By Capire Associates & Team Leads Caz Treby and Emily Mellon
After nearly two decades of engagement practice between us, Capire decided it was time for our Team Leads to become fully-fledged engagement people by sending us to our first Engagement Institute Conference. We packed our bags, our keen and curious attitudes, and we were off to Brisbane!
The opening speech outed us both as newcomers. As we gingerly raised our hands, the sea of repeat-conference-goers (including four Capire colleagues) gave us a smile and we were warmly welcomed. Phew!
We unofficially kicked off with improv. Which is, we’re told, not the regular at a conference. At the end of repeatedly peppering people with the question ‘why’s that?’ in every tone we could muster, we had not only solved the fictional off-leash dog park engagement conundrum, but we’d also solved the first hurdle to a successful conference: active participation.
We’re not going to give you a blow-by-blow of each session, because this is a reflection and insight on our takeaways. And so here it is in a bite-sized list for you all: what we loved and learned at the conference.
- We learned a bit more about Meanjin/Brisbane and the importance of connection during Baringa Barambah’s songful Welcome to Country. We learned we could tear up in a room full of strangers.
- We explored leadership with Kirstin Ferguson and the idea of leading with both the head and the heart. We were mildly surprised by some of the results, but reassured by the team’s diverse strengths. Empathy lower on your list? Don’t worry, we’ve got you – just bring us some of that curiosity! 😉
- We had quality conversations about inclusive engagement in a changing and challenging world, and what this means for the practice, how we plan, and how we advocate for people in this context. Mosaic Lab Co-founder Nicole Hunter posed insightful design questions that we will take back – ‘have you created the [engagement] conditions for the thinking that you need?’ and ‘how much are we asking of people who have the least to spare?’
- We learned what the Engagement Cortex is (pretty darn exciting!) and chatted through its practical and aspirational application in our work.
- We shared and road tested the Engagement Timeframe Policy and Guidance Tool that Capire developed on behalf of the Engagement Institute, which was met with enthusiasm and quality feedback.
- We heard about power dynamics between project teams and locals in regional communities, and how pre-engagement, relationships and scenario planning help practitioners and locals in contentious environments.
- We looked at engagement from the perspective of the communities being engaged. We heard that many regional communities are looking for opportunities to partner in shaping their future, rather than simply having projects built in their towns. They also need the time and resources to consider what they want for their communities before proponents arrive.
- We connected over not only engagement and work but brought chickens, pottery, the Nutbush and lots of laughter into the mix.
