Effective Action 2.30/effact23.zip/EFFACT.TX1

Text File | 1995-01-01 | 45KB | 714 lines

< SUMMARY 1 > TRANSFORMING EMOTION INTO A COMMITMENT TO TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTION:

                       << EMOTIONS: KEY MOTIVATION: >>
        Emotions play a key role in getting people involved in an issue. Many
people first become involved when they feel something important to them is
threatened. Their response to that threat (Self Defense Response) often
motivates them to join with others to take action.

                      <<  WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? >>
         You're concerned and upset.  You may want to talk to your friends and
neighbors about the problem, but are you willing to do something about it?  If
you are willing to do something, you may want to take some action to feel less
threatened, but will that action have a positive effect on your situation?

                 << CRITICAL CHOICE: TWO PATHS AVAILABLE: >>
        Often people are `taken over' by the Self Defense Response.  Driven by
feelings of fear and anger, they begin by acting out how they feel and spread
their outrage out into the community, alienating many potential supporters.
        The more effective people are the ones who have realized the dangers
of acting out their emotions and have instead chosen to channel this important
energy constructively to take action to deal with their situation.
  **
YOUR PRESENT SITUATION:
        You have been drawn into an issue that concerns you.  You may be
considering taking some kind of action or hoping to join with others who are
planning action.  Perhaps, you're not quite sure what to do next.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE:
        With a number of serious issues are facing us as a society, many
people have found themselves in your situation and decided to get involved.

WHAT HAVE OTHERS DONE?
        Many groups have formed around issues.  Some have been very effective,
others have not.
  ** Mountain Vision Software   R # 1   Box  222  Colton,  N Y  13625  **
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
        Certain types of groups have been more effective than others. This
program is based on the approach used by the more effective groups and on
observations and insights from people with experience in grassroots work.  It
has been designed to help you avoid the most common mistakes and bring you,
step by step, through the process of setting up a group to take effective
action.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?
        First, it is very important to begin by understanding how you feel.

HOW DO YOU FEEL?
        Identify how you feel about what's happening to you.  People often
experience feelings ranging from helplessness and fear to anger and outrage.
  **
YOUR FEELINGS ARE A NATURAL REACTION TO THREAT:
        A potentially threatening situation triggers the instinctive Fight or
Flight Reaction.  It's the body's natural response to threat.

SOMETHING VITAL TO YOU IS BEING THREATENED:
        It may be a direct threat, for example, a threat to your job, your
health, your children, your property, your neighborhood or your lifestyle.  It
may be an indirect threat, for example, a threat to your view of a sane and
healthy world, to your sense of a free and democratic society or a sustainable
environment.
  ** Mountain Vision Software   R # 1   Box  222  Colton,  N Y  13625  **
SURVIVING THE THREAT: THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE:
      Your feelings come from the basic instinct for self preservation.
        In a natural setting threat often comes in the form of a physical
attack and the Fight or Flight Response is triggered to prepare you both
physically and emotionally to meet the threat.  The intensity of the response
can range from mild (concern) to extreme (outrage).  You may feel fear (flight
reaction) or anger (fight reaction).  Often there is a combination of both.
If escape is unlikely then anger and outrage predominate as your body prepares
for a fight.
        This reaction is so intense that it involves the whole body.
Adrenaline is released into the blood increasing the heart rate and blood
pressure.  Blood circulation increases to the muscles in preparation for
muscle activity and decreases to the skin to lessen the chance of bleeding
from surface wounds. There is also decreased sensitivity to pain.  All of your
body's resources are mobilized to prepare to survive the threat.
  **
THE SELF DEFENSE RESPONSE: WELL ADAPTED IN NATURE:
        When you are facing the threat of physical attack, the Self Defense
Response is well adapted.  It allows you to react automatically to a situation
where a few seconds delay could mean the difference between life and death.

IN PRESENT SITUATION THE RESPONSE NEEDS TO BE CHANNELED CONSTRUCTIVELY:
        In a modern setting in the context of resolving an issue, an automatic
physical response is not appropriate.  You have time to consider your options
carefully.  Although the emotional and physical energy generated by the Self
Defense Response needs to be modified in the context of resolving an issue,
the basic goal is the same as in a natural setting.  You need to use this
energy to prepare to take action to address the situation threatening you.

