Walk Together NZ

When group discussions feel tense or stuck, it’s often because different ways of seeing the world are colliding rather than connecting.

True collaboration isn’t about everyone agreeing, it’s about creating a space where difference can coexist productively. The in-between world is where this happens. It’s a space that honours each person’s identity while allowing the group to move together.

When we facilitate from this space, we see groups shift from frustration to understanding, from competing perspectives to shared movement. That’s when change starts to feel real.

One of the leaders we recently helped says “The Mutual Ways philosophy [has] helped because… it helps them to comes to their own realisation and keeps me tau (calm)”.

What would it look like if your next team conversation began from a place of shared understanding rather than assumed agreement?

👉Learn more about how we help groups find that middle ground at https://walktogether.co.nz/

Managing group dynamics can be complex. Dominant voices can overshadow quieter ones, conflict can arise, and some participants may disengage. It’s easy for discussions to lose their balance and for important perspectives to be left unheard.

When groups bring different worldviews, experiences, and cultures into the room, we start with relationship, and put the kaupapa or issue in front of us rather than between us. Progress often happens when we recognise the “in-between space” where everyone can contribute meaningfully without leaving their own culture or values behind.

We call this philosophy Mutual Ways, which is covered in our Connect & Collaborate Pathways here: https://walktogether.co.nz/connect-collaborate/

Taking time to understand the culture of the group creates pathways for mutual movement. This awareness builds trust, helps manage tension, and supports decisions that everyone can stand behind.

Great facilitation is less about leading the room and more about shaping the conditions for trust and contribution. We’ve all stood in front of a group, quietly hoping something useful will happen, but having many unfinished streams running in our head.

The shift comes when we prepare with intention.
Facilitation planning is not about controlling people. It’s about creating the conditions where everyone feels safe to contribute and can trust the process.

When leaders prepare well:
🌱Confidence grows
🌱Trust deepens
🌱Change happens sooner

👉It’s the difference between “winging it” and walking with purpose.

✨Question for you: Have you noticed how preparation changes the energy in the room? What’s your experience?

Facilitation is about creating structure that allows a group to move forward together. We often hear leaders say their groups are going in circles, talking about the same things again and again. It’s frustrating and exhausting.

One leader we supported felt the same way. Using facilitation mapping, they found structure and clarity. The group stopped looping and began working toward their shared goals.

In their words:
“Structured way of moving throughout the facilitation helps everyone to be on the same page and has given me confidence.”

🌱Question for you: Where have you seen groups get stuck, and what has helped shift things forward?

Do you plan for facilitation or 'just wing it'?

It feels easier in the moment, but what usually happens is the group gets stuck, the kōrero loops, and no one is sure where to head next.

Here are three simple steps leaders can use to prepare for intentional facilitation:

1. Be clear on the goal of the session.
2. Understand what the group itself is working towards.
3. Shape your facilitation to fit the time you have.

With this preparation, conversations have more focus and groups move forward with purpose.

✨Question for you: What’s one thing you always do to prepare before leading a group?

Mōrena tatou katoa,

You might already know Arama Mataira, founder of Walk Together NZ, who has been posting from her own page. From now on, you will hear directly from the team at Walk Together Aotearoa - Evalesi Tu’inukuafe, Emma Webb, David Goddard (connect with them on LinkedIn), and our System Navigator leaders, sharing mahi, stories, and impacts across communities, workplaces, and systems.

Explore:
🌱Our Services - https://shorturl.at/RTLuP

Join:
🌱Our 100,000 Cups of Tea community - https://shorturl.at/R6O1F
We meet every Friday at 11am and yarn for 30 minutes on a topic from our community. You can check out some of our past discussion here - https://shorturl.at/YiPy8

🌱Our Circle community platform - https://shorturl.at/fSsC1
We have an online community of like-minded people who are sharing amazing things and doing amazing things like you.

✨Whether you’ve journeyed with us before or are discovering us for the first time, we’re glad you’re here. The path to equity, connection, and transformation is one we can only take together.

Ngā mihi,
Walk Together team

Kia ora whānau,

In the past few years as I have been asked to facilitate various Te Tiriti implementation kaupapa, and along the way, one thing I notice is that quite often the approach is do lot's of workshops and training, and to get the strategic plans right.

While these have their rightful place, sometimes the focus on connecting with each other and to what this journey means from different perspectives is missed.

I am then called in to do strategic planning for example, and often I find that important conversations haven't been had. Another example, the aspirations to do things collectively have been there, but not enacted, and inadvertently Te Tiriti Implementation can feel forced, inauthentic or chaotic.

Drawing from my education background as a school teacher and involved in curriculum design, I have created a resource that does two things. It helps leaders to facilitate conversations, and provides process steps, creative ideas and question prompts. Instead of paying high fees to have me come in and do this for you, you can have a go yourself by using the maps.

