Read: Action 1: Strategy: checklist

Your group wants something. To reach this you make use of a strategy. This checklist helps you to choose the right strategy and to prepare yourself.

1. Defining the action goal

• What is the connection between the short term action-goal to your long term goals and ideology?
• Is the short term goal: CONCRETE/MEASURABLE/FEASIBLE/INSPIRING?

2. Who is the decision maker?

• Who is/are the formal decision maker(s)?
• Who is/are the (informal) decision maker(s)?
• Who is (in this specific case) decisive?
  (How can you detect that, are there neutral or reliable sources?)

3. Which strategy?

Choice:

1. The convince-strategy - arguments and content play the central role
2. The exchange or win-win strategy - (mutual) interests form the starting point
3. The pressure strategy - gathering power is the main feature.

The decision maker can be convinced if:

• There is a good working alliance.
  (for instance open information)
• He or she can listen to the arguments that are related to this goal
  (this condition is valid for both sides)
• Willingness (on both sides) to look for compromises

Are these conditions available or can you make them available:

CHOOSE FOR THE CONVINCE STRATEGY

If not: don't continue offering arguments, because they will have no effect so CHOOSE for the win-win or the pressure strategy.

3a. Preparation for the convince strategy:

• Which are your own arguments ?
• What do you exactly ask from the decision maker
• On which level do you define that step: knowing, thinking, involvement or acting?
• Draw a profile of the decision maker on the issue at stake:
  • information (what does he or she know about the subject?)  
  • opinion (what does he or she think about the subject?)  
  • emotional involvement (does the subject concern him or her, is he or she affected by the subject?)
  • action (is he or she already active in this matter?)
• In view of this profile, what do you have to do to convince him or her?

Success factors

• The way of thinking of the decision maker is more or less parallel to your own ideas
• The step you are asking is not too big
• The decision maker has own interest(s) connected with this case.

Hints for the process of convincing the other party:

• Keep the working alliance clean (open information, even about possible weak aspects of your own proposal)
• Link the subject matter to the profile (level of thinking or involvement) of the decision maker
• Really listen to the arguments and interests of the other party
• Do not put pressure on. One does not become convinced through pressure.

3b. Preparation for the exchange or win-win strategy

In this strategy both parties reach their goals. Both parties benefit. The main question is: do we have something in stock or can we get something (material or immaterial) that is valuable for the other party. So valuable that he or she will make a deal, will meet our wishes, and at the same time reach his or her own goals?

 
• What are the goals, the needs, interests and underlying assumptions of both sides ?
• Try to discover the common and different (conflicting and non-conflicting) interests
• Can you offer something to reach any of the goals, needs, interests of the other party? And vice versa? Is there an attractive balance in this possible exchange?
• OR: Can you think of a creative solution based on the common interests and the different (but not conflicting) interests?

Success factors:

Success is dependent on the willingness and capacities to reach the goals of both parties

Hints for a negotiation aimed at exchange or win-win

• Keep the working alliance clean (open information, no trading tricks
• Give (and ask) as much information as possible about your own (and their) underlying assumptions
• Put energy in the most rich solutions: including as many as possible interests of both sides

3c. Preparation for the pressure strategy

If 3a and 3B are not possible, organize pressure on the decision-maker:

• For what kind of power and for which powerful people is the decision maker susceptible?
• Who will listen to you?
• Is there any overlap between those two lists ( of people)?
• Are there connections between those people who will listen to you and those for whom the decision maker is susceptible?
• Can you use publicity, what kind of publicity is able to hit the decision maker, what kind of journalists listen to you?
• What legislation or other means supportive to your goal are available ?

Success factors:

• Enough connections or access to people and means to put pressure on the decision maker.
• Possible arrangement of a more or less simultaneous pressure
• Enough power is gathered, in view of the other party
  N.B. In this strategy there isn't always a live confrontation between the two parties.

The result of a successful pressure strategy can be:

1. reaching your goal
2. a meeting in which both parties threaten with using their gathered power (negotiation based on power, see below)
3. a meeting in which both parties agree to find a solution in mutual benefit (exchange or win-win negotiation)

Hints for a negotiation based on power:

• prepare your first demand and your cut-off point
• prepare concessions
• negotiate, showing your power
• work as a team, make a task division
• secure your success, step by step
• stop the negotiation if necessary in time.