NLT Participant Guide

MoveOn National Leadership Training
2010, Washington DC
The National Leadership Training is for the leadership of the

MoveOn Council Network to build a collective identity, a strong
set of organizing skills, and a clear and bold 2010 Field vision
and plan.
We are going to:

o Reflect on the past year and set audacious 2010 Field
goals.
o Define and discuss organizing, power, building our base,
leadership & councils.
o Improve our organizing and make a plan to meet our
2010 Field goals.
The National Leadership Training is a priority, because the

leadership of the MoveOn Council Network has been and
continues to be critical to achieving progressive change.
That means
o Friday we will discuss what organizing is, debrief 2009,
and set a vision for 2010.
o Saturday we will build the organizing skills we need to
meet our vision.
o Sunday we will tell the story of now and make plans to
move forward.
On March 19th-21st 2010, we will come together in Washington

DC, dig in, and catapult into an amazing year of organizing to
achieve the change we need.
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MoveOn National Leadership Training
2010, Washington DC
Location/Room
Day/Time Training title Name Page #
What is Organizing,
Friday Debriefing 2009/Visioning
March 2010 (Goal: Debrief 2009
19th: and Vision 2010) 7
9am Registration & Breakfast Shallenberger

Welcome, Goals of the
10am weekend Shallenberger 9-11
11am What is Organizing? Shallenberger 13
12pm. Break
Organizing and Leadership in

12:10pm. MoveOn Shallenberger
1pm Lunch Shallenberger
Iraq War anniversary
1:45.pm. commemoration Shallenberger
2pm Energizer Shallenberger
Hand outs in
Debriefing 2009 & Visioning Shallenberger supplementary
2:05pm. 2010 packet
6.pm-
6:30pm. Close Shallenberger
3
Location/Room
Day/Time Training title Name Page #
Saturday
March
20th: Going Deep: Organizing Skills 15
8am Breakfast Shallenberger

Opening & Intro to Base
9am- Building and Leadership
9:50am. Development 17
Leadership Development
10am- Round 1, Tracks: (These
1pm. Sections will include 1 break)
1. Camp MoveOn/Public
Narrative (for participants Shallenberger
who did not go to Camp near
MoveOn in 2009) projector/screen 19-31
2. Core Members TBD 39-45
Classrooms
3. Council Coordinators G319
4. Regional Coordinators Shallenberger 47
1pm. Big Group: Announcements Shallenberger
1:15pm. Lunch
Skills Concentration
2pm. Tracks:
51-54 (&
hand outs in
A. Advanced supplement
Recruitment/Base-Building TBD ary packet)
Shallenberger
near
B. Advanced Tech projector/screen
C. Advanced Media TBD 55-69
D. Advanced Facilitation TBD 71-79
4
Day/Time Training title Location/Room Page #:
Name
Saturday
March
20th: Going Deep: Organizing Skills
3:30pm. Break
3:40pm. Round 2, Tracks:
Narrative (for participants Shallenberger
who did not go to Camp near projector/
MoveOn in 2009) screen 33-38
2. Core Members TBD 45
Classrooms
3. Council Coordinators G319 49-50
4. Regional Coordinators Shallenberger 49-50
Close (There will be
announcements about
options for participants
5:30-5:45 between 5:45-7pm.) Shallenberger
Celebration Dinner and
7pm. Party Shallenberger
5
Location/Ro
Day/Time Training title om Name Page #
Sunday
March The Story of Now: Planning,
21st Catapult 81
8:30am. Breakfast Shallenberger

9:30am. Open & Review Shallenberger
83-88 (&
hand outs in
The Now: Campaign for Shallenberger supplementary
10am. 2010 and Field Planning packet)
12pm. Lunch Shallenberger
12:40.pm. Energizer Shallenberger
Hand outs in
Going Local: Base-Building Shallenberger supplementary
12:45pm. and Council-Building packet
3pm- Evaluation & Closing
4pm. Ceremony Shallenberger
Appendix:
! Glossary of Terms 89
! Friday Evaluation 91
! Saturday Evaluation 93
! Sunday – overall Evaluation 95-96
! Blank Pages for notes 97-107
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Friday March 19th:
What is Organizing, Debriefing
2009/Visioning 2010
9am Registration and Breakfast Shallenberger Hall

Welcome, Goals of the
10am weekend Shallenberger Hall
Shallenberger Hall
11am What is Organizing?
12pm. Break
Organizing and Leadership in Shallenberger Hall

12:10pm. MoveOn
1pm Lunch Shallenberger Hall
Iraq War anniversary
1:45.pm. commemoration Shallenberger Hall
2pm Energizer Shallenberger Hall
Debriefing 2009 & Visioning Shallenberger Hall
2:05pm. 2010
6.pm-6:30pm. Close Shallenberger Hall
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8
National Leadership Training
GOALS:
The MoveOn Council leadership will:
1. Learn what is effective grassroots

organizing and practice
organizing skills.
2. Develop vision and plan for

MoveOn field campaigning in
2010.
3. Build capacity for leading

effective trainings.
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Personal Goals:
What are your personal hopes for this training? What skills are you
interested in building?
What organizing skills do you already have? What do you think you
can teach others?
What is your commitment to working with MoveOn and organizing for

progressive change?
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GROUND RULES IN PRACTICE
Respect All Points of View
! Attentive listening. Focus on what is being said by others. Don’t

talk over other people.
! Intentional speaking. Contribute what has relevance, heart and
meaning.
! Give your own opinion, in addition to listening.
! Provide constructive feedback, not criticism.
Take Personal Responsibility
! Be on time. MoveOn will not wait for you.

! Turn off your cell phones during all trainings and presentations.
! Ask for support that you need, and offer the support you can
give.
! Be professional. We are here to work and learn as a team. If
you have a conflict with others in the group, communicate
directly, and ask for the support of the trainers.
! Respect the space. Keep the training space clean and tidy.
Clean up your food and be aware of your noise level.
Step Up / Step Back
! Conscious self-monitoring. Consider the impact of your words

and actions, and be aware of your role in the group. If you are
not participating, step up to join the group. If you are
dominating, step back to give others a chance to take the lead.
Practice Non-violence
! De-escalate conflict by being aware of your body language and

words.
! Be a responsible and peaceful representative of the MoveOn
message and community.
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12
Organizing
Process
Materials Adapted from SOUL:

http://www.schoolofunityandliberation.org/
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Saturday March 20th:
Going Deep: Organizing Skills
8am Breakfast Shallenerger Hall

Opening & Intro to Base
9am- Building and Leadership
9:50am. Development Shallenerger Hall
10am-1pm. Round 1, Tracks:
Narrative (for participants who
did not go to Camp MoveOn in Shallenberger hall near
2009) projector/screen
2. Core Members TBD
3. Council Coordinators Classrooms G319
4. Regional Coordinators Shallenberger hall
1:05pm. Big Group: Announcements Shallenberger hall
1:15pm. Lunch
2pm. Skills Concentration Tracks:
A. Advanced
Recruitment/Base-Building TBD
Shallenberger hall near
B. Advanced Tech projector/screen
C. Advanced Media TBD
D. Advanced Facilitation TBD
3:30pm. Break
Shallenberger Hall
Leadership Development (Break outs in Kendall Hall
3:40pm. Round 2, Tracks: 1&2 and Gym)
Narrative (for participants who
did not go to Camp MoveOn in Shallenberger hall near
2009) projector/screen
2. Core Members TBD
3. Council Coordinators Classrooms G319
4. Regional Coordinators Shallenberger hall
5:30-5:45 Close Shallenberger Hall
7pm. Celebration Dinner and Party Shallenberger Hall
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BASE BUILDING PROCESS:
Materials Adapted from SOUL:

http://www.schoolofunityandliberation.org/
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INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC NARRATIVE
Each of us has a compelling story to tell.
Each of us has a story that can move others to action. As you learn
this skill, you will be learning to tell a compelling story about yourself,
the community you organize with, and your strategy that encourages
others to join you in creating change. In addition, you will gain
practice in listening, and coaching others to tell a good story.
Public narrative as a practice of leadership
Leadership is about accepting responsibility for enabling others to

achieve purpose in the face of uncertainty. Narrative is how we learn
to make choices and construct our identities – as individuals, as
communities, as nations.
Why Use Public Narrative? Two Ways of Knowing
(And we need both!)
Public leaders employ both the “head” and the “heart” in order to
mobilize others to act effectively on behalf of shared values. In other
words, they engage people in interpreting why they should change
their world – their motivation – and how they can act to change it –
their strategy. Public narrative is the “why”—the art of translating
values into action through stories.
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The key to motivation is understanding that values inspire
action through emotion.
Emotions inform us of what we value in ourselves, in others, and in

the world, and enable us to express the motivational content of our
values to others. In other words, because we experience values
emotionally, they are what actually move us to act, not only to the
idea that we ought to act. Because stories allow us to express our
values not as abstract principles, but as lived experience, they have
the power to move others.
Some emotions inhibit action, but other emotions facilitate

action.
Action is inhibited by inertia, fear, self-doubt, isolation, and apathy.

