How to run an Issue Team

Overview

Issue teams are created, well, by the issue. We understand that people in our community may be focused on a specific subject matter that is important to them. What better way to help them amplify their message than to provide a platform to support their efforts to drive change.

Issue teams will develop continuous strategies to track legislation, related news and events and share actions that can be taken by our TRNI members in order to sway votes of our federal, state and local legislators to benefit their constituents and not special interests.

Each issue team should be relatively small (approx. 4-6 people) and focused on their one issue.

Issue teams will:

• Uncover real information about the issue.

• Identify the moving parts of the issue and its key players.

• Pinpoint the most effective actions to bring about the desired result.

• Update TRNI on actionable items and/or events to attend.

• Magnify the actions/events through TRNI’s communication team.

• Wash, rinse and repeat.

We encourage leaders of an issue team to lead from the bottom up and give people the opportunity to show up to do the work. It's important to have somewhat of a structure so you're all cohesively working together to produce the result(s) you want. It’s probably safe to say that no one likes herding cats. It's OK, you don't have to and honestly, we wouldn't suggest it. Create a structure so your team members have clarity on what their role is. Keep it simple. Roles should be tasked based and not really title based. Seriously, keep it simple.

Leading is always by example. Don't ask someone to do something you wouldn't do yourself. It's perfectly OK to clearly communicate what the commitment is, estimated time involved, etc. If people in your group aren't able to take on a certain task, make it OK for them to tell you so and assist them in finding an alternative.

The leader of a group is typically someone who is well versed in the subject matter. This does not mean others who aren't cannot lead; they can and they should if there is interest. If someone on your team shows an interest in leading, consider bringing them on as a co-lead and help develop them.

Ideally, leaders should delegate tasks and give people the space to show up; but sometimes we can be bad at that. This doesn't necessarily mean that you never follow up with them; you definitely should but within a reasonable amount of time or a mutually agreed deadline.

Because this is volunteer work doesn't mean it's less important and should be blown off. If anyone commits to a cause and a task, it's expected that they follow through or communicate early on that they’re having trouble. If you're having trouble with follow through of someone on your team, you may want to suggest another position to them that is more suited to the time they have available to make a more effective impact.

Best practice to sustain your issue team

• CO-LEADER

Having a co-leader can help reduce the pressures of everyday life, work and family time. Enlisting a co-leader will relieve the pressure and help you be more effective.

• LEADERS SHOULD HAVE THE SKILL AND EXPERIENCE TO LEAD

  They should know how to effectively run a meeting, be able to communicate clearly, delegate and keep team members engaged. If you don’t have these skills but are interested in developing them, we can help you.

• SMALL TEAMS

  Three to six members on an issue team is ideal. Smaller teams (less than 10) allows for more flexibility to move quickly, plan, track assignments/tasks or other activities.

• MEET IN PERSON

  Meet with your team at least one time per month in person. An established team should meet a minimum of once a month with email and/or phone contact in between. Meeting frequency is typically determined by the team’s area of focus. For example, if your team’s issue is a hot topic of newscasters and reporters or actively being discussed in Congress, more frequent meetings are common.

• COMMUNITY

  Take some time to get to know your fellow volunteers by socializing with them by having a potluck or play games. Building a real sense of community in this work is everlasting for sustainability and perseverance. Plus, it’s fun and will probably make you happy and less anxious.

• BE OPEN

  Be open to new ideas and ways of approaching something. This will help bring about the full potential of your team and strengthen its impact.

• DEBRIEF

  Debriefing after an event/action is important. Discuss what went right and what could be improved. Taking the time to do this will help ensure events or actions in the future are more streamlined and effective.

• ENGAGEMENT

  Because this is volunteer work and is often added to our already busy lives, we encourage you to meet people where they are. Talk with them about realistic hours they can put into this work. Don’t try to force them to commit to more than they can actually do. If they have 30 minutes a week, great. Be honest with yourself and your volunteers so they can use whatever time they have to take effective action.

• FACILITATOR

  The role of facilitator is to help meetings and trainings stay on track by keeping things moving along, making sure everyone has input, helping to identify strategy, actions and events. This position is usually on an as needed basis where applicable.

• ISSUE TEAM LEADER

  This person would be the primary engine to drive the process and create enthusiasm to inspire their members to act. They would typically set the tone of their group, communicate with their members and partners, plan and facilitate group meetings.

• ACTION MANAGER

  The action manager would gather information for upcoming events or actions and submit it to TRNI’s website calendar, Indivisible.org, TRNI’s Facebook pages, and TRNI’s Mobilize America page.

• PARTNERSHIPS AND OUTREACH

  Reach out and connect with groups that advocate for the same issue yours does and coordinate activities. There is always power in numbers.

• LEGISLATOR WATCHDOG

  This person will keep close tabs on the legislative representative(s) and their announcements, events, positions and actions as it relates to your teams issue.

• PRESS MONITOR

  A press monitor is someone who keeps tabs on media coverage (left, middle and right), identify accurate information as well as conspiracy theories and fake news to make sure members have the most real and accurate information.

NOTE: Depending on the size and scale of the actions, events and strategies your group decides to carryout, you may want to consider more than one person in those roles.