Eight Tips for Making Progress With Just About Anyone

Much of the work I do relies on my ability to work with groups of people and individuals who agree on what they don’t like, but are less familiar with what they want to do about it, or even if they want to be involved in taking action together. There is no one single way to support people in order to effect change, but I think there are some common themes:

Keep it human – Everything should be grounded in the sharing of the human experience. Be willing to be honest about how you are feeling, what makes you happy, and what you’re thinking about. And, very importantly, be just as curious about those things in other people. This type of interaction may come naturally to some, but I’ve found this to be a life-long practice. Lisa Rosh and Lynn Offermann share some good tips on how to develop these skills in their article “Be Yourself, But Carefully”.

Understand what it means to be inclusive:  Understanding that our identities are layered and multi-dimensional, that power structures in our culture oppress or create pathways for people in many different ways, and how we and others fit into the culture of oppression is key to creating inclusive dialogue and action. Believe people when they tell you about their experience, and do the work you need to do ahead of time so that people don’t have to explain themselves to you. Kimberlé Crenshaw and Abby Dobson’sTED Talk “The Urgency of Intersectionality” share one way to shine a light on people often overlooked, in this case, black American women.

Start with what you agree on: Sometimes, depending on the challenge, the simple fact that everyone in the room showed up because they have some connection to the issue at hand is the only place you can start. It pays to take all the time you need to find out where you agree. Once you figure it out, start there and return to it, as often needed. Be pragmatic and find out exactly where your agreements lie, and in the process, how people involved use words and define the opportunities and challenges. 

Ask questions: Assume that everyone in the room has the know-how to get the job done, or relationships with others who do.  Your job is to ask questions that will help the conversation move from blaming to solutions. I think asking the right question is an art form. Done well, they are incredible catalysts for change so they are one of the best tools in my metaphorical Community Organizer’s tool box.

Be and specific about decision points, and decisions: Your homework before initiating a problem-solving conversation or strategy session is to understand as many facets of the issue as possible such as what organizations, groups, and people are involved formally and informally, how those entities are organized, what commitments already exist, if there are timelines, and who is ultimately responsible for various aspects of the outcome. Then figure out how to talk about it clearly and often. Be clear about when you are sharing information, asking for feedback, developing a plan, and asking for commitments. Do not mince words when it comes to explaining what decisions are needed to move forward, what their impact will be, and how people can participate or follow in the decision-making process.

Shift roles, and pay people when they work: Before gatherings, consider what roles people can play to ensure participation, inclusion, and valuable dialogue and decision making. During gatherings, make sure that roles such as set-up, note taker or time keeper are shared among participants. Use accessible technology to make it easy to pitch in, and be sure to create space for a broad range of abilities when developing roles. Be aware of how people are compensated for their time, and what kind of commitment they are being asked to give to the partnership or group. When in doubt, find a way to pay people for their time, especially if most everyone else involved is being paid to be there in one way or another.

Be transparent:  This includes creating open access to information, taking the time to clarify the information in as many formats as possible, and surveying people to understand and respond to their experience in real time. Be prepared to do the homework necessary to help frame information so that people have context for why it is important. If it seems like people aren’t able to digest important information, pull in people who can provide more detail, training, or tools to leverage information. People are much more likely to be honest and stay involved if they have access to all that is happening.

Pivot: This is one of those buzzwords I’ve really embraced. To me, it means that you aren’t beholden to a specific endpoint and that if the group is headed in one direction, and it is determined that it isn’t the best, you can change your focus to what the evidence points to as the better direction. This requires an openness to change, a willingness to follow data, and ongoing evaluation. Ultimately, understanding the difference between tactics, strategy, and goals will give you context to help the group build momentum, make course corrections, and stay on track to achieve the shared goals you set out to achieve.