consequences of handing over power, all of which require time, a plan, motivation and resource. The other consequences of course are an organisation that flourishes. An organisation that reaches more people, sees a more motivated and healthier workplace, secures new income streams and most importantly – deepens and strengthens the impact it has,
Power is the elephant in the room in co-production and in the face of needing to figure out how you’re going to pay staff in three months time can feel like a conversation you haven’t got time for.
Asking the three questions above could just be the most impactful thing you do on the road to effective co-production and a stronger more resilient organisation.