Organizing 101

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Organizing 101

• NEA Uniserv Academy
• Never do for others what they can do for
  themselves.
• -Saul Alinsky Founder Industrial Areas
  Foundation

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What will we be doing today(With breaks lunch
tucked in!)

• Overview Introductions
• What is organizing
• Why we organize
• Types of organize
• The role of staff in organizing
• An effective organizing plan
• Organizing principled power

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Training Objectives

• Explore the concept of organizing its potential
  in building strong locals
• Define types of organizing
• Identify characteristics of effective organizers
• Explore effective organizing plans
• Internalize the relationship between trust
  relational organizing and principled power
• Practice a key organizing tool small group
  discussions

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What is Organizing

• Celebrity Charades dont look dont tell ask
  up to three yes/no questions per colleague until
  you ID your celebrity
• Form small groups work on your celebritys
  definition of organizing
• Prepare as a group to share your celebritys
  definition of organizing

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ORGANIZING

• A process used to move people to action
• Creates power
• Requires systems thinking
• Appeals to self-interests
• Develops sustainability
• Is a science as well as an art
• Builds organizational capacity

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Benefits of Organizing

• Short Term
• Job protection
• Healthcare
• Coalition building
• Improved working conditions
• Tools for addressing everyday problems

• Long Term
• People learn about themselves
• Individuals fully use their skills abilities
• An opportunity to rediscover history struggle
  resistance
• Relearn cooperation collective action support
  of one another

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Types of Organizing

• Scratch organizing
• Revitalization organizing
• Issue organizing
• Relational organizing

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Issue Organizing

• Issue organizing is a strategy that identifies
  validates clearly frames or state the issue by
  which the members will be motivated.
• Identification
• Know the difference between problems issues.
  Problems
• are long-term conditions that give rise to
  issues. We are
• concerned about problems. We take on issues.
  Chronic
• unemployment is a problem. An announcement of a
  50-day
• layoff is an issue.

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Validating the Issue

• When an organizer thinks an issue has been
  identified it can be
• validated with yes answers to these questions
• Is it immediate recent close at hand
• Is it specific tangible clearly understood
• Is it controversial their position or ours
  polarized
• Is it the right size can we manage it control
  it
• Is it winnable a sure thing

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Framing the Issue

• The organizer creates the organizing theme by
  stating the issue in such a way that it can be
  used to 1) focus the constituents energies and
  2) mobilize people for action. The statement
  becomes the consistent position of the organizing
  campaign.
• Framing is accomplished by combining the
  following into a statement
• Clearly identify the issue
• Define the issue in such a way that sides are
  clearly identified
• Develop refine the rationale for the issue

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Problems -vs- Issues

• PROBLEMS
• Global in nature
• Create solutions
• Long-lasting
• Source or cause is distant
• Irritating
• Encourage study
• Resolved only over a long period of time

• ISSUES
• Specific in nature
• Emanate from situations
• Short-lived
• Source or cause is near identifiable
• Inflaming
• Encourage action
• Resolved over a short period of time

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Relational Organizing

• A type of organizing whereby a connection is made
  to our greater assets strengths. It focuses on
  stories values beliefs of our members their
  self-interests.
• Focuses on listening respecting members
  experiences stories
• Identifies recruits leaders
• Creates agenda that is driven by the issues
  lives experiences of our members

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Organizingis a fancy word for
relationship building.Ernesto Cortes
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Relational Meeting Concepts

• Give take
• The meeting is selective sensitive
• Strong sense of self provides basis for taking
  risks in relationship building
• Self-actualization comes from understanding
  feelings in ourselves others

• Meetings like this prove an essential human
  connection that is necessary to build an enduring
  relationship
• You dont just discuss what people do or their
  philosophy or their actions. Ultimately you
  must get to the level of how people feel about
  what they do.

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Relational MeetingBest Practices

• Work up your curiosity
• Think about your story
• Focus on the other person
• Draw out share your stories
• Probe for their interests
• Ask direct engaging questions
• Stick to your time limit
• Take notes
• Reflect evaluate

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What is listening

• Listening is
• Receiving information via your eyes ears
• Giving the information meaning
• Determining how you feel or what you think about
  the information
• Responding to the information
• Listening is an intellectual emotional process
  that searches for meaning understanding in a
  message.

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Listening Tips

• Dont race up the ladder of inference
• Monitor control distractions
• Clear your mind of other thoughts
• Make direct eye contact
• Use supportive voice body language
• Without interrupting or changing the subject ask
  clarifying questions

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When you are tempted to make a statementask a
question.Fred Ross Sr.
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The Organizer

• The duty of the organizer is to provide people
  with the opportunity to work for what they
  believe in.
• A good organizer is a social arsonist who goes
  around setting people on fire!

