CREATING EFFECTIVE COALITIONS CEC National Legislative Conference ▪ June 7, 2014

What is a coalition?  have a stated or similar position  share a mutual concern  are interested in working together toward an action- oriented goal  can be individuals or organizations  combine efforts, resources, and skills  may be permanent, ongoing, or temporary  may be disbanded once goals reached or abandoned

What are the characteristics of an effective coalition member?  willing and able to give the time required  reflect self-confidence  believe in the tasks at hand  project positive attitudes  demonstrate effective communication skills  be open-minded rather than judgmental  work well under pressure  refrain from arguing with adversaries  willing to share personal expertise  appreciate the talents of other members

What are the advantages of belonging to a coalition?  create clout  build ongoing power base  maximize number of people and organizations to advocate  share information  coordinate strategies  divide up the labor  pool resources  share different points of view to solve problems  safety in numbers

What are the chief obstacles in developing a coalition?  takes commitment  turf issues and hidden agendas  conflicts due to main issue inconsistent with a member’s agenda  effort to reach consensus slows process  need procedures to resolve differences

What are the key steps in creating an effective coalition?  determine who can help  develop structure and rules  build capacity for planning and action  set strategies  evaluate

What are the key skills to needed to lead a successful coalition?  leadership  facilitation  communication and internet  media  funding and resource development

What makes the coalition successful?  establishing a process to identify mutual goals  ensuring that each group maintains own identity and autonomy  understanding that total consensus in every area is not a requirement  recognizing that internal group conflict is inevitable

What makes the coalition successful?  striking a balance of an atmosphere of openness, a sense of inclusiveness, equal participation, and preventing one group’s domination over another  accepting and dealing with differences in values, attitudes, and styles of communication  realizing that appropriate negotiating and bargaining are basic to success

TIPS FOR SUCCESS  plan for meetings and discussions  be sure everyone understands what each organization represents and the purpose for the proposed coalition  encourage each organization to share goals and philosophy, and its capabilities for assuming fair share of workload  jointly prepare an “action plan”

COALITION LEADERS SHOULD  keep a low profile and recognize needs and resources of participants  analyze and appreciate difference personality types and leadership styles  help discourage divisive competition and instead encourage creative competition and collaboration  sustain the spirit of members by keeping interest high during periods when “nothing is happening”  help group determine the organizational style most comfortable and best suited for achieving purpose set forth

KEY COMPONENTS  COOPERATION  COLLABORATION  CONSIDERATION