Do you feel yourself going round in circles, repeatedly tackling the same familiar problem? 

If the answer is yes I'm sure you would prefer to tackle it and move on. So my next question is have you reflected on the problem and the responses so far? Let me explain what I mean.

Not so long ago I dipped into the live stream of a housing event and was immediately struck by one comment:

“We need more joined up working”

Admirable as that request is, it’s hardly new. I’m old enough to remember the enthusiastic dawn of “holitic Government” and “joined-up working” in 1997.

So why does it remain an elusive wish in so many policy and practice discussions? 

The cynic on one side might suggest it is a lack of government commitment that is to blame, but the skeptic on the alternate side may blame the individual for their shortsightedness and lack of dynamism. 

Pointing fingers here won’t help. Instead we need to ask the questions in a different way, from a different perspective. 

Rather than “who’s to blame” ask “why isn’t joined up working happening”. Look at the reasons for the problem.

Better still ask “what joined up working is happening?” A positive and realistic reflection which enables you to identify what in’t happening.

This will begin to take us part way to figuring out what the problem is. A good start but we could go further.

With the insights you’ve just created you could be bolder still and ask “what can I do to work better with others?”

And why not take another step and ask “what can I do now to make joined up working happen?”

This is real research. It is self research. It is reflection on where you are , what you have and what you can do. The space to think this through objectively provides intelligence to put the next steps on place. It all starts by asking (different) questions.

Resources and the (lack of) motivations  of others will always present impediments to making things happen but you have control over finding the information you need to make something happen. Why not start it today?