Action is facilitated by urgency, hope, YCMAD (you can make a
difference), solidarity, and anger. Stories mobilize emotions of action
to overcome emotions that inhibit us from action.
Hearing the Call to Action
Inhibitors to Action Calls to Action
FEAR HOPE
APATHY ANGER
INERTIA URGENCY
SELF -DOUBT YCMAD
ISOLATION SOLIDARITY
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Developing Your Own Personal Narrative
Public narrative combines a story of self, a story of us, and a

story of now.
A “story of self” tells why you have been called to serve.
Every one of us has a compelling story to tell. We all have heroes in

our lives—maybe parents or grandparents or teachers or neighbors—
who modeled leadership for us in some way, and who shaped our
values and our ability to act on those values. We have also all made
unique choices that shaped our life’s path—who to build relationships
with, how to respond to injustices we saw as children, whether or not
to take leadership in our places of worship or our unions, or our
schools, etc.
The key focus is on choice points, moments in our lives when our
values are formed when we have to choose in the face of great
uncertainty. When did you first care about being heard, about concern
with others, about abuses of power, about poverty, about the natural
world? Why? When did you feel you had to do something about it?
Why did you feel you could? What were the circumstances?
The power in your story of self is to reveal something of yourself and

your values—not your deepest secrets, but the key shaping moments
in your life.
A “story of us” communicates why our community in particular

is called to act, and why we in particular have the capacity to
lead.
Just as with your story of self, the key choice points in the life of the
community are those moments that express the values underlying the
work your organization does. The key is to focus on telling a story
about specific people and specific moments of choice or action that
shaped your organizing community and that invites others to join you
in this community.
A “story of now” communicates the urgent challenge we are

called upon to face now
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The story includes a description of the path to take to achieve goals
relative to the mission – the unique strategy or set of ideas that help
us to overcome challenge and succeed. The story also invites your
listeners to make a specific actionable commitment now to help build
your campaign and movement.
The SELF – US – NOW Structure
SELF
NOW
US
The Three Key Elements of Public Narrative Structure

Challenge – Choice – Outcome
A plot begins with an unexpected challenge that confronts a character

with an urgent need to pay attention, to make a choice, a choice for
which s/he is unprepared. The choice yields an outcome -- and the
outcome teaches a moral.
Because we can empathetically identify with the character, we can

“feel” the moral. We not only hear “about” someone’s courage; we
can also be inspired by it.
The story of the character and their effort to engage around values
engages the listener in their own challenge choice and outcome
relative to the story.
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Incorporating Challenge, Choice, and Outcome in Your Own
Story
There are some key questions you need to answer as you consider the
choices you have made in your life and the path you have taken that
brought you to this point in time as a leader. Once you identify the
specific relevant choice point, perhaps your first true experience of
community in the face of challenge, or your choice to do something
about injustice for the first time, dig deeper by answering the following
questions.
Challenge: Why did you feel it was a challenge? What was so

challenging about it? Why was it your challenge?
Choice: Why did you make the choice you did? Where did you get
the courage (or not)? Where did you get the hope (or not)? Did your
parents or grandparents’ life stories teach you in any way how to act
in that moment? How did it feel?
Outcome: How did the outcome feel? Why did it feel that way? What
did it teach you? What do you want to teach us? How do you want us
to feel?
A word about challenge. Sometimes people see the word challenge

and think that they need to describe the misfortunes of their lives.
Keep in mind that a struggle might be one of your own choosing – a
high mountain you decided to climb as much as a hole you managed
to climb out of. Any number of things may have been a challenge to
you and be the source of a good story to inspire others.
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VIDEO REVIEW:
BARACK OBAMA’s 2004 DNC SPEECH
We'll be watching the first seven minutes of Barack Obama's 2004

DNC speech – while you watch it, think about the elements of SELF –
US – NOW that you hear in his story.
SELF US NOW
What are his Who is the “us” What challenge

experiences and that he identifies? to those values
values that call him to What images and does he identify?
the national stage? shared experiences What is his
does he call on? strategy to
What are the overcome this
common values he challenge? What
appeals to? is the first step
that each person
can take to be
part of the
solution?
1. Do you think he did a good job of telling his story?

What worked? What could have been more clear?
2. What are some of the specific details in his story that you
remember?
3. What values did he talk about in his story?
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TEAM BREAKOUT SESSION:
STORY OF SELF PRACTICE WORK
GOALS
! Practice telling your Story of Self and get feedback
! Learn to coach others’ stories
AGENDA
TOTAL TIME: 40 min.
1. Gather in your team. Choose a timekeeper. Choose a 3 min.

facilitator for this breakout who will help keep your group
on agenda and make sure everyone participates.
2. Take some time as individuals to silently develop your 5 min.

“Story of Self.” Use the worksheet below.
3. Choose a partner. 12 min.

Practice telling your story of self.
- 2 minutes each to tell your story
* Focus on one experience where you have made a choice in
your life (see worksheet below for prompters)
* Be specific & give lots of details
- 3 minutes each for feedback:

* What is the Challenge, Choice, Outcome in each story?
Write them in the boxes below.
* Were there sections of the story that had especially good
details or images (e.g. sights, sounds, smells, or emotions of
the moment)? How did those details make you feel?
* Could you identify this person’s values from the story?
4. As a team go around the group and tell your story one by 20 min.
one.
For each person:
- 2 minutes to tell their story
- 3 minutes to offer feedback from the group
NOTE: You have just 2 minutes to tell your story. Stick to

this limit. Make sure your timekeeper cuts you off. This
both encourages focus and makes sure everyone has a chance.
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WORKSHEET:
DEVELOPING YOUR STORY OF SELF
Reflection
Take time to reflect on your own public story, beginning with your
story of self. You may go back as far as your parents or
grandparents, or you may start with your most recent organizing and
keep asking yourself why you in particular got involved when you did.
Focus on challenges you had to face, the choices you made about how
to deal with them, and the satisfactions – or frustrations - you
experienced. Why did you make those choices? Why did you do this
and not that? Keep asking yourself why.
What did you learn from reflecting on these moments of challenge,

choice, and outcome? How do they feel? Do they teach you anything
about yourself, about your family, about your peers, your community,
your nation, your world around you - about what really matters to you
matters? What about these stories was so intriguing? Which elements
offered real perspective into your own life?
What brings you to this campaign? When did you decide to work on
environmental and economic justice? Why? When did you decide to
volunteer? Why? When did you decide to give up three days for this
session? Why?
Many of us active in public service have stories of both loss and hope.
If we did not have stories of loss, we would understand that loss is a
part of the world, we would have no reason to try to fix it. But we also
have stories of hope. Otherwise we wouldn’t be trying to fix it.
A good public story is drawn from the series of choice points that have
structure the “plot” of your life – the challenges you faced, choices
you made, and outcomes you experienced.
Challenge: Why did you feel it was a challenge? What was so

challenging about it? Why was it your challenge?
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Choice: Why did you make the choice you did? Where did you get the
courage – or not? Where did you get the hope – or not? How did it
feel?
Outcome: How did the outcome feel? Why did it feel that way? What
did it teach you? What do you want to teach us? How do you want us
to feel?
What are the experiences and values that call you to take
leadership to win a clean energy economy?
Hopefully you’ve been thinking of your story in advance of the

workshop. If you didn’t get a chance to do so – we have listed some
key elements and types of experiences that may have contributed to
your current choice to take leadership on winning a clean energy
economy.
FAMILY & LIFE CHOICES MOVEON

CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE
School
Parents/Family Career Introduction to
Growing Up Partner/Family civic work
Experiences Hobbies/Interests/Talents First Experience of
Your Experiences – Finding organizing
Community Passion – Overcoming Connection to key
Role Models Challenge books or people
School Role
Models/Community
Current Experience
of MoveOn
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Take some time to think about the elements of your story in the
context of the challenge, choice and outcome. In this case, the
outcome might also be the thing you learned, in addition to what
actually happened.
CHALLENGE: CHOICE: OUTCOME:
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FACILITATION NOTES:
STORY OF SELF
Your job as the facilitator is to help move your team through this
breakout session so that everyone practices their story of self
(including you!) and everyone gets feedback. Work with your
group’s timekeeper to stick to the agenda and be sure everyone gets
to participate.
Asking the following questions will help you coach your small groups
through the telling of their stories of self.
Remember to balance both positive and constructively critical

feedback. The purpose of coaching is not to judge or criticize each
other’s stories; rather, you are listening to the way stories are told
and thinking of ways that the storytelling could be improved.
Story of Self Coaching Questions
! CHALLENGE: What were the specific challenges the

storyteller faced? How were those challenges made most
vivid? What details would help make the challenge even
more real?
! CHOICE: Was there a clear choice or choices that were made

in response to the challenge? How do those choices make
you feel? (Hopeful? Angry? Etc.)
! OUTCOME: What was the specific outcome that resulted

from those choices? What does that outcome teach us?
! Could you identify what this person’s values are and where
they come from? How specifically?
! Were there sections of the story that had especially good

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WORKSHEET:
COACHING YOUR TEAMMATES’ STORIES OF SELF
COACHING CHECKLIST
DO LISTEN FOR
! What works first in the story, focusing on specifics.
! How the story makes you feel, and what specifically

makes you feel that way.
! The CHALLENGE and the HOPE in the story.
! Clear choice points, the moment when one thing happened

and not another.
! The themes in the narrative.
DON’T
Offer vague abstract "feel good" comments, unless you’ve

established the context.
What does the storyteller learn from “you did a great job”, as
opposed to, “the way you described your moment of choice made
me feel very hopeful because. . . . “
Make value judgments about the storyteller’s voice or the

validity of the point they want to make. The key here is that a
person find ways to express themselves in their own voice –word
choice, humor, metaphor, etc. Of course they need to know if
choices they’ve made communicate what they want to communicate.
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Record Feedback/Comments from Your Team Members Here:
Coaching Your Team's “Story of Self”
As you hear each other's stories, keeping track of the details of

each person’s story will help you to provide feedback and
remember details about people on your team later. Use the grid
below to track your team's stories.
Name Challenge Choice Outcome Notes
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STORY OF US
Linking Story of Self and Story of Us
A story of self tells people who you are and why you are called to do
the work that you are doing. On its own, the story of self is
insufficient to set the stage for collective action. Since organizing is
about collective action, your public narrative needs to make a
connection to the “us” with whom you are engaged.
Our story of self is interwoven with stories we share with

others.
These include stories of our family, community, faith tradition,

school, profession, movements, organizations, nations and, perhaps
world. It is through shared stories that we establish the identities
and express the values of the communities in which we participate
(family, faith, nation) and of emergent communities we are forming
(new social movements, new organizations, new neighborhoods).
Telling a "story of us" requires learning how to put into narrative

form the experiences that the “us” in the room share with each
other. Telling a “story of us” is a way to engage a community in
acting together, based on values that we share as a community.
For many years our progressive community has often been fractured in
issue silos, rather than uniting around shared values and common
vision. We face the challenge of defining ourselves as a community
and movement, articulating our values, and joining together with a
common vision for the future. Learning to tell a story of us is one
critical piece of building community around values rather than just
issues or interests alone.
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GOALS
! Practice telling your community’s story of why your community in
particular has the capacity to help address climate change, build a
clean energy future, and win better health care.
! Coach others’ stories by listening carefully, offering feedback, asking

questions.
AGENDA:
TOTAL TIME: 45min
Groups of 4
1. (5min) Gather in your team. Decide on a time-keeper and a

facilitator.
2. (6min) Take some time as individuals to silently develop your

“Story of Us.” Use the worksheet in the participant guide.
3. (12min) Pair UP: Practice telling your story of how your council is
taking action for progressive change
! 2 minutes each to tell your story of us:
o Focus on a specific challenge the “us” has faced
o Be specific & give lots of details
! 3 minutes each for feedback:
o What is the Challenge, Choice, Outcome in each story?
o Write them in the boxes below.
o Did the story of self relate to the story of us? If so, what was
the common thread?
o Were there sections of the story that had especially good details
or images (e.g. sights, sounds, smells, or emotions of the
moment)? How did those details make you feel?
4. (22min) As a team, go around the group and tell your story one
by one.
! For each person:
o 2 minutes to tell their story of us
o 3 minutes to offer feedback from the group
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Your job as the facilitator in this session is to help move your team
through this team breakout so that everyone practices their story of
us (including you!) and everyone gets feedback.
Asking the following questions will help you coach your small groups
through the telling of their stories.
Remember to balance positive and constructively critical feedback.

The purpose of coaching is not to judge or criticize each other’s
stories; rather, you are listening to the way stories are told and
thinking of ways that the storytelling could be improved.
Story of Us Coaching Questions
! Who is the “us” in this story? Do you feel included in this

“us”? Why or why not?
! CHALLENGE: What were the specific challenges this “us” has

faced? How were those challenges made most vivid? What
details would help make the challenge even more real?
! CHOICE: Was there a clear choice or choices that were made

in response to the challenge? How do those choices make
you feel? (Hopeful? Angry? Etc.)
! OUTCOME: What was the specific outcome that resulted

from those choices? What does that outcome teach us?
! Could you identify what this community’s values are and

how this community has acted on those values in the past?
How specifically?
! Were there sections of the story that had especially good

! INTERWEAVING SELF AND US: Did the story of self relate to

the story of us? If so, what was the common thread?
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DEVELOPING YOUR STORY OF US
The purpose of the story of us is to create a sense of community among

individuals who may or may not yet see themselves as a community and to give
them hope that they can make a difference. It builds on shared experiences and
outcomes of previous actions to establish the context in which to take future
action. Your goal here is to tell a story that evokes our shared values as your
audience, and shows why we in particular are called to take responsibility for
action now.
Your story of us may be a story of what we’ve already done together, challenges
we’ve already faced and outcomes we’ve achieved. Or it may be a story of some
of our shared heroes, challenges they faced and outcomes they’ve achieved.
Hearing how we’ve met challenges in the past gives us hope that we can face
new challenges together.
Brainstorm all the stories you know of about your audience and their collective
story and experience. Your story of us may change each time you are talking to
a different group of people.
What was your very fist MoveOn experience? What happened at that
event? Afterwards?
If your story of us comes from your Council, what experiences have

people shared that describes why you are all here today?
What stories from this audience have emerged to give you a sense of the
shared purpose, goals, and values of the people in this room?
What are some stories of your previous work or of the work of MoveOn
that give you the belief that together others could work to join you in
creating real tangible change in the world?
36
Now choose one of the stories you brainstormed above to flesh out in
vivid detail.
CHALLENGE CHOICE OUTCOME

What was the What specific choice What happened as a
challenge we faced? did we make? What result of our choice?
action did we take? What hope can it give
us?
37
WORKSHEET:
Coaching Your Team's “Story of Us”

As you hear each other's stories, keeping track of the details of each
person’s story will help you to provide feedback and remember details
about people on your team later. Use the grid below to track your
team's stories.
Name Challenge Choice Outcome Notes/Themes
38
One-to-One Quotes
Forming Community
“How is Community formed? The answer is simple: two lonely individuals
create community in the manner that G-d created the world. What was G-
d’s instrument in creation? The word. The word is also the instrument
with which man creates his own community.”
- Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik
Making Real Connections

