Relational Capacity: Why Does Working Together Feel So Damn Hard?
Julie Simpson, Director, Nonprofit Effectiveness
Tim Hausmann, Consultant, Nonprofit Effectiveness
Collaboration is a nice idea—but not “a given.” And in the social sector, capacity is not born, but built—through coaching, patience acquisition, shifting one’s natural tendencies to control—plus countless other interventions. Similarly, it is assumed that, just because more than one social sector actor wishes to work alongside and in true cooperation with others, that an innate set of skills and experiences will kick into gear to make this possible.
At TCC Group, we have been exploring this concept for several years—all the while, acknowledging the collaborative and collective impact work proposed by our consulting colleagues. Tackling this at the organizational level rather than with individual collaborators, we’ve questioned how all organizations working to address socially complex issues (i.e., not just nonprofits, but foundations, government agencies, corporations, media, etc.) can fully leverage their entire toolbelt—especially their partnerships—to become sustainable and meet the challenges of the current moment. To do so requires re-envisioning our idea of an “effective organization” to include the ability to work successfully in relationship with others. It also demands we support and invest in an organization’s capacity to effectively build and leverage relationships.
TCC Group is proposing a name and definition for this proficiency: relational capacity—otherwise defined as an organization’s ability to a) understand its positioning within its ecosystem; and b) build and activate relationships with others in and across sectors.
To assist organizations in assessing and building their relational capacity, TCC Group has identified eight areas critical for organizations looking to partner more effectively with others in their community:
| Capacity Area | Indicators of Capacity |
| 1. Ecosystem Analysis: Analyzing and understanding one’s social sector ecosystem, including knowledge of all the key actors (nonprofits, government agencies, funders, businesses, media, civic/religious groups, community leaders, clients/constituents, etc.), and the dynamics that shape relationships among those actors. |
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| 2. Organizational Awareness: The ability of an organization to recognize its unique role and value within an ecosystem based on its organizational and programmatic assets and resources. |
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| 3. Relational Skills: The leadership skills needed to build and maintain relationships with others, including engaging stakeholders, knowing when and how to cede control, addressing power dynamics, and building trust relationships. |
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| 4. Relational Culture: The ability of an organization’s leadership to foster an organizational culture that values and seeks out opportunities for collaboration. |
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| 5. Cultural Competency: The ability of an organization to understand and appropriately respond to the existing and changing cultural variables of others, including ability, age, beliefs, ethnicity, experience, gender, gender identity, linguistic background, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. |
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| 6. Program Strategy Alignment: The ability of an organization to set shared programmatic goals and coordinate strategies with other actors. |
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| 7. Collaborative Infrastructure: The organizational structures and systems for collaboration, including for the management and coordination of personnel, information, and resources. |
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| 8. Outcome Analysis: The ability to evaluate the impact of, learn from, and continuously improve collaborative relationships. |
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An organization that has strengthened each of the above areas will be better equipped to engage in more complex collaborations to achieve increased impact with partners.
