How can we create impact?

The international TRIC team from Finland, Poland, Denmark, Spain and Austria shared an interesting workshop online on April 10, hosted and facilitated by Hanna Haliseva and Markus Vähälä from Kukunori. In the workshop, we focused on developing content for our forthcoming Impact Strategy Workbook, maximizing the impact of the TRIC project and received valuable insights from the TRIC team.

The workshop collected a lot of information using a method of Questions&Answers, where we asked questions related to the theme and representatives from the TRIC organizations provided brief written answers. This allowed us to further consider and analyze how to optimize our impact and where we should focus our efforts within the project.

There is power in collaboration, and together as a team, we can achieve a great deal. Through communication and interaction, our cooperation can only grow stronger, helping us build an even more impactful community. The workshop showed that collecting insights and data can be an efficient and international experience, hosted by facilitators with necessary instructions. By exploring and testing various ways to cooperate and collaborate, we can create community power to navigate in uncertainty.

Learning from success: Case examples of impact

During the workshop, participants shared inspiring examples of how they have previously succeeded in creating a meaningful impact. For instance, Marked highlighted the success of 'StrongMinds,' a community-based therapy model that scaled to over 1.5 million people due to its simplicity. Meanwhile, Kukunori showcased the 'Safe Mind Network,' which has built a significant mental health network in Finland by fostering trust among organizational leaders. Additionally, Innocamp Poland presented 'HERbatka (tea) with Babizna,' an initiative for women in the arts and culture sector. Through monthly, low-threshold meetings centered on sharing real-life stories, they have inspired over 60 women to pursue significant life changes, ranging from switching careers to starting their own businesses.

These stories taught us that impact often stems from:

Simplicity and Accessibility: Making models easy for anyone to join and use.

Community and trust: Building strong networks where people feel safe to share and collaborate.

Visibility: Using digital channels effectively, as seen in TUAS’s LinkedIn reach, which engaged over 1,200 people during their kick-off.

Our desired impact in navigating uncertainty

The participants expressed a shared vision for TRIC: we want to create practical, functional models that support the daily lives of students, teachers, and professionals. The goal is to strengthen uncertainty competence, and to help people trust their potential even when the future is unpredictable. University of Continuing Education Krems and SEA Business Academy Denmark emphasized the need for institutional changes, ensuring that the tools we develop are not just temporary project outputs but become part of the permanent structures in our organizations.

Overcoming obstacles

To achieve this, we must address the real-world obstacles identified by the participants:

Information overload: Good practices can easily be forgotten in the rush of everyday work. Complexity: If a solution is too complicated, it won't be adopted.

Structural silos: Large organizations can be segmented, making it difficult to reach the right people.

During the workshop, we also explored the Cynefin framework, a powerful decision-making tool designed to help us categorize and solve problems more effectively. The framework divides challenges into five domains: Clear, Complicated, Complex, Chaotic, and Confused. By understanding which domain a problem belongs to, we can choose the right approach—whether it is following best practices in simple situations or using agile experimentation to navigate complex, unpredictable environments. For the TRIC project, this model is essential, as it provides us with a shared language to turn uncertainty into a productive resource and helps us identify the most impactful strategies for our collective mission.

The Future: An Impact Strategy Workbook for all

We were introduced to the first draft of the impact workbook. A key outcome of our discussion was defining what an Impact Workbook should look like. To maximize productivity in the face of uncertainty, our community suggested that the workbook must be:

Practical and Visual: Using infographics and clear navigation to guide users.

Action-Oriented: Including self-assessment tools, reflection exercises, and step-by-step guidelines.

Inclusive: Featuring real-life stories and multi-language versions to reach a diverse audience.

As we move forward, the TRIC community is committed to transforming these insights into concrete actions. By simplifying our message and fostering a supportive environment, we can help individuals turn uncertainty from a source of anxiety into a productive resource for change. Hanna Haliseva and Markus Vähälä

Kukunori - Finland

TRIC project communication and dissemination team

All had been made possible by the European Union Erasmus Plus Programme!

Curious about TRIC?  Stay tuned — and feel free to reach out if you'd like to know more at connect@communitytric.net

#ProfessionalDevelopment #UncertaintyCompetence #TRIC #ErasmusPlus #HigherEducation #VET #Innovation #FutureOfWork #LifelongLearning

Turku University of Applied Sciences, Kukunori, MARKED with Purpose, Innocamp Poland, Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Erhvervsakademi SydVest, Business College Syd, IES Bernat Guinovart, Jugend am Werk, University for Continuing Education Krems and the University of Gdańsk.