Bringing People Together With Purpose

This post is the tenth and final post in a series that is currently being featured on LinkedIn in honor of the Crossland Group’s 25th Anniversary.

In The Fifth Book of Peace, author Maxine Hong Kingston writes, “In a time of destruction, create something.” My colleagues and I believe that there is no better time for creation than now. 

Throughout the last twenty-five years, the Crossland Group has been bringing people together from different walks of life to spark connection, collaborate, and innovate. We have witnessed people co-create solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges by designing ways to disrupt popular thinking, expand networks, and connect knowledge with the resources to act. But being adept at bringing a mix of people together to explore important issues requires more than just a good design. It takes trust, relevant content, and a whole lot of skill and courage. 

Back in 2012, I was leading a high-stakes global convening in Africa, which included a senior government official whose culture did not recognize women as equals. This official was giving a long and impassioned off-topic speech, which was taking air time away from others, so I respectfully interrupted him. I had never experienced such a “hush” fall over a room, but my firm intervention stated that others needed a chance to contribute. I diffused his shock by offering him options to finish his story outside the meeting. Afterwards, many people acknowledged how pivotal my intervention was to moving the group towards concrete outcomes.

From the questions we ask to how we weave complex conversations and lean into the discomfort of group dynamics, our ability to synthesize, read the room, and turn ideas into action is a critical investment for any organization. Helping people with different perspectives better understand each other to make something real happen is not only foundational to our practice, but is an imperative for humanity.

#Crossland25