“When Gd made The Man, he made him out of stuff that sung all the time
and glittered all over. Then after that, some angels got jealous and
chopped him into millions of pieces, but he still glittered and hummed.
So they beat him down to nothing but sparks, but each little spark had a
shine and a song. So they covered each one over with mud. And the
lonesomeness of each spark made them hunt for another, but the mud is
deaf and dumb. Like all other tumbling mud balls, Janie had tried to show
her shine. “
- Zora Neal Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching Gd
Changing the world by naming it

“To exist humanly is to name the world, to change it. Once named, the
world in its turn reappears to the namers as a problem and requires of
them a new naming. Human beings are not built in silence, but in word,
in work, in action-reflection”
- Paolo Freire
Transcending the daily grind

“We’re in such a hurry most of the time we never get much of a chance to
talk. The result is a kind of endless day-to-day shallowness, a monotony
that leaves a person wondering years later where all the time went and
sorry it’s gone.”
- Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
One-to-Ones as a tool for building community

“Although those who concern themselves with details are regarded as
folks of limited intelligence, it seems to me that this part is essential,
because it is the foundation, and it is impossible to erect any building and
establish any method without understanding its principles. It is not
enough to have a liking for architecture. One must also know stone-
cutting.”
- Marshal de Saxe
- Document created Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
39
One-to-One Basics:
Why do One-to-Ones?
o build relationship
o identify motivations/goals/ambition/struggles- organizing issues
o self reflection/clarification
o obtain information
o find out how to work together
What is a One-to-One?
o Nutsand bolts
" Approximately 20-40 minutes
" Ideally face to face
" A 2 way conversation- talk 30% of the time / listen 70%
of the time
" Deep not broad - you won't learn everything about
someone, but you will find out some key sparks.
o Tips:
" Remember: Listen 70% of the time. Talk 30% of the
time.
" Agitation through digging and strategic sharing –
! Digging: Asking how and why questions to figure
out what motivates them, what they bring to the
table and how we can help find opportunities for
them/us to work together toward the goals we
share.
! Strategic sharing: Don't forget to share your own
story- chose strategically what to share - it should
reflect where you connect to the person you're
meeting with and help support them to share their
own story.
! Not every 1:1 will result in someone stepping up, it's

important to truly listen and create a plan for involvement
that everyone feels good about. If it isn't the right time
for someone to step up, that's ok!
" FOLLOW UP: Every one-to-one is only as good as the

follow up. Make sure you have a plan for you or your CC
to follow up with this person and support them in staying
accountable to their commitments!
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Steps of a One-to-One
• Identifying who to have 1:1s with
• Be transparent about why you want to do a 1:1
• In the one-to-one
• Share/Find your/their story of self

! Why are they called to be involved with organizing? Dig for
their stories and share yours - Where did they grow up? was
their family political? what makes them angry and why, what
moments/people in their life moved them to take action, why
them as opposed to so many others who are inactive, etc
etc?"
• Share/find your/their vision of how things could be

different
! What is their vision for how things should be different? Ask
about their vision and share yours. What would the world
look like if we "won"? What do you wish was different than it
is now? What is challenging about getting there? How are
you feeling about the health care campaign in this moment?
What is frustrating? What is hopeful?
• Share the current plan

! MoveOn!
o Discuss what have you/they done so far with MoveOn?
What work from 2009 was the most successful/
meaningful/ powerful? The most frustrating? Why did
you initially get involved with the council? Why do you
remain involved?
o Talk about MoveOn's current plan. What do you think?
How do you see yourself fitting in? What could your
first/next action step be? (bring it back to why you
were called to organize to begin with!)
• Share/find your/their commitment to taking action

! Commitments and Next steps! Ask: How will you commit to
the council / core beyond the health care fight? Make sure
your ask is strong "Can we count on you to....?" and you
have a plan to follow up "We will talk on X date to check in."
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42
43
Core Leadership Development
BREAKOUT SESSION:
AGENDA:
Total time: 35min
! (2min) First, choose a facilitator and time keeper
! (5) Individual writing: What are the strengths I bring to

organizing in a team (my council)? What are my biggest
challenges or in what areas do I have room to grow?
! (15) Group discussion:

o What are the biggest challenges we face in organizing our
council?
o How can we use 1:1s to face these challenges?
! (10) Pair and Share:

o In the next month, what concretely, could you do to work
on the area of challenge/growth?
o What roles/responsibilities could you take in the council in
order to practice it?
o What support would you need from your CC?
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Core Development – Role-Plays!
Before the Role Plays
! Decide on a facilitator and time keeper
! Prepare for the role-plays by reflecting on the challenges AND best
practices you have experienced. SHARE these experiences by
practicing them through the role-plays!
! Each person in the group should be able to practice
delegating/accountability
Role Plays:
! Each Scenario should be allotted 10 minutes. The first 5 minutes are
for the actual role-play, the second 5 minutes are for the debrief.
! When you role-playing, you should bring out realistic challenges that
come up in your council organizing. The purpose is to make this
practice as useful as possible.
Scenario #1:
Roles: 1) the CC 2) a core member
Your council is planning a public-facing “Main Street” rally to keep
corporate influence out of Washington. The CC needs to delegate
tasks to core members in the council. The goal of this conversation
is to delegate a specific task to the core member that connects to
that core member’s interests.
Scenario #2:
This conversation is carrying over from the previous scenario (but,
with 2 different role playing). Now, it is some time later, and the
CC is calling the core member back to see if they were able to
complete the task that they were delegated to do.
Scenario #3:
Roles: 1) the Media Coordinator 2) a member of the media team
The Media Coordinator delegated to a particular team member a
very, very urgent press release which needed to be sent in by 9 am
this morning. The time is now 10 am, and the team member has
not sent in the release.
Scenario #4:
Your council is planning a “Capitalism: House Party”, and the CC is
facilitating the organizing meeting. The CC is trying to get council
members to take on specific tasks, in particular, looking for one
core member to be the host/Event Coordinator for the event.
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46
RC Development:
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48
Leadership Development Planning, Page 1
1) What do you want to learn from your organizing? In what ways do
you want to grow?
2) What are your strengths as an organizer? (be as concrete as

possible. IE; if you are good communicator, what do you DO that is
good communication?)
3) What challenges do you have as an organizer? What skills do you

need to develop to meet those challenges? (Skills include: X, Y, Z)
4) What skills/leadership qualities have you been working on in the

