Ganz's Public Narrative Tool
For complete information, see pages 60 to 98 in Ganz, Marshall, et al. "Organizing: People, Power & Change. Participant Guide." Dogwood Initiative, Stonehouse Institute, Desmog Canada, Leading Change Network.
In order to lead and motivate others to join a K2A activity, Ganz et al. encourage us to use story-telling to empower the evidence with values that motivate our constituency to join in collective action with the K2A team.
As guidance for Story Telling, Ganz et al. offer the concept of “Public Narrative.”
Ganz et al. maintain that: “Public Narrative allows us to communicate the values that motivate the choices that we make. Narrative is not talking “about” values; rather narrative embodies and communicates values. And it is through the shared experience of our values that we can engage with others, motivate one another to act, and find the courage to take risks, explore possibility and face the challenges we must face” (p. 60).
Public Narrative weaves together three components:
- A Story of Us: Returning to the IF statement in your Theory of Change, who are “we” in this K2A quest? What challenges have we faced together in the past? What choices have we made in the past about which we are proud, and which can give us hope that we can be changemakers again?
- A Story of Now: What challenge do we face now? What choice is before us? What “dream” will we achieve if we make that choice? What “nightmare” will be suffered if we do not?
- Note:*** Your story of Now should explicitly share your Theory of Change as an If, Then, Because statement.
- Use this If, Then, Because statement to explain why your “Calling people to action” to participate in your Kickoff activity (or whatever step you are along quest to clime the campaign mountain to achieve your pique K2A goal).
- A Story of Self: What values draw you to contribute leadership to this K2A quest? Or, what previous choice to overcome a relevant challenge have you made that motivates this K2A leadership in you now? And why do you want to make the choice that will bring about the “dream.”
- Note:*** Ganz et al. challenge us to learn to interpret our life stories as a practice and choose relevant stories to tell from our own lives based on what’s appropriate in each unique situation
For further guidance on how to develop a Public Narrative, follow the instructions in pages 60-98 to create a Public Narrative.
Whereas Ganz et al. encourage people to start with their Story of Self, I encourage you first to develop the Story of Us and the Story of Now. After achieving a clarity about these parts of the narratives, then select something about your own story (aka your Story of Self) that explains why you are motivated to be part of the Us and take action Now with your constituency. Because, recall from Haidt, that people don’t follow evidence nearly as much as they follow… other people (Hence, he labels his model the Social Intuitionist Model of Human Judgement).
As you develop your Public Narrative, recall three insights from Ganz et al.
First, they emphasize that Values inspire action through Emotion.
Some emotions discourage action. Some emotions encourage. So Ganz et al. encourage us to tell stories that create:
- A sense of Urgency to overcome inertia
- Anger to overcome apathy
- Hope to overcome fear
- Solidarity to overcome isolation
- A sense You Can Make a Difference to overcome self-doubt
Second, Ganz et al encourage us to design each of the three parts of our Public Narrative in a way that features a Challenge, Choice and Outcome!
Third, they emphasize that story telling is a dynamic, non-linear activity. Each time you tell your public narrative, you will likely adapt it to whatever context you find yourself in.