  ** Mountain Vision Software   R # 1   Box  222  Colton,  N Y  13625  **
EXPRESSING OUTRAGE: OFTEN AN UNCONSCIOUS REACTION:
        Without actually making a decision many groups find themselves taking
action to express their outrage.  Having, in effect, taken the expression of
outrage as their goal, they frame the issue in terms of sides and take a
confrontational approach.
        This offends and alienates many potential supporters and polarizes
people by forcing them to choose sides before they fully understand the issue.
Resistance develops in the community to the groups confrontational approach at
a time when the group needs to be reaching out for support.  As a result they
have difficulty making progress.  This can lead to more frustration and anger
within the group.  Feeling forced to more extreme behavior to have an effect,
they may take actions that can discredit their group with the community.  The
danger is that the important and legitimate concerns raised by the group may
be largely ignored because people are put off by the groups confrontational
approach.
  ** Mountain Vision Software   R # 1   Box  222  Colton,  N Y  13625  **
CHANNELING YOUR EMOTIONS CONSTRUCTIVELY: A CONSCIOUS DECISION:
        Effective groups are the ones that have seen the need to channel this
energy constructively.  They work through their emotions to realize that their
real goal is to be effective and that being effective is more important than
expressing their anger and outrage.
        By carefully studying their situation they realize that raising their
concerns in such a way as to reach out and build a broad base of support in
their community is more in their interest than expressing how they feel.
Building a broad and solid base of support insures that their concerns will
have to be taken seriously and addressed.
  **
MAKING THE COMMITMENT:
        1) DEVELOP THE DESIRE TO BE EFFECTIVE: (`I really want to.'):
Imagine yourself working with others taking effective action on your issue.
Imagine how it will feel to take effective action.  Imagine the sense of
empowerment you will feel as you begin to effectively raise your concerns and
appeal to a broad base of support in your community.  Visualize people coming
together in support of your concerns. I REALLY WANT TO LEARN TO BE EFFECTIVE.

        2) DEVELOP A CONFIDENCE: (`I can do it.'):
If you want to learn how to be effective and you're willing to work at it then
YOU CAN BE EFFECTIVE.  Why?  Because learning how to be effective is like any
other skill the more you work at it the better you get.  The basic methods and
techniques are here and they are based on experience and common sense.  If you
want to learn how to be effective and you are willing to work at it then:
 YOU WILL BE EFFECTIVE.

        3) MAKE THE COMMITMENT:  (`I will do it'):
You need to make a commitment to yourself that you will learn to be effective.
  **
THE COMMITMENT TO YOURSELF:
        Are you willing to take the energy that you could have wasted in being
upset and channel that energy into learning how to be effective?

                               YES,  I AM.

   Make the following commitment to yourself (out loud with strong feeling):


 #***************************************************************************#
 #  `I AM GOING TO STAND UP FOR MYSELF                                       #
 #                                                                           #
 #                           WORK WITH OTHERS                                #
 #                                                                           #
 #                                  AND LEARN HOW TO TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTION.' #
 #***************************************************************************#
  ** Mountain Vision Software   R # 1   Box  222  Colton,  N Y  13625  **
MAKING A COMMITMENT CAN MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER:
        Once you've made the decision to make this commitment then you can
begin to feel less upset and angry because you are preparing to take effective
action to deal with your situation.  Why waste your valuable energy being
upset?  Gradually you will come to be motivated less by feelings of threat and
outrage and more by positive feelings of empowerment as working with others to
raise your concerns begins to have real effect.

YOU HAVE TAKEN THE 1ST STEP:
        By making a commitment to learn to take effective action you have
avoided many of the most serious problems associated with groups starting out
and you have taken the 1st step towards effective action on your issue.
@
 < SUMMARY 2 >  SEE YOUR SITUATION CLEARLY: RISE ABOVE PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT:

                            << CLEAR VISION: >>
         Climb the mountain and rise above personal involvement to get the
detached overview.
         If you find you have unresolved feelings then take time to translate
your feelings into information.  This can give you valuable perspective that
will help you avoid giving Strategic Advantage to your Adversary and will
protect you from the dangers of Emotional Reasoning.
        Your most valuable insights will come from clear vision and clear
thinking. See what's happening now and the possible alternative paths in the
future.

               The Goal Is To See Without Reacting Emotionally.
  **
THE TASK OF SEEING:
        To see most clearly, you must look at the situation as though you were
not involved in it.  Be detached, objective, and careful not to allow your
emotions to distort the facts.  Rise above personal involvement. Your strategy
and actions will be effective only to the extent that you have based them on
clear vision.

