Organising conversations

Effective organising needs a plan

Building a strong workplace union should be a priority for every UNISON activist. That means getting colleagues involved. But often is feels like no one else is interested. That’s where the organising conversation comes in.

Organising conversations are structured, one-to-one conversations with colleagues to build a relationship and inspire them to get involved (or more involved) in the union generally or in a particular union action or activity.

General principles of holding a good organising conversation:

• Start where people are at and find out what matters to them.
• Listen more than you talk. When we talk at people about what the union is doing, people often switch off. When we start by asking what issues affect them at work, they are more likely to engage.
• After some initial small talk to warm up, asking open questions will provoke meaningful discussion. For example, “Has work got better or worse in recent years … Why is that?” “If you could change one thing at work, what would it be?”
• Good eye contact, small nods of acknowledgement, open body language and relevant follow-up questions are important, as they help build trust and show that you are engaged.
• Try to avoid speaking in a way that describes the union as separate and external. Emphasise that their involvement is the key to solving their problem. “If everyone stands together, you can change this”.

Anger – hope – action

The most powerful technique in our organising toolkit is the Anger – Hope - Action conversation. It is a conversation structure to use when you have in mind an action for your colleague to take in support of the union – eg join the union, sign a petition, attend a meeting, etc. The goal is to convince someone that there is a UNISON solution to an issue they care deeply about, but success depends on their participation.

Anger 

Allow them to express their true feelings around issues they care about, or about an existing UNISON campaign that impacts them. Encourage them to open up, air their frustrations, and talk about how the issue impacts them.

Hope 

Outline the UNISON solution to the issue. Explain how things can be better. Provide examples of similar wins elsewhere.

Action

Once someone feels hopeful, they are much more likely to get involved. This is where you ask them to take a specific action in support of a UNISON plan to win change.

Getting Anger – Hope - Action right can take practice. But once you unlock genuine and justified anger, and provide a credible and hopeful plan to win change on that issue, colleagues join and members become active.

Further information can be found in the Organising to Win guide to organising conversations. Or contact your region to see what organising training is available.