“What don’t you know? What aren’t you good at?” asked Michelle Benham, associate producer at the Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership, at this morning’s Media That Matters Conference panel.
The panel’s theme, “Thinking Big,” was moderated by Pat Aufderheide and featured Benham discussing “Inside Story,” a feature film about HIV and how the virus works in the body; Michael Collins, director and founder at Thoughtful Robot, whose film “Give Up Tomorrow” addresses abolishing the death penalty; and Will Sylvester of Question Bridge, who uses video mediation to transform black male identity in museums across the country.
Each panelist discussed how they started with their cause and figured out what specific talents they were able to bring to it. That means, Benham said, that there are probably a lot of gaps within every team. And while passion can fill some of those gaps, it can only go so far.
Partnerships, however, can bring new skills, talent and strategy that leverage the work of individuals or organizations. Partnerships can create more sustainable change through reaching new audiences, imploring different strategies and building trust and respect for the issue.
Here are some tips about partnerships from this morning’s panel:
- Don’t be afraid to ask.
- Handle rejection with grace and gratitude.
- Leave the door open for future opportunities by continuing to cultivate relationships.
- Formalizing partnerships with MOUs can be helpful, but flexibility is important, too.
- Empower your partners to “own” the project with you.
According to Collins, “At the end of the day, what matters is that you need to ask if you can change people’s hearts and mind.” And partnerships can make that happen.
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