NEED TO BE AWARE OF HOW YOU FEEL:
        Emotional involvement in a issue makes it hard to be objective and to
see your options clearly.  Your feelings may influence how you react without
your being aware of it and may distort your view of the situation. In order to
lessen the unconscious role of emotions in your decision making, it is
important to be aware of how you feel through each step of the process. By
understanding how you feel you will be able to see the situation and your
involvement in it more clearly and gain important advantages.
  ** Mountain Vision Software   R # 1  Box  222  Colton,  N Y  13625  **
TO SEE CLEARLY: FEELINGS NEED TO BE CLARIFIED AND RESOLVED:
        It is important to address feelings as they come up because:
=> Your Feelings May Contain Valuable Information You May Not Be Aware Of <=
=> Unclarified Feelings Can Give A Strategic Advantage To Your Adversary <=
=> Unclarified Feelings Can Lead To Emotional Reasoning (unclear thinking) <=

=> YOUR FEELINGS MAY CONTAIN VALUABLE INFORMATION YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF <=
        Your feelings are often not conscious, they may be in the `background'
and unnoticed.  Until you look at them more closely you may be unaware of what
they are telling you.
        EXAMPLE:  Your group may be on the verge of taking an action, but you
feel very uncomfortable with it. This vague feeling is a reaction to some
parts of the plan that you don't feel right about.  Working to clarify these
feelings may, for example, reveal that you don't accept certain details of the
proposed action.  Once you become aware of the specific details that you have
problems with then you can use this information in your decision making.
  **
TRANSLATING FEELINGS INTO INFORMATION: IDENTIFY HOW YOU FEEL:
        Sit down in a quiet place and write down how you feel.  Often how you
feel will not be clear.  Give yourself time, a few times during the day, ask
yourself how you feel about your situation.  Often after waiting until the
next morning, after `sleeping on it', your feelings will become clear.
  EXAMPLE: `I feel overwhelmed by this problem, I'll never be able to do
anything'

THE CAUSES: WHY DO YOU FEEL THIS WAY ?
        After you identify how you feel ask yourself why you feel this way.
Often there are multiple causes. If the causes aren't clear, try taking a day
to clarify the causes, ask yourself again after `sleeping on it'.
  EXAMPLE: The causes: `I feel overwhelmed because our Adversary is so
powerful and I don't have the time in my life to deal with this problem now.'
  **
WHAT YOUR FEELINGS ARE TELLING YOU: INFORMATION:
        The causes of your feelings are concerns that need to be addressed.
Once you identify the causes, you can use this information in your decisions.
  EXAMPLE:  To begin to address your feelings about being overwhelmed by a
powerful Adversary, consider that a powerful Adversary will not allow you many
mistakes, therefore before you take any actions, make sure you spend plenty of
time considering all your options carefully.
  EXAMPLE: To address your feelings about not having enough time in your life
to deal with your situation: decide how much time you can afford on your issue
and still keep your life in balance.  Perhaps, since working with a group is a
social event you could (temporarily) take time from other social events.
   Once your feelings are translated into information they become clear and
understandable, and will not be having a hidden influence on your decisions.
  **
=> UNRESOLVED FEELINGS CAN GIVE A STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE TO YOUR ADVERSARY <=
        If your feelings are unresolved and unclarified then you may not be
aware that they are influencing your behavior.  This presents a real problem
because, although you may not aware of it, your Adversary may not only be
aware of it but be prepared to use it to their advantage.
        For example, if there is an element of emotional reaction in your
position in certain `sensitive areas' then your Adversary can `bait' you into
reacting emotionally by making statements that `get you going'.  They can do
this often without being obvious to outside observers (ie: the press and the
public). This can then cause you to `overreact' and make statements and take
actions that you will later come to regret.  The same method is often also
used to divert your energies into side issues (areas of your Adversary's
choosing) and away from your real goals.
         By understanding how you feel you will not leave yourself open to
this danger and your actions and strategy will be less predictable to your
Adversary because they are not based on an emotional reaction.
  **
=> EMOTIONAL REASONING <=
        This occurs when your feelings are influencing your ability to see
clearly without you realizing it.  For example, you may not `want' to see some
strength in your Adversary's position, or your `fear' may cause you to see
strengths that aren't really there.  This subtle distortion in your view comes
about through a process that we will call Emotional Reasoning.