That way I can be used to facilitate when people need a neutral facilitator to help when things are complex, when scale is involved, and at the high level strategy and mapping of systemic or cultural transformation. If you need a facilitator let me know. 😊

Essentially, this resources was created so that we can help as many people shift towards relational practices, understand authority with a Te Tiriti framework and to help sort clarity, direction and agreement. They can be used just a teacher uses a curriculum. Some of the ideas will resonate, others need to be adjusted or innovated to suite context, but if you do nothing more than the tasks and activities in this resource, you will grow some level of collectiveness and understanding of what authentic and awesome implementation looks and feels like.

All of the facilitation steps are in my opinion culturally responsive, and illuminate areas we might be missing, that need attention so that equity is observed as you make decisions about who, what, why, when and how to implement.

What are top three challenges when it comes to implementation of Te Tiriti whānau and friends?

Download Map 1 and give it a go as koha for me being so slack and not engaging well with Facebook. We listen and we dont judge 😄

Te Tiriti Facilitation Map 1 - https://marketing.walktogether.co.nz/te-tiriti-implemtation-lm4-page

Good morning whānau and friends.

As many of you know, after coming back from Wiluna Remote Community School and inspired by the partnership work the school and Ngangganawili Aboriginal Health Service did I wanted to carry on Walk Together.

Now (as it’s about time) along with Dave we are expanding, branching out and creating a new shared vision for the future.

Today I’m sharing our new website for Walk Together and some new ways to engage no matter where you are.

If you want to follow our kaupapa along check out the new website and sign up to our newsletter.

What does Walk Together do? Walk Together is a design methodology that is a culturally responsive and holistic systemic change for approach. We support leaders, change makers, decision makers and community to walk towards (or row) their desired outcomes. We do this through intercultural facilitation.

I’m proud to share the new website a work in progrsss for several months. I would love to see some of my Face Book family in amongst our circles. There are some regular opportunities for us to connect either weekly at our Cuppa & Yarn on Mondays, monthly online workshops on zoom and a dedicated community platform. These are all no-cost options whānau, our koha to community. You can sign to these over at our website.

If you’re in to Culture, Leadership, Systemic Change, Relationships and connecting with others, then this could be the community for you.

Check out https://walktogether.co.nz/

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Mauriora ❤️

Walk Together NZ

Kia ora e te whānau o Facebook. Touching base for the first time in 2024.

I've been present (physically and emotionally) among all of the conversations and happenings inside our communities, the Government and across Aotearoa. It would be remiss for me not to address and express my sadness and disappointment as to what is happening for Māori, and for people in events around the world.

I have been focused on positioning Walk Together as one way to deal with some of these challenges in terms of the role of culturally responsive systemic change, with emphasis on the 'culturally'.

In keeping positive and forward momentum, I’m excited to share with you what's been happening behind the scenes over the last few months as I’ve walked through thinking about scaling Walk Together in not so conventional ways.

A New Turangawaewae - Website and Community Platform
Launching our new website on Ohoata [Tuesday 12 March]. Ohoata signals the energies shifting to higher vibrations and is optimal for the planting of new seeds or ideas as quoted by Rangipo Takuira-Mita ‘First planting moon. Sow the seed, be it kai or ideas’.

The new website has kept some of the old, and embraced some new. Working with For Purpose has helped to articulate what happens inside of Walk Together. I have greatly appreciated the co-creation with the team, and outcome of the mahi.

System Navigators Kaupapa

In 2024 we have welcomed 8 Wāhine Māori and Wāhine Pasifika who have joined the Walk Together whānau this year. Thanks to the J R McKenzie Trust and Sylvia Moe who are sponsoring this kaupapa to happen. Thank you also to Dave Goddard for your blessing and support of this journey. You can find out more and follow our journey of growth through our website, newsletters and our online community.

A New Online Community

We have created a new community. This community is free to join. It is infant in its establishment, and we look forward to welcoming more of you who align (or not) with our philosophy and ways of working. You can join our community through our website.

100,000 Cups of Tea - Starting Monday 18 March at 1pm.

For those who are not familiar, we host a Zoom cup of tea each Monday with anyone who wants to come along. We spend half an hour on shared topics. Join our Linkedin Newsletter or register on our website.

Check out www.walktogether.co.nz on Tuesday 12 March at 8am. You will find new ways to connect with a small community, new services and upcoming opportunities.

Wishing everyone all the best in their pursuits in 2024.
Mauriora,
Arama

Adaptive strategies prioritize flexibility, enabling tailored responses to a variety of situations. By adjusting approaches based on specific circumstances, organizations can better address challenges and capitalize on opportunities as they arise. This dynamic approach fosters resilience and promotes optimal outcomes across diverse contexts.

Collaborative problem solving shifts focus from symptoms to root causes, fostering comprehensive and sustainable solutions. It encourages teamwork, critical thinking, and innovation for effective outcomes.

Identifying leverages and blocks entails examining structural and behavioral factors that may hinder the shift toward a more inclusive structure. This process involves recognizing existing supportive mechanisms and identifying barriers, allowing development of targeted strategies for fostering greater inclusivity and equity.