Why resilience work begins with listening
Launch library · evergreen read
Effective resilience work generally begins not with a predetermined program but with genuine listening, since communities differ considerably in their existing strengths, concerns and priorities. Programs designed without that understanding often miss what would actually help most, however good the underlying intentions happen to be, even when nobody involved set out to achieve that particular result.
Listening well requires reaching beyond the most visible or vocal community members, seeking out perspectives that might otherwise go unheard entirely. Resilience programs designed around a narrow slice of community input often fail to serve the community as a whole, leaving considerable gaps that only become obvious later.
This starting point, though it can slow initial implementation somewhat, tends to produce far more relevant and durable programs over time. Residents are considerably more likely to engage with an initiative they feel genuinely reflects what they themselves identified as important in the first place, however long that process actually takes.