past 3 months, how have you worked on them, and how have you
improved?
5) Choose one skill to work on. What is it? How will improving in this
skill change your organizing/make you a stronger leader? (again try to
be concrete, if it is not immediately obvious take a few minutes with
the leader working with you on this plan, to think about what the
concrete skill is)
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Leadership Development Planning Page 2
Fill in this chart by answering the following questions:
" Benchmark/Short-Term Goal: Concretely, in four weeks what is a
benchmark/short term goal you can meet on this skill that will help
you move toward a longer term vision? How specifically will you
improve this skill in the next four weeks? (Example: run successful
group conference calls)
" Weekly practice: Concretely, in four weeks what is a
benchmark/short term goal you can meet on this skill that will help
you move toward a longer term vision? How specifically will you
improve this skill in the next four weeks? (Example: run successful
group conference calls)
" Support: Who can you work with on this skill? And what specific
support (i.e. role playing, training, etc.) will you need? (Example: Joe,
the Regional Coordinator who I work with and Susan, the core member
who will work with me on the agenda for the council check-in call)
Skill: Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Benchmark/short
term goal
Weekly Practice
Support
Record Your
Weekly Progress
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ELEMENTS OF BASE-BUILDING PLAN
We need to start with a clear vision for the scope and scale of power our
base needs to win real change. Set clear goals, including both specific goals
(for each month or each action) and broader goals in terms of building your
base. For example:
• How many people should we be able to turn out once a month to a
public action?
• How many council members do we need to ensure that base of
people who we can regularly turn out?
• How many active leaders/ core members do we need to build that
base?
Then we need to develop a plan for how to build that power. A good base-
building plan includes:
BASE-BUILDING CYCLE:
• OUTREACH/RECRUITMENT:
! CALLING MOVEON ONLINE MEMBERS: This is the number one resource
that we have at MoveOn. Unlike most grassroots organizations, we
have a list of over 5 million people who have already told us they
agree with our work. MoveOn's "online members" are our best
resource for building the base and leadership of our council.
! OTHER FORMS OF OUTREACH: We also need to be continuously
working to connect with new people from our community who haven’t
been involved in our work before. Sample Activities: Flyering, tabling,
presentations.
• FOLLOW-UP:
! Once we make an initial connection with new people, we need to make
sure to follow up with them to involve them in our work. Sample
Activities: Follow-up calls, One-on-ones.
• EVENTS:
! As soon as we connect with people, we should have relevant and
interesting ways for people to get involved in the organization that
don't require a high-level of commitment on the front end. Sample
Activities: Actions, Meetings, Cultural events.
• PLUG-INS:
! Once people have been engaged in council events and activities, we
need to find a role for them to play in helping to move the council’s
work forward and to develop their leadership. Sample Activities:
Trainings, Planning Actions, Doing Outreach.
Then you need to timeline out those components, figuring out how they can
work together.
Some Tips for Developing Strong Base-Building Plans:
! Be consistent with your outreach. Make sure that people know where
to find you and that they expect to see you around.
51
! Be consistent with your one-on-ones with everyone from new
members to veteran leaders.
! Use the rule of multiples in your planning. You should plan backwards
from how many people you plan to turn out, and double that number
at every step of the outreach process (since organizers have found
that about half the people drop off at each step).
o For example, if you want to turn out 100 people to an action,
you should have 200 people who commit during reminder
calls. If you are going to have 200 people commit during
reminder calls, you need 400 contacts to call If you want 400
contacts to call, you need to get those contacts by doing
outreach with 800 people. (This turn out rate or "flake factor"
ranges depending on the specific community)
Materials Adapted from SOUL: http://www.schoolofunityandliberation.org/
52
COMMUNITY & CONSTITUENCY MAPPING
Small Group Instructions:
! Label the smiley faces with a constituency you represent and are
interested in building a base of; Lable the Triangles with your issue
focus; Label the blank house shapes with places you can find your
constituency; Lable he blank arrow shapes with ideas about ways
you can find/engage your constituency.
! Each group member should place their filled-in shapes onto the
blank community map and discuss the following questions:
o Where do you reach your constituency? How do you reach
them? Why?
o Why does your constituency get involved with the council?
What issues draw them in?
o What is it like for your council to do base building with these
constituencies? Is base building difficult or easy (strength or
weakness) for your council? Why or why not?
o Who does the base building in your council?
! Each group should pick a spokesperson to present their map to the
rest of the participants.
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Five Golden Rules for
Strategic Media Planning
Golden Rule #1: Set media goals that are relevant, timely and
strategic. Create tailored scenarios 1) with media goals uninformed by
current political climate, media market facts etc, and 2) informed by
these realities
Golden Rule #2: Know your target audiences. Who can help you
reach your goals?
Golden Rule #3: Tailor your messages for impact. What would you
rather buy, jeans that say one size fits all or fits that really fit YOU?
Golden Rule #4: Package your story for newsworthiness Paper ball -
This is for you do you want to take it? Wrapped gift – I heard it’s your
birthday and that you like pink boxes, well this box is special because I
designed and made it myself – there’s no other box like it. Don’t you
want to open it?
Golden Rule #5: Plan for Power. How can you show your power to
your media outlet?
-- Credit: Youth Media Council
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ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL MESSAGE
! Adapted from: Youth Media Council
Frame for Institutional Responsibility: call out your “enemy” by

highlighting what institution or what official representing an institution
is responsible for making change.
Speak in Shared Values: Values are more powerful than facts –

figure out what you and your audience both care about, and
communicate based on this shared value
Evoke Pictures: Use words that paint pictures your audience can
relate to.
Be creative: Use rhymes, sharp phrases, metaphors and comparisons

to make your point. For example comparing an expensive, ineffective
public transportation system to a broken down bus shows audiences
that the system doesn’t work.
Focus on solutions: Advocates spend too much time talking about

problems, instead make sure your message clearly communicates
solutions your audience can take part in.
Keep it simple: Use clear reasonable language.
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Media Planning Worksheet page 1
! Credit: Youth Media Council
Goals and Targets:

! Program/Campaign Goals:
! Whom do you want to reach:
Outlets
! What are the best outlets for conveying your message to your
target audiences? List your targets and try to choose one or
more outlet that fit. Try not to focus on more than 3 outlets. Be
specific (ie. a specific newspaper)
o some ideas:
" academic publications
" corporate media - print, tv, radio, online
" self-generated media – youtube
" online media
" alternative media
" other
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________

Hooks and Opportunities
! List any upcoming events or happenings. List the dates and if
there are any piggy backing opportunities to communicate your
message and advance your goals.
! Organize these events on a timeline and prioritize the

opportunities that you'd like to follow up on.
! Tasks: Identify the tasks that need to be done, who and by

when they will be followed up on.
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CRAFTING A MESSAGE:
Counter arguments:
! List arguments of your opposition?
Your messages:
! What are you trying to communicate? Try to distill your message
into a 25 word statement that will get your idea across.
Remember a message is not the same thing as a sound bite. It's
the over all theme you are trying to communicate.
! What are good images to convey this message?
! Who are good spokespeople to convey this message?
! Create two sound bites that convey your message and address
the messages brought by the opposition. Remember you are not
debating, you are delivering a message.
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TIPS for EARNED MEDIA page 1
! Building A Media List

o Step 1: we covered in the last section: picking a list of targeted
media outlets
o Step 2: Identify The Contact : Once you have picked out a list of
targeted media outlets you now have to identify who the
appropriate contact person is. Most media outlets will have a
general email address or phone number for you to contact with
a new story idea. You should definitely add these to your list
but remember that everyone is making contact through these
general addresses. Your message will be caught up with all the
other stories and mountains of spam that the media outlet is
receiving on an hourly basis. There is a chance that your
message will be given some attention, however, so add these
general addresses to your list but do not bet on them
delivering.
" TIP: The best bet to get featured in the media is to
contact the reporter / writer / editor who deals specifically
with what your press release talks about. Reading your
local newspaper can help identify reporters who write
stories about your issue
o Step 3: Create a Database
" Set up a database in Excel or a shared Google Doc. Key
fields that you want to include are name, the publication /
station, contact email and phone number, what type of
stories they cover, and how warm they are towards you
(have they published you before?). Make sure to keep
your list up to date as you hear back from reporters and
add new ones to the list.
! Cultivate Reporter Relationships
o In his book, Making the News: A Guide for Nonprofits &
Activists, Jason Salzman quotes a reporter from a major daily:
"A lot of what gets covered depends on personal relationships at
the paper." The key to cultivating strong relationships with
individual reporters is understanding that news is a two-way
street. You have to be a resource for reporters & think like a
reporter. Develop a reputation as someone who has accurate
information, meets deadlines, and is always good for a clever
quote or much- needed fact.
o BONUS POINTS!! If you really want to start a great
relationship...
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TIPS for EARNED MEDIA page 2
" Take a reporter to coffee/a meal

