From Listening to Action
The topic for this meeting was ‘How to turn listening into action, balancing the urgency of what we hear with the complexities of achieving it? ‘
The first speaker was Nick Gardham from Community Organisers, who drew on Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals as well as the Operation WiFi campaign led by Community Organisers.
He was followed by Tony McKenzie, who is leading the Re-Connection Tour for Engage Britain, who spoke about the responses to the Hebden Bridge floods, as well as insights from the Experts by Experience panel at the charity Crisis.
We also heard from Emma Sandrey, from Co-Production Wales, who shared lessons from the practice of co-production.
Here are some of the key points made by speakers and in discussion:
Good listening is first and foremost listening to understand, not to respond.
Active listening is action, because it can bring about change in both the speaker and listener, and can open a doorway to a different future.
· As community organisers know, it is important to learn to work with self-interest. Not everyone will be driven by altruism, but self-interest (not selfishness) can lead to shared interest and action.
It is important to be honest and human in our interactions. Listening well builds relationships, and that can have lasting value.
Often an agile, iterative approach is needed, to generate a virtuous cycle of listening–action–listening. It is important to move fast when needed, and not become encumbered by bureaucratic rules.
Every organisation should be willing to say to those they work with, ‘You are allowed to drop the ball and pick it up again’.
Local authorities and other government bodies should sometimes be willing to step back and say, ‘What can we do to support you to bring about the change you want to see?’. There are usually people in a local authority who want to work in that way, and others who have very different entrenched ideas.
There is a great deal of frustration when things don’t change. We need to get better at recognising and channelling the anger in ways that can drive change.
For those confronted with institutions that find it hard to really listen, it is necessary to keep the pressure on, and to remember that ‘a good tactic is one that your people enjoy’ (Alinsky).
Energy and enjoyment can come in various ways, e.g. from being part of a group with a common cause, from being heard, from a realistic sense of hope (not false optimism), from a sense of humour. High energy and enjoyable activities will encourage far more people to take part, and amplify the power of the message.