learning to hug a porcupine, relationship advocacy that stands out and gets results

www.rebeccagordongroup.org

@rgordongroup facebook.com/RebeccaGordonGroup

Learning to Hug a Porcupine……

Relationship Advocacy That Stands Out and Gets Results

Let’s Get To Know Each Other

www.rebeccagordongroup.org@rgordongroup facebook.com/RebeccaGordonGroup

What is your name?

Where are you from?

What do you want to get out of this day?

What are you passionate about?



A little bit background…

What is your definition of

advocacy????

Under The Dome…


Understanding Missouri’s Legislative DNA


• 34 – members in the Missouri Senate• 163 – members in the Missouri House• Missouri Legislators are limited to serving 8 years in the

House and 8 years in the Missouri Senate. • Representatives are limited to four two-year terms.• Senators are limited to two four-year terms. • The average age of those currently serving in the

Missouri Senate is approximately 49. The youngest Senator is 36.

Yeah? So what is the point??

When out of your element, where do you go for good information?



A Day of “ADVOCACY” at Missouri’s Capitol

Breaking Through The Noise

Relationship Advocacy


5 Strategies for Success


1. Learn about the person you want to influence.

2. Become a RELIABLE expert

3. Communicate Frequently

4. Have a specific “ask”

5. Tell YOUR story



Learning to Hug a Porcupine……Part 2


Learning Advocacy The EASY WAY

From MY Mistakes



At the end of the day…..

It’s about the relationships, relationships are built on effective

communication.


What is Communications?


The act of transferring information from one person to another.

Verbal

Non-Verbal

Written

Visual

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it

has taken place”

George Bernard Shaw

Rebecca’s Easy Theory – Path to Communications


AIDAAttention

Interest

Desire

Action

Action

Desire

InterestAttention

The Single Best Way To Communicate?


Identify What Motivates

People

This Leads Us To Step #1

Learn About the People You Want to Influence………


Understanding Generations Helps Identify Motivations


The events and conditions each of us experience during our formative years help define who we are and how we view the world.

The generation we grow up in is just one of the influences on adult behavior.

What is a Generation?

• A generation is a subdivision of population grouped in time intervals of approximately 18-20 years.

• Each generation’s attitudes and beliefs are formed by the cultural shifts, influential public personalities, technological changes, and the major events during their formative years.


“Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.”

- George Orwell

Why is this important?

Do you remember when Kennedy died?

Technology

1. “Anything that is in the world when you were born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural way the world works.”

2. “Anything that is invented between the time when you are 15 to 35 is new, revolutionary and exciting, and you can possibly get a career in it.”

3. ‘Anything invented after you are 35 is against the natural order of things.”

*According to the late author Douglas Adams(The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.)

In America Today


This is the first time in history that we have four generations in the workplace.

TraditionalistsBaby Boomers

Gen Xer’sGen Yer’s

Where are you on the timeline?GENERATIONAL TIMELINE

1922-1945 1946-1964 1965-1980 1981-2000

Veterans, Silent, Baby Boomers Generation X Generation Y, Gen Yers,

Traditionalists Millennials, Echo Boomers

Cupsers

Ages 66 - 89 Ages 47 - 65 Ages 31 - 46 Ages 11 - 30

PERSONAL AND LIFESTYLE CHARACTERISTICS

1922-1945 1946-1964 1965-1980 1981-2000

Veterans, Silent, Baby Boomers Generation X Generation Y, Gen Years,


Core Values Respect for authority Optimism Skepticism Realism

Conformers Involvement Fun Confidence

Discipline Informality Extreme Fun

Social

Family Traditional Disintegrating Day Care/Latch Key Merged Families

Nuclear Friend Families

Education A dream A birthright A way to get there An incredible expense

GI Bill Not a choice

Communication Rotary phones Touch-tone phones Cell phones Internet

Media One-on-one Call me anytime Only work at work Smart phones

Write a memo Email Email/Texting

Dealing with Put it away Buy now, pay later Cautious Earn to spend

Money Pay cash Conservative Depend on parents

(except kids)

WORKPLACE CHARACTERISTICS - Part 2

1922-1945 1946-1964 1965-1980 1981-2000

Veterans, Silent, Baby Boomers Generation X Generation Y, Gen Yers,


Communications Formal In person Direct - immediate Email

Memo Meetings Email Texting

Postings

Feedback & No news is good Don't appreciate it Sorry to interrupt, I want it when I want it.

