It's complex
Types of support
Access to Collaboration Expertise | we match you with a duo of collaboration experts. They will help you and your partners to build an authentic collaborative culture with open communication, and co-creative decision making. They will also be your sparring partner in channelling the entrepreneurial energy.
Facilitation of meetings | we prepare and facilitate -on your demand- meetings, gatherings and brainstorms. Using the experts of The Pond and The Waterfalls as a neutral facilitator will allow all partners to let go of the process and focus on the content. We combine online and offline.
Manage Complexity | We know how to better deal with the intrinsic complexities of starting a collaboration: hidden agenda’s, inbalance in expectations and/or engagements, dominant personalities, too few or too many diverse perspectives and talents, too long discussions, too superficial conversations, … This inter-relational part of your project is taken care of by The Pond & The Waterfalls. And thanks to that, all of you can focus fully on what is emerging.
For whom?
Emerging collaborations | where new relationships are created between people and organizations who would normally not interact but who have common interests. It is key that the different parties are willing to invest time & energy.
Outcome focused | there needs to be a drive for action, an intention to be outcome focused and a willingness to be agile (so open to experimentation & learning).
Thematic priorities | we do not have thematic priorities. Our passion is the collaborative process. Concrete examples: citizens building a hydroelectric power station on a nearby waterway – dance as an invitation to community-building – the sustainable reallocation of a city’s heritage.
Belgium | we currently focus on collaborations in Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
Pay-it-forward | we don’t want to build a transactional relationship - guided by a financial arrangement. Our support comes without costs and our collaborative experts support your organisation when needed. That being said, at the end of our traject together we suggest a pay it forward: a gift/gesture that makes it possible to continue the flow.
Selection process
As we want to support emerging collaborations - we need to be quick. We also believe that intuition and energy are just as important criteria as a more analytical approach.
1 - Send us a mail or a poem or a video | a few inspiring sentences are all we need. Long attachments are not welcome. Dutch, French, or English.
2 - Go / No go | we will conduct some interviews and do our fair share of analysis, and then it all depends on the combined knowledge, expertise and intuition from our Community to make wise choices.
3 - Timing | we expect the total process to last a maximum of 1 month.