#8: How to Build Trust--the Role of Caring

—by John Graham, activist, author and former diplomat

Coach’s Corner #7 made the point that successful citizen activism often depends on individual people and/or small groups sticking their necks out to trust when no one else seems ready to take that risk. But how do you do that, especially if the people you’re up against are difficult?

#7 Trust Them? Are You Kidding?

- by John Graham, activist, author and former diplomat

You’ve got an issue, defined a project and created a vision for its success. You’re ready to act. No, not yet. Being a successful agent for change is about more than making the right moves. It’s also about making the moves right.

Public problem solving works best when people deliberate with respect, integrity, and concern for the common good. But that conduct is not what we usually see in the public arena—at any level—and it’s not the way most people think about any public process, especially where there’s conflict or the possibility of conflict. From the U.S. Congress to your local school board, too often we see the public process bringing out the worst in people, not the best. Getting involved in it often seems as attractive as having a root canal.

#6 What’s the Vision for Your Project?

—by John Graham, activist, author and former diplomat

In the last Coach’s Corner (#5), I said that a vision is a mental picture of the result you want to achieve--a picture so clear and strong it will help make that result real. I explained why a vision is important and then listed the qualities a vision needs to succeed.

In this article, you’ll learn how to guide a group in creating and communicating a vision for its project. The instructions assume one group all working on the same project, but you can adjust the instructions if you have people in the room working on different projects, or if you are visioning on your own.

#5 The Importance of Vision

—by John Graham, activist, author and former diplomat

A vision is a mental picture of the result you want to achieve---a picture so clear and strong it will help make that result real. A vision is not a vague wish or dream or hope. It’s a picture of the real results of real efforts. It comes from the future and informs and energizes the present. Visioning is the most powerful tool I’ve witnessed in over twenty years of helping organizations and individuals get the results they want.