tips

10 TIPS FOR ENGAGING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES & HIGH ANXIETY

10 TIPS FOR ENGAGING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES & HIGH ANXIETY

Facing community crises at any time is difficult. When there are ‘concurrent crises’ it makes it even more challenging and complex to respond and engage.

Community members can feel disturbed, frightened or anxious. At the same time, organisations are also grappling with how to adjust, change and continue to move forward. There is value in continuous connections.

For those who missed our first ‘continuous connections’ webinar, we’ve pulled our top 10 tips for engaging through difficult times & working with high anxiety into a free, downloadable resource.

DILEMMA DISCUSSED: 'HOSTILE' AUDIENCES (PART 2)

DILEMMA DISCUSSED: 'HOSTILE' AUDIENCES (PART 2)

Late last year we published the first post in a two-part series on dealing with this ‘subscriber dilemma’. In part one we explored how to plan for conflict, outrage and emotion when you know it’s likely to arise. Today, in part two, we’re providing 10 tips for working with high emotion in the moment – when you didn’t expect or plan for it at all.

#MONTHLYMYTH: FOCUSING ON THE FEW

#MONTHLYMYTH: FOCUSING ON THE FEW

It’s important to consider and tailor your engagement approach to ensure you meet the needs of all stakeholders, and that includes those who have the most to say.  

This mistake, however , lies in forgetting about everyone else. Suddenly, you realise the needs and opinions of a few have demanded time, attention and resources at the expense of the rest of your stakeholders or community.

Today we’re addressing this myth by providing 9 ways to ensure diverse perspectives make it into your next process.

#MonthlyMyth: Tables enhance conversation

#MonthlyMyth: Tables enhance conversation

We are often drawn towards what we know – it’s comfortable sticking to what we are used to doing, seeing and experiencing.  However, when it comes to engagement, sometimes comfortable doesn’t equal effective, and this month’s myth is a perfect example.

#MonthlyMyth: Build it (online) and they will come

#MonthlyMyth: Build it (online) and they will come

Online tools are an important part of the modern engagement landscape.  They offer a broad range of benefits from ease and flexibility of access to handy data analysis options.   They can be absolutely worth the investment, and are integral parts of most successful, contemporary engagement processes. 

However, it's a mistake to think that a great online platform or tool alone will solve all your engagement problems or attract high levels of participation - no matter how much you spent on building it or how long you spent on perfecting it. 

This monthly myth touches on a mistake that is pretty easy to make and can catch organisations out, leaving them without much of a return on what can be a significant investment.

#MonthlyMyth: Tight communication reins = risk minimisation

#MonthlyMyth: Tight communication reins = risk minimisation

Many organisations try to minimise risk by 'holding the reins tight' when it comes to communicating with their communities and stakeholders around engagement processes and major projects/decisions. 

This so-called 'risk averse' approach tends to include carefully constructing tightly worded (yet often very uninformative) key messages and strictly withholding any information deemed potentially inflammatory or uncomfortable - even when inextricably relevant to the issue at hand.

There's also approval processes applied to the release of any information, which can slow down communication activities - sometimes to a considerable extent - depending on how rigid or intricate these processes are. 

While organisations tend to feel comfortable with this well-worn approach, the promise of 'safety' through control is generally just an illusion.  

11 ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHALLENGES & HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

11 ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHALLENGES & HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

Advisory committees – we love them and we hate them – and we can’t stop setting them up. They're possibly the number one method of engagement in Australia.

When used effectively, these groups (also called stakeholder/community reference groups and a whole host of other titles) can provide an opportunity to gather local knowledge and input, test ideas and proposals and improve communication and relationships.  However, when used improperly, run poorly, or put in place as a substitute for a comprehensive engagement process, they can create more risk than reward.

This post will help you to overcome some of the biggest challenges associated with advisory committees, and ensure that both organisation and group benefits from the experience.

#MONTHLYMYTH - EVERYDAY CITIZENS & COMPLEX TOPICS

#MONTHLYMYTH - EVERYDAY CITIZENS & COMPLEX TOPICS

Welcome to our February #MonthlyMyth post!  Today, we're exploring a commonly held belief that prevents many organisations from engaging in a meaningful way with citizens around complex, technical or information-rich issues. 

This one misconception can reduce an engagement process to a surface exercise without any real outcomes, create unintended and less than desirable consequences down the track and even prevent a potentially valuable engagement process from happening altogether. 

So let's get into it - what can everyday citizens REALLY handle and should we ask them to handle it?

INSIGHTS INTO PECHA KUCHA – THE ART OF CONCISE PRESENTATIONS

INSIGHTS INTO PECHA KUCHA – THE ART OF CONCISE PRESENTATIONS

The MosaicLab team is regularly involved in events that feature speakers and presentations.  As we all know, regular old PowerPoint presentations can sometimes be a little lengthy, dull and un-engaging.  So, to shake things up and ensure each presentation really connects with the audience, we often encourage the speakers we work with to adopt a very high-energy, fast-paced style of presenting known as Pecha Kucha ...