We live in a time of intense connection, and yet we are also increasingly disconnected.
We have no shortage of channels on which to reach people or to follow what they are doing – yet the quality of connections between us is in decline.
That decline includes people who share the same social mission; we regularly see how collaboration in the Australian for-purpose sector is constrained by the design of the markets that they operate in.
All this disconnection puts us in a tough place when it comes to making progress on complex challenges that require collaboration between organisations, and between people with seemingly conflicting perspectives.
In response to this, practitioners around the world have been exploring alternative ways to organise people to advance large-scale systemic impact.
Their work designing and running what have come to be called impact networks proves that if you bring together diverse people and hold those conversations in a certain way, over time you can shift situations that would otherwise remain stuck.
What this paper explores
This paper explores the promising practice of impact networks, including examples of impact networks from around the world and how these networks work. It also shares insights from the Good Death Impact Network (GDIN), a network TACSI have been involved in convening since 2018, and the four network practices that our GDIN work has helped us put into practice: togetherness, in-betweenness, emergence, and wellbeing.
These practices create a fertile ground for shifting systems by cultivating deep, authentic connections, a shared understanding of systems and collective intelligence.
Our hope is that this paper helps you consider if an impact network could help you make better progress on the systemic challenges you’re facing.
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Who this white paper is for
You’re a leader looking to address a complex and dynamic systemic challenge
You’re a funder or decision maker looking to shift behaviours across a field, industry or sector
You already run a network and you’re looking to increase its impact
You’re a facilitator looking to learn more about TACSI’s approach to impact networks