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It is a fundamental responsibility for key partners to mutually respect other agencies’ organizational cultures and value each partner’s contribution to the collaboration. It is important to recognize that while each agency has come together to pursue the same objectives, each is coming from its own unique position and may have a different way of understanding the problem or accomplishing the goals. 

 

It may challenge the collaborative to reconcile these different approaches, but understanding distinct roles, perspectives and expertise is an invaluable attribute when working together. Diversity of experience and opinion will generate new ideas and solutions, and understanding different approaches can improve each agency’s ability to serve clients with varying needs and perspectives.

 

Each organization’s culture is directly related to why it is a member of the collaboration, and what it brings to the table. Language, values, priorities, policies and ways of doing business can be vastly different between organizations. In particular, collaborative agencies will likely have different perspectives on violence and disability, as well as different terminology, emphasis and concerns.

 

  • Have each agency give a presentation about their work during the formation of the collaboration to provide important insight into organizational cultures.
  • Include information and explanations about mission, philosophy, priority, and language. 
  • Define terms that may appear common but are understood differently among agencies.
  • Create space to explore differences and commonalities among collaborating partners. If differences exist, determine if it is in an area where consensus is needed. If so, work towards it through dialogue and facilitated discussions. If not, come up with strategies to accept one another's differences.