The Fortune “Power 25”

The Fortune “Power 25” Influence Inventory The Persuasion Tactics that Change Legislators’ Minds

Background

Are you benchmarking or bench-parking? Who do you benchmark against? Your peers? Did you ever think that this approach may be shortsighted? When we benchmark against our own industry, we limit our scope. True visionaries know that doing something different from our peers is what accelerates growth.

Benchmarking is defined as “a standard of excellence or achievement, or a measurement compared to similar entities.” We disagree. We believe that comparing ourselves to other similar groups leads to bench-parking. If you benchmark against groups who are similar to yours, but are still not getting the results you want, you are probably bench-parked.

What do the Teamsters, the National Association of Broadcasters, the AARP, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have in common? A lot, actually, when it comes to recruiting, retaining and motivating their most productive grassroots advocates. This research focuses on quality grassroots volunteer recruitment, retention, and motivation. It is not about how to get more warm bodies, or more “yaktivists” for your cause, it’s about getting and keeping the people who matter into your organization.

New Benchmarking Tool Available

The Showalter Group has developed a benchmarking tool for organizations that wish to compare and improve their organizational competencies relative to quality grassroots recruitment, retention and motivation. The benchmarking tool reveals the 20 organizational competencies that the top lobbying groups in the country (Fortune magazine’s “Power 25”) consistently practice which result in motivated, reliable, grassroots networks.

Based on the organizational competencies of the “Power 25,” you will learn:

• How you should motivate your grassroots volunteers beyond plaques, trophies and luncheons
• What senior organization leaders consistently must do to recruit and retain their best advocates
• What one communication method that greatly increases the probability that an average grassroots volunteer will become a quality grassroots evangelist
• What type of information you must provide to your grassroots volunteers to keep them engaged year round
• What the “Power 25” tried relative to recruiting, retention and motivation that did not work; and,
• What challenges they still face as they seek to improve their grassroots prowess.