Module 9: Mobilizing Tactics

Major Sections

Day and Time:

I. Persuasion and Negotiation Tactics: 1:15-1:35 (20 minutes)

A. Miniteach on Persuasion (5 minutes)

1. Persuasion involves problem solving and education. Information is assembled, alternatives are examined, and mutually satisfying solutions are selected.

 
2. Persuasion tactics are used when there are shared objectives between two groups, when disagreements are modest, and when misunderstanding can be mediated with improved communication and/or by referring to a common interest.

 
3. The three parts to the use of persuasion as a tactic are the:

 
• Presenter
• Message
• Audience

 
4. Refer back to the group's work on Day One during the "Art of Communication" section for strategies on the Presenter, the Message, and the Audience.

B. Miniteach on Negotiation (15 minutes)

1. Negotiation is used when you cannot or choose not to persuade.

 
2. Negotiation requires that you make a demand, back it up with arguments, and then make a concession or trade.

 
3. Negotiation reflects power relationships more than it alters them.

 
4. The three phases of negotiation:

 
1. Pre-negotiation phase

 
• Establish self/organization as a serious contender.

 
• Determine what motivates those who oppose your goals-"walk in their shoes."

 
• Assess where those who stand in your way are most/least vulnerable.

 
• Define what it is that you have to do or trade to overcome or neutralize the concerns or objections of those who oppose your goals. (If you can take no follow-up action nor have anything to trade, then you should not negotiate but rely instead on persuasion tactics.)

 
• Rehearse making the demands-define roles and stance, define public and private agenda, develop lines of argument, anticipate objections, create defense and counter arguments, and identify potential concessions and your bottom line.

 
• Understand that compromise is essential in negotiation-not all of your demands will be met.

 
• Begin negotiation before the power of your group has peaked.

 
2. Negotiation phase

 
• It is a process.

 
• What is not said is as important as what is said.

 
• Use questions to determine the meaning of the opposition's demands, to reveal the degree of interest in specific demands, and to expose items of possible tension.

 
• Start with demands that are more than you need/more than you want.

 
• Maintain image of responsibility-do not make such unreasonable demands that the target can walk away from the process and paint you as an extremist and obstructionist.

 
• Threats must be credible to be effective-your resources and readiness must match your rhetoric.

 
• Threats are often more effective than actually invoking them.

 
• Increased demonstration of the group's commitment to demands increases effectiveness of threats-without having to use them.

 
3. Settlement phase

 
• Seek a win-win situation.

 
• Win on merits, not just power- concessions are made on merits because it is in the best interest of the opposition.

 
• People need to be able to save face-opponent must be able to justify change of position/withdrawal.

 
• You must help opponents rationalize change.

 
• Sometimes a third-party mediator can help offer an opponent a way out by yielding to the prestige of the mediator rather than the power of the challenger.

II. Work Groups on Persuasion and Negotiation : 1:35 - 2:00 (25 minutes)

• Have the work groups consider, discuss, and complete questions #15-21 on their worksheet pertaining to persuasion and negotiation.

 
• Remind the groups to refer to the posted strategies on obstacles, opportunities, and communication.

III. Role Play on Persuasion and Negotiation: 2:00 - 3:15 (75 minutes)

A. Practice Session (20 minutes)

1. Ask each work group to role play a persuasion or negotiation session on the case study it has been working on.

 
2. The trainers will take turns being the "subject/focus" of the persuasion or negotiation session.

 
3. The role play should involve all members of the work group.

 
4. Inform the members that they have just 20 minutes for the practice session and x minutes for each role play-as determined by the number of groups participating in this exercise-which includes both the role-play session and time for feedback to each group.

 
5. Remind the groups to use the posted strategies on obstacles and opportunities and communication from Day One, as well as the work they have been doing throughout Day Two as they prepare for their role play.

B. Conduct Role-Play Exercise (55 minutes)

1. The trainers should alternate among the following three roles: subject of role play, facilitator of feed-back, and timekeeper.

 
2. Ask for one of the groups to volunteer for the first role play.

 
3. Have the group tell the trainer what its role play is about.

 
4. Conduct the role play.

 
5. Conclude the role play after x minutes.

 
6. With the large group, critique the role play-be positive-using it as an opportunity to highlight communication strategies, selection of tactics, and persuasion and negotiation principles.

 
7. Repeat steps #2-7 until all groups have had a chance to participate in this exercise.

IV. Direct Action : 3:30 - 4:10 (40 minutes)

A. Miniteach on Direct Action (10 minutes)

1. Social change and conflict are interrelated-neither can exist without the other.

 
2. Direct action embraces conflict.

 
3. Direct action requires a well-organized constituency.

 
4. Direct action tactics are used to increase public awareness, to threaten and embarrass an opponent, and to provide glue for your movement.

 
5. Direct action helps, at times, to create bargaining power.

 
6. Direct action can be used to define extremes so that others can be seen as moderate and can use negotiation or persuasion tactics.

 
7. Direct action needs to conform to the standards of newsworthiness.

 
8. Direct action helps to transform the complexities of the issue and associated relationships so that new, simple patterns emerge-good vs. evil.

 
9. Direct action serves to dramatize a point of view.

 
10. Some types and examples (see Trainer Supplements for copy of news clips) of direct action:

 
• Protest: legal disputes, marches, demonstrations, rallies, vigils, petitions, teach-ins, picketing

 
• Non-cooperation: strikes, boycotts, absenteeism


(These must be widely supported to work.)
 

• Intervention: sit-ins, phone-ins, stand-ins, interference with routine procedures


(If used, all other remedies must first have failed. Direct action requires a public explanation, an appeal to a higher morality, and clear foresight of consequences; it is very high-risk.)

B. Work Groups on Direct Action (20 minutes)

1. Have the work groups consider, discuss, and complete questions #22-25 on their worksheet pertaining to direct action.

 
2. Remind the groups to refer to the posted strategies on obstacles and opportunities and communication.

C. Large Group on Direct Action (10 minutes)

1. Facilitate discussion with large group on direct action.

 
2. Compare and contrast findings among case study groups.

 
3. Discuss the risks of using direct action.

 
4. Discuss the downside and benefits to considering and/or implementing these types of actions.