I tend to work with folks with big ideas — people who believe in what they’re doing and believe that other people will find meaning and hope in joining in their work. Unfortunately, sometimes those same visionaries go a little batty when it comes to technology. Instead of applying the same shrewd, thoughtful, and passionate approach they bring to their face-to-face organizing, they (we) often have the “if you build it, they will come” mentality when it comes to technology (which worked great in that Kevin Costner movie, but doesn’t work so well in real life). If we put up that facebook page, if we have the latest social networking functionality, if we have blogs, event calendars, photo galleries, and user generated content, then the people will come.
The problem with this way of thinking about technology (or fundraising, or program development, or most anything related to organizing) is that this just doesn’t pan out as true. You can have the finest technology, and still have no one show up.
So, what technological strategies do work when it comes to promoting social change, building organizational capacity, and changing the world? While it may seem rather simple, a few organizing principles that work in real life work on the web too.
Three touches
This is a simple tactic I learned at the Beloved Community Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. It’s really as basic as it sounds, the idea being that for each person you interact with you want to make three touches, three points of contact to gain a commitment.
Think about inviting a new friend over for dinner. Your first touch is an initial greeting, at that point you might exchange contact information with hopes of connecting again. Your second touch might be a phone call or email with an invitation to come over for dinner. You might suggest some times and dates and ask what works for them. The third touch then might be a confirmation, making sure you’re cooking something they would like and that they have directions to your home. So, there’s the three touches in action. Three basic points of contact that lead to a commitment to relationship.
Translated into an organizing context this means you can’t just throw up a flier and expect that people are going to show up. Putting up a flier might be one touch, but then you’ve got to make calls, talk to friends and neighbors, and arrange for transportation and logistics.
The same is true of an online happening. If you want people to come to your blog and interact in an online conversation, you can’t just post something and expect that the conversation will take off. So, you need to develop an organizing strategy for how to get people around the virtual table.
Imagine your trying to host a conversation with young people about intergenerational organizing. Your first touch might be talking to 5 young people whose opinions you respect and whose voice you want in the dialogue. Ask each of them to commit to posting a comment on the blog. Your second touch might be an email to your constituency, highlighting the original post and the fact that the conversation is already happening. Your third touch might be an editorial in the local newspaper, highlighting the dialogue, encouraging further involvement, and maybe even announcing a face-to-face gathering in the near future.
Now, such a tactic by no means guarantees success. But, tied with an organizing strategy, technology can help you to make a some of the touches necessary to building relational commitment.
Read more in part 2…