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Skills of an Organizer

• Ability to determine needs
• Ability to navigate tense situations
• Ability to plan
• Ability to work from the general to the specific
• Ability to monitor evaluate

• Ability to ID an issue
• Ability to evaluate human behavior
• Concern for people
• Ability to affirm others
• Ability to recognize power
• Ability to delegate

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Three Attributes of an Effective Organizer

• PASSION
• To have passion you must create a vision of
  where you want to go
• PATIENCE
• Patience requires a commitment to your own
  vision in the face of naysayers
• PERSEVERANCE
• To accomplish your vision you must have the
  courage to persevere

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Cre8tive Organizers

• Believe that theres always more than one right
  answer
• Have the ability to look at the ordinary see
  the extraordinary
• Are not afraid of making mistakes
• Reframe problems into opportunities
• From Everyday Creativity
• Dewitt Jones

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Change means movement. Movement means
friction.Saul Alinsky
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Insanity is doing the same thing over and over
again and expecting different results.In
other words . . .No problem is solved via the
same paradigm that created it. Alber
t Einstein
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The Organizing Campaign

• WHAT define the issue/situation
• WHY identify the organizing goals
• HOW define the organizing strategy to employ
  the resources that are needed
• WHO determine the leaders members needed to
  accomplish the goals
• WHEN organize a sequential timeline of
  activities communications that reflect the
  goals strategy that help mobilize the members

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Specific Organizing Plan Steps

• Involve leaders members from the beginning to
  ensure their ownership of commitment to the
  plan
• Define the organizing goal the desired outcome
• Identify options for achieving the goal
• Analyze prioritize the options
• Select the best option
• Plan action steps for achieving the outcome(s)
• Develop organizing timeline/calendar budget
• Develop plan for identification involvement of
  members
• Continually monitor evaluate the plan each
  step the resources etc.
• Continually communicate with leaders members to
  ensure
• Celebrate successes along the way at the
  completion of the organizing plan/campaign

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Keeping the plan on track . . .

• Encourage leaders committee chairs to monitor
  without micromanaging model that too!
• Provide feedback to leaders members
  highlighting the accomplishment of key goals
  activities etc. throughout
• Offer assistance
• If problems are occurring get involved without
  taking over the leadership role

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Take time toEvaluate Celebrate!

• Be sure that members are involved in the
  evaluation of the organizing efforts
• Identify 1) what worked well 2) what didnt go
  so well 3) what to continue doing 4) the
  surprises that occurred 5) what
  materials/records to archive.
• Celebrate publicize the collective individual
  contributions accomplishments giving credit
  thanks to all involved.

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POWER

• The ability or capacity to perform or act
  effectively
• A . . .group . . . having great influence or
  control over others
• Forcefulness
• Effectiveness
• The capacity of a system . . . to operate
• The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
  Language
• Fourth Edition 2000

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Power is the abilityto achieve purpose.
Whether it is good or bad depends on the
purpose.Martin Luther King Jr.
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Types of Power

• Coercion / Force
• Deception
• Blind obedience to authority
• Abdication to an expert
• Informed consent - relational

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POWERTwo Forms

• Unilateral
• Power over
• Dominating
• Control
• Private
• Zero sum
• One way
• Closed

• Relational
• Power with
• Interactive
• Mutual
• Collective
• Synergistic
• Quid pro quo
• Open public

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Two Elements of Power

• Organized
• PEOPLE

• Organized
• MONEY

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All power is primarily an illusion . . .
Illusion. Mirrors and blue smoke beautiful blue
smoke rolling over the surface of highly polished
mirrors first a thin veil of blue smoke then a
thick cloud that suddenly dissolves into wisps of
blue smoke the mirrors catching it all bouncing
it back and forth. Jimmy Breslin How
the Good Guys Finally Won Notes from an
Impeachment Summer
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Dilemmas of Unions
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Organizational Cultures
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On Developing Trust Anytime a man come into my
community and took the hardships that he took
if he was wrong I better join with him anyway.
Hes ready to take a beating (get) jailed
being bombed and get back on two feet. . . Im
ready to join that fellow wherever he is right
or wrong. PERCY LARRY McComb Mississippi Ive
Got the Light of Freedom by Charles M. Payne
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Power without loveis reckless and abusive . .
.and love without poweris sentimental and
anemic.Power at its best is love implementing
the demands of justice.Martin Luther King Jr.