Effective Advocacy : Making Your Voices Heard

September 2011WBC National Conference

Washington, DC

Ann Marie AlmeidaPresident and CEO

AWBC

Advocacy & Leadership

Working Guidelines for Effective AdvocacyFour Agreements- Excerpt from Don Miguel Ruiz's “Code for Life”Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

 

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Intersections of Leadership, Advocacy Entrepreneurship

Leadership

AdvocacyEntrepreneurship

A Life and Work of Congruency, Balance and Integrity

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Discover: Your Voice

Advocacy: Integrates an Increasing Complex and Interconnected World

 

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Leadership & Effective Advocacy

Success is influenced by:

Your Vision for the Future

Your Organization’s Mission or Goal

Your Plan: Use a SMART approach to clarify their advocacy practice

S SpecificM MeasurableA AchievableR RealisticT Time bound

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Six Steps to Making it Happen: What? How? Who? When? Where? With What?

What is the vision that drives you, what is problem you wish to solve?

How can you make change happen? What is your strategy? What do you need to carry out?

Who needs to be involved in this change? Be specific about the individuals, groups or organizations who will play a part.

When will you carry out these activities? short term, medium, longer term

timelines.

Where will these activities take place?

With what? What resources do you need? Money? Training, Education? Support? New relationships? New policies or laws? New ways of working?  

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Effective Advocacy : Developing Networks, Support Systems

and Relationships

Success dependent on: Visibility: shared experiences and associations among people and organizations.Trust: listening, understanding and following through on promises.Relationships: developed in your work and life that can support your goals.Giving generously – help others get what they need.Learning, connecting, sharing.Being visible in Vertical (colleagues) and Horizontal (clients/organizations) networking circles.

 

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Deliver- Advocacy: Developing Networks, Support Systems

and Relationships

Make a powerful first impressions:Communication is 7% verbal, 93% non-verbal.

7% VerbalKnow your story/what you offerKnow what you represent: personal and professionalAsk questions and be genuinely interestedAlways say what you mean, mean what you say

•Copyright 2005 of Essence/M Rozenfeld

 

Deliver- Advocacy: Developing Networks and Support Systems

Life and Work create a web, a matrix of interconnected relationships

Make a powerful first impression:Communication is 7% verbal, 93% non-verbal.

93% Non VerbalBody LanguageDress for the impression you want to createPosture yourself confidentlyStance, handshake, distanceSmile- with whole face and voiceMake contact- it’s all in the eyesPeople like likeable peopleFeel and project energy and enthusiasm

Copyright 2005 of Essence/M Rozenfeld

 

Effective Advocacy: The 10 Steps

1. Design the Plan

2. Research, 360˚ Understanding the Issue , Gather Data

3. Know your Arguments- Points to Make

4. Research/Identify Influencers

5. Build, Nurture Relationships

6. Connect, Make Appointments

7. Practice: be able to Articulate Your Argument

8. Ask-Be Specific

9. Listen

10. Follow –Up and Deliver

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Effective Advocacy

Your Asset Map : Making It Happen

Outreach: Fund and Friend Raising Leadership

Community Connections

Local, State, Federal

Advocacy

Whose voice (s)?

Impact

& Results

Mentors &

Networks

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Our Call to Action

Together, we can build the strategies that sustain and support our collective good works.

Learn and Embrace Who We Are BecomingRefine our Vision

Create Plans and StrategiesMake Decisions

Make CommitmentsSupport One AnotherTrack Our Successes

CelebrateReview, Renew, Resolve

All With Gratitude.

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