THE EMOTIONAL REASONING PROCESS:
        You decide emotionally and unconsciously what you `want to see' and
what you `don't want to see', then you find rational arguments to justify
these assumptions.  Your arguments appear reasonable but they are based on
an unreasonable (emotional) distortion of the facts.
  **
EXAMPLE EMOTIONAL REASONING:
        Emotional Reasoning may be involved in a statement like this: `Because
our Adversaries are outsiders, we don't have to worry about them having much
influence on the Town Board.'  This conclusion may have a reasonable
component: in general,`outsiders' may have less influence on the Town
Board than `locals'.  However, it may be ignoring an important consideration.
For example, your Adversary's action may bring money into the community and
new tax revenues.  This clearly could have an influence on Town Board
decisions. Wanting to feel less threatened by your Adversary may have allowed
Emotional Reasoning to cloud your vision and lead to a distorted conclusion.
  **
EMOTIONAL REASONING: A FORM OF BLINDNESS:
        This is a very serious form of blindness because it is selective.  You
see some parts clearly and other parts not at all.  As a result, your methods
and actions will be effective when you see clearly and ineffective when you
don't.  A setback could cause you to doubt your methods and strategy when, in
fact, the problem really lies with blind spots in your vision caused by
Emotional Reasoning.

SEEING CLEARLY: ALWAYS MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD:
        When your Adversary seems especially powerful it is easy for your
feelings to lead you into hiding from the facts by slipping into Emotional
Reasoning.  However, even when the odds against a group seemed overwhelming,
groups have been very effective by seeing their Adversary's real strengths and
weaknesses clearly and accurately.  They were then able to avoid wasting
energy on their Adversary's strengths and instead made progress by finding
ways to concentrate on weak points in their Adversary's position.
@
 < SUMMARY 3 >            SEEING THE BALANCE OF POWER:

                       << 3 GROUPS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED: >>
        The balance of power can be viewed in terms of 3 groups: Your Group,
Your Adversary, and the Larger Community (all those people not yet actively
involved).  Change in the balance of power will come as people from the Larger
Community come to support either your position or your Adversarys'.

         << SEEING THE POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE IN THE BALANCE OF POWER: >>
       Many groups start out by taking a strong position and try to rally
supporters to their side.  Forcing people to take sides at the beginning of an
issue can lead to a series of problems (see Choosing a Position: outline).
       For the more successful groups the focus has been, not on how many
people you can initially rally to your side, but on how few people you push
towards your Adversary.  This is important because often radical initial
positions actually activate people leaning towards your Adversary who would
not have become active except in response to your position. They did not move
towards your Adversary, they were pushed by your action.
       Keep in mind that people who are not alienated by your actions are
usually willing to listen to a reasonable presentation of your concerns.
  ** Mountain Vision Software   R # 1  Box  222  Colton,  N Y  13625  **
YOUR GROUP:
        At this point your group is just setting up and may be made up of a
only few actively involved people.  Don't be in a hurry to expand this group
until you're ready to deal with more people.  2 to 7 active people is a good
size for setting up a group because it is small enough to work together well
and yet still have some diversity of opinion.  This small group will be all
you need to set up to get things going.

