Are You Ready To Partner?
By Rae Martens, Knowledge Broker with the FER Training Program
Taking the leap to partner in research is one that can feel both novel and scary. It’s a step that can be rife with a lot of unknowns. Do you have a partner that’s entirely new to the concept of partnering in research?
Step one to moving forward as a team together can be beneficial if you make that first meeting an informal one. It not only allows partners to get to know you as a person, but also offers opportunity for them to ask questions.
They might not be aware of what questions to ask, so it can be worth sharing some with them that they can ask you. Below are a few examples that can work as conversation starters. These are not pass/fail questions where you can gauge uncertainty and begin to have ongoing conversations.
What do you most want to know about the research process? You don’t have to know all the things right away, but what comes to the top of your mind right now?
Did you know that sharing your lived experience can be hard work? It can tap into a variety of emotions, so it can be worth taking care of yourself. How can we best support you if it begins to feel like a little too much?
How would you describe how you best communicate with others? If you’re a new person in a room, do you feel comfortable with asking questions? Please feel free to share feedback with us anytime.
What would help you feel ready to be a part of this team? There’s no wrong answer to this.
We understand that there are complexities in your life that may affect your ability to attend meetings or participate in emails. We’d love to create a strategy to ensure you can step away and focus on what matters should that happen. We will be happy to just check in occasionally and make sure you’re ok! How can we best stay in contact with you if you need to take a step back?
This is not an exhaustive list, but an opportunity for you to begin to address some of the psychosocial needs associated with wellbeing while on teams with people with lived experience.