Persuasion Isn't Power
"No, probably not. It doesn't matter which party's in power," the woman at the door in front of me replied, turning the flyers over that I handed her, "like these people. What are they gonna do about my electric bill? What are they gonna do about our schools closing? When they get elected they're not gonna do anything."
This is what people miss when they label voters as "apathetic," or they don't care. They do care, but how can they justify spending time, energy, or money if it's not going to improve their life today, not just in 5-10 years? They hate politics because the change that's promised to them never comes, and they're told they're being unrealistic for expecting it to.
It comes down to listening and accountability. Here are six things I look for in finding who holds what power and how things change:
What is the pain someone is feeling?
What problem does that pain tie back to?
What systems are responsible for this problem?
Who specifically has the capacity and authority to make the system changes needed to solve the problem?
How is that person rewarded for maintaining the systems as they are? What disincentives are there for them making changes to the system?
Who specifically influences the individuals with power?
Questions like these are at the core of our approach to all we do. Businesses often want to make change because they feel like something isn't working, and don't know which foot can lead the best next step.
Dunham Listens helps them learn and turn paralysis into decision making and the results they care about most. Reach out to us if decisions aren't getting made and you want to move your team forward.
Our worksheet for exploring how power and influence affect decision making and structural reforms.