Impact is the headline of social impact work—measured, narrated, and celebrated. But at its core, social impact is a collective effort, with collaboration made possible through connection. The relational side of impact should not be overshadowed; it should be showcased for its ability to overcome complexities through trust and shared meaning. With intentional effort upfront to establish strong relationships, social impact efforts become less about individual advantage and more about what we build together.
Our relational interactions as social impact professionals hinge on strong, long-term collaboration to get to shared goals. When collaboration is centered solely on working together, there’s a risk of zero sum gains. People are expected to show up ready to cooperate, to set aside their own set of assumptions, personal contexts, and definitions of interpersonal skills as the work unfolds. This represents a one-dimensional view of collaboration that fails to respect the variety of ways people connect.
True connections are what yield high-quality relationships that can withstand the unpredictability of day-to-day life. They are how we develop mutual understanding, safe bonds, and healthy loyalty, allowing us to lead with compassion. The act of forming relationships is the foundation of connection and a critical aspect of fostering balanced teamwork that keeps collaborations from failing.
By allowing ourselves to lead with the “social” nature of social impact, we can create intra- and inter-organizational team cultures that are rooted in connection and understanding before making a strong push toward collaboration. This shift represents the first steps toward an intentional process composed of folks coming together to address complex social issues.
Here are three approaches to adopt to bring about this shift:
Conflict is inevitable in any dynamic and it can infect collaborations. When we shy away from conflict, we are in fact shying away from each other, turning away or against rather than turning toward one another in vulnerable moments. The pattern of avoiding or carelessly addressing conflict dismisses the reality that multiple truths co-exist in conflict. It does not honor an individual’s experience and can isolate, leading to disengagement.
Turning toward each other forces a pause centered on connection that makes space for one’s perspective to be understood. It validates feelings without holding space for negative behaviors, like defensiveness or critiques, and can surface deeper tensions that prevent progress. Turning toward is also paramount to protecting psychological safety by avoiding opportunities for a person to exhibit oppressive patterns, like belittling and biases. This type of environment also helps avoid performative displays by replacing superficial displays of camaraderie with authentic actions and trust building that chart a course to sustainable impact.
Practicing turning toward involves asking questions like:
Being able to have these types of discussions in the social impact ecosystem replaces scarcity and rival mindsets with a positive sum game atmosphere, a critical perspective to have when trying to make systemic impact.
Nothing can disrupt a budding connection as quickly or as harmfully as a negative power dynamic. In the social impact field, stakeholders often range from community members to funders to government representatives, making the interplay between power and trust complex. Starting from a place of curiosity means showing genuine interest in a person with a question like, what motivates your work, rather than taking a more formal tone with a question like, what are you bringing to the table? It creates a less extractive dynamic that can expand how power is defined and shared, while giving people an opportunity to tell their story and find common ground.
Doing this can also set the tone for safe spaces to share challenges and seek advice, optimizing the probability of turning toward. Curiosity enables us to leverage different perspectives, rather than stifle them, and build shared understanding and values alongside a common goal. The connected thread throughout this process gives way to more effective collaborations that are not undermined by asymmetrical power. This enables long-term, sustainable change rather than short term gains.
End results matter, but so does the work it takes to achieve them. However, a process is rarely valued as highly as its overall outcome. This societal norm shows an oversight of the power of acknowledging what it takes to realize a shared goal and how both efficiency and effectiveness can be found in learning and adapting. Human nature is not linear, so it makes sense that progress should also take into account the forward, backward, and crossroads moments that come while working toward a goal. By acknowledging these moments, we invite interactions that ground us in our purpose and honor opportunities for collective growth.
This approach does not mean time is wasted–rather, it means that progress sparks motivation, actions are inspired by intention, and misalignments are handled with compassion. Social impact goals can take years to achieve and are often met with layers of systemic oppression. Allowing ourselves to feel pride in our progress and pauses creates a more sustainable and resilient working structure. It also creates a greater sense of unity that can provide stability, recognize the full worth of each contributor, and preserve appreciation during difficult times.
Connection must be seen as the foundation of lasting progress for social impact to thrive. Skills like turning towards, staying curious, and celebrating progress offer a strong defense against disconnection and divisiveness, two of the greatest threats to social impact progress. With strong relationships, we are better equipped to let go of a zero sum game mentality and adopt a positive sum game perspective.
