How can we develop a more strategic mindset?

Written By Rosie Bishop

In this edition, we celebrate the inspiring work of Ella’s and the Greater Manchester Women’s Support Alliance, both championing change for women in challenging circumstances. We also share practical tools to help you and your organisation develop a more strategic mindset.

Many inspirational people make a positive difference every day. Amidst headlines that so often dwell on conflict and crisis, there are countless stories of people making the world better. Every day, courageous, creative and compassionate individuals and organisations step up to create lasting change. We continue to be inspired by these acts of leadership and are proud to walk alongside some of them in their journeys of growth and impact.

Ella's

One of these is Ella’s. Based in London, the team at Ella’s are committed to ensuring survivors of trafficking and exploitation have what they need to recover and build their lives. The pictures below are from a strategy renewal day that we facilitated on Monday. You can read about our journey with Ella’s since 2019 here.  If you are interested to support Ella’s, you can contribute to their ‘Big Give Women and Girls’ campaign here. This means that every donation made to their campaign from 8-15 Oct will be doubled!

Greater Manchester Women’s Support Alliance 

Another remarkable organisation is the Greater Manchester Women’s Support Alliance (GMWSA). We facilitated a session last week to take steps towards further strengthening the Alliance’s effectiveness. 

Established in 2016, the Alliance involves inspirational, experienced and resilient leaders that represent Women’s Centres from across the region. Women across all ten boroughs have benefited from the vital services provided by the Women’s Centres. 

Women across Greater Manchester face acute challenges. While these challenges reflect systemic issues affecting women nationally and internationally, the Alliance's localised approach ensures activities are tailored to Greater Manchester's diverse communities. The issues include, for instance, domestic violence, substance misuse, involvement in the criminal justice system, and homelessness. The Alliance provides a collaborative approach towards addressing these interconnected issues. 

Developing a more strategic mindset

GMWSA members spoke about the need to continue to work together to champion the collective voice of women. The session focused on steps to renew the Alliance's future direction and strengthen its strategic approach. Each person brought deep experience and big picture, critical thinking to the conversation, demonstrating a strategic mindset. This prompts us all to keep in mind that every organisation needs to keep its strategy relevant and alive, and each of us can develop a more strategic mindset over time.

How can we do this? It starts with recognising where we are now, then reflecting on the results and taking action to deepen our learning journey. If this is of interest, you are very welcome to…

“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”

– Audre Lorde

Best wishes,
Kemal, Lorna, Ian and Rosie

Rosie Bishop
Next

What does it mean to keep choosing hope in an increasingly divided world?