Plateau Busting: Maintaining Momentum in Coalition Work

1. Plateau Busting: Maintaining Momentum in Coalition Work Tom Workman University of Nebraska-Lincoln IHEC 2006 Conference

2. You know you’re an old campus-community coalition when. . . • You can no longer count the number of new mayors, city council members, senators, chancellors, and other administrative staff you’ve had to introduce yourself to • You realize the vast majority of chit-chat at coalition meetings is the retelling of war stories • You not only know the local paper’s Opinion Editor’s name, but the hobbies of their children • You complete the coalition RSVP list before anyone calls to confirm • You have a T-shirt “Wall of Fame” • Your initiatives are known by administrations rather than years

3. Recognizing the Plateau • Reduced coalition meeting attendance/participation • Reduced “buzz” about coalition work on campus/in community • Sluggish progress on coalition issues

4. Diagnosing Plateaus • Loss of Vision/Focus on Outcomes • Discouragement/Low Impact • Misdiagnosis: Energy refuel versus legitimate plateau • We’re engaging in the wrong stage of coalition life

5. Where the Research Ends • When are we “done” impacting the environment? • What is the natural life cycle of a coalition, and does it take different forms as it enters new stages? • How do we sustain interest in the problem while also communicating success?

6. Thinking about the “mature” coalition • Understanding the life cycle of social change institutions • Using existing models to direct our future steps • Adjusting our way of organizing and implementing strategic plans • Addressing momentum-busters and creating momentum-builders

7. Lessons from the Transtheoretical Model* • Pre-contemplation • A community is unaware of problems and sees no need for change • Contemplation • A community recognizes its need for change • Preparation • A community enters a process to create change and begins taking steps toward change • Action • A community actively changes its environment • Maintenance • A community commits to sustaining new environment • Relapse • A community returns to old ways of “doing business” *Prochaska and DiClemente

8. What does Contemplation look like for a community? • Consensus: We have a problem. • Data is communicated to represent a crisis • Representative anecdotes are circulated to humanize the crisis • Cultural spokespersons “name” the problem • Institutions are created to respond to the problem • Oppositional sides are formed surrounding the crisis

9. What does Preparation look like for a community? • Consensus: We want to change this. • A vision for change is established • Individuals and organizations commit to the process of change • Data is viewed not as an alarm but as a tool for planning • Resources are gathered • Opposition is clarified • Barriers are identified

10. What does Action look like for a community? • Consensus: We can change this; we are changing this • Plans are implemented • Individual roles are realized • Results are recognized and communicated • Change is reinforced with positive rewards • Momentum is established

11. What does Maintenance look like for a community? • Consensus: We institutionalize the new environment as how we do business • Building institutional homes for strategic programs and key stakeholders • Continued scanning of environment • Approaching systemic issues rather than symptomatic issues • Looking at related environmental issues • Adding positive enhancements to the new environment

12. Lessons from the Transtheoretical Model • We may look and act differently in each stage • Different stakeholders may have different roles at different stages • Our daily activities change with different stages • Key question: What stage are we in, and therefore, what do we need to do?

13. Community change as a continuous cycle Major, 1998

14. Evolving Coalition Organization • Institutionalizing workgroups that address ongoing issues into existing community and campus systems • Campus Environment Workgroup melded into the Campus Safety and Security Council • Individual stakeholders become spokespersons for alcohol issues back in their home organizations

15. Evolving Coalition Organization • Keeping coalition membership fluid to meet evolving needs • Maintaining active memberships in institutionalized groups • Moving coalition members to “task force” and “will call” status • Changing meeting structure of the full coalition • Having quarterly versus monthly meetings • Finding new forms of ongoing communication

16. Evolving Coalition Organization • Reinforcing my evolving role in the coalition • Environmental watchdog • Empowered maintenance • Institutional partner • Facilitating evolving roles in the coalition • Increase communication • Check-in on messages, language, vision

17. Key Lessons for NU Directions: What can organizers do to maintain momentum • Keep VISION of the kind of environment we want to create/maintain in front of the coalition all the time • Facilite environmental scans by providing data, observation opportunities • Identify new “next step” projects • Communicate and celebrate success • Get coalition members involved in contributing back to the field

18. Key Lessons for NU Directions: What can organizers do to maintain momentum • Accept and anticipate turnover • Orient new members to vision, philosophy • Connect new members into the larger community • Provide clear role for new members • Don’t be surprised when philosophy debate re-emerges; use oriented members to reinforce agreements

19. For more information: NU Directions Linda Major, Project Director Tom Workman, Communications Student Involvement Lincoln, NE 68588-0453 402/472-2454 www.nudirections.org