So you've taken the time to survey your social landscape. Your organization has figured which constituencies are your natural friends and which are your opponents, and the various groups in between. You have run the Spectrum of Allies. Now what?

How do you decide what to do? How do you identify the key constituencies on which to focus your limited energies? If winning means moving different segments in your general direction, however slightly, how can you collectively develop tailor-made arguments and tactics that target these particular slices of the social pie you want to pull over to your side?

Here's a recently developed workshop exercise, a shiny new strategy tool to help your gang define next steps in campaign design. It includes step-by-step instructions, so you can facilitate the tool with some confidence in your group.

MOVING YOUR ALLIES EXERCISE

Goal: Learn how to engage allies through convincing arguments and tactics.

Time: 20 to 40 minutes

Description

This exercise is meant as a follow-up to the Spectrum of Allies exercise. We develop arguments and one specific request to move a given constituency one wedge over to our side. We then roleplay the interaction.

Running the exercise

TIP

You have just run the Spectrum of Allies exercise. Before you divide into small groups, pick one constituency in each of the other four wedges of the Spectrum (you omit “active allies”). Allocate one to each small group. Two cofacilitators are needed, as each will take turn roleplaying with teams.

SAY

Let’s remember the “good news”: all it takes to win sometimes is to move one group, one constituency one wedge closer to us in the Spectrum of Allies. In our next exercise, our goal will be to move one constituency one wedge closer to us. You will find convincing arguments, pick one tactic and come up with one specific request, one simple thing to ask that consituency.

DO

As you explain this, refer to the Spectrum of Allies on the flip chart. Give an example. Show movement from one wedge to the next with arrows.

SAY

This group here is a passive opponent, if we can move it from being a passive opponent to being neutral, we affect the balance of power. Sometimes, we may win just from that.

SAY

So this is your task:

1. Find a convincing arguments that will appeal to your target group.

2. Create 1 tactic to move that group one wedge closer to us

3. Come up with one small, achievable thing, one specific request to engage someone in that group towards your goal.

DO

Reveal or write down the task.

SAY

Here’s an example of what I mean.

Say you’re working on a campaign to encourage consumers to buy locally-grown food as a way to fight global warming and support the local economy. You have identified the local chain Supermarket as a passive opponent. You want to move that passive opponent into a more neutral position (rather than it joining the camp of active opponents).

• Task 1. As you look for convincing arguments geared to the Supermarket, you may find that:

Because locally grown food doesn’t need to travel long distance, it will be fresher and sell better.

Locally grown food supports the local economy. The better the local economy, the more people can buy at the Supermarket.

• Task 2. One tactic to engage the Supermarket can be to convince it to set up one special display for locally-grown food. It benefits the Supermarket, and it benefits your goals.
  

• Task 3. Your one specific request may be to ask the Supermarket manager for a meeting to discuss the idea of setting up a display for locally-grown food.

 SAY

Are there are any questions?

SAY

You have 5 minutes to do this. Then each group will roleplay the interaction. Us facilitators will take turn playing the part of a representative of the constituency you aim to move. You will engage with us and make your specific ask to us in a short, 2-minute roleplay.

DO

Divide the group into 4 teams (one for a constituency in each wedge, except “us, active allies”). Give each group the constituency you picked within its wedge.

WATCH

Circulate among the teams and make sure everybody understood the task. Watch group dynamics and see how far they’ve come after 4 or 5 minutes. If more time seems needed, give a few more minutes. When most team look like they’re almost done, annonce one more minute. Ask them to make sure they know who in the team (one, many, or all) will play the interaction.

TIP

Decide among you facilitators who will do the first roleplay and who will observe and call time.

SAY

Okay, time to roleplay your dialogue and tactic. Each group has two minutes.

DO

Roleplay each of the teams. Let teams tell you who to be. If they don’t specify a role for you, volunteer one.

TIP

As you play the part of a representative of the constituency, you may show some initial surprise or skepticism, but let yourself be convinced.

TIP

As you keep time, you can end the roleplay a little earlier or extend it a bit as you feel the conclusion is being reached.

DO

Debrief the roleplay in three steps: reflect, generalize, apply.

SAY

So how was that? How did it feel to present your arguments? How did the asking part go?

SAY

Learn anything new? What discoveries did you make through your discussions, the roleplays?

DO

Summarize main points on the flip chart.

SAY

What do you think you could apply to your current campaign? How can you use this in real life?

— Philippe Duhamel, interTactica.org

The "Moving your allies" exercise was developed by Lorena Rodriguez <lorena [at] tradejusticecampaign [dot] org> and Philippe Duhamel <philippe.duhamel [at] mac [dot] com> at a Ruckus Training for Trainers, in 2007. You can download a PDF here.

Do you think this exercise may be useful? Do you plan to use it? Have you used it (oh please let me know!)? Do you know of other related tools you'd like to share with us? Thanks for your comments!