Behind Every Meaningful Change Lies a Relationship

“What if the most transformative tool at our disposal isn’t a strategy, policy, or a new technology, but a conversation?” 

This is the question at the heart of the Relational Podcast series. The podcast series was one of the outcomes of a six-month “Huddle” experience on “Making the case for relationality”, which brought together members of the Wasan Network — a global network of social impact practitioners who believe relationships sit at the center of social change. The podcast invites us to consider a simple thing: that transformation begins in dialogue, that change is not driven only by data or decisions but by the trust, intimacy, and care woven into the way we work with others. Produced by Efecto Colibri, each episode pairs two Wasan community members who engaged in the Huddle experience swapping the roles of interviewer and interviewee to surface stories, insights, and practical tools. 

Featured in the podcast series, our Co-Pilot Sonja reflected on the connection and trust that sustain our work at WeRobotics and across the Flying Labs Network. Her words offered a reminder that in our field — complex, multi-stakeholder, often messy — action alone does not create impact. What people remember, what carries forward, is how we show up in relation to one another.

In a fully remote, global setup, we have learned that being intentional about relationships is what makes our daily work possible. Without a foundation of trust, the Network frays. It is tempting, in the world of social impact, to fix our gaze on the what: our technology, our metrics, our theories of change, our systems. But what creates lasting change is actually the how and the who.

One of the great things about relational approaches (including network models and partnership ecosystems, which are central to our work) is that they ask us to resist the tendency of top-down approaches, which often leave little space for building connections. Instead, they call us to be generous with our time and with whom we invite into the work. This generosity is what then builds trust: trust in people, yes, but also trust in data, in the context behind the numbers. Without relationships, information floats untethered. With relationships, we begin to see what is real, and we build the confidence to act.

Frameworks that centre relationships remind us that no one institution, however resourced, can solve complex problems alone. What is required is a constellation of actors, drawn together by trust and shared values and able to learn together. It is a fundamentally different way of working that resists the scarcity mindset and instead leans into abundance and co-creation.

At WeRobotics and across the Flying Labs Network, relationships shape everything we do. It informs how we collaborate with local communities, the experts within them, and private and public institutions. It informs how we navigate multi-stakeholder projects, ensuring not just coordination but genuine partnership. It informs how we design internally: how we convene, how we decide, how we care for one another as colleagues across vast distances. Our successes are the product of the choice to spend time building trust, even when resources are tight.

And when a relationship-centred work environment is experienced, it is hard to imagine going back. The difference is palpable. More than measured outcomes, our work is about joy, about knowing we are progressing in ways that feel human and honor connection.

We invite you to listen to the podcast series and join us in exploring how relational approaches can reshape not just what we do but how we do it. Listening to these conversations, you may find your own organizational practice reflected back to you. Or you may discover a new way of thinking about your work. Either way, the message is clear: relationships are not peripheral. They are the most important thing.