MY WORKING WORLD
My Working World is designed to support practitioners, organisations and networks to develop a clear and shared framework to build and sustain collaborative relationships with whanau and communities.
My Working World is underpinned by partnership principles and guided by empathy, we use practical tools to support the practitioner, team and organisation to understand what works, what doesn’t and why.
My Working World is a dynamic practice framework that integrates key components from the international evidence base (Family Partnership Model, Personal construct theory, the systems approach of the AMBIT framework and Bronfenbrenners ecological model) with best local practices - making it robust and fit for purpose in Aotearoa/NZ.
Our Partnership Compass is a tool for partnering with whanau. Follow this link to find out more
Explore My Working World by hovering over the map below . . .
Teams and organisations who have a shared framework and tools to build and sustain partnerships are better equipped to consistently offer whānau-led services.
"I've been working in partnership with my team much more using Thinking Caps. It's really extended how I can tap into my team for support."
(Social Worker 2017)
Practitioners already know a lot about building relationships. My Working World builds on this, strengthening partnership working with the empathy guided partnership compass.
"...MWW has been a huge relief for me; I don't have to paddle the waka by myself - it's my job to get us all into the waka and then try and get us all paddling together."
(Kaitakawaenga 2017)
Whakawhanaungatanga with whānau is critical for successful collaborative partnerships. Empathy enables practitioners to meet whānau where they are at. Relationships are a medium for making things happen for whānau. Purpose, roles and expectations are explicitly negotiated in partnerships, enabling both partners to use the relationship in the work.
"...I came in with empathy activated, really listening to understand. I really listened to where she was at - her concerns and her frustrations with the system, then we easily moved to what to do next."
(Therapist 2017)
The compass combines evidence based theory and practical tools to dial up and dial down the characteristics and skills in the practitioner. It captures three important aspects of partnership: Empathic Action, Partnership Roles and Sense-making.
"...it' s been a revelation...it reduces my stress quite a lot...when I wake up at night I'm more likely to think 'I'll just use the compass tomorrow and it'll all work out."
(Occupational Therapist 2017)
Networks that encourage partnership ‘walk the talk’. MWW uses the partnership compass and tools to intentionally build collaborative practices across networks.
"...being empathic across the network doesn't mean we all agree, it just means we are trying to understand each other and then helps us to talk more easily about complex problems."(about the 'net-works' grid)
(Team Manager 2017)
THE PARTNERSHIP COMPASS
Empathy
Empathy is central to all work with people. Empathy is 'true north' in the Partnership Compass, it's an action involving 4 inter-related components (empathic stance, knowledge, attunment and communication.)
Empathy activates characteristics and communication skills needed to build and maintain partnerships for change. It's the key to dynamic, flexible and responsive relationships: knowing how and when to move between the different roles in the partnership compass.
When to 'dial up' and 'dial down' the supportive, connected, facilitative and influential roles in any given moment.
Partnership Roles
Practitioners navigate the roles guided by empathic action and being intentional & purposeful. Ensuring both parties are focused and clear about the reason for the relationship and the work together. Being determined, persistent and being 'out loud' and 'up-front'.
Connector & Supporter – you are, both, practically and emotionally supportive and able to empathically listen. It involves whanaungatanga, whakapapa and mana tamaiti, being present, sticking with and connecting.
Facilitator– you make things happen on behalf of and with whānau, you navigate and facilitate the processes involved in the relationship.
Influencer -you are able to inspire and enable positive change with the people you are working with. It involves coaching, mentoring and telling the truth.
Sense Making
Sense Making is a core concept underpinning the Partnership Compass. It helps explain how practitioners make sense of themselves, whānau, their teams and the wider network. It is fundamental to how practitioners and the people they are working with see and adapt effectively.
Using empathy and the partnership roles practitioners can develop a shared picture, both the similarities and differences in the way they see things, providing a strong platform to move forward together in partnership.