EXAMPLE: YOUR GROUP:
       A number of people have talked to you about concerns they have with the
issue and given ideas, but only a handful of people are actually getting
together to make plans and decide what to do.  Consider the actively involved
people possible members of your initial Core Group.  All others interested,
but not actively involved, can be considered your Interest Group.  These 2
groups will form the basis of your organized group later on (see Expanded
Group: outline).
  **
YOUR ADVERSARY: A NARROW DEFINITION:
        Your Adversary:  those people actively and publicly supporting the
position that causes you concern, to the extent that they are unwilling to
consider alternatives.
        NOTE: It is important to use a very narrow definition to be careful
not to define people as your Adversary when they are not.  A narrow definition
would not automatically define a whole group as your Adversary.
        For example, a group may `support' a position that causes you concern
when a majority (1 more than half of the group) favors the position.  A large,
though minority, part of the group could have serious reservations and be
willing to listen to reasonable alternatives.  These people, although part of
the group you that you `feel' is your Adversary, would not be considered
Adversaries merely because they were associated with that group. Instead, they
would be considered part of the Larger Community that is leaning strongly
towards your Adversary's position, but they might still be open to change.
  ** Mountain Vision Software   R # 1  Box  222  Colton,  N Y  13625  **
EXAMPLE: NARROW DEFINITION OF YOUR ADVERSARY:
        The County Legislature decides to site a landfill in your area.  Your
initial reaction might be to consider the County Legislature as an Adversary.
This could be a mistake.
       CONSIDER:  How did the legislature arrive at the decision?
       First it might set up a committee, appoint a commission, direct its
staff, or hire a company to draw up recommendations.  The recommending group
would then set forth a plan for the Legislature to act on.  Even within the
group drawing up recommendations, there may not be full agreement.  When the
proposal passed the Legislature, some legislators may have voted against it or
abstained, even those who voted yes may have had reservations.  Only those
people in any of these groups involved in the process who actively and
publicly support the plan and are unwilling to consider any adjustments or
alternatives would be considered your Adversary.  Most County Legislators
would be sensitive to public opinion and would not be considered Adversaries
unless they clearly demonstrated themselves to be totally inflexible.
  **
WHEN DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY AN ADVERSARY: WORK WITH YOUR GOVERNMENT:
        In some issues, where it may be difficult to identify an Adversary,
you can work with your government (Decision Makers) to raise your concerns.
        For example, during hard economic times with many people unemployed
taxpayers groups may form to address the problem of high taxes to support
those unemployed.  Although some people may initially feel that the unemployed
people are their Adversary, a careful look at the situation would reveal that
economic conditions lead to the unemployment problem.  Since unemployed people
are not in a position to change the economic conditions that lead to their
unemployment, taxpayers groups could begin by working to raise their concerns
with their government.  For example, could action be taken by government to
address the fundamental economic problems that cause both unemployment and
high taxes? (ie: Is unfair foreign competition undercutting domestic jobs?)
Could those receiving extended unemployment benefits be providing needed
services to the community through job programs?  Both the taxpayers and the
unemployed have the same fundamental concerns: effective use of public
resources and improved work opportunities.  The taxpayers groups and the
unemployed could join together to work with their Government (Decision Makers)
to take action.
  ** Mountain Vision Software   R # 1  Box  222  Colton,  N Y  13625  **
THE LARGER COMMUNITY:
        The final group to be considered is by far the largest because it
includes everyone not in your group or your Adversary's.  The Larger
Community, in a democratic society, is also the most powerful both in terms of
resources and political power.  It has a potential to influence the situation
to a major degree.  Depending largely how you act, this group can move towards
Your Group, towards Your Adversary, or remain uninvolved.  It would be a
critical mistake to underestimate the potential impact of this group and their
ability to bring, even indirect, pressure to bear on the situation.  Be
mindful of your influence on the Larger Community because every move you make
has an effect. This is especially important in the beginning when you set up
and take a position.

THE LARGER COMMUNITY: PEOPLE LEANING TOWARDS YOU OR YOUR ADVERSARY:
        There is a natural tendency for certain people to lean towards either
your position or your Adversary's.  These people, while part of the Larger
Community, may begin to move in the direction that they are leaning, early on,
and therefore require special consideration.
  **
PEOPLE LEANING TOWARDS YOUR GROUP:
        There are people with a natural tendency through background, past
experience, or common interest to move towards your group.  In general, people
leaning towards your group will move towards you on their own.  At this point,
before you're set up, you do not want to encourage this movement because you
are not yet organized to handle more people.  You can view these people as a
reserve waiting to be drawn into your group as they are needed.

PEOPLE LEANING TOWARDS YOUR ADVERSARY:
        Through circumstances, past association, or perceived common interest,
these people have a tendency to move towards your Adversary's position.  This
group will be the most sensitive to any of your actions. Because it won't take
much to push them towards your Adversary, this group needs to be studied in
more detail.
  ** Mountain Vision Software   R # 1  Box  222  Colton,  N Y  13625  **
PEOPLE LEANING TOWARDS YOUR ADVERSARY: KEY GROUP:
        The change in the balance of power will come as people from the Larger
Community begin to move to support your position or your Adversary's.  Under
no circumstances is it in your interest to add support to your Adversary.
        Unlike people leaning towards you, who will tend to move towards you
almost no matter what you do, the group leaning towards your Adversary will
need special attention.  What they decide to do depends to a large degree on
what initial position you decide to take.  Since this group is very sensitive
and likely to move first, you would be wise to review all your proposed
actions so as not to give reason for these people to move towards your
Adversary.  If you act carefully, especially in forming an initial position,
many of these people may remain part of the Larger Community and not take an
active part in supporting your Adversary's position.  If you are especially
careful to be aware of their point of view, you may even succeed in having
them consider your position.
  **
EXAMPLE: PEOPLE LEANING TOWARDS YOUR ADVERSARY:
        A military low altitude flight path was proposed for a rural area.
The problem, from the point of view of group organization, was that, being a
rural area, many people found educational and training opportunities by
joining the military.  Almost every family had relatives who had been in the
military and many considered themselves strong military supporters.
        A group formed to address the issue and, being sensitive to the
situation, decided to make it clear that their group was not against the
military. They also decided not to take a position against the flight path
because that could have pushed people into supporting their Adversary.
Instead they chose to raise concerns and present well documented evidence
about possible adverse effects of the flights on people in the flight path.
This approach allowed the group to work together with people who may have
been initially leaning towards their Adversary but had concern for effects of
the flights.
@
< SUMMARY 4 > CHOOSING A POSITION: AVOID ALIENATING PEOPLE, KEEP OPTIONS OPEN


                << THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONCERNED POSITION: >>

        The Concerned Position, of raising your concerns without framing the
issue in terms of sides, is the cornerstone of your strategy for effective
action.  It allows you to gather together a broad base of support without
alienating potential supporters or polarizing people into working against you.
By taking a reasonable position and minimizing the use of confrontation, you
become a credible group and people expect your concerns to be addressed.  This
allows you to keep all your options open and puts you in the best position to
change the balance of power by appealing to the Larger Community.
  **
BEGINNING: A CRITICAL PHASE: YOUR CHOICE OF SET UP HAS LONG TERM IMPACT:
        As The Twig Is Bent, So Grows The Tree.  Many of the basic
characteristics of your group are determined by your choice of set up.
Decisions made at this time will influence what options will be available to
you in the future.  Through your set up, you introduce yourselves to the
public and they get their first impression of you as a group.  Your reputation
and ability to influence people will depend on how you choose to set up.

SET UP DETERMINES TO A LARGE DEGREE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS:
        Surprisingly, the biggest differences between effective and
ineffective groups are found in how they set up.  Decisions made at the very
beginning can often be identified as the source of many later difficulties.
The choice of set up is often the single most important decision that
distinguishes effective groups from ineffective ones.
  **  Mountain Vision Software   R # 1  Box  222  Colton,  N Y   13625  **
INEFFECTIVE GROUPS OFTEN SET UP SPONTANEOUSLY:
        Outrage is often the initial motivation for group formation (see
Transformation: outline).  It is very easy for groups to be `taken over' by
their outrage and organize around how they feel.  Most ineffective groups
follow this path, and fall into the Strategy of spreading outrage out into the
world in hopes of gaining attention to their plight.  Conflict, confrontation
and polarization work against them to seriously lessen their effectiveness.

EFFECTIVE GROUPS DECIDE CAREFULLY HOW TO SET UP: YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE:
        Ineffective groups often don't realize they are making a decision by
setting up spontaneously.  They feel this is the natural way to set up and
never even consider other options.  The groups that have been most effective
have realized, to one degree or another, that they have a choice in set up and
they consider their options carefully.
  **
SET UP INVOLVES 2 AREAS: POSITION AND ORGANIZATION:
       By your choice of initial POSITION on the issue you will set up to
begin to influence the Larger Community.  Your choice of ORGANIZATION will
create the structure within your group.  Both areas are important because a
well organized group must work through a carefully chosen position to reach
the Larger Community and influence the balance of power.

CHOOSING YOUR POSITION: GUIDELINES FOR IDEAL INITIAL POSITION:
The ideal initial position is one that:

=> Appeals To The Widest Possible Audience: <=
  (Why risk excluding potential supporters?)

=> Does Not Offend Or Alienate People: <=
  (Why risk having conflict and confrontation push people away?)

=> Does Not Force People To Choose Sides: <=
  (Why risk polarizing people into working against you?)

=> Keeps All Your Options Open: <=
  (Why narrow your future choices ?)
  **  Mountain Vision Software   R # 1  Box  222  Colton,  N Y   13625  **
=> IDEAL POSITION APPEALS TO THE WIDEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE: <=
        To be effective you need a broad base of support and at this point you
can't really predict where all your support will come from.  Often groups have
found common interest with individuals and groups that don't normally work
together but are brought together by an issue.  Why risk excluding
unidentified potential supporters by your position ?

