Community-based Problem Solving Events

How can you turn the saying "𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮, 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮" into something practical and actionable? You head to a Peer Conference! Over the years, I've been to and organised a bunch of them. They're great places to meet with colleagues to share experiences, get help, question each other, explore ideas, glean new insights into current or past problems, or seek advice about an upcoming opportunity/situation. But what even is a Peer Conference? Adrian Segar describes them as: "...𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦-𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦, 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺-𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.". The key word in that definition is 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚. It was easily the biggest differentiator between peer conferences and more traditional conferences. Based on events I've attended, here are some characteristics that make them so effective: 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀: These are personal stories based on real-world experiences that demonstrate how theoretical concepts were applied in real-world scenarios. 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻: This is when the other participants get to challenge the content of the story (while someone is sharing their experience report, you're only allowed to ask clarifying questions). This might be done by asking questions or making observations about what was the same, what was different, what was surprising, what was predictable, offer suggestions, push back on conclusions, and whole myriad of other things! 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The best facilitators maintain a safe space for the participants, monitor the energy in the room, and protect the structure of the sessions and overall conference. Hopefully you're starting to see the benefits of attending something like this! But just in case, let's get specific: 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: Exploring the experiences and challenges of peers in your line of work generates new ideas and solutions. Especially when you're facing similar situations. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Events of this kind encourage you to step out of your comfort zone (but not in an uncomfortable way!). By engaging in face-to-face interactions and discussions you improve your communication skills and build your self-confidence. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Spending time with highly-motivated and like-minded professionals can jump start the passion and enthusiasm for your work. Getting away from your work environment gives you a chance to reflect on your practices, goals, gain a new perspectives on your careers, and prevents burnout. If you get the chance to attend one, please take it! Then let us know how you got on :)

Breakout sessions can get stale. Open forums may become choatic. Panels are one-directional and rigid. Try the World Café Method instead. In the World Café participants rotate between small, café-style tables, building on ideas from others and uncovering collective insights. Why you should use the World Café? ↳ It fosters inclusive dialogue where every voice matters. ↳ It breaks silos, creating connections across diverse groups. ↳ It generates actionable insights through shared discovery. The World Café is a good alternative when you want to shift from static, one-way methods to a participatory, creative process that builds shared understanding and engagement. It is perfect for brainstorming, strategic planning, or complex problem-solving. #WorldCafe #facilitation 🔔Follow me for similar content

Most community health programs don’t fail from lack of funding. They fail because there’s no model for scale. Here are 3 frameworks that actually work, and when to use each one: Community-based care means solving health problems before they become hospital emergencies. But it’s not just “neighbours helping neighbours.” It’s a system of shared responsibility, with the right infrastructure behind it. That’s where co-care models come in: These are frameworks that blend clinical leadership with local ownership. They help turn one-off pilots into scalable systems that improve outcomes across entire populations. Here are 3 proven models: 1. Communities of Practice (CoP) CoPs bring together peers: CHWs, nurses, social workers, to solve shared challenges. No one is forced to join. People show up because the learning is real and the trust runs deep. CoPs work best when: • You need culture change • Teams are siloed • You want innovation from the ground up They’re ideal in early-stage or low-resource settings. Example: WHO’s CoPs in India improved rural TB treatment through peer-driven learning. 2. Quality Improvement Collaboratives (QIC) QICs unite multiple teams around a shared goal, like reducing ER visits or improving A1C. They use cycles: test a change, collect data, share results, repeat. Pioneered by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. QICs are ideal when: • You need measurable outcomes • There's already strong clinical evidence • Accountability is essential They're widely used in hospitals, but gains can fade without sustained structure. 3. Clinical Community Model This model blends top-down strategy with bottom-up adaptation. A core team sets the goal. Frontline teams test solutions, share results, and shape how change spreads across the network. It’s ideal when: • You’re scaling across large systems • You need consistency + flexibility • Local adaptation is essential Example: NHS England used this model to reduce surgical site infections across 250+ hospitals. How do you choose the right model? Ask: • Do you need peer-led trust or fast metrics? • Is your goal culture shift—or compliance? • Are you scaling inside one org—or across many? Your model should match your mission. No framework is perfect. But every community program that lasts relies on some version of these models. Because structure isn’t bureaucracy. It’s what makes change stick. There are other models too: • Learning health systems • Social prescribing networks • Collective impact coalitions No matter which model you choose: Make sure it has clear roles, repeatable practices, and a way to scale beyond year one. That’s what turns a pilot into a system, and a good idea into real health outcomes. ↓ Thanks for reading! I'm Sam Armstrong, Founder of Kismet Healthcare. If you found this useful, follow me for insights on building community-driven businesses Repost for your network:🔄

Your lanyard says "delegate." They hear: "nobody." In a world desperate for connection, belonging is what matters. When community and belonging become the cornerstone of events, magic happens. Here's what I've learned after decades creating participant-first events: 1️⃣ Design Around Stories, Not Schedules → Don't start with the agenda → Start with your event purpose and your participants' stories → What challenges are they facing? What victories have they achieved? → Build your event framework around their narratives, not your timeline 2️⃣ Small Groups, Mighty Conversations → Create "breakthrough groups" of 6-8 people, staying together throughout the event → They become each other's support system - celebrating wins, solving challenges, staying connected 3️⃣ Shared Experiences Build Trust → Take inspiration from Dreamforce's "Circle of Success" format → Peers coach peers, sharing solutions to common challenges → When participants collaborate, lasting bonds form naturally 4️⃣ Make Them the Headlines → Traditional events put speakers on pedestals. Flip it → Explore session formats: fishbowls, world café, unconferences → Have participants interview keynote speakers. Let them moderate panels. → Turn your "experts" into conversation catalysts 5️⃣ Build Living Legacy → Create a digital "Event Impact Journal" where participants document their journey → Their insights become next year's content → Their success stories fuel future events 6️⃣ Psychology of Belonging → The human brain processes social exclusion in the same regions as physical pain → Design your event to trigger belonging cues: shared challenges, collective achievements, and most importantly - opportunities for every voice to be heard Remember: An event without participant voice is just a very expensive monologue. I dive deeper into these participant-first principles in my upcoming book The Chief Event Officer's Playbook - How to Create Transformational Events. (Image is me celebrating manuscript submission day at my kitchen table). When was the last time an event made you feel truly seen? 🎯 💡For more event strategy insights, subscribe to the Chief Event Officer's Digest. https://lnkd.in/gdqN9UUi