When Community Consultation Ends with a Hug: Why Showing Up Matters
Meaningful community engagement is about more than asking questions. It's about understanding people, building trust and recognising the places they call home.
A hug that reminded me why listening matters
At the end of a recent community consultation session, a local gentleman gave me a hug.
He thanked me for taking the time to listen, for engaging with his community and, perhaps most importantly, for coming back.
It was a simple gesture, but one that has stayed with me.
As a strategy consultant, I spend considerable time working with organisations to understand their challenges, aspirations and future direction. Community consultation is often an important part of that process.
We gather feedback, identify themes, consider competing priorities and translate what we've heard into strategic direction.
But every now and then, an experience reminds me that the real value of consultation goes well beyond the information collected.
This was one of those moments.
The importance of going to where people are
During this particular strategic planning project, I visited a number of sites, engaging with people of different ages, genders, social backgrounds and life experiences.
One of these communities was approximately 40 kilometres from the nearest town.
For people living in rural communities, distance isn't simply a number on a map.
It can influence access to healthcare, social activities, essential services and opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their lives.
When you're reliant on being able to drive, a 40-kilometre journey can be a significant barrier.
And for those who can no longer drive, or don't have reliable access to transport, the challenges can be greater still.
This is why I believe consultation needs to be designed around the communities we're seeking to understand.
Rather than always expecting people to travel to a central location, we need to consider how we can reach them.
Sometimes that means taking the meeting to the community, adapting how we engage and making the time to return.
The gentleman who kept coming back
I visited this particular community on several occasions.
Each time, there was one familiar face.
A local gentleman who volunteered his time looking after the space where our conversations took place.
He was there each time, welcoming us and contributing to the discussions.
Over those visits, I had the opportunity to hear different perspectives about what mattered to the community, the challenges people experienced and their hopes for the future.
At the end of my final visit, he gave me a hug.
His message was one of gratitude.
He appreciated that I had taken the time to listen, to engage and to return.
It reminded me that simply showing up, being present and genuinely listening can mean a great deal.
And that relationships, however brief, can be an important part of meaningful engagement.
Consultation is more than collecting opinions
In strategic planning, consultation can sometimes become overly focused on the mechanics.
How many people participated?
How many surveys were completed?
What themes emerged?
What were the most frequently mentioned priorities?
These are important questions. They help us understand the breadth of engagement and provide evidence to inform decisions.
But they don't tell the whole story.
A meaningful consultation process also needs to consider:
Who are we hearing from?
Are we reaching people with different experiences and perspectives, including those who might not ordinarily participate?
Who might we be missing?
Are distance, transport, accessibility, timing or other barriers preventing people from contributing?
Are we genuinely listening?
Are we creating opportunities for people to share what matters to them, rather than simply responding to a predetermined set of questions?
What happens after the conversation?
How will the information influence decisions, and how will we communicate that back to the people who contributed?
For me, these questions are central to good strategic planning.
The relationship between listening and trust
Trust isn't built simply because an organisation invites people to participate.
It's built through what happens before, during and after those conversations.
It grows when people are treated respectfully, when their experiences are acknowledged and when organisations demonstrate that community perspectives have been genuinely considered.
Returning to a community can create opportunities for deeper conversations and a better understanding of local circumstances.
It also demonstrates a willingness to invest time in the relationship.
Of course, listening doesn't mean every suggestion can or will be implemented.
Strategic planning involves making choices, balancing competing needs and working within available resources.
But we can be transparent about those choices and explain how community contributions have informed the direction.
That is an important part of respecting the trust people place in the consultation process.
Good strategy begins with understanding
I often say that strategic planning is as much about the conversations we have as the document we produce.
A strong strategy requires evidence, analysis, clear priorities and a realistic understanding of organisational capability.
But it also requires an appreciation of the people and communities the organisation exists to serve.
In rural communities, particularly, understanding the local context is essential.
The challenges and opportunities experienced by one community may be quite different from those of another, even within the same region.
Assumptions made from a central office don't always reflect the realities of everyday life.
That is why I value getting out into communities, meeting people where they are and listening to their experiences firsthand.
These conversations help bring strategy to life.
They connect organisational aspirations with the practical realities of the people who will be affected by the decisions made.
Sometimes the most meaningful feedback is a hug
I will remember many of the conversations from this consultation process.
But I suspect I will remember that hug for a very long time.
Not because it validated the strategic plan or proved the consultation had been successful.
But because it was a personal expression of appreciation for the time spent listening and engaging.
It reminded me that behind every strategic plan are people, relationships and communities with their own stories, challenges and aspirations.
And that sometimes, one of the most valuable things we can do as leaders and consultants is simply make the effort to show up, listen and return.
Because good strategy doesn't begin with a document. It begins with understanding people and the places they call home.
Cranham & Co works with organisations to create clear strategic direction through thoughtful engagement, collaborative planning and practical decision-making.
Clear direction. Capable leadership. Confident transitions.