Five big insights for changemakers

A guiding principle for Lucent’s work is making connections among people and organisations working for social change. We had been thinking for a while about the best way of bringing together a community of changemakers, and the pandemic prompted us to act on instinct. Every week leaders gather around the campfire in a ‘virtual huddle’, giving some thinking space, a chance to hear what has worked for others and to spot what might be around the corner.

We’ve been delighted to welcome many of you across a wide range of sectors to our weekly campfire.

Here are five lessons we have learnt.

1.     The dividing lines between business, government and the social sector have blurred.

We have seen largescale fundraising campaigns to support the NHS, crowdfunding for small businesses, some large corporates demonstrating social awareness and developing their understanding of vulnerable customers and thousands of new local enterprises and community groups springing up. This new appetite for social good is heartening but there is a risk of retreat when the immediate crisis passes.

How are you building this appetite and engaging with this new group of social actors?

Alongside these new opportunities, what are the risks of these dividing lines being redrawn and what are you doing to mitigate this?

2.     The handbrake is off and change is accelerating in areas previously labelled “Too difficult”.

Organisations around the campfire are experiencing what it feels like to let the handbrake off in areas where previously progress had been slow. Digital transformation and new partnerships are mentioned most commonly.

How are you finding this experience ? What are you learning, what shows potential and what is a little bit terrifying?

How can you make sure that these adaptations are deep and sustainable and that accepted norms (such as a London-based HQ or a barrier between Foundations and activists) are challenged?

3.     Simplicity and trust are the new watch words for social change.  

With so many pressing concerns, leaders have found how essential it is to keep things simple. This is a unique opportunity to strip back on any organisational complexity that is getting in the way of effectiveness. The second big organisational principle emerging has been trust. Whether that is trusting your team and delegating effectively or trusting your grantees to use their funds in the best possible way, operating on a trust first principle has been a liberation.

How can you cement these new ways of working into your future practice?

4.     Meaningful engagement with beneficiaries and volunteers drives change.

Many organisations have found ways of rapidly involving and consulting with beneficiaries to develop services in a different way. For some, this has sped up the pace on ‘co-production’ as beneficiaries have had a more direct hand in designing the services that work for them in lockdown. Similarly, the massive upsurge in volunteers suggests a new energy to be tapped but it will only remain if those volunteers are making a meaningful contribution that they have actively shaped.

How can you find ways of connecting more deeply to beneficiaries and volunteers as your organisation engages in the next round of planning and adaptation?

5.     We build resilience through honesty, openness, empathy and vulnerability.

We have shared stories around the campfire of what we are learning about ourselves as people and as leaders. As we have seen the best and worst in others through this time, so we have seen the best and worst in ourselves. From unexpected pools of resilience through to times when grief has overwhelmed us or we have defaulted to type. Being honest and open with ourselves and each other about where we are struggling has been a key factor in surviving and thriving in this extraordinary time.

What are you doing right now to look after yourself as well as others, to avoid burn-out ourselves and give others the opportunity to be absent?

Our campfire takes place every Wednesday between 4 and 4.45. It is a point of reflection in the middle of the week. We hope that it will continue to provide a source of support and inspiration to changemakers across the social sector. There are no closed doors around a campfire, so you are welcome to drop in and say hi anytime.

Do drop us an email at hello@lucentconsultancy.co.uk if you’d like to come along, or just join us on Zoom using this link https://zoom.us/j/3422714782