EXAMPLE: APPEALS TO WIDEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:
        Environmental groups are often at odds with hunters and loggers. On
the issue of forest management a common interest could be found.  Sustainable
yield forest management, on a county wide plan, could potentially benefit each
group. (Sustainable yields cuts at no more the rate of regrowth in an managed
area).  LOGGERS could benefit with long term job security instead of the boom
and bust cycles of cutting all the trees and moving out of an area.  HUNTERS
could benefit from increased animal populations due to new growth habitat from
forest cutting.  ENVIRONMENTALISTS could benefit from the acceptance of
environmentally sound forest management with better control of soil erosion
and more wildlife diversity.  Local activities like hunting and cutting
firewood can be consistent with Environmentalism.  This practice could also
favor small local logging operations and keep money in the local economy.
  **
=> IDEAL POSITION DOES NOT OFFEND OR ALIENATE PEOPLE <=
        Conflict by its very nature is irritating and makes many people very
uncomfortable.  They feel conflict and confrontation are things they would
like to avoid.  As a result, if conflict surrounds your issue, people
(especially those who are not directly involved) will tend to avoid dealing
with your issue.

CONFRONTATION CAN LEAD TO PUBLIC RESISTANCE TO YOUR POSITION:
         As the level of confrontation rises, it begins to demand attention.
Although this can increase public awareness of your group, it comes at a high
price.  If the conflict is extended (which is the most common case) and no
resolution is in sight, then people get frustrated and begin to feel that your
problem is unsolvable. This can lead to a public frustration with your case
and a feeling that it is a `lost cause'. In addition, after a period of
extended conflict, people begin to filter out news related to your issue. (ie:
avoid reading news articles, etc.)
        Confrontation may have a place at certain times and situations
(see Confrontation: outline), but it has no place in your initial position.
Confrontation in a starting position alienates people, narrows your base of
support and can actually generate resistance to your position.
  **
=> IDEAL POSITION DOES NOT FORCE PEOPLE TO CHOOSE SIDES: <=
PUBLIC RESISTANCE TO CHOOSING SIDES:
        Taking a position on one side of an issue (for or against) makes
people in the Larger Community feel they must decide if they are for or
against your group.  They often don't have the time or interest to evaluate
all the facts, and they feel you are forcing them to decide before they have
time to hear both sides.  They may have initially been willing to listen but
may now resent being forced to take a position.

