On being a grassroots organizer and agent for change

[crispini]

Hi all, I've been around DU for awhile but haven't been on recently because I've been off doing that whole real-life thing. But I've been having some thoughts recently and this seemed like a good place to write them down and bounce them off people. It has to do with how we create change and empower people. As grassroots organizers, we don't have any kind of "hard power." By which I mean, nobody I work with in my activism is getting paid for anything, and we are not in any kind of corporate structure that says, "This person is the boss of me and so I have to do what that person says." As a result, we have to look toward different (and perhaps more effective, or more empowering) methods of effecting change.

I have come to the conclusion that my power as an organizer rests on three factors:
- How well I communicate with the group I am working with and capture THEIR vision.
- How well I represent that group to others.
- How much work I am willing to do, and how organized I am about it.

I'll go into a bit more detail:
- How well I communicate with the group I am working with and capture THEIR vision.
This essentially relates to listening, in an active sense. If there is something we are trying to accomplish, how well do I LISTEN to the group? How well am I able to articulate their values back to them, so that they know that we are on the same page with our values and our mission? Am I willing to work through the process of allowing the group to verbalize things, to come to terms with the issue on their own, and to come to their own conclusions? How well am I able to tap into the gestalt, the vision, of the problem the organization is trying to solve, and, in other words, do I "get it?"

- How well I represent that group to others.
Am I an honest broker who then understands that the charter of the group does not rest in me simply because I am the committee chair or the leader, but rather, the charter of the group rests in the people in the whole, and do I deal with that responsibility honestly? In other words, when voicing our concerns, am I careful to articulate what THEY want and need about the issue (as opposed to my personal thoughts).

- How much work I am willing to do, and how organized I am about it.
I cannot be a leader by simply delegating tasks to others. Instead, I must delegate those tasks and make sure that people are able to accomplish them and support them. I have to trust them to get things done and support them, not micromanage them. And this in itself is a lot of work, albeit of a different kind. I have to follow up, in the right way, and I have to be willing to do work myself when there is work to be done (but I can't keep it all to myself, either, this is fatal.) To do all of this I have to be fairly organized and detail oriented (for me, not an intuitive part of my nature).

And now that I am writing this, I think there is a fourth thing, and it goes back to a deep seated respect for the others I am working with, a willingness to deal with them kindly and forthrightly, even when our opinions differ or the person is not necessarily working in a way that I am accustomed to. In other words, a sort of human flexibility, an openness, a quality of acceptance and large spirit and a positive attitude, that, when people see this, allows them to trust you with their energy, with their time, with their hopes and dreams for the movement and what you want to accomplish together.

Phew. Oh, it sounds so BIG and vague when I write it all down like that... perhaps I'll come back later and drill down into specific examples, but for now, I just wanted to get all that on paper. Thanks for your time. Thoughts? :)

[wildeyed]

1. I think different leadership styles work for different people.

I tend to be autocratic in my leadership style. This reflects my experience as a small business owner. I am used to doing most of the work and taking all of the risk, hence I make the decisions. I am glad to listen to other peoples opinions, but in the end, I decide. My style wouldn't work well in a larger group setting, but for the small, focused events I plan, it seems to work well.

Typically, my volunteers are hard working, career oriented people who want to make a difference, but don't have a lot of free time and resent having it wasted. I do all the event planning, schedule them into volunteer times and try to be certain that their efforts are productive. After an event, I send a follow up email detailing our results and thanking prominent players.

What I like about this system is that it is very efficient. No planning meetings are necessary since I do all the work and make all the decisions. I simply set up an event, recruit a few volunteers and we do it. People who like the events volunteer over and over. Those who don't fall into something else, which is fine, too. The down side is that the operation, by necessity, will stay really small.

I am preparing to make a real effort to organize my precinct instead of just organizing the guerrilla voter registration events I have done in the past. If I want to create a lasting structure, I will need to get better at compromise and at delegating responsibility.

I am in the process of planning an event to recruit block captains. I will inviter 4x4 dems, people in the neighborhood I am friendly with who are dems, and the County list of people who have donated or volunteered previously with the party. I will post later to get some help composing a pitch and figuring out an organizational strategy.

Sounds like you are light years ahead of me. But I guess that is why this Group exists. So newer organizers can pick the brains of more experienced members.


So how has real life been? I find it somewhat overrated, myself, but I guess it works for some folks ;) :hi:

[NMDemDist2]

2. I think you have a good grasp there, but don't forget that people that

volunteer (esp the newbies) have an emotional connection to the issue. whether it's anger, fear or great love, there is always an emotional attachment there that gets them off their butts

learning how to encourage and channel that emotion is the key. we lefties sometimes tend to go overboard one way or the other. either we are WAY to logical and intellectual or we are all touchy feely tree hugging softies. what is key is finding the balance of emotion and brains. keeping that power focused on a result is critical.

another thing I ran/run into is not seeing how individual actions are making a difference. it seems important to regularly update the volunteers with specific goals or numbers that have been reached. for example "In the month of June, our organization signed up 320 new voters in our district! Great job everyone!" or "Our phone bankers contacted 1065 voters with information on our Candidate since May21st." This kind of tangible progress accounting helps to keep people motivated and wanting to exceed the previous number.

just my 2 cents before nap time. and it's great to see you over here crispini! :hi:

[Kixel]

3. My thoughts

Obviously you are very dedicated to your cause and you are doing a great job of getting people involved in your vision-or you wouldn't be worried about the others in your group.

I think the best way to openly communicate what you are thinking is just to say it. Maybe you can write a letter to those in your group or possibly give a speech at the next meeting. I think the next step is to do a strategic planning session with your group. Unfortunately, getting too many people involved with the development of the plan could be difficult. You can have a small group get together to go through clarifying your vision and the steps you need to get there. As people who aren't able to come to submit ideas or comments.

Then, sit down with your core group and come up with your strategic plan. After that, go through the plan with the group on the whole. If someone's suggestion is not included, you may want to contact them prior to going through your decisions with the group. That will prevent them from feeling alienated.

Organization is key. Traditionally, liberals are off in a lot of directions. The fun of the big tent! I don't know if your group is specific to a certain cause or not, but a little organization goes a long way from a lot of head aches. Getting a simple vision outlined will make your team feel that they are truly a part of your organization and it'll help you come up with easier ways to do things that you may not have thought of on your own.

It sounds like you have been a bit overwhelmed lately. Getting stuff pulled together in a different manner will make things run a lot smoother for you!


Something to remember- when people are involved in something political, it means they think it's time to be a part of change. Feeling that their voice is heard and validated goes a long way for making them active participants. I received a phone call from my local state Senate candidate thanking me for helping him at an event and it really goes a long way for making me feel as though I am a vital part of the team. It's funny how far a simple thank you can go. Make sure to use it sincerely and often!