Rewards news Money but how am I doing? Positive feedback

Satisfaction in a Title recognition Freedom is the best Meaningful work

job well done reward

Messages that Your experience You are needed Do it your way You will work with other

Motivate is respected You are valued Forget the rules bright and creative

people

Work & Never the twain No balance Balance Balance

Family shall meet Work to live Non-traditional okay Non-traditional okay

Spouses work

Traditionalist’s Major Influences

• Affected by the Great Depression• Franklin Roosevelt (New Deal)• Introduction of TV and TV dinners• World War II, Korean War• Many are Veterans – GI Bill• Commercial Air Travel• Civic Organizations, Lodges• Big Band Era, Jazz

Baby Boomer’s Major Influences

• Civil Rights Movements• Birth Control• Moon Landing• Cuban Missile Crisis• Assassination of Kennedys and MLK• Inflation• Nixon and the Watergate Scandal• Vietnam• Height of the Cold War• Women in the work place• Divorce• Rock and Roll - Woodstock

Baby Boomers Events & Experiences

Civil Rights

Space Travel

Cold War

Sexual Revolution

Assassinations

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.stardome.org.nz/images/gallerypics/astronaut.jpg&imgrefurl=http://elitecovenantx.proboards30.com/index.cgi?board=Sciencefiction&action=display&num=1082043494&h=488&w=457&sz=46&tbnid=Srrdbq0otioJ:&tbnh=126&tbnw=118&start=13&prev=/images?q=astronaut&hl=en&lr=

Gen Xer’s Major Influences• Challenger Disaster• Berlin Wall• Desert Storm• Star Wars - Reagan• Latch Key Kids and Daycare kids• Skyrocketing Divorce Rate• Scandals• Personal Computers• Cable TV• HIV• Video Games

Generation X Events & Experiences

Fall of Berlin Wall

Women’s Liberation

Watergate

Energy Crisis

Cynical

Gen Yer’s• Oklahoma City Bombing• High School Shootings• Era of Natural Disasters• Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan• 9/11 Terrorism• Reality TV • Computer/net/cell - instant information• Lowest Parent/Child ratio in U.S. History• Helicopter parents and friend parents • Have been protected• Generation of self esteem

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Mark_Zuckerberg_-_South_by_Southwest_2008_-_2-crop.jpg

Unique characteristics of the Gen Y• 1 out of 4 lives in a single parent house-

hold, 3 out of 4 with working moms.

• The child is the center of the household

• Loose family structure, Merged families

• Coddled and protected kids

• Value individuality yet are immersed in a global environment

• Extremely diverse segment of the population (est. 50% are immigrants or children of immigrants.)

• Surrounded by digital media.

“YES, MOTHER. I TOLD YOU, I’M DOING FINE ON MY OWN AT COLLEGE… HEY, COULD YOU LOG ON AND FIND MY SCHEDULE, ORDER MY BOOKS AND CALL ME WHEN IT’S TIME FOR CLASS?”

The generation of the helicopter parents…

#1 Learn about the person you want to influence.

• Understanding your generational difference is only half the battle.

• Get some information.

• DO YOU GOOGLE?



#2 Become a RELIABLE Expert



An Individual Expert with a RELIABLE Network

All elected officials rely on individuals with unique knowledge about how issues affect communities. Especially THEIR communities. You may not feel like an expert, by you are because you can communicate how policies impact people’s lives – and that’s incredibly more valuable than the best research report.

*Borrowed from Branford Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation

#3 Communicate Frequently


Consistency, Consistency, Consistency


This is sales….so it’s important to communicate your message frequently.

In sales it’s called the RULE OF 151

• It takes 7 to 9 times for a message to be heard through direct mail.

• It takes 56 times for a message to be hear through advertising.

• And it takes 151 times for a message to be heard through conversation.


• The first 50 times people don’t hear you.• The second 50 times they don’t understand you• The third 50 times they don’t believe you• And it isn’t until they’ve heard it for the 151st time

that they finally hear, understand and think, “Well, there must be something to this.”

• Ask anyone who speaks or runs for office how many times they say the same things in order to get their points across. And aren’t you glad they do? Otherwise, how would you remember what each of your favorite gurus stands for?

*from Marcia Hoeck, Author of the 5 Power Shifts You Can’t Succeed in Business Without.

#3 Communicate Frequently


So tell them.

Then tell them again.

And then tell them again.

If you message is a good one, it will only get stronger with time.

#4 Have a specific “ASK”


Strong advocacy efforts have a specific “ask”….


Ask for what you want.

#5 Tell YOUR Story


Stories motivate people to action

While the relationship will give you credibility and authority, the story will motivate them to act. If they believe the story you are telling them, and it touches them at a relevant, deep level; only then will you have success.

Rebecca’s Easy Theory – Path to Communications


AIDAAttention

Interest

Desire

Action

Action

Desire

InterestAttention

Get Their Attention


#1 – Learn about the person you want to influence.

- Understand where they come from.- Break through the noise at the Capitol

and reach out to them in their district. - Everyone who comes to see them wants,

something – offer to help them.

Interest


#2 Become a RELIABLE expert• Offer your expertise, help them understand that

you are an individual connected to a large group of experts that is there to help them understand how these issues impact their home district.

• Communicate frequently, meet with them in person, follow-up with a note, keep your message simple.

DESIRE


#4 – Have a specific “ask”

• Don’t overwhelm them with tons of information, be specific and ask for what you want.

ACTION


#5 – Tell YOUR story

• Now that you have a relationship with your legislator, tell them how their policy decisions will directly impact you. Stories connect and a deep level and move people to ACT.



Learning to Hug a Porcupine……


learning to hug a porcupine, relationship advocacy that stands out and gets results

Investor Relations