Self Interest and 1 on 1’s

Self-interest and 1 on 1s

LESSON OBJECTIVES

• Learners will understand the importance of self-interest and 1 on 1s in organizing
• Learners will understand the qualities of effective 1 on 1s
• Learners will be able to hold their own 1 on 1 organizing conversations

Image: Adobe

Think for a minute about this question:

What do you think motivates the best organizers?

Understanding Power

Building Power in Communities

Organizing People

Organizing Money

1 on 1s

Effective meetings

Why 1-on-1 Conversations?

Big reason: to understand the motivations of the person you talk to Why is motivation so important to understand? Think about the question we asked at the start -- with exceptions, motivation is a good indication of what kind of organizing to expect

Motivationin Organizing

• Naturally, we want to work with people who are selfless and care about others
• But that is usually not the best primary motivation for leaders
• They could still be important members of your team! But aren't likely to be reliable long-term leaders
• The most important motivation is self-interest -- skin in the game

Charity vs. Protagonism

Protagonism ("self-interest"):

• The model favored by Texas Housers
• Based on the belief that people at site of struggle and deeply invested in it should be the "protagonists" in it
• View our role as supporting them

Charity ("selflessness"):

• The model used by many non-profits
• Non-profits providing a service
• Tenants, organizers, advocates, etc. are working as directed by the staff to fulfill the goals of the non-profit, or are people to be serviced by the non-profit

Protagonism and Self-interest

• Organizers with self-interest:
• are better for long-term organizing
• have shown again and again to be more consistent, reliable, and dedicated
• are more likely to stick to the goal and be disciplined

• But the important thing -- and often your work -- is to connect that self-interest to a collective fight
• This is easier than convincing a "selfless" organizer, who cares about many fights, to focus on yours

Discovering Self-Interest

It can be identified in a one-on-one conversation through three questions: What do you want for yourself? What do you want for your family? What do you want for your community? These questions can help guide your conversation, but you don't have to ask them directly -- and always listen and follow up.

Purpose of 1-on-1s

• Main goal: Understand their self-interest
• Secondary goals:
• Gain clarity -- more information on the issue from people heavily involved
• Gather information -- perspective from the person and what skills and history they have
• Build trust and a deeper connection

Purpose of 1-on-1s

• 1-on-1s can have very different secondary purposes, depending on the experience of your target and your relationship:
• Potential recruits -- connecting their self-interest to the bigger fight
• New organizers -- finding a place for them and understanding what they need
• Experienced organizers -- building trust and understanding what they can do

Guiding Principles

• Set a time and place
• Stick to (roughly) 30 minutes

Guiding Principles

• You ask the questions
• They should talk way more than you talk (75/25)

Guiding Principles

• Be curious and courageous
• Draw it out -- keep asking "why"

Sample 1 on 1 with Nicole Luper, Amarillo

This conversation is divided into 2 parts. In both parts, pay close attention to:

• What questions Caleb (the interviewer) asks
• How he listens
• How he follows up on Nicole's answers

In this first part, think about:

• Why does he ask these first few biographical questions?
• How does he connect her personal history to her work?

Sample 1 on 1 with Nicole Luper, Amarillo

This conversation is divided into 2 parts. In both parts, pay close attention to:

• What questions Caleb (the interviewer) asks
• How he listens
• How he follows up on Nicole's answers

In this second part, think about:

• What does he learn about her skills and passions?
• What does he learn about her motivations?

The End!

Thank you for participating.