Manual Organizing Comm

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Adapted from Young People For

Root Cause Tree

OVERVIEWThe Root Cause Tree helps you visually analyze the symptoms (fruit). Institutional causes (trunk), and

underlying systemic causes (roots) of a problem.

This tool helps you define your individual analysis about a problem if you complete it as an individual

exercise, or create a shared analysis of a problem if you complete it with a group.

WHY USE THIS TOOL?Determine a problems root causes will help you avoid band-aid solutions or solutions that only address

symptoms. Our analysis of a problem will determine the strategy we use to solve it. You must be able toarticulate your analysis in order to develop a solution and to identify appropriate allies and partners. It is

important that people have a shared analysis of a problem so that can have a shared plan of action to

address the problem.

HOW DO I USE THIS TOOL?STEP 1: Decide what issue to analyze using the Root Cause Tree.STEP 2: Use the blank Root Cause Tree chart on the next page. Start by filling out the top levelof the sheet with the impacts or symptoms of the issue. These impacts are represented by the

fruit; they are problems that you can see or touch in your community.

STEP 3: Ask yourself or the group, What are the structures and policies that institutionalizethe problems we see (the fruit)? or Why do these problems exist on our communities? Fill in

the trunk section with structures or policies that institutionalize the main issue youve chosen.

STEP 4: Ask yourself or the group, What are the underlying historical, social, political, oreconomic root causes of these problems? or Why do these structures or policies (trunk) exist?

Keep saying Why? in order to get to the root causes.

STEP 5: Discuss what your analysis of the main issue means for your approach to socialchange. Your actions must go beyond the symptoms (fruit), and address structures or policies

(trunk), in order to make lasting change in your community.

YLC CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM

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Adapted from Young People For

TRUNK: What structures, practices, and policies

institutionalize the problem?

ROOTS: What are the underlying historical,

social, political or economic root causes of

these problems? Why do these structuresor policies exist?

FRUIT: What impact or problems do you see

facing your community?

Root Cause Tree


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Adapted from Social Justice Leadership

Approaches to Change


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THE ARTOF BASE-BUILDINGIN TRANSFORMATIVE ORGANIZING



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Goals of Outreach:

1. Learn about the person and their perspective on the problems facing the community.2. Person believes that building community power is necessary to solve community problems.3. Person commits to getting involved.

1. THE PROBLEM

Introduce yourself, the organization, and your purpose for contacting them.

Ask them about their experiences or opinion regarding the problem that your organization is working on.

LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN!! Remember that we dont have to convince people there is aproblem, they should know from their own life experiences. Your job is to elicit their thoughts on theproblem, through asking open-ended questions, and find out what their interest is.

Hi, Im Malcom. Im part of a group called So Just Organize.Im talking to people today about the job situation in the community and what we can do about it.

Do you think there is a job crisis in this community? Is this having an impact on you? Or on thecommunity? Do you know anyone who has struggled to find work here?

2. ANALYSIS

DIALOGUE on short term causes to the problems in the community that we are organizing around

DIALOGUE on long term or root causes to the problem

Ask them if this situation is fair, and if they think it will get better on its own

Why do you think the job situation is so bad in our neighborhoods? Is it like this in other neighborhoods?

So Just Organize believes that our community is being neglected because politicians and corporationsthat run the economy ignore people in this community because most of the people here are poor peopleof color- and that aint right!

Do you think our community would be treated differently if it were on the Upper West Side? Do you thinkthats fair? Do you think the problem will get better on its own?

3. VISION

Dialogue on SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS to the problems the community faces that we are organizingaround

Dialogue on LONG TERM SOLUTIONS

Ask open-ended questions about what they think it will take to build a movement in your city to shift the

balance of power for low-income communities of colorDescribe how our organization has a plan to build power and address short and long-term problems

What do you think is needed to create more good-paying jobs in this community?

So Just Organize believes that the government must ensure that people get good-paying sustainablejobs. Our plan is to get the govt and construction companies to train and hire thousands ofneighborhood people to refurbish all these buildings with environmentally-friendly materials.

Do you think that will make a difference in the community? Do you think theyll give our community thesejobs if we just ask for it? What will it take for our voices to be heard?

So Just believes we have to build community power over the long-term, so poor communities of colorcan be at the decision-making tables for how our city should develop.

OUTREACH OUTLINE


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APPROACHESTO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT



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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PLAN WORKSHEET



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RESOLVING CONFLICT CREATIVELYCONFLICT CYCLE

Every person approaches conflict with different

attitudes, beliefs, values that come from her/his ATTITUDES, BELIEFSexperience. Based on this experience, a persons & VALUESresponse to conflict can either result in negative

or positive consequences.