" Contact a reporter who writes about your issue & comment
positively about a recent article
" Tour a newsroom or make other personal contacts
" Go to City Hall, or other places media are already gathering
" Capture essential information about reporters from ther
staff/colleagues
! Tips for Pitching Your Story

o Make it local. A local angle on a national news story is news to
media in our own community. Play up the stakes. Media love
stories with protagonists. The battle between the two sides
creates drama and emotion, elevating a, perhaps, ho-hum issue
to an appealing story. Be part of the solution. The media hear a
lot about the negative impact of the issues we seek to address.
If we can position our cause as a rare "good news" story, it will
be an attention getter. If your organization has come up with a
solution, let it be known. Provide pictures. Newspapers and
magazines love photos, and television reporters have to bring in
visuals to get a story on the air. Let the media outlet know that
photo opportunities are available.
o Hints for Making Pitch Calls
" REMEMBER: The purpose of a pitch call is to have the
media come and cover your event. You accomplish this by
making it clear that your event is of interest to their
audience, and by making a follow- up phone call.
" Have the same person who sends the press release do
the pitch calling.
" Make calls before lunchtime. Reporters on deadline after
3 p.m. will not be very willing to talk to you. Determine
the deadline for each media source that you are
contacting.
" If you do not have a contact name, call the assignment
editor.
" Ask what the reporter needs to make a story out of your
event. Perhaps something visual (photo/video
opportunity) would increase the chance of your event
being covered.
" Thank the person with whom you speak. Such courtesy is
noticed.
! Follow-up: The Key to Success!
o There are three times to follow-up with the media:
1. After you send the press release/media advisory
2. The day of your event
3. After your event
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Making Your Own Media
It is getting easier and easier to document your actions and spread the
word yourself.
Video
It’s really useful to have video footage of your actions, even if the
image quality isn’t the greatest. Get interviews with good, concise
sound bites from participants and edit together your own mini-
documentary if possible. Upload your video footage to YouTube and
any other free video hosting sites to share your work.
Photos
Still images are also great to have, so have at least one designated
photographer if possible. Upload whatever you’re comfortable sharing
to a free image hosting service like Photobucket or Flickr.
Note: Be sure to utilize “tags” with photos, video, and any other
materials you post online that allow them. Tags are keywords that you
assign to your material that help other people find it. Use as many
tags as are allowed, and be as broad as possible–likely keywords you’ll
want to use are your city, state, location of action, words associated
with your campaign, as well as any thing particular to your action
(were puppets used? tag it “puppets”.)
Indymedia
If there’s an indymedia center in your area, you can post your own
stories to their newswire — announcements before the fact, your own
reports (with photos) after. You also might want to let them know
about your action and see if they’ll send someone to cover it.
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Creating Media Opportunities: Op- Eds & LTEs
Page 1
Opinion-Editorials (Op-Eds) and Letters to the Editors (LTEs) can be

effective tools to generate growing coverage in your issue without
having to hold an event!
Tips for Op-Eds:

! Make it Timely: Op-eds should relate to a current event and
have a definite point of view, but they should not be reactions to
a published article (use LTEs for that purpose).
! Research Guidelines: Most papers have a length limit on op- eds.
It is usually around 700 words, but be sure to find out before
you begin writing.
! Focus on One Idea: Concentrate on one theme or issue and
organize your thoughts in a clear and logical order. Present the
issue in the first paragraph and offer suggestions in the second
or third paragraphs. Limit your paragraphs to two or three
sentences, avoid technical terms and insider jargon, and back up
assertions with facts.
! Get a Signatory: Most papers prefer printing op-eds written by a
local authority or community leader. Having your organization’s
office holder or coalition member with expertise on the topic sign
your op-ed will make it more likely to be chosen.
! Follow-up: If you do not hear anything from the paper within a
few days of submitting your op-ed, call to make sure it was
received.
LTEs: Your Secret Media Weapon

! Writing letters to the editor of your local paper is a great way to
energize coalition members, promote your visibility in the
community, and spread the word about important issues.
! Letters to the editor (LTEs) can be used to correct and clarify
facts in a previous news story, oppose or support the actions of
an elected official or agency, direct attention to a problem, spur
news editors to cover an issue that is being overlooked, or urge
readers to support your cause. LTEs are especially effective in
local, community papers. You can send letters by fax, e-mail, or
through the mail.
! Tips for Effective LTEs:
o Find a local angle: Readers are more interested in an issue
when they see how it affects their lives and communities.
Show how your issue will affect this particular readership.
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Creating Media Opportunities: Op- Eds & LTEs
Page 2
o Assume nothing: Do not assume that your readers are

informed on your topic. Give a concise but informative
background before plunging into the main issue. Refer to
any newspaper article or editorial to which you are
responding by date and title. Also include any relevant
credentials that prove you are informed about your topic.
o Be Brief: State your position as succinctly as possible
without eliminating necessary detail. Most papers limit
LTEs to around 250 words.
o Avoid form letters: Do not send the same letter to two
competing papers in the same circulation area, or many
copies of an identical letter to a single paper.
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Other Media Resources
Broad Strokes Resources
! Media Strategy overview (ie. why do it, helpful hints)

(http://codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=3115) (CODEPINK)
! Menu of resources
(http://www.spinproject.org/article.php?list=type&type=9) (Spin
Project)
Practical Media Resources
! Tips on getting TV/Radio/Newspaper coverage

! Tips on writing Press Releases and Advisories
(http://www.spinproject.org/downloads/PressReleases.pdf) (Spin
Project)
! A tool for finding local media sources (TV, Radio, Newspapers,
Magazines, some online)
(http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/dbq/media/) (Progressive
Democrats of America)
! Helpful tips for spokespeople
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70
Principles of Good Facilitation
1. Prepare beforehand
o Materials ready
o Room set-up
o Know agenda
o Understand goals of the meeting and the organization
2. Set groundrules/norms
o Keeps the group focused on task and process.
o Remains as objective as possible
o Is an informed guide helping the group to chart its course
and accomplish its goals;
o Post on the wall
o Post butcher paper pg on wall for non-agenda items (parking
lot) so they don't get lost
3. Share and delegate roles

o A facilitator is neither a content expert nor a lecturer- the
facilitator should be a flexible resource to be utilized by the
group.
o A facilitator helps participants in the discussion to interact
with each other, gain new information, and build upon their
experience.
o Share responsibilities: delegate a note-taker, time keeper,
etc.
o Listens more than talks
o Encourages everyone to participate while remembering that
individuals participate in different ways. Some may talk only
in small groups, but they are still participating. Others may
wish to talk constantly and may be contributing little.
4. Stick to the agenda

o The facilitator guides a process which will help participants to
reach their stated goals and objectives within the time
allotted.
o Recaps, occasionally, what has happened in the discussion
and helps group to make connections between issues.
o Is sensitive to the societal dynamics that play out within the
room regarding class, gender, race, sexuality, and any other
socialization
o Refers to the agenda to bring folks on task or reign them in
o Ask if anything else that needs to be on the agenda
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Facilitation: Tips/Things to keep in mind
o Be alert to signs of confusion (puzzled or frustrated

looks, people asking neighbors questions, resistance, etc.)-
-read non-verbal behavior
o Review pieces of information or issues which are
causing confusion if several individuals are having
difficulty.
o When you ask a question, allow group members time
to think before answering. You might slowly count to
10. This may seem like a long time and silence may feel
uncomfortable, but allowing participants’ time to think is
essential if you want thoughtful answers; it will also give
those who don’t always immediately raise their hands time
to do so.
o Be intentional about setting an initial mood or climate
of the group.
o The facilitator accepts both the intellectual content and the
emotionalized attitudes within the group and tries to
balance emphasis on these aspects.
o The facilitator may share opinions with the group, once the
acceptable climate has been established, but must do so in
ways which do not demand nor impose but represent
simply a personal sharing which group members may take
or leave. The facilitator has been empowered to facilitate
the discussion, however, so it is best to refrain from
taking up too much space in the discussion.
o Throughout the group experience, the facilitator remains
alert to expressions that indicate deep or strong feelings.
o The facilitator should recognize and accept personal
limitations- if you aren’t sure what to do next, ask the
group
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Facilitation:
Techniques for structuring discussions:
! Taking stack:
" Establish that everyone should raise their hands if

they want to speak and keep a list of these people in
the order that they indicated their desire to speak.
Nod to people to let them know that you have them
on stack and that they should put their hands down.
" Progressive stack
" When taking stack, prioritize those who have not
spoken as much and move them forward in the
stack. Establish this at the beginning of the
discussion so that people are clear on what is going
on.
" Write down the names on the stack.
! Changing format for different kinds of communicators -

People do not engage within group conversations the same way-
there are those who will not speak up and those who will
dominate the conversation-
o Pair-and-shares or Small group break outs

