Enlarge The group at Monday's Civic Summer School session on effective advocacy.

Posted: October 13th, 2011 Greg Lacour

One of the keys to effective community advocacy—especially when your passion for a particular cause is hot and overflowing—is to realize that few others share your passion, and to tone it down.

This goes against everyone’s instincts. If you feel strongly that your block needs a sidewalk, your inclination is to picket your city council member’s home around the clock—Occupy Councilman Peacock’s house!—until it gets built.

But that approach hurts more than it helps, said panelists at a Crossroads-sponsored Civic Summer School session Monday.

“Passion will kill your cause,” said Mike Clement, the former corporate communications director at Bank of America and managing director of Strait Insights, an organization and communication strategies firm. In dealing with public officials, he said, understand that “no matter how passionate you are, it’s probably not the most important thing to them. That’s just the reality.”

Clement, along with Mecklenburg County Community Partnerships Director Brian Gott and Kids Voting Mecklenburg Executive Director Amy Farrell, spent a couple of hours advising a small but ardent group of local community activists on “The Hidden Strategies & Techniques of Effective Advocacy” at the Johnston YMCA in NoDa. It was the second Civic Summer School session on the same topic—the first was in August—and was part of Crossroads’ continuing Know It 2 Work It civic engagement initiative.

Clement and the others weren’t urging the group to abandon their passions. They were just saying: Harness it, be smart and don’t be a pain in the butt. Try not to burn bridges, Gott said: “Today’s opponent can be tomorrow’s best ally.”

Approach elected officials not with a demand or specific request—officials hear those all day—but a quick summary of your cause and a polite request for other people in the community who might be interested, Farrell suggested. That approach piques their interest and puts you in touch with their broad networks, she said.

Among the people who attended were Thelma Byers Bailey, president of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Association; and Laura Marett, advocacy coordinator for Crisis Assistance Ministry. Bailey said she gained some new insights into building relationships with the people who make decisions. Marett zeroed in on another suggestion: Think in terms of what, rather than who, you need.

Clement suggested one last thing: It’s great to be informed and passionate, but you have to be “crafty,” campaigning in a strategic and savvy way. It’s not just a matter of finding the right person and asking them for what you want. “In this arena,” he said, “you have to be really, really wise.”

Tweet

Previous Page