1. Building Constituency Scott D. Zaffram Chief Training, Education, and Exercises Branch FEMA Region X

2. 2 So what is it? Constituency: An activated group of people with a common interest, belief or ambition. They self-identify and seek change!

3. 3 Constituency in the 21 st Century In the world of Web 2.0  Networks are defined less by demographics  Revolve around shared interests, beliefs, and ambitions

4. 4 Changes in how Constituency is Built

5. 5

6. 6 Building Constituency Goes beyond reaching audiences!

7. 7 A Five Step Approach ConstituencyConstituencyVisionVisionConsolidatedInsightsConsolidatedInsights Embrace Engage Energize Optimization Iteration Outcomes Iteration Data Iteration 123 4 5

8. Define the Constituency Develop a tight definition of the constituents we want to connect with. Then consider: Who are the experts and influencers in this constituency? What are their common interests, beliefs, and ambitions? What is our current relationship with these people? What do they think of us now? What sort of progress would they value? 8 Step 1: Constituency ConstituencyConstituency

9. VisionVision Developing the Vision What is the Vision or Mission of the defined Constituency? What are the specific outcomes we seek from the effort? Two main types of outcomes: What value could be co-created? (financial, operational, societal, innovation…) What kind of relationship do you want to develop? 9 Step 2: Vision

10. ConsolidatedInsightsConsolidatedInsights Sources of Insight Use a wide range of sources to gather insights: i.e. listening, social media research, third-party data, benchmark, influencers, external experts… Sample Questions: Does this constituency collaborate currently? If so, how? Is it possible to further classify them? What are they talking about currently? What keywords do they use? What are the goals of their key stakeholders? How effective have past approaches been to collaborate with them? 10 Step 3: Consolidated Insights

11. Embrace What are we doing to listen and work in a collaborative way with these constituents? How are we providing them with access to experts or expertise? How are creating or driving value? Engage How are we setting the agenda for progress? How are we making the case for proven results and facts? How are we energizing the constituents to participate and contribute? How will we drive share voice, more efficiently with higher quality responses. Energize How are we encouraging them to share and spread our messages and activities with other constituents? How are we empowering their advocacy? 11 Step 4: Integrated Communication Strategies Embrace Engage Energize

12. Data Iteration: To continue to optimize and evolve what we do according to what we measure and observe. 12 Step 5: Iterate. Iterate. Iterate. Optimization Iteration: A continuous improvement loop – how do we improve on what we did last time? Outcomes Iteration: To continue to measure whether our efforts are creating the value and relationships we envisioned.

13. 13 Building Constituency Resources

14. 14 Major Components to Constituency Communication Partnership Shared Vision Influence Authenticity

15. 15 Influence in a nutshell Politics are the behaviors which people use to influence others (either positive or negative). Power is something about you which motivates people to be influenced by you. Influence is the outcome of people doing something they would not otherwise do.

16. Personal vs. Position Power 16 Where You Sit Who You Are

17. 17 Meaning and Definition What is communication? The transfer of intended meaning. Effective communication is the communication which produces the intended or desired results

18. 18 How Important is Communication? Survey of Fortune 500 executives links communication skills to business success Functions of Communication:  Control  Motivation  Emotional Expression  Information

19. 19 Communication Skills

20. 20 Effective Communicator  What does this look like to you!?  Characteristics and Traits  Medium  Personality  Relationships

21. 21 Effective Communication  Two way process – sending the right message to the right person (mostly)  Know the psychology of the people you are interacting with  Know the circumstances of the counter entity  Should include all aspects: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic to appeal to listener

22. Basic Communication Skills Profile 22 Consider This!

23. How Communication Should Work 23

24. 24 Communication Decoded

25. Put to Practice 25

26. Reality 26

27. Methods of Communication 27

28. 28 Perceptions

29. 29 Personal Perceptions

30. 30 Personal Perceptions

31. 31 Activity  Four volunteers, please!

32. 32 Joharis Window

33. 33 Communication Styles

34. 34 Communication Styles - Group

35. 35 How NOT to Communicate!

36. 36 What’s your Communication Style

37. 37 Winners and Losers

38. 38 Communication Barriers  One way communication  Lack of mutual understanding  Selective attention  Different frames of reference  Emotions  Trust

39. 39 Selective Attention

40. 40 Five Key Principles to Communicate Effectively  Plan Your Purpose  The Delivery  Message Receipt  Evaluation  Corrective Action

41. 41 Planning Your Purpose  Prepare how you’ll communicate  Clarify the goal of the communication  Plan carefully before sending it or meeting in person  Take “stock”  Know the Purpose  To inform a committee about…  To persuade a board to…

42. 42 The Delivery  Deliver the message  Express your meaning with conviction  Relate the message to your larger goals  Identify the action to be taken  Confirm the other person understands  Things to consider…  92% of communication is non-verbal  Posture  Eye contact  Clear enunciation  Vocal energy  Dress attire

43. 43 Receive the Message  Receiving feedback  Keep an open mind  Identify key points in the message  Value constructive feedback and use it to grow  Confirm your understanding

44. 44 Evaluate and Correct  Evaluate the effectiveness of the communication afterwards  Take corrective action – learn from your interactions

45. 45 Aristotle’s Model of Communication

46. 46 LISTEN!  Decide to listen and concentrate  Enter the speaker’s situation  Observe the speaker’s vocal inflections  Listen without interruption  Confirm that you received and understand the intended message  Provide feedback When All Else Fails!

47. Principles of Effective Listening 47 “Remember: You can’t listen if you’re talking.”

48. 48 The careful act of delivering bad news

49. 49 The 10 Commandments for Delivering Bad News 10: Thou shalt never be emotional 9: Thou shalt never delay 8: Thou shalt never hide the facts 7: Thou shalt never exaggerate 6: Thou shalt always justify

50. 50 The 10 Commandments for Delivering Bad News 5: Thou shalt always look for the silver lining 4: Thou shalt bring solutions 3: Thou shalt be honest and confident 2: Thou shalt walk a mile

51. 51 The 10 Commandments for Delivering Bad News 1: Thou shalt always treat with respect and dignity!

52. 52 Q&A  Best practices and things to avoid