" Some people like to share in smaller groups. a small
group break out or pair and share is a great way to
get more voices in the mix.
o Go-around:
! A cycle around the room during which each
person gets to address a specific question or
issue and share their thoughts/feelings on it
within a set amount of time (i.e. 2 minutes).
! a go-around is a good way to create a little
space within the discussion during which
everyone can share. You can do a “non-
circular” go-around- this means that everyone
in the room speaks once, but not necessarily in
a pre-determined order. This way, people can
speak when something has stimulated them.
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Handling Challenging Dynamics:
Challenge #1: Domination by a Highly Verbal Member
Ineffective Response Effective Response
Controlling the Person. Focus your efforts on the

Inexperienced facilitators often try passive majority. Encourage
to control this person. these participants to participate
more.
“Excuse me, John, do you mind if I
let someone else take a turn? Trying to change the dominant
person merely gives that person all
“Excuse me, Peg, you’re taking up the attention.
a lot of the group’s time…”
Change the Participation
Format. Try a go-round or break
up into small groups to encourage
others to participate.
Challenge #2: Goofing Around in the Midst of a Discussion
Engage in a Power Struggle. It Aim for a break as soon as

is tempting to try to “organize” possible.
people by getting into a power People have become undisciplined
struggle with them. when overloaded or tired. After a
breather, they will be much better
“Okay, everybody, let’s re-focus.” able to focus.
Challenge #3: Low Participation by the Entire Group
Assume that Silence Means Change the Participation

Consent. Low participation can Format Immediately. If the
create the impression that there is group is in a large-group open
group consensus or a lack of discussion, switch to a different
disagreement. This leads to one of format that demands individual
the worst errors of a facilitator can participation. Often small-groups,
75
make: assuming that silence individual writing, or a structured
means consent and do nothing. go-round is a perfect remedy. The
facilitator can also test for
agreement by using listening skills
like encouraging, balancing or
drawing people out.
Challenge #4: Two People Locking Horns
Focus Solely on Individuals and Reach out the other members

Try to Resolve the Conflict. A of the group. Encourage others
lot of time can be wasted trying to to participate by asking:
“resolve a conflict” between two
people who do not intend to reach “Who else has an opinion on this
agreement. People often use one issue?”
another as sparring partners, in
order to clarify their own ideas. “Let’s step back for a minute and
see if there are any other issues
that also need to be discussed.”
Remember: do not focus your

attention on the dominant
minority or focus on the
passive minority.
Challenge #5: One or Two Silent Members in a Group

whose other Members Participate Actively
Call on the Individual to Break into Small Groups. Small

Participate. This may work when groups allow shy members to
a shy member has non-verbally speak up without having to
indicated a wish to speak. compete for “air time.”
However, all to often, the quiet
person feels put on the spot and Use Facilitative Listening
withdraws further. Skills. Pose questions that will
encourage participation from
“Sam, you haven’t talked much everyone.
today. Is there anything you’d like
to add?” “I’d like to get opinions from those
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you haven’t talked for a while.”
Challenge #6: Minimal participation - people do not seem

invested in the topic.
Ignore the Problem. Act as Address the Challenge Directly.

through silence signifies agreement Look for an opportunity to have a
with what is being said. discussion on “What’s important to
me about this topic.” Have people
Ignore them and be thankful they break into small groups to discuss.
are not making trouble. This gives everyone time to
explore his or her own stake in the
outcome.
Challenge #7: Whispering and side jokes.
Ignoring the Behavior. With warmth and humor, make

Facilitators commonly ignore this an appeal for decorum.
behavior in the hope that it will go
away. Sometimes it does but all “As you know, those who don’t
too often, it will just get worse. hear the joke often wonder if
someone is laughing at them.”
If the problem persists, assume

there is a reason. Has the topic
become boring or stale? Do people
need a break? Maybe everyone
needs time for small group
discussions.
Challenge #8: Poor follow-through on assignments.
Given an ineffective pep talk. Break into Teams. Have people

do assignments in teams.
Ignore it. “We didn’t really need
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that information anyway.” Check-in to Ensure that
Instructions are Clear. Ask the
Delegate Future group if the expected outcomes
Responsibilities to People were clear. Build in a report-back
whom Follow-Through. Put process at a midpoint before the
most of the responsibility on one or assignment is due. This gives
two people. anyone having trouble a chance to
get help.
Challenge #9: Failure to start and end on time.
Wait to Start. Wait for the arrival Start when you you are going
of all the “people who count.” This to start. Waiting encourages
obviously means starting late, but lateness.
what else can you do?
If you must go into overtime,
When it is time to end, go call a break so people can
overtime without asking. If phone home.
anyone has to leave, they should
tiptoe out. If going overtime is recurrent,
improve your agenda planning.
Challenge #10: Quibbling about trivial matters.
Lecture the group about Directly address the issue.

wasting time and “spinning Have the group step back from the
wheels.” content of the issue and talk about
the process. Ask the group, “What
Abdicate responsibility. Space is really going on here?”
out, doodle, and think to yourself,
“It’s their fault we’re not getting
anything done.”
Challenge #11: Someone becomes loud and repetitive.
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Ignore the problem. Summarize and validate the
participant’s comments. People
Abrasively confront the person repeat themselves because they do
during a break. not feel heard. Summarize the
person’s point of view until he/she
feels understood.
Talk with the person at a

break. During a break, pull the
person aside and use your
facilitative listening skills to
address the participant’s behavior.
Challenge #12: Someone discovers a completely new

problem that no one has previously noted.
Dispute the validity of the Wake up and address the

problem. Try to come up with problem. This may be what you
reasons why the group would not have been waiting for. This could
need to focus on the issue. be a doorway into a new way of
thinking about the whole situation.
Pretend not to hear the
person’s comment.
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Sunday March 21st:
The Story of Now, Planning, Catapult
8:30am. Breakfast Shallenberger

9:30am. Open & Review Shallenberger Hall
Shallenberger Hall
The Now: Campaign for 2010 (Break outs Possible in
10am. and Field Planning Gym)
12pm. Lunch Shallenberger Hall
12:40.pm. Energizer Shallenberger Hall
Shallenberger Hall
Going Local: Base-Building (Break outs Possible in
12:45pm. and Council-Building Gym)
Evaluation & Closing
3pm-4pm. Ceremony Shallenberger Hall
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The Elements of a Story of Now
" The strategy – your plan to achieve your goal.
" A strategic “hopeful” choice that each person in your audience

can make
" A specific ask for each person that involves a commitment of

time, resources before they leave.
" A description of what collectively can be achieved.
Storytelling is a dynamic, non-linear process.
Each time you tell your story you will adapt it – to make yourself
clearer, to adjust to a different audience, to locate yourself in a
different context. As you develop a story of us, you may find you want
to alter your story of self, especially as you begin to see the
relationship between the two more clearly. Similarly, as you develop a
story of now, you may find it affects what went before. And, as you go
back to reconsider what went before, you may find it alters your story
of now.
Storytelling takes practice.
Our goal this weekend is not to leave with a final “script” of your public
narrative that you will use over and over again during your campaign.
The goal is to help you learn a process by which you can generate your
narrative over and over and over again, when, where, and how you
need to in order to motivate yourself and others to specific, strategic
action.
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GOAL
! Develop a story of NOW
NOTE: It’s more than an “ask.” It’s a choice about whether someone’s
going to stay on the sidelines or dive into the campaign. It’s an
opportunity for them to join WITH you, not just work FOR you.
AGENDA
40min
Groups of 4
1. (3min) Decide on a facilitator and time keeper
2. (10min) Personal writing: Develop: (10min)

! What is our Challenge right now?
! What is our Choice right now?: "will you join me"
o NOTE: It’s more than an “ask.” It’s a choice about whether
someone’s going to stay on the sidelines or dive into the
campaign. It’s an opportunity for them to join WITH you,
not just work FOR you.
! What will the Outcome be if we make that choice?
! What stories can you tell for each part? What vivid details can
you use?
3. (25min) Practice / Feedback

