Create a Trustworthy Process

Working on adaptive challenges takes time and process. One of the key characteristics of an effective process is to ensure it is a trustworthy process. Here are a few tips to creating a trustworthy process.

Tips for creating a trustworthy process :[8]

• Design the process together. Ask others, how should we work on this issue? What’s important to you about how we work on this issue?
• Shift the context. Consider bringing people to a location that is different than their everyday environment or the expected meeting location. It helps people suspend judgment and be more curious about the process.
• Help people understand the larger system. Ask people from different factions to present for three minutes about their concern related to the issue at hand. Allow two minutes of questions. Schedule a few of these at each meeting.
• Reinforce empathy for others. Ask everyone to imagine someone who is not at the table. Then have them describe to the group how that person (or faction) might be impacted by what is being considered.
• Tell your story. Set aside time for people to share. Ask, “Why I do what I do?” or use some other prompt to elicit personal stories. Invite people to be open and vulnerable.
• Create diversity and dialogue. In small groups, ask participants to share something they have not fully expressed to the full group. For instance, ask individuals to talk about what peers could do to help them fully engage in the work, or ask them to share ideas about the kinds of conversation they would like to have in the large group.
• Debrief meetings. Use the last five minutes of a meeting to ask participants to identify how the group worked together, what went well, and what could be improved going forward.
• Promote transparency and accountability. List the purpose of the meeting on every meeting agenda and review it. Record commitments by creating a chart of “Who” will do “What” by “When.” Revisit commitments at the start of each meeting, celebrating work completed and adapting action steps as needed.