Table of Contents

• 98 Days: A Case Study in Mobilizing Change

  • Seeing momentum

  • Understand the challenges to act and make action a …

  • Advertise what you are doing

  • Personally invite

  • Final Thoughts

• 1% Solutions

• What I’m Reading

• And one more resource!

98 Days: A Case Study in Mobilizing Change

There are many excellent books on change management that provide clear frameworks and actionable ideas. But there is another layer of mobilization and transformation that applies in situations with extreme urgency and importance. With the announcement of Kamala on Sunday, I have been reminded about the absolute hustle and intentionality involved in creating and sustaining change, where every action needs to be deliberate and you are taking the small and big steps needed because you can not afford to.

This last week has been a case study in mobilizing change. Regardless of your opinions of the Dems or the election , as leaders it is our job to analyze best practices that can help us do right by our people. And there are a few lessons I’ve been reminded of in the past 9 days.

Seeing momentum

Seeing the Win with Black Women call organize so quickly filled me with a feeling I’ve haven’t experience in a while- hope. Then seeing the Answer the Call webinar, I immediately knew I needed to follow suit. And then seeing the number of folks across ethnicities, gender and sexual orientation mobilize within one week lit a fire under me.

It’s hard to start something. It’s a bit easier to join. If you are mobilizing change, how are you articulating, showing and celebrating when you see folks living the change you are advocating for?

Understand the challenges to act and make action actionable

Not everyone I know was so quick to act- not because they didn’t care, but they hadn’t done so before, or were dealing with very real caregiving or work obligations. I empathize deeply here. In early October 2016,, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. My grandfather had a serious injury in early September. And I was effectively doing two jobs at my last organization. In 2020, I was a Chief People Officer of a national charter network managing COVID in 5 states. Both elections, anything more than donating felt impossible.

When we create change we have to create access points for a variety of people. This means giving examples, creating actions that align to current habits, and giving a playbook or plug and play for folks to use. For this election, with a number of other Chief women, we are creating the roadmap to have phone bank and letter writing policies. So many women responded they didn’t have the capacity to plan, but they could volunteer in something already organized. How are you making it as easy as possible for folks to take their first step towards change?

(Note: I’m trying to do my part here by writing this newsletter with simple actions we can all take- one per week until the election. Next one comes out tomorrow 7/31)

Advertise what you are doing

While most anyone who knows me knows me as someone who is politically active, I do not have experience in political organizer. In many ways, I’m a newbie to political action beyond donating and social media and the occasional march. When I share what I am doing, it normalizes it and also gives people ideas on what they can do as an average person.

Seems too simple? I’ve had four different people contact me via social media over the past few days asking about a call I was attending or if they know a resource I could connect them with. Sharing helps your people to find you, and your example gives people a clear action to take.

Personally invite

Look, it is weird and awkward to be the only person doing something. But even more that that, our lives can get increasingly busy, meaning that our intentions do not always translate to action. But asking someone to help or to join you has a few positive impacts. First, there is now a personal connection. Benjamin Franklin once said if you want to make a friend, ask for help. Inviting people makes them feel welcomed. Further, an invitation reduces the friction to act. You’ve provided a time, place and action. All they need to do is say yes. Finally there’s a level of responsibility. If I don’t attend an organizing call of 100, I likely won’t be missed. But if someone invited me to phone bank, I now know I will be letting someone down (and possibly be wasting resources as well!)

While it does not say RSVP on the Statue of Liberty, an RSVP can be an effective means of accountability. And if you know me, you know I was very excited to write that sentence and use this gif.

Final Thoughts

All of the actions above do something else- build community around change. When we feel like we are not alone, when we feel we are a part of something, it motivates us in ways that working alone does not- an important reminder for anyone mobilizing or sustaining change.

1% Solutions

• Ask for a PD or meeting buddy- For those school leaders about to lead PD or any leader running trainings or big meetings, ask someone on your leadership team to observe you in action and observe the people in said PD, training or meeting. Do they seem to be following along? Who might be confused or disagree? When were the directions you gave unclear? Having an observer can help give you better and more immediate feedback which you can use to improve how you are communicating.

• When fighting for talent, differentiate yourself from other organizations when talking to candidates- So often I hear small and midsize organizations bemoaning how folks would rather work for bigger more established orgs that pay more. Maybe. Yes, there are those attracted to the consistency and clarity of work in an enterprise org. But also? There are many people who don’t want that life because they value other things- potentially, impact, agility, collaboration. And these are the things that small and growing orgs CAN win on. Simply put, don’t try to compete for talent by some other org’s rules. What makes your org unique? Why do people stay? Use these keywords to find YOUR people. (I found this LinkedIn article helpful here!)

• Audit your digital footprint to determine your employer brand- Employer brand is what attracts folks to your organization in the first place. What is yours saying about you? Think about your values, strategy and the people you’re going to need to make both a reality. Now look at your website, social media pages and Glassdoor- do you see your organization in the words and visuals you’re looking at? If not, it’s time for a refresh. Need some help on next steps? I found this article super helpful since each suggestion is manageable even for orgs without an external affairs or comms teammate.

What I’m Reading

• DEI without the E- some of you may have seen that SHRM has dropped the E n DEI to focus on diversity and inclusion. Others may have seen the uproar on LinkedIn. This article describes how certain orgs are moving away from euity or all of DEI, the harmful consequences (and legal risks) of doing so, and how this may force HR to finally evolve.

• How An Olympian Katie Douglass Uses Data to Win- Even if you are not obsessed with the Olympics right now, this article provides clear and tangible ways that swimmer Katie Douglass uses to perfect her performance. These strategies apply to our work in supporting people and building culture. (BTWs- if you are a school leader designing PD, this article can easily be used to ground folks in how to use data)

And one more resource!

Strategic planning- Bridgespan is hosting this webinar on August 7th, on what strategic planning looks like for NGOs, and how it can bolster impact and donors.