What is a Collaborative?

Collaboratives are groups within IIMHL and IIDL, made up of people and organisations around the world with a shared interest in a particular topic or area of practice. These groups meet regularly between Matches, usually virtually. Collaboratives are self-directed and organised. These groups share their day-to-day work, new ideas, challenges, and work on collaborative projects. 

Collaborative members usually host a Match on their topic when the Leadership Exchange is in their country.

What is the Emerging Leaders Collaborative?

Coming out of the Emerging Leaders Principles work, we found people wanted an ongoing space to:

• build their skills 

• support others

• feel connected to people with shared values

In 2023, we are establishing the Emerging Leaders Collaborative.  The Collaborative focuses on building collective and inclusive leadership through inter-generational collaboration and knowledge transfer. Members can share their experiences and build their skills in implementing these leadership approaches. 

The purpose of the Emerging Leaders Collaborative

The purpose of convening and creating the Emerging Leaders collaborative is to bring together people who are committed to collective, inclusive leadership, inter-generational collaboration, and knowledge sharing. 

Collaborative members want to work in line with our Emerging Leaders Principles  but want to discuss, explore, test, and share how to make these ambitions real. 

We're focused on practical action, accountability, problem solving, and opportunity identification. 

Key information

The Collaborative meets once every 3 months using Zoom. 

The Collaborative is open to all IIMHL and IIDL members who are interested in implementing inter-generational collaboration, two-way knowledge transfer, and collective and inclusive leadership development  in their leadership and workplaces. 

You can receive information about and join Collaborative activities by signing up for the Emerging Leaders Mailing List. 

We have tried to give you as much information as we can below about what to expect from a Collaborative meeting. You can use the Table of Contents below to skip to the section that is most interesting to you. 

There is an Easy English summary above which covers the purpose,  how meetings run, and the rules of the road.

How Collaborative meetings run

How long: 90 minutes
How often: Once every three months
On what platform: Zoom meetings

Accessibility and inclusion features 

• Automatic captioning is on

• Automatic translation is on

• Chat is turned off 

Our standard agenda 

• Introductions and Rules of the Road review (10 mins)

• Deep dive topic (20 mins): Whole group listen to speaker on a key topic across mental health, disability, and/or addictions. Speakers or topics of interest can be nominated by anyone in the group. 

• Move to breakout rooms for self-moderated peer mentoring with 3 – 5 people (35 mins)

  • Check in: Highs and Lows

  • Discuss what was the most important or most interesting point from the speaker

  • Share any goals or things you would like your peers to help you be accountable for doing. 

• Back to main room: Reflections and planning for upcoming activities or opportunities, meeting wrap up, reminder of next meeting date (20 mins)

Our "rules of the road"

These are the beliefs, values, and behaviours that guide us when we participate in activities and events. We all agree to follow the rules of the road. 

• We work towards all people having independent, thriving lives where they can experience all of their human rights. We work in lots of ways towards this aim and celebrate the work people do in lots of different leadership ‘niches’. 

• We treat everyone who comes to our space with kindness and respect. 

• We listen to what other people have to say to try to understand and learn from a different perspective, not to judge.

• We accept that we are all different and we have different opinions. 

• We respect each other’s boundaries and the purpose of this space.

• We build on the work and the knowledge that has come before us. 

• We grow our network by inviting people to participate but trying to make sure they have resilient support systems so they can keep coming.

• We assume the best of people and that they are using language which is preferred in their country or community.  

• We give each other feedback if we don’t follow the Rules of the Road or make a mistake, and believe in everyone’s ability to grow and change.

Notes: 

• These “rules of the road” align with the IIMHL/IIDL Leadership Principles: inclusive, competent, authentic, collaborative, innovative, visionary & strategic.  

• These “rules of the road” align with the strategic objectives of the IIMHL/IIDL Inclusion Advisory Group: 

  • create an organisation that has a strong culture of valuing diversity and inclusion where there is a strong sense of belonging from people of diverse backgrounds, including people with lived experience; 

  • people from diverse backgrounds share power and are central to the organisation’s decision-making and developmental forums; and, 

  • make IIMHL/IIDL a place where everyone wants to put their time and energy, that everyone finds it easy to access and they feel safe to do so.

Who this is for and why be part of it

Peer-based mentoring information