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TACTICAL TOOLS
GETTING A GOOD DISCUSSION GOING
Once you have the right people in the room, how do you get them to share good ideas? Breaking people into small groups, so everyone gets a chance to talk, and posing a few good questions can go a long way. Linda May, an experienced facilitator with the Center for Applied Research, suggests these provocative questions, aimed at surfacing leverage points and momentum. You could also use questions like these in one-on-one conversations.
- The Big Picture
Step back and think about the big picture over the next five to ten years — locally, regionally or nationally. What are three to five things happening now in the larger environment that have the potential to make a major difference in your field?
- What Keeps You Awake at Night?
From your own perspective working in the field, what are the three to five things that worry you most — and why? How have you personally seen these issues played out on the ground?
- Windows of Opportunity:
Windows of opportunity can open and close before you know it. What are five to seven especially promising windows the funder and its partners might pursue? What are some specific ways the funder and others could take advantage of those windows before they close?
In parallel, you might ask another small group to grapple with a different set of questions:
- Trends in the Field:
What are four or five of the most interesting trends that are leading to new practices in your field? How have you seen these trends played out on the ground?
- Strange Bedfellows:
Innovative strategies sometimes call for unusual affiliations. What are five to seven unexpected alliances, partnerships and conversations that could advance your field? Think out loud about specific ways to deepen those alliances. How can the funder act as a catalyst?
- Missing Infrastructure:
Most fields require a solid infrastructure of information technology, communication channels, incentives, revenue models, and other underlying support. In thinking about your field, are there key pieces of infrastructure that seem to be missing? Why are those pieces especially critical?
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