CONSEQUENCES CONFLICTMediation can help gain the skills, awareness

and willingness to change negative responsesinto positive ones. RESPONSE

FIVE KEY CONCEPTS OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION1. Conflict is a NATURAL part of life.

Even if we learn skills to deal with conflict, it will continue to exist.

2. We can learn skills to help us deal better with conflict.By learning communication and creative conflict resolution skills, we can become

better at solving problems.

3. There are many alternatives.Through practice, we can learn the skills to generate many alternative solutions

that do not usually occur to us.

4. We can all win.We can create win-win solutions, where each party has their needs met, when we

use our conflict resolution skills.

5. The process of creative conflict solving is rooted in a deep sense ofrespect for others and ourselves.

RESOLVIONG CONFLICT CREATIVELY


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Adapted from Powerful Non-Defensive Communication and Hollyhock Leadership Institute

The Powerful Non-Defensive Communication ModelPowerful Non-Defensive Communication: Nonviolent communication is apowerful and effective alternative to the War Model where all the needs of all parties

are recognized and valued to best identify solutions. It is a gateway to creating

compassionate connections consisting of:

* Making clear, non-judgmental observations

* Identifying and expressing feelings

* Identifying and expressing the needs that are connected to the feelings

* Making clear doable positive action requests

Non-Defensive Communication Tools:The character and function ofquestions,statements, and predictionsare very different when we use them non-defensively. For

example, rather than asking questions that convey our own opinion or lead others to

answer in a prescribed way, we can ask questions that are genuinely curious, open,

innocent, neutral,and inviting.

Formats for Non-Defensive Communication:Questions: We can use questionsto gather accurate information quickly and tostimulate others to respond sincerely and honestly.

Statements: We can make statementsthat provide others with thoroughinformation about how we interpret what they are saying and our reactions.

Predictions: We can make predictionsto create security through predictability.Quantum Leaps:Using non-defensive communication, we can be honest andpowerful while being compassionate and sincere. One aspect of the powerof non-

defensive communication is that the process allows us to communicate with great

clarity and walk away with increased self-esteem, even if the other person chooses not

to cooperate. Anyone who uses this process can make a quantum leap in personal and

professional growth. By changing how we communicate as individuals, we can work

effectively toward greater understanding among diverse groups, and ultimately toward

a more peaceful world.

FINAL THOUGHT Every moment offers us a choice about how to respond. So nexttime you find yourself in a heated argument, ask yourself, Do I simply want to win, or

do I want to create effective dialogue as that we both win?

Adapted from Powerful Non-Defensive Communication & Hollyhock Leadership Institute

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COMMUNICATION


1. Ask Questions: Nature: curious, open, innocent, neutral, inviting

Purpose: To gather thorough information to understand accurately whatthe person means, believes, or feels.

Example: If someone acts upset, the first step is to simply ask the person directly aboutyour own assumption so he can confirm, deny, or qualify, for example, Are youirritated (frustrated, angry, upset) about something?

Avoid: Using a question to express your own opinion or to entrap others.

2. Make Statements: Nature: open, direct, vulnerable, subjective, descriptive

Purpose: The first three steps are to state neutrally our subjective interpretation of1) what we hear the other person saying, 2) any contradictions we see (perceive)in the person's tone, body language, and words, and 3) our conclusions regardingthe person's overt and covert messages. The fourth step is not neutral and is to4) fully express our own reactions, our feelings, beliefs, and reasoning.

Example: If the person continues to act irritable and yet denies it when asked, sayingharshly, Im fine!, we might respond with this four part statement:

Hear: When I hear you saying that you are in a good mood

See: and(at the same time) I see that you are rolling your eyes and shrugging

Conclude: then I believe that something is wrong but you dont want to tell me

Reaction: andso I feel frustrated and am not sure if I should ask you morequestions or leave you alone.

Avoid: Stating opinion asfactor trying to convince others to agree.

3. Predict Consequences: Nature: protective, foretelling, neutral, definitive, firm

Purpose: To create boundaries and security by telling another person ahead of time how we

will react if s/he does make a certain choice, and how we will react if s/he doesnot make that choice.

Example: If the person still acts upset and continues to deny it, after hearing our statement,saying I said Im fine, there's no problem!, we can set a limit using an If......then sentence:

If you would like to tell me what's going on, then I'd like to hear it. If you don't want to tell me, then I dont want to try to make you.

Avoid: Using a consequence prediction to coax,punish, orfalsely threaten others.

We are using non-defensive communication when we ask questions, make statements and predictconsequences in an open, sincere way without trying to control how other people respond. We cangather accurate information, speak with clarity, protect ourselves, and hold others more accountable.People are more likely to respect us and we can strengthen personal and professional relationships.

