SING A ONE-ON-ONE LISTING PROCESS

To Select and Prioritize Community Problems and Visions

1. I. Community Organizing as a Three Step Process
   1. Listen to People’s Concerns and Visions for Their Neighborhood
   2. Research Potential Solutions
   3. Action:  Meet with Public Officials

1. II. Steps in a One-On-One Listening Process
   1. Identify Members of a Listening Team (people who are relational and good listeners)
   2. One-On-One Training
      1. Training and Practice
      2. Deciding “Who Will Visit Who” and Further Planning
   3. One-On-One Visits (6-8 Weeks)
      1. Visits Begin
      2. Mid-Process Meeting (After 3-4 Weeks) – Evaluation and Accountability
      3. Visits Completed
   4. Listening Team Meeting
      1. Report and Record Community Problems and Visions
      2. Prepare for Larger “Membership” Meeting
         1. Prepare List of Community Problems and Visions
         2. Plan Agenda and Turnout
         3. Evaluate Listening Process
   5. “Membership” Meeting [See Attached “Potential Agenda”]
      1. Listening Team Reports Number of Visits and Presents Lists of Community Problems and Visions
      2. Membership Discusses and Votes on Priorities
      3. Membership Invited to Join Research and Action Committees
   6. Research and Action Committees Begin Research

1. III. Things to Remember
   1. Each Visitor (Listening Team Member) Visits 10 Persons
   2. Each Visitor Needs 15-20 Names In Order to Do 10 Visits
   3. Prioritize Only the Number of Community Problems and Visions That the Organization Can Realistically Solve (2 to 4)
   4. The Listening Process Has Created a Mobilization Network for Future Action

PRINCIPALS OF AND PREPARATION FOR NEGOTIATING

Guiding Principals of Negotiating

1. Our Goal is Not to Be Liked, But to Be Respected
2. We Want to Work with the Target, But Also Need to Hold Them Accountable
3. We Seek a Win-Win Result (i.e. We want our self-interests met, but also will consider the target’s self-interests)

PREPARATION FOR NEGOTIATING

1. Important Questions
   1. Are we clear and specific about what we want and when?
   2. Which of our requests/demands are essential and non-negotiable?  Which of our requests/demands can we live without?
   3. Are we meeting with the right person?  Does he or she have the power to give us what we want?
   4. What do we know about the target?
      1. Style
      2. Who is she or he accountable and connected to?
      3. What is this person’s history on our concerns?
      4. What are his or her self-interests?  Are we able to help the target achieve them?
      5. How much time will we have or do we need with the target?
      6. Where should the meeting occur?
2. Role Play the Negotiation Meeting
   1. Room Arrangement and Seating
   2. Explaining
      1. Who We Are
      2. Why We Are Here
      3. The Community Problem and Proposed Solution
      4. What We Want the Target to Do
      5. Anticipating the Target’s Response
         1. What do we think the target will say?
         2. If the target says “this”, we will say “that”.
3. What Will We Do If the Target Says “No”?
4. Setting the Date, Time, and Location
5. The Negotiating Team Meets At-Least One Hour Before the Negotiating Meeting to Review Their Goals and Plan

Conducting the Negotiation

1. No More Than 2 Key Spokespeople
2. Have Persons Directly Effected by the Problem Ready to Give Passionate Stories
3. Be Prepared to Caucus (i.e. If the target says something you were not anticipating, the spokespeople can announce that the negotiating team would like a few minutes alone to discuss among themselves.)

Evaluating the Negotiation

1. Do an Evaluation Immediately Afterward
2. How Does Everyone Feel About the Negotiating Meeting?
3. What Went Well?  What Could We Have Done Differently?
4. Did We Get What We Wanted?
5. Initial Thoughts About Next Steps

COMMUNITY ISSUES  SELECTION, RESEARCH AND ACTION

I.                    Criteria in Selection Community Justice Issues

A.     Specific

1. What do we want and when?
2. Who is the target (i.e. person/institution that can give us what we want)?

B.    Winnable and Immediate

1. Is the target local?
2. Do we have enough people/power to win?

C.    Will It Build the Organization

1. Will it train our leaders, attract allies, build relationships?
2. Is the issue popular within the organization?

II.                  Three Key Areas of Research

A.     Researching the Issue

1. Who can give personal stories and effects concerning the issue?
2. How many does the issue effect?
3. What is needed?  Costs?  Models from elsewhere or locally?
4. History and background?

B.    Researching the Target

1. Who decides and has the power to give us what we want?
2. Who are they accountable to?
3. History of the target on the issue?

C.    Researching Potential Allies

1. Who are potential “willing” allies (i.e. those who agree with the issue)?
2. Who are potential “unwilling” allies (i.e. those who have a relationship with the target?)

III.                Aspects of a Public Meeting/Action

1. Specific Demands: What we want and when.
2. Clear and Distinct Target: Person, not an institution, that can give us what we want.
3. Face-To-Face:  Not by letter, through the media, etc.
4. Public:  Not behind closed doors.
5. Action Is In the Reaction: Getting the target to negotiate and take you seriously.