http://showaltergroup.com/blog Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2011/05/25/how-to-prevent-burnout-of-your-most-valuable-advocates-2/ http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2011/05/25/how-to-prevent-burnout-of-your-most-valuable-advocates-2/#comments Wed, 25 May 2011 15:00:30 +0000 Amy Showalter http://showaltergroup.com/blog/?p=930 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2011/05/25/how-to-prevent-burnout-of-your-most-valuable-advocates-2/feed/ 0 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2011/01/26/motivating-grassroots-volunteers/ http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2011/01/26/motivating-grassroots-volunteers/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:30:19 +0000 Amy Showalter http://showaltergroup.com/blog/?p=246 The Good News There is a lot of time and effort directed at motivating grassroots volunteers. The bad news is that much of it is directed in the wrong place. What is lacking in most organizations, most markedly in the corporate grassroots programs, are grassroots managers with the motivation and team leadership skills who can motivate your members or employees to become raging grassroots thunder activists. Like it or not, just as a CEO or department Vice President imbues a type of leadership and culture upon their organization, the grassroots manager also does this with the grassroots program. Even Fortune magazine noted the drop in Christian Coalition membership when its charismatic leader, Ralph Reed, resigned. Why Can’t We Motivate Grassroots Volunteers? Most public affairs...]]> http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2011/01/26/motivating-grassroots-volunteers/feed/ 0 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2011/01/19/13-things-you-should-be-doing-now-for-grassroots-mobilization-success/ http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2011/01/19/13-things-you-should-be-doing-now-for-grassroots-mobilization-success/#comments Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:28:15 +0000 Amy Showalter http://showaltergroup.com/blog/?p=112 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2011/01/19/13-things-you-should-be-doing-now-for-grassroots-mobilization-success/feed/ 0 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/11/24/common-obstacles-to-trust-and-how-to-overcome-them-part-three/ http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/11/24/common-obstacles-to-trust-and-how-to-overcome-them-part-three/#comments Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:00:36 +0000 Amy Showalter http://showaltergroup.com/blog/?p=163 Negative communication If we are truly grassroots professionals, we should embrace bottom up communication. Many times our messages only ask members to do something for us, or tell them what they should not be doing, saying, thinking, and so forth. It is important to be a carrier of good news. It affects how we are seen in the organization and how much time our advocates will give us in the future. People attribute negative personal characteristics to those who bring us bad news, regardless of whether they were involved in creating that bad news. We generally don't trust those we don't like. What is your positive-to-negative communication ratio? Ask your...]]> http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/11/24/common-obstacles-to-trust-and-how-to-overcome-them-part-three/feed/ 0 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/11/01/innovate-to-motivate%c2%ae-success-survey-grassroots-quality-and-strategic-planning/ http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/11/01/innovate-to-motivate%c2%ae-success-survey-grassroots-quality-and-strategic-planning/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:48:16 +0000 Amy Showalter http://showaltergroup.com/blog/?p=218 Grassroots Quality Quotient Because Innovate to Motivate® conference community members are experienced, they know that there is more to grassroots than names in a database. Technology has leveled the playing field, and the differentiating factor in a winning grassroots program is one characterized by committed, strategically positioned volunteers. I know a quality volunteer when I see one, and I wanted to know how the I2M community defines it. What behaviors translate into a valued volunteer advocate? 1. The Committed 60% I refer to this group as the “committed” because these advocates consistently give their time...]]> http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/11/01/innovate-to-motivate%c2%ae-success-survey-grassroots-quality-and-strategic-planning/feed/ 0 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/10/18/common-obstacles-to-trust-and-how-to-overcome-them-part-two/ http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/10/18/common-obstacles-to-trust-and-how-to-overcome-them-part-two/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:00:32 +0000 Amy Showalter http://showaltergroup.com/blog/?p=161 Direction changes The insidious impact of direction changes is why it is so important to foster a grassroots and PAC community within an organization. Campaigns definitely have their purpose, but they can reduce motivation in the long term unless community is created from them. Our advocates will tolerate change, but not ambiguity. I'm thrilled to hear about organizations that are revitalizing their grassroots and PAC communities. However, the fact that they have to "revitalize" means that the original effort stalled. This impacts our ability to motivate our team for future battles. How do your advocates and PAC leaders know that this "revitalization" isn't just another two-year attempt (or more commonly,...]]> http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/10/18/common-obstacles-to-trust-and-how-to-overcome-them-part-two/feed/ 0 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/10/06/how-to-get-your-advocates-off-their-computers-and-on-the-streets-part-two/ http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/10/06/how-to-get-your-advocates-off-their-computers-and-on-the-streets-part-two/#comments Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:50:47 +0000 Amy Showalter http://showaltergroup.com/blog/?p=43 This is a follow-up post (see part one here) giving you a basic checklist of what you’ll need to do to get more of your advocates off the computer and in front of their legislators and community groups.

1. When you have determined the path, create the infrastructure. Without this, it’s like trying to build a plane while you are flying it. Resources should include training, team structure, defined team member roles, team resources, team communications, reporting structures, events, rewards and recognition, for a start.
2. Get real. Find out who is willing to go to the next level, and what they are willing to do. I call it measuring commitment intensity. My “Winning Hearts and Minds” research with over 400 grassroots and...]]> http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/10/06/how-to-get-your-advocates-off-their-computers-and-on-the-streets-part-two/feed/ 0 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-top-12-things-to-do-now-for-grassroots-success/ http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-top-12-things-to-do-now-for-grassroots-success/#comments Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:52:26 +0000 Amy Showalter http://showaltergroup.com/blog/?p=95 now to reduce your stress, improve efficiency, and have better results with your grassroots activations.
   1. Mind the patterns. Which legislative districts are most responsive? Do you know why? Review all e-mail open rates, click throughs, forwards, and page visits. You probably do this after each grassroots mobilization campaign, but look at the broader pattern and build on what's working. Review all of your metrics.
   2. Talk to your TBs (true believers). Survey your regular responders. Again, we are building from a strength here. What do they find compelling about your calls to action? What are their recommendations for getting more responses? Do this in a methodical way in order to produce...]]> http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-top-12-things-to-do-now-for-grassroots-success/feed/ 0 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/09/24/credibility-webinar-don%e2%80%99t-leave-home-without-it/ http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/09/24/credibility-webinar-don%e2%80%99t-leave-home-without-it/#comments Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:30:33 +0000 Amy Showalter http://showaltergroup.com/blog/?p=604 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/09/24/credibility-webinar-don%e2%80%99t-leave-home-without-it/feed/ 0 http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/07/21/frequently-asked-grassroots-questions/ http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/07/21/frequently-asked-grassroots-questions/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:03:22 +0000 Amy Showalter http://showaltergroup.com/blog/?p=350 1. How often should we ask our members/ employees to contact their legislators? The scientific answer is “it depends!” I used to believe there was a strict limit on the number of “Action Calls” one could implement. Always being smarter than I was two weeks ago, I’ve come to realize that the organizational and legislative environment dictates this. Be suspect of the motives of any “expert” who cites an exact number. It just doesn’t pass the eye roll test. While we all know that unexpected legislative dilemmas will arise, you and your lobbyist should...]]> http://showaltergroup.com/blog/2010/07/21/frequently-asked-grassroots-questions/feed/ 1