How to Create Conditions for Change

If you find yourself in a situation or organization that seems intolerable you may need to change it. Bringing about social or organizational change, however, can seem overwhelming and it's important to remember that conditions will change with or without you. But, with planning and effort you may be able to create conditions for change to produce the results you want.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Make a list of the individuals or organizations with the ability to affect change. This could be civic leaders and politicians, managers or administrators in your organization, any one who can make decisions. These will be the people you try to influence with phone calls, letters and requests.
2. Imagine yourself as one of the people you want to influence. Consider reasons why the institution pursuing their current policy or allowing the current conditions to occur. Interview them, read their press releases, schedule a meeting to ask them why they've made the decisions they've made.
3. Network. Most of the time if you have concerns, you neighbors or co-workers have similar concerns. Meet with them at then water cooler, over coffee, and build from informal meetings to committee meetings, formal discussions and finally, if necessary, organizing drives. Encourage and assist their efforts, even those not related to your goals.
4. Strategize. Consider what measures you would take to bring about change. Would a simple face-to-face meeting, a petition drive, public comments at meetings or organized demonstrations have the best effect. Honestly assess their chances of success and be willing to look for negative consequences.
5. Start small and escalate when the opportunities present themselves. Try not to antagonize decision makers before your have to. Begin with a request for a meeting, or a letter of concern but be prepared to move to a formal complaint, letters to civic leaders, public opinion campaigns and confrontation, or even campaigning for promotion or public office. Always recognize decision makers concerns, even if you disagree.
6. Reassess your situation. Determine how much progress you are making, and be willing to accept criticism. Look for opportunities to adapt or change your strategies to changing conditions.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be afraid to meet with decision makers (employers or politicians) face to face. Meeting with concerned citizens, employees and customers is part of their job description.
• Make certain that your changes will benefit others. This means more than simply deciding that what's good for you is good for them. Make allies and listen to what they say. If you're the only one who sees the need to change, the best change may be moving into a job or community that thinks more like you.
• Occasionally change may require radical change, even revolution. But no revolution is successful if the conditions haven't been put into place by creating a large-scale awareness of the need for change accompanied by planning and consensus.