Powerful Non-Defensive Communication

Adapted from Powerful Non-Defensive Communication


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COMMUNICATION


1. Surrender-Betray: We are a traitor to ourselves when we allow someone to mistreatus and then defend the person's behavior, taking the blame ourselves.

Example: We might say, He just treated me rudely because he was in a bad mood.

I should have known better than to ask a question just then.

2. Surrender-Sabotage: We outwardly give in or cooperate with someone and thenundermine the person in some way.

Example: We might talk about the person behind her back, or procrastinate about doing

something we told the person wed do.

3. Withdrawal-Escape: We avoid talking to someone about something we dontwant to discuss.

Example: We might simply not answer, or leave the room, or change the subject.

4. Withdrawal-Entrap: We refuse to give information to someone as a way to traphim/her into doing something inappropriate or making a mistake.

Example: We might just stare the person and not answer a question she asks until she gets

embarrassed and drops it or gets angry and says something that inappropriate.

5. Counterattack-Justify: We explain our own behavior or make excuses if someonequestions or criticizes us to let him know he is wrong to be upset with us.

Example: We might say I would have gotten that done sooner, but Ive been really

busy, or, Im doing my best, or I cant work any faster.

6. Counterattack-Blame: We attack or judge the other person to defend ourselves.

Example: We might blame the other person for whatever the problem is, saying perhaps,

You are always so critical, or, Why are you in such a bad mood?

Six Defensive ReactionsThat Prevent Powerful, Non-Defensive Communication

When someone says or does something to make us feel put down, hurt, frustrated, or angry,we may feel attacked and try to protect ourselves by using one or more of these six defensivereactions. When we get defensive, we get into power struggles, which causes manyunnecessary, destructive conflicts.

Adapted from Powerful Non-Defensive Communication


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COMMUNICATION


CO-INTELLIGENCE & DIALOGUE If it is in speaking their word that people, by naming the world, transform it, dialogue

imposes itself as the way by which they achieve significance as human beings.

Paulo Freire in Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Co-intelligencerefers to a shared, integrated form of intelligence created wheneverwe pool our personal intelligences to produce results that are more insightful and

powerful than the sum of our individual perspectives. . It is about creating our shared

lives together -- and doing it well. Co-intelligence is a capacitywe all have, individually

and collectively. This said, dialogue is an essential form of co-intelligence.

Dialogueis shared exploration towards greater understanding, connection, or possibilityamong women and men.It should not involve one person acting on another, butrather people working with each other. Dialogue isnt just about deepening

understanding - but it is part of making a difference in the world. Dialogue in itself is

a co-operative activity involving respect. The process is important and can be seen

as enhancing community and building social capital, leading us to act in ways that

make for justice and human flourishing.

In dialogue, :* We talk about what's really important to us.

* We really listen to each other.

* We say what's true for us without making each other wrong.

* We see what we can learn together by exploring things together.

* We avoid monopolizing the conversation and make sure everyone speaks.

Adapted from The Co-Intelligence Institute & Infed


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Adapted from The Co-Intelligence Institute

Dialogue or Debate?

DIALOGUE DEBATEDialogue is collaborative: two or more sides work

together toward common understanding

Debate is oppositional: two sides oppose each

other and attempt to prove each other wrong.

Dialogue causes introspection of one's own

position.

Debate causes critique of the other position.

In dialogue, finding common ground is the goal In debate, winning is the goal.

In dialogue, one listens to the other side(s) in

order to understand, find meaning, and find

agreement.

In debate, one listens to the other side in order

to find flaws and to counter its arguments.

Dialogue enlarges and possibly changes a

participant's point of view.

Debate affirms a participant's own point of

view.

Dialogue reveals assumptions for reevaluation. Debate defends assumptions as truth.

Dialogue opens the possibility of reaching a

better solution than any of the original solutions.

Debate defends one's own positions as the best

solution and excludes other solutions.

In dialogue, one searches for strengths in theother positions.

In debate, one searches for flaws andweaknesses in the other positions.

Dialogue creates an open-minded attitude and

openness to being wrong and to change.

Debate creates a closed-minded attitude, a

determination to be right.

Dialogue calls for temporarily suspending one's

beliefs.

Debate calls for investing wholeheartedly in

one's beliefs.

In dialogue, one searches for basic agreements. In debate, one searches for glaring differences.

Dialogue involves a real concern for the other

person and seeks to not alienate or offend.

Debate involves a countering of the other

position without focusing on feelings or

relationship and often belittles or deprecates

the other person.

Dialogue assumes that many people have pieces

of the answer and that together they can put

them into a workable solution.

Debate assumes that there is a right answer and

that someone has it.

Dialogue remains open-ended. Debate implies a conclusion.

Dialogue or Debate?

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Manual Organizing Comm