This practice focuses on empowering people to lead transformation at three levels — within themselves, within their institutions and within the system. Capacity building in this area involves exploring the interconnections between inner work, collective transformation and system transformation. Key capabilities include self-awareness, awareness of others, self-inquiry and collaborative inquiry, along with other multidisciplinary skills. This practice is based on the understanding that each individual has the power to be a change agent and leader.

Helpful Tools

1. System Change Education — a comprehensive list of tools, competencies, frameworks and approaches to systems leadership. 

2. Systems Leadership Skill Builder — this skill builder helps leaders identify five types of systems within which they could be operating, along with  common roadblocks and skills and attributes to develop.

3. Learning Journeys — site visits to relevant locations or places with great potential, usually best when conducted in small groups of up to five people.

4. Systems Leadership Training — expert training videos on systems leadership for the Green Commodities Community.

We know supply chains and food systems have inherent power differences within their systems. In order for collaborative action to be effective, we need inclusive design, inclusive decision making and inclusive outcomes. Conducting a power analysis of the situation and stakeholders can illuminate why being inclusive is important. To build this capacity, we need to understand how equity, representation and distribution of resources has not only played a role in creating the issue being addressed, but also how these realities might influence the group’s aim to be more inclusive and effective in future efforts to change the system. Powerful interests can become blocks to change, and specific strategies may be needed to manage this and keep moving forward.

We pay attention to peripheral voices, minorities and less powerful groups, constantly asking ourselves “who is not at the table?” and “who needs to be included?” Starting from system edges helps. Once these voices are at the table, we need to learn to listen in a new way so we can understand the less powerful groups’ perspectives. Often, stakeholders are not even aware of their own power.

Helpful Tools

1. Power Ranking — experiential exercise that allows the group and individuals to see and discuss how people are influential in the hierarchy of a group and its impact.

2. Stakeholder Power in Food Systems — this exercise gives a deeper understanding of the role of stakeholders in the food system, visualizing the relative importance and influence of each stakeholder as well as their place within the food system.

3. Power: A Practical Guide to Facilitating Social Change — a handbook that encompasses a number of activities and “how-to’s” for understanding power and how to work with it in a group.

Bringing multiple perspectives together on a subject will inevitably surface different points of view, some which may be in conflict with others. These differences, often the “elephants in the room”, should be proactively explored for greater understanding. Creating a positive tone around conflict and setting the expectation that it will be managed and addressed is critical to building trust without hidden agendas. The focus of this practice is on increasing the collaborative’s capacity to see conflict as something to work with in order to move the collective forward and even connect the group more strongly together.

Helpful Tools

1.      Multiple Perspectives — an experiential exercise that helps a group see an issue from as many vantage points as possible, which can help diffuse tension and open conversation around difference.

2.      Conflict Style — this exercise generates insights on how different conflict-handling styles affect interpersonal and group dynamics and empowers participants to select the appropriate conflict-handling style for any situation.

3.      Paired Walk — this exercise involves walking and talking with someone as a way to practice listening, generate understanding and foster collaboration.

This is a critical essential practice. Continuous, clear communication is vital for building trust and aligning on common motivations, not to mention getting the word out on your efforts. Effective communication works on three levels:

●       Personal. On an individual level, it’s about how you listen and dialogue with stakeholders who might see things very differently.

●       Collective. Within the group of stakeholders working on the collaborative effort, it’s about ensuring that key messages are developed collectively so that there’s a single narrative. In larger efforts this can take the form of a communication working group.

●       System. When communicating with the system or community we are trying to impact, making change happen requires thoughtful and coherent storytelling. This can influence wider circles and enable the tipping point that sustains the transition and helps it scale.

Helpful Tools

1.  Communication and Systems Change — identifies five ways in which systemic change communications strategies can vary from traditional communications strategies.

2. The Four Levels of Listening or Deep Listening — listening is key to many aspects of Effective Collaborative Action; these two resources bring its importance to life.