One Small Step for a Better World: Get to the Point (Person)

Many of us have done it. We're frustrated at the immovable line at the store, and we complain to the check-out clerk. We want a company to change its practices, so we fire off a letter to the CEO. We take action because we want change. But many times we're communicating with a person who holds little or no power to create the change we want. We need to get to the person with the power.

As Josephine Bellaccomo, author of the book, Move the Message, says: "The best investment of your time and energy...is to target the people holding the greatest power to take a specific action creating the greatest change as quickly as possible."

We can significantly increase our chances of success by finding out who has the authority to make the change we want. At the store, it's not the check-out clerk; perhaps it's the general manager who controls the number of clerks on the floor. If we want to discuss changes in the curriculum at our child's school, we need to talk to the person who controls the curriculum. Is it the teacher? The principal? The school board? The CEO of a company seems like the person in charge, but depending on the issue, it might be, say, the director of marketing; more likely, it's the shareholders we need to influence, if it's a publicly-owned company.

And sometimes, reaching out to the power of the public is our best strategy. When those in power refuse to take action, public pressure can sway them. (One reason sites like Change.org are gaining in popularity and effectiveness.)

A little strategy and a little research can mean the difference between success and business as usual.

~ Marsha

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