We want to scale to help more people, enable change, and empower positive action. But let’s be very honest for a moment.

If your scale strategy (or any strategy for that matter) was cooked up entirely by people who are not affected by the issue… it’s time to put the chalk down and to start slowly backing away from that white board.

Before asking: ”What’s the best model?”
Ask first: ”Who gets to be in the room to answer this?”

Scale is about reach, impact and reducing the size of the problem. But importantly, scale is also about responsibility.

The decisions we make shape how and who a solution reaches, and how it works.

This is no news to anyone (or shouldn’t be). In theory, by now we should all be striving to champion the voices of those closest to the cause.

The problem is: that’s not always how things pan out. Even the most forward-thinking organisations–when time pressure and resource constraints come into the picture–will start designing their strategy without space for co-creation.

At Spring Impact, we believe strategy should be co-created with those closest to the challenge.

So here are 3 practical facilitation moves to help you create with the right voices in the room:

1. Power Mapping Exercise

Ask: “Who has power in this system? And whose voices are missing?”

Bring this question into the room. Use a matrix to map stakeholders by influence and proximity to the issue. Then pause to ask: who isn’t represented here? How can we bring them in, and share real decision-making power?

It’s a simple move that helps shift your strategy process from consultation to co-decision making.

2. Lived Experience Panels

Move beyond feedback sessions. Make people with lived experience strategic co-designers.

Set up a small, diverse panel of those most affected by your work. Whether that’s youth with experience of care, community health workers, or people accessing services. Involve them in real decisions (with prep and support), compensate them fairly, and check in on their experience throughout.

This essentially is redistributing influence to those who know the issue best.

And lastly, but perhaps the most crucial aspect of it all:

3. Design for Accessibility & Psychological Safety

If people can’t fully participate, they can’t fully influence.

Create conditions that reduce harm and increase voice: use clear, inclusive language; offer multiple ways to contribute (speaking, writing, visuals); co-create ground rules; and pay attention to emotional and cultural safety.

Build your infrastructure for equity and your strategy and solutions will start representing the real needs of those you’re supporting. This third ‘move’ is also and a key part of the facilitator’s role.

Scaling well means designing with—not just for—those you serve.

Have you used other ways to share power in strategy? We’d love to learn from your experience, especially if you’ve been part of inclusive processes or facilitated them yourself.