ARS Blueprint: What: Dig In to the Hard Work of Change

What: Dig In to the Hard Work of Change

Now the fun really starts. So far, you?ve only reached the end of the beginning. You and your community have a clearer sense of your desired future, and you?ve identified some changes that could help get you there. The tough stuff, the work that could take years of hard work, lies ahead. You?re going to need to tell the story, and keep telling the story to stakeholders from around the region in order to build new energy and attract leadership to the cause. You?ll need to pick initiatives that engage leaders, and engage leadership that represents the community and spans the traditional boundaries of sectors and political jurisdictions. You?ll need to build an follow a disciplined approach to change. Here are a few things we?ve learned in our work that could help at this stage.

Tell the Story. Publicly, and privately, throughout this entire process, you?ll need to tell a compelling story about your region, its future, and the crisis you can avoid, or the opportunities you can realize, by pursuing the right kinds of changes. Get help before you start telling stories ? good communications consultants make a living by helping people, organizations, and communities develop ?sticky? stories that people remember and relate to. Share powerful publications like benchmarking studies and indicator reports. Hold public events ? the more creative the better. Use the regional news media and new media (in all its many forms) to generate interest and awareness. Understand and make the message relevant to individuals -- identify ?what?s in it for me? for various constituents. Frame issues for broad consensus and regional planning. Play to the region?s history and values. Use stories as much as graphs and charts. Put public opinion and values research to work.

Many regional efforts go public with great fanfare: a new report, a conference, editorials in the newspaper, an agenda for change for all to see. Sadly, many efforts also fade quickly if their champions haven?t thought through or anticipated the entire ?civic campaign? on which they?re embarking. (Reports, you?ll note, don?t have .exe after them. They?re not self-executing. Reports can sound the wakeup call, but have you thought through what happens after everyone?s awake?)

Understand the Formal Process. All changes in the public arena must go through a process, some simple and some complex, that may involve any and all branches of government (executive, judicial, and legislative) at any and all levels of government (local, state, federal). It?s critical to understand that process early on and how to manage the legal requirements and intricacies of drafting policy proposals.

Realize that the Elected Public Official is Key. Not all regional change efforts are targeted to changing public law. Some can be aimed at voluntary agreements or compacts between employers, or encouraging new volunteer efforts, or developing marketing and advertising campaigns to promote new attitudes or behavior. Having said that, though, most significant regional change efforts will ? and should ? involve elected public officials. At the very least, they will be asked to support changes in public law, or at the provide funding for regional initiatives in their federal, state, county, or city budgets. To work effectively with elected officials, regional civic entrepreneurs need to understand the political personality of elected officials, their motivations, their path to public office, and how they stay in office. Early and continuing interaction and involvement with elected public officials will be critical to your success.

Identify Champions to Lead Teams. Champions ? people of stature in your community who are trusted and respect are critically important to your efforts. They should have a strong orientation toward action and results, but not a great need to claim credit or take the spotlight.

Create Advocacy Coalitions. Unlikely coalitions ? odd bedfellows -- can influence decisions that affect multiple stakeholders in the region. Regional coalitions have been successful at both influencing regional decisions and bringing regional perspective to decisions that take place at the neighborhood/organizational level. Advocacy campaigns can be either ?inside? campaign that takes place behind the scenes and or ?outside? campaigns that takes place in public.

Plan for the Organization and Money Necessary to Support the Change Process. Driving regional change can be a marathon punctuated by all-out sprints. Beyond good intentions and an initial burst of enthusiasm, successful change will require some kind of organizational structure, staff, and resources.

Keep Up the Civic Dialogue. Keep putting fuel in the tank ? don?t think that just because you released one report or had one press conference that the conversation is still energized. Engage from beginning to end. Identify the consequences of inaction. Spend the time clearly defining issues and make sure all players at the table create broad public understanding of solutions to the problem.

What: Dig In to the Hard Work of Change

Do It All Over Again: Repeat, Rebuild and Renew

Do It All Over Again:
Repeat, Rebuild and Renew