How concepts apply to practice

Many of us working in the arts are revisioning how we do things, particularly as we lead our organisations into a post-pandemic era. We are realising that we need to be open to new ways of doing things. Margaret Wheatley (2006) talks about the creative energy that is developed through interconnectivity. We need to seek out these connections with colleagues and learn how to turn concepts into methods of practice.

Exploring the power of the coffee meeting

During my time with the City of St. Albert, I [Kelly Jerrott] was part of a small group who met every couple of weeks on Friday morning for coffee and conversation. The members of our group varied slightly over the years, with differing city department directors joining from time to time, but the supportive, trusting, authentic environment was consistent. We took the opportunity to share and learn about what we were each doing. We leaned on each other for support and shared information, strategies and approaches. Our Friday coffee meeting became a highlight in our week that none of us wanted to miss.

We would like to demonstrate the “power of the coffee meeting” (See video 3:4 Interview with Carol Bergum, and Diane Enger) and have invited two of my former colleagues from the City of St. Albert, Carol Bergum (MacEwan Alumni, & Director of Planning and Development with the City of Spruce Grove) and Diane Enger (Director of Recreation and Parks Services with the City of St. Albert) to participate in a Zoom Chat about our coffee meetings and how they help us get things done in a local government environment using soft power.

Video 3:4, Interview with Carol Bergum and Diane Enger

Both Bergum and Enger have a vast amount of experience working in the field and are adept at utilising the practice of soft power to assist them in getting things done within their organisations and broader communities. They are emotionally intelligent, have excellent communication skills, and are able to see and convey a vision. You will note some of the techniques and strategies referenced in the conversation that helps us get things done using soft power, even though this tends not to be a term we actually use to describe what we do in practice. Some of the strategies used to help us get things done in our communities include:

Collaborative relationships
Reciprocal relationships
Emotional intelligence
Communication
Communities of practice
Celebrating success & sharing the credit 

Having conversations with colleagues and other organisations, asking questions to understand and learn from each other is important, part of building strong relationships and how we make those connections that build support for our projects and initiatives. Collaborative relationships, or working with other groups and organisations to accomplish common goals, contribute to the support and success of projects and is an important step forward in revisioning healthy and sustainable communities.

We sometimes find ourselves working in our own little worlds, and we forget to have a look around to see what everyone else is doing and consider the big picture. Working in a local government environment, a great deal of benefit was gained by department directors meeting for coffee to discuss current projects in an informal manner. These discussions created a greater understanding and helped remove barriers, ultimately increasing support for each other’s projects and initiatives. Through discussions it was discovered that there were also opportunities to share information and resources, increasing organisational efficiency.

There are times when we do not always agree with our colleagues. Enger shares that developing personal relationships through soft power assisted in creating greater understanding (Zoom interview, July 2021). When disagreements emerge, and they always will, relationships make it much easier to come to an understanding and work collaboratively. The coffee meetings, in this instance, involved building connections and collaborative relationships between the Culture and Community Services, Planning and Development Services, and Recreation and Parks Services, and on occasion also included Engineering and Human Resources. This is a great example of how building connections in different areas aids in creating a stronger community. If we recall the social, environmental and economic and cultural pillars that contribute to building healthy and sustainable communities, these also aid in contributing to the overall cultural value of the community.