PUBLIC RESISTANCE TO ONE SIDED VIEW:
        The fact that you have already taken a position raises the question of
your reliability as a source of unbiased information.  This generates natural
resistance and suspicion.  In addition, if conflict also surrounds the issue,
then public resistance could grow into a real hostility to your group.
  **  Mountain Vision Software   R # 1  Box  222  Colton,  N Y   13625  **
=> IDEAL POSITION: KEEPS ALL YOUR OPTIONS OPEN <=
        Conditions may change. Often at the setup stage you have no idea what
situations you'll be facing later on.  Don't start out with a narrow position
that limits your future choices.  Often narrow positions are irreversible.
        For example, if you start out as a moderate group concerned about the
issue but not taking a side (for or against) then in the future you may decide
that you need to take a stronger position.  This option is always available.
A moderate group that has gained public support and later decides to take a
stronger position often brings a lot of their broad based support with them.
On the other hand, a group starting out taking a strong initial stand on one
side of the issue can never change its position to a moderate one (not taking
sides) because no one would ever believe such a reversal.
       Keeping all your options open means you always delay as long as
possible decisions that are irreversible.
  **
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CONCERNED POSITION: PROPOSAL FOR IDEAL INITIAL POSITION:
  Your goal in forming your group is to raise concerns about the issue and to
reach out to build a broad base of support in your community for having those
concerns addressed. You have decided the best way to do this is to avoid
framing the issue in terms of sides (ie: for and against) because you are
trying to avoid polarizing people and alienating potential supporters by
forcing them to choose sides. Instead you want to bring together everyone who
has any concern with the issue into a powerful base of support to insure that
your concerns will be addressed. If a stronger position on the issue is needed
(ie: a yes or no decision), you will wait until it is necessary to take that
position and it will be based on how well your concerns have been addressed.
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CONCERNED POSITION MEETS ALL GUIDELINES FOR IDEAL POSITION:
   => Appeals To The Widest Possible Audience: <=  You are appealing to those
concerned for any reason.
   => Does Not Offend Or Alienate People: <=  Your position does not alienate
people because it is reasonable and nonconfrontational.
   => Does Not Force People To Choose Sides: <=  You have made it clear that
your group is not choosing sides and you are not asking others to do so.
   => Keeps All Your Options Open: <=  A concerned position keeps options open.
  **  Mountain Vision Software   R # 1  Box  222  Colton,  N Y   13625  **
CONCERNED POSITION: BEST CHANCE OF SUCCESS
        Even if you feel strongly that you want to come out supporting one
side of the issue, you will want to consider very carefully the benefits of
the Concerned Position.  It allows you to raise your concerns without setting
people against each other and it gathers together and unites all people with
any concern with the issue.  As a result, it has the potential for building
the widest possible base of support and therefore has the best chance of
success.
  **
MAKE THE CONCERNED POSITION PUBLIC:
        The main reason for making your position public as soon as possible is
to establish the Concerned Position as the focus of group formation and
organization.  If you delay in publicly presenting this position, one or more
other groups may form based on a more limited view of the issue and with a
much narrower base of support.
        For example, a group may form that takes a strong stand that defines
`sides' (for or against).  It may become the rallying point for some
individuals, while alienating many others who are concerned but feel they need
more information before making a decision.  This kind of group formation will
lead to a fragmentation of your potential base of support into small
polarizing groups.  It's easier to have people move to the concerned position
in the very beginning than it is to try and show groups, that have already
taken a strong position, the advantage of the strategy behind a concerned
position.  ( Note: Once polarization has begun around an issue, it is often
difficult to reverse.  Even if polarization has begun, a Concerned Position
can provide a welcomed alternative to groups already formed.)
  **  Mountain Vision Software   R # 1  Box  222  Colton,  N Y   13625  **
IF NECESSARY CONSIDER REDEFINING YOUR POSITION TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE:
        Even if your group has already taken a strong position on one side of
the issue (`for or against'), you can still take advantage of many of the
benefits of the Concerned Position by deciding to redefine your group's
position.  Instead of continuing to present the issue in terms of sides, you
can refocus on raising specific concerns.  If your group's name frames the
issue in terms of sides (Citizens Against .., etc.) then consider renaming
your group to stress your concerns.  Remember, the Concerned Position allows
you to reach out to include more people, it does not prevent your group from
taking a stronger position (`for or against') at some time in the future if
it becomes necessary.
        Carefully consider the very important benefits of this Strategy.
Would it be worth redefining your position if it gave you a broader base of
support and put you in a much stronger position to resolve your issue?
  **
CONTACT PERSON: KEY POSITION
        Publicly announcing your position establishes your group as the contact
point for people concerned with the issue.
        Your contact person is a key position in your initial setup. The
choice of contact person is very important as he or she will be the first
contact that people will have with your group.  The ideal contact person needs
to be friendly and enjoy working with people.  This person MUST be fully
committed to the value of maintaining a moderate Concerned Position.  Any
person with a tendency to see the issue in terms of `sides' will be very
likely to slip into that attitude with the public.  The person will need ready
access to a phone (or answering machine) and have a contact address to give
out (perhaps a post office box number).
  **  Mountain Vision Software   R # 1  Box  222  Colton,  N Y   13625  **
CONTACT PERSON: JOB DESCRIPTION
        The contact person for your group will be expected to:
  -- Get the name and address and phone number of interested people who reach
     your contact number or address.  This list will form the basis of your
     Interest Group.
  -- Find out their areas of concern.
  -- State that your group has decided to develop a broad base of support by
     raising concerns about the issue without taking a side (for or against).
     Your strategy is to make the focus of public attention the specific
     concerns that you think need to be addressed.  You feel this will get
     more people involved than a `for or against' position.
  -- Give out what information you have on the issue: keep this information
     factual, unemotional and consistent with a Concerned Position.
  -- Inform them how you'll be getting in contact with them (by phone or mail)
     to let them know when you'll be meeting to discuss the issue.
  -- (optional) Would they like to be actively involved in the group? What are
     their areas of interest? What skills and time do they have?
  -- (optional) What information do they have on the issue?
  **
THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP:
        Going public requires at least some informal definition of your group.
If you are not ready to choose a name at this time then identify yourselves as
a group of people concerned with the issue (defined in general and
nonpolarizing terms) and then state your position (see Concerned Position).
        If you choose a name make sure it reflects a group that is not taking
sides.  A formal name could, for example, contain the word `concerned', but
using the word `against' in your name would not be advisable.  The word `For'
could be used only if it redefined the issue to include both sides.  Make sure
that the first letters of each word in your name makes a phrase you can live
with (ie: not be offensive) or perhaps even use to advantage.  Also avoid
defining your group too narrowly and thus excluding some people.

EXAMPLE:
        The Coalition On Low Altitude Flights was known as COLAF.  This was an
easy to remember and pronounce name.  A name that abbreviated to UPSET would
not be consistent with a Concerned Position because it would be too strong.
@