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Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive,alt.drugs From: lkriho@psych.colorado.edu (Laura Kriho) Subject: Tips on Organizing an Effective Group Message-ID: <1993Oct19.194945.17834@mont.cs.missouri.edu> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 19:49:45 GMT ORGANIZING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE Dear Prospective Organizer, Congratulations on taking the first step to creating social change - doing something about it!! Most people don't ever take that first step. That's why we have so much work to do. This document contains some ideas on how to organize a group and get things accomplished. It is by no means complete. There is infinite room for improvement and additions to the techniques and guidelines offered here. However, it is a start, and you have to start somewhere. The ideas in this document come from a combination of research and experience. As I became involved in social causes, I realized how difficult it was to get anything accomplished on a volunteer level. Movements need active and committed organizers, and they seem to be a rare breed. I realized early on that organizing an effective movement was not simple. There are skills involved that need to be learned just like any other new skill. I figured that there had to be other people who had been in my place before and that I didn't have learn all these skills from scratch. So I did research and talked to people. I found an incredible amount of information which made my life so much simpler. I learned how to organize a groups and events, run effective meetings, and get press coverage. I want to pass what I learned on to other people who are in the situation I was in - they don't know anything about how to organize an effective group. When I started, all I knew was that we had important work to do, and we'd better start finding ways to get it done. By compiling and disseminating my knowledge and experience, hopefully I can prevent someone else from having to "re-invent the wheel." All the things that we are trying to do have been done before by other organizers. Part of our job, as I see it, is to learn and practice organizing skills and then teach those skills to others. I would like to thank the people and organizations that contributed to this pamphlet. I would also like to acknowledge the groups that got me started on my crazy life of activism, the 100th Monkey Project to stop nuclear testing and the Boulder Hemp Initiative Project to re-legalize cannabis hemp in Colorado. Our government thrives on the repression and mis-representation of information and knowledge. The people, however, will thrive only on information that has been accurately preserved, not lost or distorted. Let us strive to know the truth and enlighten and empower others to do the same. Laura Kriho March 1993 It's a skill, not a mystery: What is an Organizer? by Eric Odell, Threshold Magazine (NLNS) One of the most basic questions we must ask ourselves is how to conceive of the role we play in making social change. Most of us have an instinctive understanding at some level of what this means. It is important, though, to take a step back and really take a hard look at the nature of our organizing work so that we can do it more effectively. The following lessons are expanded from a guide which my SEAC (Student Environmental Action Committee) group, the University of Minnesota Campus Greens, developed. What is an organizer? Is it a mystery? No. But it is not an innate skill one is born with, either. Being an organizer is something you must learn. Obviously, then, consciously examining how to organize will be much more useful than just hoping you will somehow accidentally pick up what you need to know somewhere along the way. * An organizer has a commitment to a vision of how things might be different, and is always trying to figure out the best way to make his or her vision come about. If you are dedicating a significant space in your life to making change, it is important to have an idea of what we are trying to change society into. This is called "vision" (also known by certain former president's as "that vision thing"). It is what drives all of the most energetic and committed organizers. Figuring out how to get there is known as "strategy." Both of these together is called "theory," and we need both if we are to be successful. * An organizer is a person who organizes: lectures, study groups, panel discussions, rallies, speeches, conferences, demonstrations, protests, and so on. Sitting around in meetings doesn't in and of itself change anything. Organizing consists of getting out and doing events and actions that have the dual objectives of being a part of a focused campaign to make a concrete change in society, and being designed to bring more people into organizing. * An organizer is reliable and dependable, shows up on time, and follows through on responsibilities. It is easy to have a laid-back attitude about showing up for meetings and carrying out tasks you have agreed to take on, but this can be very problematic. We all need to very clearly understand the commitments we make to a group when we become involved in organizing, and the concomitant degree of discipline required of us to follow through on those commitments. When people frequently flake out, it puts a heavy burden on the rest of the group and makes it harder for them to do their part. * An organizer does all different kinds of work cheerfully, and is committed to learning organizing skills. It is dangerous to let the attitude develop that certain things are beneath you once you have learned a certain amount about organizing. A lot of the work involved in organizing is fun, but by no means all of it. The responsibility of rolling up one's sleeves and doing the distasteful and tedious work should fall equally on everyone's shoulders. In addition, don't for a second believe that you "know it all" about organizing. Always be open to new lessons. * An organizer doesn't speak out of turn and listens carefully to others. Respect the thoughts of others, and develop the patience to actually listen to and think about what they are saying. Remember that the more you speak in a group setting, the less others get to speak. Men, especially, have been conditioned to interrupt and to contribute more than their share, and should be extra careful to watch for this dynamic in themselves. * An organizer examines her work self-critically and asks others for criticism on how it could be better. Critical self-awareness is a necessary prerequisite to improving your work. Fight the tendency to be defensive if someone is trying constructively to help you improve what you are doing. On the other hand, if you are giving criticism, you should be as positive and constructive as you can. Create a "criticism sandwich:" a slice of praise, followed by a slice of criticism, followed by another slice of praise. * An organizer is accountable; gives reports on work done; and keeps in contact with other members of her group by phone, mail, and personal contact. When you take on responsibilities in the name of the group, you are accountable for your actions to the other members of that group; they have a right to know everything that's being done in the group's name. In addition, your work will gain from other people's input and participation. Think of communication as the nutrient cycle flowing through the ecosystem of your group. * An organizer makes an effort to involve her group in organizing beyond the local level. By communicating and working with other groups in our own states, across the country, and around the world, we become more than just a bunch of local groups each doing its own thing; we become an interconnected and united movement that has the potential to change the whole world. * An organizer studies other times and places where other organizers tried to make social change. By learning about past struggles for change, we can learn from the past successes of others, and, equally importantly, we can avoid making the same mistakes that have been made countless times in the past. As George Santayana said, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it;" so learn about how your group fits in with the long history of people's movements in this country. * An organizer remains grounded in the community he or she is trying to organize; is constantly watching, hearing and taking part in community life. By becoming a part of the community you are trying to change, you will come to understand much more about all the particularities of it and will learn much better about how actually to help change it. Liberals always talk about "leadership" in the sense of a dichotomy--a hierarchy--between the "leader" and the "led." A true "leader" doesn't reinforce his hierarchy, but is always oriented toward empowering others and making everybody into a "leader." * An organizer is patient and persistent; don't let his or her commitment turn into self-righteousness. Don't develop the attitude that you have all the answers and that everyone else is wrong unless they listen to you. The trick is to help others learn for themselves through their own experiences. This requires patience--a great deal of it. Egotism is also very destructive. Other people can sense when you are placing yourself on a pedestal above them in your mind. * An organizer speaks in a language that the people she is trying to reach can understand. People involved in activism quickly pick up a lot of jargon that people outside of our sphere don't share. Translate your thoughts back into plain English before you speak them. * An organizer realizes that social change is not made by loners or superstars, but by people working together. Our society teaches us individualism and competition--getting ahead in the "rat race." Let's flush those attitudes down the (water-conserving) conceptual toilet where they belong. Learn about cooperation and working in a collective manner; we are here to help each other, not to compete with each other. * An organizer realizes that knowing all about an issue and knowing how to organize are two very different things. Memorizing facts and statistics is sometimes useful, but knowing the facts alone doesn't change things. We must put the knowledge of the issues together with the knowledge of what to do with it, and then put it into action. * An organizer takes care of his or herself, doesn't take on too much and get burned out. As important as the work that we are doing is, it is not so important that we should kill ourselves trying to do too much. Find a healthy, sustainable balance between the personal, social and political sides of your life. It's especially a male thing to brag about how hard you work and how much stuff you do. This can easily set up a bad dynamic of competition between people. * An organizer is always educating himself or herself about sexism, racism, and homophobia. Try as we might, we can't just eliminate these "isms" by wishing them away. We have spent all our lives in a sexist, racist and homophobic society, and these patterns are far more deeply ingrained in our psyches than we understand, or even want to understand. To undo a lifetime of oppressive patterns literally requires the rest of a lifetime of committed effort. * An organizer is always teaching other people how to become organizers. An "activist" is someone who is "active"--they go out and engage in work that has the ultimate goal of making some kind of change. An organizer, on the other hand, is always someone who is looking to get as many other people as involved in activism. This may frequently mean that you are doing things which don't seem superficially to be of maximal utility in making immediate changes, but which ultimately are vital in building the movement. An organizer, for example, will spend extra time helping someone else learn how to produce a flyer even when she can do it faster and better on her own. As you do your organizing, think constantly about your role as an organizer and how you can be more effective at it. Think about how you can help others to learn these same lessons. If we can get enough people doing this same thing, we can turn the world upside-down. Threshold is the magazine of SEAC, the Student Environmental Action Coalition. They can be reached at: SEAC, P.O. Box 1168, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-1168; seac@unc.bitnet. ******* Basics on How to Organize a Group 1) Get a tentative name for your group. - use a name that is easy to understand, remember, and does not alienate anyone - the group can always decide to change the name later 2) Get a meeting place. - churches - private home - universities - community centers - libraries - restaurant/bar (excludes under 21 crowd and is may not be very conducive to productive meetings) 3) Set a meeting day and time. - leave enough time for people to travel to the meeting after work 4) Advertise for your meetings. - Public Service Announcements for local newspapers, radio, and TV (good source of free advertising) - posters - word-of-mouth = tell everyone you know and have them tell people - phone tree = keep a current list of supporters and call them when you have an event coming up - letters to the editor - press releases 5) See who shows up and work from there. At your first meetings, find out what other people want to do with the group and get to know one another. Create a friendly, open atmosphere. Decide how you want your meetings to run. Setting the structure for your meetings before-hand lets people know what to expect and helps the meeting to run smoother. This includes having a written agenda prepared before the meeting. For instance, every meeting should have a facilitator. The facilitator helps focus the meeting so it is as productive as it can be. It's a good idea to have a different person facilitate each meeting. Then everyone learns the skills it takes to facilitate a meeting. If there is no facilitator, meetings tend to be rambling and unproductive. (See section on How to Run an Effective Meeting). It's also a good idea to have someone take notes or "minutes" of the meeting. This will avoid confusion concerning what decisions were made, what needs to be done, and who is going to do it. After you have a workable structure, define your goals as a group. Try to narrow down people's ideas to one or two that most people support. Be realistic. Know your resources and what you can practically accomplish. Don't be discouraged if you don't have many people at your meetings or if the people that come don't want to commit themselves too much. It's good to have any kind of support. Continue to advertise for your group and you should get new members. A small group is not necessarily a problem. It's amazing how much only one or two committed people can do. Educational meetings are a good way of getting people to come out and see what you're doing. You could have presentations or videos about your cause. This format will keep bringing new people. In BHIP, we used the first hour of our meetings for education, and the second hour for organizational/action meetings. This worked fairly well, giving all types of people something to do. Organizing an event is always a good idea for group focus. Even if you only have a few people organizing, chances are you will be able to get people to attend the event. It's just hard to find someone to organize things. "Mobilization is easy, organization is hard." Above all, don't get discouraged by expecting too much. Social change happens gradually, sometimes almost undetectably. As long as you are doing all you can without burning yourself out, you should see some positive change start to occur. ***** ONE WAY TO RUN A PRODUCTIVE MEETING Roles in a Meeting Facilitator = The main role of a facilitator is to keep the group focused on the same problem at the same time in the same way. The facilitator be prepared before a meeting. S/he should review the agenda and think of the best way to accomplish the goals of the agenda. At the meeting, the facilitator maintains focus on agenda. The facilitator should try to remain neutral. If s/he wants to participate in discussion, s/he should make it clear that s/he is stepping out of role as facilitator temporarily. The facilitator also elicits participation from others and protects other members from personal attack. Note-taker = The main role of the note-taker is to keep an accurate record of what happened at the meeting. Records what decisions were made, how they are to be accomplished, and who is responsible. Blackboard note-keeper: In certain discussions, especially when a lot of ideas are being generated, it is especially useful to have someone keep notes of what is being discussed on a blackboard or on large pieces of paper. This helps the group focus on the task at hand. Time-keeper = Each agenda item should have a time limit, agreed upon before- hand by the group. The time-keeper reminds the group frequently how much time is left for the discussion of a particular item. Vibes-watcher = Group discussions can sometimes become very heated. All group members should be aware of the vibes in the room. One person can be designated as vibes-watcher and lighten things up when necessary. Group Member = The rest of the group also has responsibilities in making meetings more productive. A group member should respect and listen to other members' views and should not speak out of turn. A group member should also be aware of other people's roles in a meeting and remind them when they step out of their roles. Sample Format of a Meeting 1) Facilitator, note-taker, and time-keeper should introduce themselves and define their roles. This will let people know what to expect of them. 2) General introduction by other members (make newcomers feel welcome) 3) Brief agenda intro (written on blackboard and/or give everyone copies of agenda) Include time limits and who's responsible for each item. 4) Approve/revise agenda and time limits. 5) Review previous week's meeting. 6) For each agenda item, first define, then discuss: a) CONTENT = what is discussed (topic or problem) b) PROCESS = how the topic is discussed (ie, brainstorming, go-around, presentation) c) RESOLUTION = is a decision needed or are we just discussing? If a decision is necessary, define what kind of decision will be made (ie, consensus, voting) d) ACTION = record what action was decided on, who is responsible, and the date by which they have to accomplish the action 7) Summarize meeting (note-taker) and make sure everyone agrees on what happened. 8) Set roles and agenda for next meeting. 9) Evaluate meeting. 10) Closure = Do some sort of formal ending of the meeting (a poem, a song, a reading). Before next meeting 1) review meeting 2) follow up on action items ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is only one workable format. I'm sure there are many variations on this format that may be more suited to your group. Good books exist on how to run meetings. It would be worth anyone's while to look them up and read them. Running a meeting is a skill that is only improved by practice. It's a also a skill everyone in a group should learn. If group members change roles each meeting, it will develop everyone's skills as well as give people more empathy to the difficulties of playing different roles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It's Amazing How Much You Can Do When You Don't Care Who Gets the Credit. ***** Bored? - Ideas for Your Group Listed below are six months worth of ideas generated by members of BHIP. Good ideas seem fairly easy to come by. Getting people to actually do them is the hard part. Best bet is to pick one idea that everyone supports and focus group energies on that idea. Organization of the Group - set format for meetings - practice roles in meetings - organize committees Art Work - design logo - design posters Networking - contact other groups with similar interests - contact supportive businesses - debate opposing groups Fund-raising - musical benefit - raffle - national speakers - all-ages benefit - buy lottery tickets - bake sale - donation cans for businesses - business donations - university funding - monthly pledges - merchandise (buttons, stickers, shirts) Meetings - presentations by members or other people - show movies - have literature available - video-tape meetings for other groups - bring food Information - table on campus or elsewhere - rallies - have literature available - movies at Public Libraries - scrapbook of group events/actions Action - letters to local, state, federal politicians - debates - street theatre Publicity - newspapers, radio, & TV PSA's - press release - phone tree - mailing list - posters - letters to editor - radio shows - designate media spokespersons ***** Notes from Media Skills Workshop given by Jason Salzman (of Greenpeace) February 1993 Before a Media Event define: 1) goal (ie, announce petitioning drive) 2) strategy (bring as many people together as possible) - focus on one message or one image 3) tactic (hold a rally) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Planning a Media Event Keep things simple!! 1) What's the message? - target audience you want to reach - 2/3 of citizens rely on TV for news 2) Gather background info. - recent media history of your issue - use an upcoming event to legitimize stunt (ie, hearing) - contact other citizen organizations 3) Model for Media Events - is it do-able? - what if it fails? - audience - cost - fun 4) Select Event 5) Location = make it close to media offices 6) Permit 7) Timing = want to be able to get immediate response - avoid weekends - try to do it mornings, before noon 8) Who are the media? - locate appropriate media for strategy (NP, TV, radio) - include all types of media - write sound-bites (average coverage = 7 seconds) - PRACTICE first! 9) Press Release - one page - why your event is relevant and unique - headline = most important part - have it read and look like a news story - list 2 contacts - standardize releases throughout group - call AP Daybook to give them message of your event Example of Format of Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 1, 1993 CONTACT: HEADLINE STORY 10) Get release out - FAX = day before the event is better - mail - deliver by hand 11) Persistence Works! - call day before event - be aggressive and persistent Reporters, not editors, usually decide if article is written and pictures taken. Undirected press release to the city desk is usually a waste of time. NP = reporters do stories TV = assignment editors do stories Radio = will often record a phone call 12) Reporters are people, too 13) Press Packet = background info., including any previous press coverage 14) Press Conferences - use sparingly, often not well-attended - have just a few speakers 15) Assess and do it again - luck (other news stories that day) Avoid mis-quotes - let a reporter know if story was inaccurate - can ask a reporter to read back the most important points of what you've said On-going media relations - keep a press list; they change jobs often Models for Media Events 1) IMAGERY - Cameras love costumes - groups have more control over the images presented in the media than the info. 2) Public replica of problem - Bring it home to the people 3) Medical focus - What should the doctor do? example: students in CA voted on whether suicide pills should be made available in event of nuclear war 4) Another Business Against Rocky Flats (Hemp Prohibition?) - get businesses to put up signs 5) Contests 6) Art Shows = reach other types of reporters/media 7) Governor in Bed with Rocky Flats on State Capitol steps - used successfully to bring attention to government favoritism - timing important 8) Worst/Best Awards or Report Cards - easy to grasp for public - press looks for clear good/bad conflicts - other groups will also use this info. 9) Bake Sales (Hemp food) example: Bake Sale to raise money for the federal deficit or Hemp to Feed the Homeless 10) Make most of Petitions - don't just hand them in; make a media event about it - do something visual 11) Portray an advertisement as news example: GP did an ad titled "Gamble Colorado" which looked like a real gambling ad until you read it - this will get more news coverage than conventional ads 12) Get more out of rallies - signs - symbolism - civil disobedience - chants - be passionate - kids - humor - color - counter-demonstration - costumes - replicas 13) Celebrate 14) Use Anniversaries 15) Banner Drops on Highways 16) Billboards 17) Spectacle (ie, climb a tree until hemp is legalized) 18) Encircle a target 19) Send something catchy (instead of just a letter) 20) Show Worst-Case Scenario 21) Celebrity Endorsements 22) Use Hearings 23) Target Tourist Industry Other Ways to Get Attention - lobby editorial boards - lobby cartoonists to focus on your issue in their cartoons - letters to the editor, OP/ED's - talk shows - community calendars ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Well, good luck and have fun! Please reproduce and distribute this information liberally. Let us know if you have any improvements or suggestions for this pamphlet. The fight continues... Peace! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This pamphlet brought to you through a joint effort of: The Boulder Hemp Initiative Project P.O. Box 729 Nederland, CO 80466 (303) 784-5632 bhip@darkstar.cygnus.com and Straight From the Hip Press, Inc. P.O. Box 8005 Suite #316 - OG Boulder, CO 80306 (303) 369-1782 Please share this information with others. Donations are encouraged. Make checks payable to the Hemp Initiative Project. BHIP is an environmental and political action group promoting the re-legalization of the hemp plant as an alternative, natural, renewable resource. BHIP is also dedicated to stopping the erosion of civil rights caused by the "War on Drugs". BHIP does not advocate the violation of any laws. BHIP advocates the changing of unjust laws. Hemp Facts Paper = 1 acre of hemp can produce as much paper as 4 acres of trees. Food = Hemp seed cake is the 2nd highest source of natural protein. Fuel = Hemp produces more biomass for fuel than any other plant. Fabric = Hemp is stronger than cotton and needs virtually no pesticides to grow. Medicine = Hemp was the most widely used medicinal plant for 3500 years.