Town halls, forums, and city council, school board, and county board meetings are sometimes veering out of control, highlighting the urgency for county and other local leaders to develop strategies and skills to bridge divides and collaborate across differences. [...] Bridging Divides: Tools for County Leaders to Overcome Divison and Foster Collaboration 7 Purpose of this Toolkit This toolkit provides county government leaders with strategies and tools to bridge divisions within county government, between the levels of government, and 1 a pproaches and strategies to between them and communities. [...] Be mindful of language conflict and divides within the county Board, between that may be associated with specific identities or the county and other levels of government, and between groups and could trigger preconceived notions. [...] It facilitates the identification of include the collective wisdom of the group and root causes and establishes a shared understanding, address the needs of all participants. which, in turn, lays a solid foundation for the development of targeted and impactful strategies. 11. [...] Bridging Divides: Tools for County Leaders to Overcome Divison and Foster Collaboration 21 STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES and resolution of problems, a sense of shared OF COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM- ownership and commitment to the proposed solutions SOLVING emerges.
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- United States of America
Table of Contents
- Leaders in both public and private sectors are grappling 5
- This struggle is particularly evident in the public sector 5
- Tensions exist within county boards between county 5
- The Challenge 6
- The Opportunity 7
- Purpose of this Toolkit 8
- Bridging Divides 9
- Bridging divides requires inner work. 9
- It includes developing the right mindset to make interactions across difference constructive. 9
- Interpersonal skills are our ability to communicate interact and work effectively with others. 13
- They involve understanding and managing your emotions and being able to relate to and understand others feelings. 13
- Intergroup strategies are the approaches or actions employed to address interactions relationships or conflicts between groups. 16
- These strategies aim to promote understanding collaboration and positive engagement among diverse groups fostering cooperation and reducing tension. 16
- Collaborative Problem-Solving 18
- Bridging Divides within County Government 23
- Bridging Divides with Other Levels of Government 24
- Intergovernmental collaboration is another challenge experienced by county leaders. 24
- Collaboration between various levels of government such as federal local state and tribal government leaders is crucial for several reasons. 24
- Bridging Divides with the Community 26
- Principles of Bridging Divides in the Community 27
- Addressing Divisions Through Community Engagement 29
- Its important to remember that county leaders are not alone. 30
- Education serves as the bridge for meaningful discussion and dialogue playing a pivotal role in dispelling any myths that might arise regarding the costs and benefits of the initiative. 37
- As county government leaders navigate various issues action and follow-through become a linchpin for credibility and trust. 42
- The last step in the process involves the evaluation and adaptation of the community engagement strategy. 43
- Appendix A Key Parties Mapping Tool 45
- Appendix B Connecting Questions 45
- Appendix C Meeting Agreements 45
- Appendix D Finding and Selecting a Facilitator 45
- Appendix E Meeting Evaluation 45
- Appendix F Meeting Design Examples 45
- Appendix G Additional Resources 45
