Monday, September 24, 2012

Distracted or Focused in your Collaboration?


The more choices we have, the greater the need for focus.  - Tom Butler-Bowdon


Is your collaborative...

Drifting from project to project?
Feeling fragmented from multiple interests and passions?
Losing sight of where you are going as a group?

It happens!

This past week a networking group that I have been a part of has decided to fold due to lack of participation.  One of the group members questioned if living in an urban setting contributed to this. She wondered if people were so distracted and had so many options available to them that it was hard to focus  on lasting deep collaborative relationships.

 This got me thinking about what role (if any) focus and distraction had in collaboration.  

Think about the many interests your group or collaborative has right now. How many directions are your collaborative members pulled in? For example, are people expected to take action around literacy, marketing, housing, poverty, nutrition, and social capital (to name a few)? While on one hand being aware of a holistically developed big picture is fantastic, as is being fully informed before making decisions, as is considering people's interests. AND can multiple interests pull people into overload, fragmentation and in-action?  

Consider this an invitation to reflect. What have you noticed?
Please do share your thoughts on RTV's Facebook or Twitter pages. 

More next week - come back to read about one approach to aid a working together focus (it’s found in a hedgehog).

Village Raising Questions:
What (if anything) has your group currently distracted?
What role do you think rural and urban settings play in this?
How does your group find AND keep their focus?
How can multiple interests be celebrated?


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