When facing the formal decision making process it is really important that you are as skilful as you possibly can be. One of the most helpful little resources that we’ve come across is a 30 page booklet called “Everyone’s guide to Achieving Change” published by the Oxford Research Group. It  is a mine of practical advice and  you can download it here on pdf.

What follows is a brief summary of the  booklet’s step-by-step approach to dialogue with decision makers.

Step one: Getting to the core of the problem.

In order to be able to communicate well it is essential to get absolutely clear about what the core issue really is before entering into dialogue. You need to write down in a concise statement ; a) a summary of the problem  b) the background, c) what you want changed and why, d) proposed action,  c) a brief description of your organisation. Use straight facts, avoiding rhetoric or any language that is accusatory, angry or victimised.

Step Two: Be aware of assumptions.

Peoples views including those of decision makers are usually based on hidden assumptions and a particular mindset or world view. It helps to be aware of this and have some understanding of where the decision maker is coming from in order to plan an effective approach.

Step Three: The basic research to find your decision maker.

You need to identify the people who have influence on decisions on the issue you care about. Get an idea of where decisions originate and find out who does what.

Step Four: First contact with the decision maker.

You will want ultimately to meet the person face- to- face but a letter is nearly always the best way of making the initial contact, unless you can obtain a personal introduction.
Such a letter needs to be carefully planned as it will set the tone for the kind of approach you will use when you meet. As its hard to write a letter collectively, it is a good idea to get one or two members of your group to prepare a draft along agreed lines which can then be changed as  required.

Step Five: Take care of your own anger and stress.

It is important that the means used in this work should be the same as the ends.
On Anger :  if your interest is in engaging the person in a dialogue, anger should be expressed sparingly and accompanied by other things that might offset the defensiveness it is likely to engender.
On Stress ; Take care of yourself because “ The frenzy of the activist neutralises his work for peace…..it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful”( Thomas Merton)

Step Six: What to do if….

Depending on what  type of reply you get to your first letter - whether a standard letter, a letter referring you to someone else, a brush-off etc. or indeed if you get no reply, there are suggestions on how to proceed .  It will  be important for you to establish your credibility by keeping on writing good letters.

Step Seven: Non-confrontational communication.

It is essential to learn about good communication which can make the difference between dialogue ( where an exchange takes place) and mutual monologue ( where nothing changes). There are a number of common sense hints that should be used such as listening, agreeing, disagreeing, language , implicit assumptions, shaping the conversation.

Step Eight: Preparing to meet a decision maker.

It is important to work out a strategy for the meeting in advance and make sure you are well prepared. You need to decide things like what you hope to achieve from this first meeting, who should attend, how you should begin, what is the single main point you wish to make, how will you end the meeting.

Step Nine: Following up the meeting and evaluation.

It always helps to make some time immediately after a meeting to talk through the experience with those who participated. Half an hour over a cup of coffee sharing first impressions can make all the difference when you come to plan the follow up.
You need  to keep a record of the meeting and to review what it is you set out to achieve. And remember  to write and thank the person for their time, also using this opportunity to suggest the next steps in your communication.

Step Ten: Remember that change is possible…

Change at the level of the individual is more and more recognised as essential to change in huge world systems.
What the dialogue approach does is link an interconnected web of concerned citizens person-to-person with those individuals in whose hands rest the decisions on our future. It offers the potential for change to take place not only at an individual level but on a vast scale, literally throughout the world..