Overcoming impact obstacles through intervision

How do you deal with your internal (own professors or colleagues) and external stakeholders (companies and governments) where interests sometimes seem to be opposed, and as a researcher, you sometimes hit proverbial walls? Participants in the IXA Impact Program work together with Chellie van den Bergh to tackle such obstacles through intervision.

Amsterdam UMC, UvA, and VU have jointly developed an IXA Impact Program, with Chellie van den Bergh guiding one of the modules: intervision.

“The collaboration is not running very smoothly, everyone is keeping their cards close to their chest. I’ve suggested everything, but they are not cooperating,” Chellie describes a typical situation. “Such frustrations at work, and also in collaboration with other external parties, often arise from basic needs, such as ‘being seen’ or gaining appreciation, building trust for your efforts. These needs often run deep and don’t always align with the daily working order. These are situations where intervision can be very helpful.”

Before the intervision session, Chellie asks participants to bring a case; who is facing a challenge in their work? The cases brought in often deal with questions like: how do I deal with resistance or people who oppose me? How can I engage stakeholders to work with my impact idea? Or how do I ensure good collaboration with external parties? Chellie: “The answers to those kinds of questions are not in a manual. Often, people pass their problem onto someone else. But ultimately, it’s about realizing that they have much more influence to do something about the situation. That is the core of intervision. The solution is almost always on the human level, participants have much more influence than they think. That’s why Chellie digs deep into these aspects; what does this situation say about you? What’s stopping you from looking at the case more flexibly? This is difficult because our assumptions are often so deeply ingrained that we are hardly aware of them. If you can bring that to the surface through intervision, it’s possible to look at your case from more perspectives and see opportunities to make an impact.”

Quote from trainer Chellie van den Bergh
“Often, people pass their problem onto someone else. But ultimately, it’s about participants realizing that they have much more influence to do something about the situation themselves. That is the core of intervision.”

Former participant in the IXA Impact Program
“The intervision sessions had an enormous impact in terms of introspection and feedback. Questions like: how do you deal with industry professionals, negotiating, setting boundaries were answered together in a safe, structured environment. This was one of the most enjoyable parts of the Impact Program; I learned a lot from it and really enjoyed it.”

IXA Impact Program for Amsterdam-based researchers

Amsterdam UMC, UvA, and VU Amsterdam offer a training program focused on impact for mid-career researchers who want to enhance their skills in creating impact.
During the Impact Program, 2 intervision sessions are offered, with each session consisting of a maximum of 7 participants, where everyone gets the opportunity to present their case. Participants in the Impact Program come from different scientific, cultural, and institutional backgrounds.

Intervision is the discussion of cases according to a structured approach, also known as ‘peeling off.’ By only asking open-ended questions, group members help the case presenter to find new perspectives and answers. The answers ultimately come from the presenter themselves. At the end of the session, everyone can offer tips and advice.

Want to know more?

Contact Diane Schöller, Impact Developer APH IXA Amsterdam UMC
Find here the full description of the IXA Impact Program