I bet your organisation has excellent examples of engagement you can point to. Every organisation does. But the real challenge is making those good examples the ‘everyday normal’. How do you build the internal case for engagement so it’s simply ‘The Way We Do Things Around Here’?

We often see purpose-led organisations doing a good job of identifying the impact they are working towards. What is often less clear - and therefore left to chance - is their strategy for getting there. In this article, we unpack a simple model for behaviour change that will clarify where you can make the biggest difference.

Are you involved in some kind of strategy, visioning or planning process at the moment? Of course you are. We love to create strategies, visions and plans. And more than anything, we love to create strategic plans. In this article, however, we’re going to unpack the difference between a strategy and a plan, and explain the pitfalls of strategic planning.

What do you really mean by ‘community’? Many organisations throw about the word without taking the time to define what that means. This can create problems when you lump too many people into one homogenous group. In this article, we suggest four ways of defining your community, and mention some risks to be aware of.

A check-in is a simple method for opening a meeting. There is an open invitation for every person to speak at the start of the meeting. We’ve found that regular check-ins are one of the most powerful rituals to build an inclusive and effective team culture.

Your working environment isn’t simple. Nor is it complicated. It’s complex. And that distinction is important. And when you’re working in the complexity of people’s lives, you need some tools to help you when you get stuck, overwhelmed or confused.

Virtual meetings are here to stay. If you and your teammates are talking about “Zoom fatigue”, then this article will point you towards five simple tactics to set yourselves up for success with virtual meetings.

Do you find that you get nervous about the prospect of enabling public participation in your organisation’s work? It is easy to become caught up in the harmful perceptions about community engagement. Get ready to busts some common myths and see the real advantage of investing in public engagement.

The Business Improvement District (BID) model is one of the most exciting and popular placemaking models in the world. But we see an opportunity to strengthen the model by better involving the community in what BIDs do. We’re tentatively calling this a Neighbourhood Improvement Model and we’re seeking expressions of interest from councils or existing BIDs who want to be part of exploring this innovative opportunity. If that sounds interesting to you - read on

Island Bay’s cycleway is a fascinating community engagement case study. Not just because of the roller coaster facts. But also because of High Court’s judicial review of the consultation process. We’ve picked out five lessons from that judgment. These will be valuable for any organisation interested in involving stakeholders and communities in significant investment decisions and projects.

How does your governance involve people in decision-making without challenging or undermining their own power structure? Is that even possible? This article suggests three questions you need to ask your governance before your organisation can truly move forward with community engagement or empowerment.

Every organisation has its "good examples" of how it engaged with stakeholders or the community. But how do you shift an organisation so these become the everyday norm? Read on to learn how to shift an organisation’s approach to engagement.

Major infrastructure projects have a big impact on communities. Engaging with those communities is critical to the success of those projects, but government officials and infrastructure providers often find this a fraught process. This article will help you find a way forward.

Answer: Bin it.

Most are superficial rubbish. An Engagement Strategy needs to understand and identify the council’s willingness to share power and be a genuine partner with communities. If your council doesn’t have a clear position on this - read on.