Reflecting on year one of Village Co.

2024 marked the first year of Village Collaborative Consulting, a journey into working differently with organisations in the for-purpose sector. I had a feeling that there was a better way to work. Building partnerships that prioritise collaboration, relationships, and trust. Thinking back on the year I thought I’d share some of my reflections.

TL;DR

1. Working differently is possible: Consultancy doesn’t need to be transactional—it can foster deep collaboration, shared ownership, and meaningful partnerships.

2. Bridging the gap between strategy and action: Connecting big-picture vision with day-to-day work ensures ideas lead to real impact.

3. Prioritisation is a priority: A good strategy makes it clear what to focus on—and what to leave out.

4. Good operations make participation possible: A Strong project management foundation is essential for meaningful community participation.

5. Project management is evolving: Flexible, hybrid approaches balance structure with adaptability, these have been around for a while but are now being reflected in PM literature.

6. Relationships-first: Strong relationships are the foundation of successful projects and meaningful change.

7. The Co-design Dunning-Kruger effect: Building design confidence is essential for navigating the complexities of co-design.

8. Design + strengths and systems thinking: Co-design needs to take on strengths-based and systemic approaches if it is to decentre the institution. 

9. Having something outside of work matters: Local projects provide balance, connection, and fresh perspectives.

10. Rethinking what success looks like: True success values relationships, stories, and long-term capacity building over quick wins.

1. Working differently is possible.

I started Village Co. with a hunch that there was a better way to work with organisations—one that feels more like a partnership. I’ve found this to be true.

Having worked in both agencies and in-house roles, I felt there had to be a middle way: an approach that allows for deep relationships and truly collaborative partnerships, while still offering the fresh perspective, specific knowledge, and expertise of an external consultant. Working in the for-purpose space can often feel lonely and frustrating, and we all benefit from having a thought partner.

People want to work together more closely, build trust, and share knowledge and accountability. This year, I’ve had the privilege of working in some wonderful partnerships where 1+1=3. We’ve been able to respond to the emergent needs of projects and shift focus when necessary. This often means being more open-ended about what engagement and deliverables look like, which can be challenging within strict procurement environments.

It’s not always easy, but it is possible to design ways of working that focus on building real relationships and shared ownership. With creativity and persistence, we can overcome barriers and work in ways that feel more meaningful.

2. Bridging the gap between strategy and action.

One of the biggest challenges I see in the for-purpose sector is the gap between big-picture strategies and what’s happening on the ground. Organisations often have a clear purpose and vision, but there’s a missing link—something to connect these ideas to the practical, everyday work that needs to happen.

Without that connection, it’s easy for projects to feel disjointed or for teams to lose sight of the bigger picture. Tools like quarterly Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) can connect the different levels and create organisational focus. 

By paying attention to this "missing link," organisations can make sure their strategy translates into real impact.

3. Prioritisation is a priority

Prioritising work is one of the toughest challenges in the for-purpose sector. Often, this is because strategies say what an organisation wants to do but don’t make it clear what it won’t do. Without those boundaries, it’s easy to take on too much.

A clear strategy helps teams focus on what’s most important and gives them permission to say no to things that don’t fit.

Take time to revisit strategies and ask, “What’s most important? What’s not?” This can make a big difference in how teams use their time and energy. Tools like prioritisation criteria linked to strategic objectives can help. Good strategy is as much about deciding what to leave out as it is about what to include.

4. Good operations make participation possible.

Getting participation and co-design right isn’t just about good intentions—it also depends on strong project management and operations. Without the right tools, processes, and support in place, even the best participatory efforts can fall apart.

Community work often involves juggling lots of voices, timelines, and moving parts. Good planning and follow-through keep things on track. Projects without good project management loose momentum, focus and can end up frustrating the community you are engaging with. 

Participation works best when it’s built on a solid base of good management and organisation.

5. Project management is evolving.

Project management is a key building block for turning strategy into action. It’s good to see that approaches are evolving to reflect the realities of how work happens, especially in complex, fast-changing environments like the for-purpose sector.

Hybrid methods, like rolling wave planning, give teams the tools to plan for the short term while staying flexible to adapt as new things come up. It’s great to see methods like this reflected in the latest project management body of knowledge (PMBOK). These evolving methods show that good project management isn’t about rigid plans—it’s about finding the right balance between structure and flexibility.

However they do require a higher level of Project Management familiarity and literacy. Hybrid approaches draw from traditional waterfall and agile methodologies, which means it’s important to have a good understanding of both.

6. Relationships-first

Relationships are at the heart of change work. My PhD research on social connection and co-design has reinforced how important they are. While design alone isn’t the answer to every problem, strong relationships might be. At minimum, it is a core requirement of any successful movement. At the end of the day, it’s the strength of our relationships that often determines whether a project succeeds. Its good to remember that sometimes a workshop is just about building trust and it doesn’t matter if we tick off all the agenda items. We are humans working in complexity, this means cross-sector and cross-discipline collaboration. This means working across differences and building a shared vision. This means taking the time to build relationships.

7. The Co-design Dunning-Kruger effect.

As co-design becomes more popular, many organisations are realising just how much there is to learn. Tight budgets mean more design work is being done in-house, and this has highlighted gaps in understanding. Terms like human-centred design, co-design and design thinking are used interchangeably.

Building capability isn’t just about knowledge. It’s also about what I call ‘design confidence’, which is being comfortable enough with the language and mindsets of design to be able to wing it - and move away from rigid and prescriptive toolkits (which do more harm than good most of the time).

Being clear and having a shared understanding of the level of participation and power sharing in your process is a must-have when working with communities. Much of what is being called co-design today is just consultation with another name. We need to be better at educating funders in what co-design actually involves, how long it takes and the risk of misrepresenting it. This means building our understanding and confidence.

8. Design + Strengths and Systems thinking.

Co-design isn’t a silver bullet. If framed as a way for institutions to come in and “fix communities” it can be really damaging. We need to combine design methods with ideas from strengths-based approaches like Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) and Appreciative Inquiry, as well as systemic approaches.

Strengths-based methods: These approaches focus on what’s already working and how to build on it, rather than focusing only on problems.

Systemic thinking: This is about experimenting, learning, and adjusting, instead of expecting quick fixes or permanent solutions.

In action, this means reframing projects away from focusing on solving problems and addressing needs towards responding to situations and building on strengths. This often means decentering the institution. An evolution of human-centred design is de-centering the institution and designer. 

9. Having something outside of work matters.

This year, I helped start a community-led asset mapping and connection-building project in my local area. It’s been incredibly rewarding and reminded me how important it is to have something outside of work.

It’s easy to pour everything into work, but local projects or activities help create a sense of balance and connection to place. We spend so much of our time now as disembodied heads on Zoom calls, it’s important to remember we live in communities. Taking time to contribute locally not only makes a difference in the community but also helps bring fresh perspectives back into professional life. It’s a good reminder that life outside of work is just as important as the work itself.

10. Rethinking what success looks like.

In the for-purpose sector, success is often measured by outcomes that are easy to track—like numbers and outputs. While these metrics are useful, they can miss the bigger picture of how change happens. Real success is often messier, more relational, and harder to pin down.

Change is complex, and focusing only on measurable outcomes can lead to short-term thinking or overlooking deeper impacts like strengthened relationships, increased trust, or shifts in community leadership. We can broaden how we define success to include things like building capacity, fostering connection, and creating enabling environments for long-term change.

By shifting the focus away from quick wins and towards the bigger picture, we can work in ways that are more sustainable and meaningful for the communities we serve.