Ideas

At Community Science, we often find ourselves reflecting on a powerful, recurring theme: how we, as evaluators, engage in difficult conversations and navigate moments of uncertainty with our partners—grantees, funders, and community leaders alike. These moments go beyond choosing the right words. They’re about presence, trust, and the way we show up when the path forward isn’t always clear.

What follows is a glimpse into those reflections—insights from our team’s ongoing dialogue about holding space for complexity, building authentic relationships, and practicing humility in the face of the unknown.

Can you believe A Bug’s Life came out in 1998? Fun fact: it was only Pixar’s second movie ever. Now there are closer to 30, including my favorites like Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Inside Out, and Coco. As a kid, I was actually a little scared of A Bug’s Life, so I never really thought of it as more than just bugs on screen. But watching it now, it hits differently. It reminds me what it means to show up when conversations feel hard, to stay present when someone feels unsure, and to make space when everything feels too heavy to carry alone.

I showed a short clip to my team.  The ants are marching in a line when a giant leaf falls into their path. They stop. One says, “We are lost.” Panic sets in. Then another ant runs over and says, “Do not panic. Do not panic. We are trained professionals. We are going to go around the leaf.”

We asked ourselves how this moment connects to the world we are living in right now. What do we see happening in this scene and how does it mirror what so many people are navigating today?

Across our workplaces and communities, people are overwhelmed. We are all facing shifts in political uncertainty, changes in funding landscapes, and a deep sense of collective exhaustion. One unexpected moment can make us feel stuck.

That is the leaf.

And the question is how do we show up like the calm ant?

Here’s what our conversation covered:

• Ask something real. “How can I support you right now?” Not as a script, but because you truly want to help.
• Be honest about what you can take on. People do not need big promises. They need to know that they can count on you.
• Help bring the focus back to what they can still do. When everything feels overwhelming, just naming one thing in your control can help.
• Let silence happen. You do not need to rush to say the right thing. Just being there can be enough.
• Say something simple and grounding. “This is hard, and it makes your work even more important.”
• Remind people of what they have already done. Progress is easy to overlook when you are tired.
• Take care of your own energy too. If you need to pause, do it. Come back when you are ready.

These are not fixes. They are ways to stay present and let someone know they are not alone.

The leaf is going to fall. That part is out of our hands.

What is in our hands is how we respond.

We are not lost. We are going to go around the leaf, together.

This blog is part of our ongoing series from the Organizational Effectiveness Practice Area on navigating complexity and rapid change. In earlier posts, we explored how to focus organizational efforts for greatest impact, let go of what no longer serves your mission, adjust strategy, measure what matters, and build the capacity to sustain momentum—even in unpredictable environments.