The Rally Point Framework for Collaborative Change

What does it take to collaborate effectively? We’ve spent decades engaged in answering this question.

Our approach is informed by our in-depth theoretical knowledge and empirically-based research. Best of all, it avoids the traditional pitfalls of collaboration: spending too much energy trying to convert people to your way of thinking and agreeing to an unsatisfying compromise.

Our Guiding Principle

Change the ways things are done, not the way people think.

When we invest our energies into shifting the way things are done — instead of trying to change hearts and minds — people can see the change process as aligning with who they are and what they believe. We create transformation instead of division and debate.

The Five Tenets

In alignment with our guiding principle, the Rally Point Framework consists of five integrated tenets of collaboration.

1. Respect Relationships.
   Relationships are the key to any change effort. Success depends on our ability to build trust with allies, with unlikely bedfellows, and even with seeming adversaries.

2. Create a Resonant, Realistic, and Resilient Vision.
   Our vision must resonate broadly while realistically addressing underlying issues. Resilience helps us weather the varying degrees of resistance that emerge in any change process. We must remind ourselves that the process of change is often slower, less linear, and more incremental than we want.

3. Communicate within Another’s Current Worldview.
   We let go of convincing others to see it our way. Instead, we listen to what really matters to them, then share our ideas using language that connects with, rather than threatens, their values and beliefs.

4. Engage a Committed Group of Unlikely Bedfellows.
   We recognize that wide scale change requires broad support. Bringing together unlikely bedfellows to authentically represent the widest range of stakeholders creates the most transformative and sustainable solutions.

5. Cultivate a Culture of Learning.
   Staying attuned to the larger social, political, cultural, and economic landscape allows us the opportunity to adapt and evolve for maximum relevance. With this approach, new leaders can be developed and solutions can be continually improved.

To see our framework in action, please read our case studies.