! Each person
o 2min practice
o 3min feedback:
" What details / emotions stand out?
" What could be developed further?
" What was the challenge, choice, outcome?
" What was the theme that threaded the story
together?
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Use these questions to help you to put together your story of now.
You should draw on the work your team has been doing in the earlier
strategy sessions to fill in the answers to the questions below.
Why is it urgent to work for progressive change right now? What

makes it urgent? Who are you serving in your community and the
world by being involved?
What is your strategy to address the current problems at hand? How

will you know that you are part of a solution? What will the outcome
look like if you are successful?
What is the single most important first step(s) can people take to join
you in this strategy? What form will their commitment take? Is it
clear what they should do? Is it clear when they should do it?
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DO
* What details / emotions stand out? (Be specific)

* What could be developed further?
* What was the challenge, choice, outcome?
* What was the theme that threaded the story together?
DON’T
Offer vague abstract "feel good" comments, unless you’ve

established the context.
What does the story teller learn from “you did a great job”, as
opposed to, “the way you described your moment of choice made
me feel very hopeful because. . . . “
Make value judgments about the story teller’s voice or the

validity of the point they want to make. The key here is that a
person find ways to express themselves in their own voice –word
choice, humor, metaphor, etc. Of course they need to know if
choices they’ve made communicate what they want to communicate.
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Coaching Your Team's Public Narrative
As you hear each other's stories, keeping track of the details of

each person’s story will help you to provide feedback and
remember details about people on your team later. Use the grid
below to track your team's stories.
Name Challenge Choice Outcome Notes
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Record Feedback/Comments from Your Team Members Here:
88
MoveOn Glossary
General Member- all MoveOn members who receive MoveOn emails and
participate in MoveOn's online actions. (cut the rest of the line-- not necessary)
Council- MoveOn Councils are local teams or organizations of committed

members who organize MoveOn campaigns in their communities.
Council Member- local MoveOn members who participate in council events.
Council Core Member- Members of the core group of the Council who organize
together to grow the Council and run the campaigns.
Council Coordinator (CC)- the main local organizer for the Council. The
Council Coordinator has three main responsibilities: Council development,
recruitment, and event organizing. The number one CC responsibility is council
development, which has two main components: building community and
developing leaders.
Recruitment Coordinator- The core member who is responsible for making

sure that s/he and her/his council are actively recruiting new members. The
Recruitment Coordinator should build and coordinate a team of core group
members focused on recruitment.
Media Coordinator- The core member who is responsible for making sure that
s/he and her/his council are actively building and maintaining a media list,
developing relationships with media representatives, pursuing media coverage,
prepping spokespeople and tracking media hits. The Media Coordinator should
build and coordinate a team of core group members focused on media work.
Regional Coordinator- The Regional Coordinator is the member leader who

helps build and strengthen all the Councils in the region, and develops other
members as local organizers. The main focus is to support Council Coordinators
in their local organizing.
Lead Regional Coordinator- The Lead Regional Coordinator role is the lead
organizer role for a team of RCs, to train, develop, and strengthen their RC
team. The LRC will work with the Field Organizer to support the RC team's
progress as organizers. The Lead Regional Coordinator is an advisory role to
both other RCs as well as the Field Organizer, and gives overall input about
where the team is going.
BOB- MoveOn's online event tool. This is where we keep track of all the
information about the hundreds or thousands of events at any given moment.
This tool allows MoveOn to distribute event materials to local organizers and to
target recruitment emails.
Council Pages- Moveon's online tool through which each council has a place to
keep track of their events and organizing tools, as well as to manage member
lists and communicate with each other.
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Evaluation Form * Friday, March 19th
Name, Council Name, Council Role: _____________________________
Overall, how would you rate the effectiveness of today's Training?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Please explain why you gave this rating. Give us as much detail as possible.
What are the highlights from today’s training?
What are three ways that today's trainings could have been improved?
Training Session: Welcome/Intro

Rate from 1-10:
Comments:
Training Session: What is Organizing
Rate from 1-10:

Comments:
Training Session: Organizing and Leadership in MoveOn
Rate from 1-10:

Comments:
Training Session: Debriefing 2009/Visioning 2010
Rate from 1-10:

Comments:
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Evaluation Form * Saturday, March 20th
Name, Council Name, Council Role: ____________________________
Overall, how would you rate the effectiveness of today's Training?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Please explain why you gave this rating. Give us as much detail as possible.
What are the highlights from today’s training?
What are three ways that today's trainings could have been improved?
Training Session:
Intro to Base Building
Rate from 1-10:
Comments:
Training Session:
Leadership Development Tracks (one-to-ones, etc)
Rate from 1-10:

Comments:
Training Session:
Skills Concentrations: base-building, media, tech, facilitation
Rate from 1-10:

Comments:
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Final Evaluation Form * Sunday, March 21st
Name, Council Name, Council Role: _________________________
Overall, how would you rate the effectiveness of ALL three

DAYS of the National Leadership Training?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Please explain why you gave this rating. Give us as much detail as
possible.
What are the highlights from ALL three DAYS of the National
Leadership Training?
What are three ways that the National Leadership Training could have
been improved?
Sunday's Training Session:

Story of Now and Field Planning
Rate from 1-10:
Comments:
Training Session:
Going Local: Base building & Council building
Rate from 1-10:

Comments:
PLEASE TURN OVER
95
LOGISTICS: Please rate the over all logistics:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Comments:
SKILLS-BUILDING:
What were your key lessons learned?
Were the instructions, materials and agenda clear? How can we

improve them for future trainings?
What skills do you still need to improve upon?
Next Steps
Do you feel comfortable using the skills we worked on?
What is your next step for putting these skills into practice?
Are there additional trainings you would like to participate in?
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MoveOn National Leadership Training

The National Leadership Training is for the leadership of the

We are going to:

The National Leadership Training is a priority, because the

On March 19th-21st 2010, we will come together in Washington

9am Registration & Breakfast Shallenberger

Organizing and Leadership in

8am Breakfast Shallenberger

D. Advanced Facilitation TBD 71-79

8:30am. Breakfast Shallenberger

9am Registration and Breakfast Shallenberger Hall

Organizing and Leadership in Shallenberger Hall

The MoveOn Council leadership will:

1. Learn what is effective grassroots

2. Develop vision and plan for

3. Build capacity for leading

What is your commitment to working with MoveOn and organizing for

Respect All Points of View

! Attentive listening. Focus on what is being said by others. Don’t

Take Personal Responsibility

! Be on time. MoveOn will not wait for you.

Step Up / Step Back

! Conscious self-monitoring. Consider the impact of your words

! De-escalate conflict by being aware of your body language and

Materials Adapted from SOUL:

8am Breakfast Shallenerger Hall

Materials Adapted from SOUL:

Each of us has a compelling story to tell.

Public narrative as a practice of leadership

Leadership is about accepting responsibility for enabling others to

Why Use Public Narrative? Two Ways of Knowing

(And we need both!)

Emotions inform us of what we value in ourselves, in others, and in

Some emotions inhibit action, but other emotions facilitate

Action is inhibited by inertia, fear, self-doubt, isolation, and apathy.

Hearing the Call to Action

Inhibitors to Action Calls to Action

SELF -DOUBT YCMAD

Public narrative combines a story of self, a story of us, and a

A “story of self” tells why you have been called to serve.

Every one of us has a compelling story to tell. We all have heroes in

The power in your story of self is to reveal something of yourself and

A “story of us” communicates why our community in particular

A “story of now” communicates the urgent challenge we are

The SELF – US – NOW Structure

The Three Key Elements of Public Narrative Structure

A plot begins with an unexpected challenge that confronts a character

Because we can empathetically identify with the character, we can

Challenge: Why did you feel it was a challenge? What was so

A word about challenge. Sometimes people see the word challenge

We'll be watching the first seven minutes of Barack Obama's 2004

What are his Who is the “us” What challenge

1. Do you think he did a good job of telling his story?

3. What values did he talk about in his story?

1. Gather in your team. Choose a timekeeper. Choose a 3 min.

2. Take some time as individuals to silently develop your 5 min.

3. Choose a partner. 12 min.

- 3 minutes each for feedback:

NOTE: You have just 2 minutes to tell your story. Stick to

What did you learn from reflecting on these moments of challenge,

Challenge: Why did you feel it was a challenge? What was so

Hopefully you’ve been thinking of your story in advance of the

FAMILY & LIFE CHOICES MOVEON

CHALLENGE: CHOICE: OUTCOME: