SOC473 Community Development: Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders References Kahn, S. (1991). Organizing: A guide for grassroots leaders (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers. Kotter, J. P. (1990). A force for change: How leadership differs from management. NY: The Free Press. © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders What Personal Qualities Should a Leader Have? • Likes people • Is a good listener • Makes friends easily • Builds trusts easily • Talks well (not necessarily a great public speaker) © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders • Helps people believe in themselves • Can let others take the credit • VERY IMPORTANT TRAIT!!!! • Works hard • Does not get discouraged too often • Has a sense of her/his own identity • Asks questions © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Creating An Agenda • Management • Planning and Budgeting--establishing detailed steps and timetables for achieving needed results, and then allocating the resources necessary to make that happen • Leadership • Establishing Direction--developing a vision of the future, often the distant future, and strategies for producing the changes needed to achieve that vision (Kotter, 1990, p. 6) © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Developing a Human Network for Achieving the Agenda • Management • Organizing and Staffing--establishing some structure for accomplishing plan requirements, staffing that structure, providing policies and procedures to help guide people • Leadership • Aligning People--communicating the direction by words and deeds to all those whose cooperation may be needed so as to influence the creation of teams and coalitions that understand the vision and strategies, and accept their validity © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Execution • Management • Controlling and Problem Solving--monitoring results versus plan in some detail, identifying deviations, and then planning and organizing to solve these problems • Leadership • Motivating and Inspiring--energizing people to overcome major political, bureaucratic, and resource barriers to change by satisfying very basic, but often unfulfilled human needs © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Outcomes • Management • Produces a degree of predictability and order, and has the potential of consistently producing key results expected by various stakeholders (e.g., for customers, always being on time; for stockholders, being on budget) • Leadership • Produces change, often to a dramatic degree, and has the potential of producing extremely useful change (e.g., new products that customers want, new approaches to labor relations that make a firm more competitive) © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders What Skills Does a Leader Need? • Working with people • Issues • Meetings • Organizations • Strategy and tactics • Money (finances) © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders How Can a Person Learn Leadership Skills? • Through experience • Reading • Formal training • Find a mentor • This is the a very important step © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Organizing Around an Issue • An issue is a problem that people feel strongly about and want to do something about. • An issue is a “good issue” if it is a problem that can be solved by people working together in a local community. © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Examples of Possible Issues Housing Crime Spouse abuse Road Underemployement Job discrimination Law enforcement problems Disability problems Job training Day care Environment Recreation Jobs Transportation Health care Drugs Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders What Makes a Good Issue? • A good issue is winnable. • A good issue builds the organization. • A good issue unites people. • A good issue affects lots of people. • A good issue involves people. • A good issue is strongly felt. • A good issue is simple. © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Winnable Issues • When dealing with those who are not used to “changing the course of action” in their own lives…it is very important to take “small steps.” • It is more important to work on small steps and succeed than to work on big steps and fail. © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders • For example, if there is a dangerous intersection in a neighborhood that puts the children at risk…which goal is more likely to be achieved (think cost)… • A new traffic light • A new set of stop signs © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders • If you build everyone up that you “MUST” have traffic lights…and then they only get stop signs…many people will perceive that as a failure. • But, if you state that you want stop signs…and in the course of negotiation with the city…say, “what would it take to get traffic lights?”…either solution will be viewed as a success. © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders We live in a society where people have been reduced to numbers…People feel isolated, unvalued, uprooted. Personal contacts are at the heart of any organizing drive and of any people’s organization. No skill is more necessary to leaders in our organizations than to be able to work effectively with people. © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders In organizing we move from the individual to the group. But we need to start with the individual. People need to make up their minds individually…that they want to commit themselves to beginning to change their surroundings…A neighborhood with a hundred families needs to be organized one family at a time. © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Where to Meet People At their home At your house At church/synagogue At school In the hospital At the supermarket At work On the phone At the barbershop At the beauty parlor At a ball game On the street In a restaurant At the bus stop At the courthouse At the shopping center At the bowling alley At the post office At the laundromat Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders People are naturally suspicious when somebody shows up on their doorstep. They might think you are selling encyclopedias or checking up on them from the welfare department. Generally speaking, when a stranger shows up at the door of a poor or working person, it is bad news. So explain as quickly as you can why you are there. © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Real World Techniques Used in Developing Contacts With People in a Community • Introduce yourself • Ask if you can come in • Talk about something that you know they are interested in • Find something in the home to talk about © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders • Talk to parents and kids together • Meet them on their level • Know the subject • Know yourself • Know when to listen and when to talk • Talk about one thing at a time • Let them talk--hear what they have to say © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders • Learn their feelings • Look at them as you talk • Explain things clearly • Try to get them involved • Let them know they are important to you and the community • Let them come up with ideas © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders • Ask questions • Watch their facial expressions • Give them praise • Do not argue • Do not try to force them to think your way • Do not curse • Listen more than you talk © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders • Answer questions as you discuss a subject • Never cut them off • Do not insult them • Do not gossip about or put down others in the community • Do not make promises that you cannot keep © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders • If you do not know the answer, get back to them • Or have them call you • Use the phone to follow up • Pick your time • Keep your cool • Know your limits © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders • Stay assertive • Be yourself • Know how to delegate responsibility • Make arrangements for the next visit • Give them a reason for meeting © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Meetings • Meetings are a basic organizing tool • Make people feel comfortable • Soft chairs instead of hard ones • Arrange chairs in a circle rather than in rows • Find a location that is neutral © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Important Points about Meetings Plan the meeting in advance Talk with people before the meeting Prepare an agenda Keep the agenda short Keep the meeting short Start on time End on time Have a good chair Let everyone talk Keep meetings small Provide child care Use a convenient place Keep it loose and friendly Have refreshments Ask questions Reach a decision Divide responsibility Write it down Follow up Celebrate Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Strategy is like a road map…it is a plan from where we are to where we want to go. Planning strategy is like planning a trip. The same decisions need to be made when an organization develops its strategy as when a family takes a vacation. © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Planning a Family Vacation • We need to decide whether we want to travel by car, bus, plane, or train. • We need to choose the route. • We need to consider the difficulty of the route. © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders Planning an Organization’s Strategy • Planning a strategy begins with the knowledge of where we are and where we want to go. • Starting point • Membership’s strength • Skills and abilities • Finances • Allies • Research © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders • An organization’s strategy needs to include activities that build up spirit, that keep people interested and involved along the way. • An organization may run into roadblocks while trying to carry out its original strategy. • It needs alternative strategies, just in case. • This possibility needs to be built into the strategy. © 2000, 2002 by Ronald Keith Bolender

SOC473 Community Development: Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders

SOC473 Community Development: Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders

Presentation Transcript

Discovering Leaders from Community Actions

A grassroots program for the future of Yachting in Victoria

Organizing

Plot Style Community Gardening in Minnesota

Fundamentals of Organizing

Software Development Models

Community Needs Assessment Tools

TheVoicesOfAmerica.org Precinct organizing Best Practices

ONC Provider Directory Community of Practice

Community Planning Training

Community Services Community Development Division

Chapter 4: Servant-Leaders of

Chapter 5

Purpose of this Guide

HARRIS COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Education, Training, and Development: Fundamentals and Foundations for Court Leaders

Risk Management Guide for Student Organizations