Questions change everything in community engagement | Max Hardy | TEDxStKilda

Summary

In this insightful talk, the speaker humorously recounts his experience as a community engagement practitioner, a role often misunderstood. He emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions in community engagement to foster meaningful dialogue and innovative solutions. Through engaging stories, he illustrates how poorly thought-out questions can polarize, while well-crafted ones can unite communities and lead to effective outcomes, highlighting the transformative power of genuine curiosity and high expectations in public consultations.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker has worked for 20 years as a community engagement practitioner, a role that many people are unfamiliar with.
• 🗣️ Community engagement is often misunderstood and can be referred to by various terms such as community consultation, public participation, and citizen engagement.
• 🏛️ It is generally initiated by governments and is seen as a process for involving communities in decisions that affect them.
• 🌐 The speaker believes community engagement has the potential to strengthen democracy and build community connections beyond just influencing decisions.
• 🚫 A concern raised is that the practice of community engagement has not reached its full potential due to government entities asking ordinary questions and expecting little from communities.
• 🔍 The story of a pipeline in Glen Davis illustrates the importance of genuine community engagement and the risks of making assumptions without proper investigation.
• 🌳 A Victorian council's approach to dealing with large trees and pavers highlights the negative impact of poorly thought-out questions and the benefits of involving the community in creative problem-solving.
• 🤝 The importance of asking better questions in community engagement is emphasized, as they can lead to smarter, more enduring solutions.
• 💡 Einstein's quote about spending time generating the right question before finding the solution is used to stress the importance of questioning in community engagement.
• 🌟 The speaker suggests a formula for successful community engagement involving a great question, genuine curiosity, high expectations, and a diverse community.
• 🤔 The script concludes with a call to action, prompting the audience to consider the thoughtful questions they could ask and the world they are creating with their current questions.

Q & A

What is a community engagement practitioner?

A community engagement practitioner is a professional who facilitates conversations between communities and decision-makers, often initiated by governments, to involve the community in decisions that affect them. It may also be known as community consultation, public participation, citizen engagement, or public involvement.

Why did the parent call Mr. Hardy?

The parent called Mr. Hardy because she was worried that her daughter, who attended a birthday party at Mr. Hardy's daughter's house, didn't know what her father did for a living, unlike the other children at the party.

What did Mr. Hardy learn from the phone call with the concerned parent?

Mr. Hardy learned that his daughter was unable to explain his job as a community engagement practitioner, which led to the realization that even he struggled to succinctly describe what he did for a living.

What is the potential impact of community engagement beyond influencing decisions?

Beyond influencing decisions, community engagement has the potential to strengthen democracy, build community connections, and contribute to a range of positive outcomes beyond just providing input to decisions.

Why were government entities asking ordinary questions of their community?

Government entities often ask ordinary questions because they expect very little of their community, which may be due to a lack of belief in the community's ability to contribute meaningfully to decision-making.

What was the issue with the pipeline in the Cape Verde Valley?

The issue with the pipeline was that thousands of liters of water were being lost, which was financially unviable to replace, especially considering the small population of the town it served.

Why did the government plan to disconnect the water supply in Glen Davis?

The government planned to disconnect the water supply in Glen Davis due to the high cost of replacing the pipeline and the belief that it was not financially viable for such a small community.

What was the outcome of the community engagement in Glen Davis regarding the water pipeline?

The outcome was that the community and government officials discovered that the pipeline was in better condition than expected, and the actual issue was an illegal tap being used for growing crops to make whiskey. A memorandum of understanding was developed, and the problem was resolved without replacing the pipeline.

What did the speaker learn from the experience in Glen Davis about the importance of asking the right questions?

The speaker learned that asking the right questions is crucial for identifying the actual problem and avoiding unnecessary solutions. It also highlighted the importance of genuinely engaging with the community and expecting more from them.

What advice does the speaker give about the questions we ask in community engagement?

The speaker advises that we should ask thoughtful questions that expect more of people, show genuine curiosity, and have high expectations for the community's ability to come together and find solutions.

What impact can the questions we ask have on the world we create?

The questions we ask can shape the world we create by influencing the perspectives, actions, and outcomes of community engagement. Thoughtful questions can lead to more positive and transformative results.