Classroom Slides for If You Want to Win, You've Got to Fight
If You Want To Win, You’ve Got To Fight
A Brief Classroom Guide on becoming a more effective transportation advocate
By Carter Lavin
There are SO many improvements to want…
What is a transportation-related change you want to see on campus or in the broader community?
You can make them a reality.
When the people with the authority and power to enact the change say yes to your demand AND follow through Then, the change you want becomes real
When the officials in charge of:
Approving Funding
Designing
Building
Say yes and follow through You win the change you want
What might be the titles, roles, or names of some of the people with the authority and power to enact the change you want?
Politics is made of people!
● People built our transportation system, and people are trying to either change it or maintain it
○ Elected officials, government staffers, business owners, workers, community leaders—they are all people
● Their decisions affect the world around them, and we can influence those decisions
Influencing decisions takes power
When it comes to winning, “It doesn’t matter if you’re right. It never matters if you’re right. . . . You just have to have the power to win the thing. . . .Beyond helping motivate our side, being right has never helped us win anything.”
– Laura Chu Wiens, executive director of Pittsburghers
for Public Transit
5 steps to Building Power & Winning Change
We’ll go through each of these slowly in a moment 1. Define the Change You Want
2. Identify the Decision-Makers
3. Make a Plan, Choose your Tools, Craft Your Message
4. Get More People Involved!
5. Hold Decision-Makers Accountable
Step 1: Define the Change You Want
● You could want different types of changes
○
E.g. faster trains, bus shelters, easier transfers, bike lanes, better behaved drivers
● A large number of changes
○
E.g. 1 crosswalk vs. 1,000 crosswalks
You Can Push for More Than 1 Thing At a Time
Multiple campaigns can reinforce each other
Excerpt from If You Want To Win, You’ve Got To Fight
Figuring Out What You Want More Specifically
Excerpt from If You Want To Win, You’ve Got To Fight
Step 2: ID the Decision-Makers
● If it costs money and/or needs a policy changes
○ Then generally it’ll be a “legislative body”
■ City Council, County Supervisors, State legislators, etc.
● Takes it takes government agencies/staff to enact
○ Then you need administrative leaders
■ Mayors, Governors, Department heads
Once you know who can make it happen, it’s time to focus in on them.
Step 3: Make a Plan
● Is there an official process and timeline for the decision?
○ When and how can you weigh in as part of that?
○ How can you influence the process and the decision from outside official channels
● If there isn’t, how can you put your demand on the official agenda/to-do list?
● Examine your area’s specific political, cultural, and historical contexts
○ How can those super-charge, hinder, and shape your path to success?
What might be the titles, roles, or names of some of the people with the authority and power to enact the change you want?
Choose Your Tools
How will you show that the demand is popular?
● Petitions
● Coalition letter
● Rallies
● Phone calls
● Public Comments
● Media coverage
● Special events
● And more!
Craft Your Message
● What you say
○ Help your audience understand how this connects to what they care about
○ Use commonly-understood words
● How you say it
○ Tone
○ Where you are getting your message across (e.g. print, video, flyer, etc)
● Who you say it to
○ Who are your different audiences for that message?
○ Tailor your message to each of your audiences
What are some examples of messages you can use to help win people over to your cause?
Step 4) Get More People Involved
Shows your demand is popular Shares the workload and improves the campaign
Excerpt from If You Want To Win, You’ve Got To Fight
Build A Network of Helpers
● You cannot do everything all by yourself
● As “Campaign Director” your role is:
○ Ensure what needs to get done actually gets done
● Until you get others to take ownership of something, it is your responsibility (or it won’t get done)
Who are some of the people you might want to invite to get involved?
How will you reach out to them?
How will you connect with them?
You need more than just “your people” on your side
● “Bus riders want more funding for buses” is assumed
○ Still need to demonstrate that though!
● Getting more groups involved gets more attention
○ Different groups working toward a united goal is called a “coalition”
A HUGE advantage transportation advocates have is that it’s pretty to easy to guess who might be interested
The folks in there probably want better bus service!
Finding Potential Coalition Partners
● Transportation impacts many groups: business, youth, seniors, people with disabilities, tourism, public health, climate, labor, housing, poverty, faith, etc.
● Who else benefits from this change?
● Whose values align with your change?
● Remember: no group is fully united
○ Example: A business association might oppose, but individual businesses might support
Who are some potential coalition partners you might want to approach?
Why them?
How does your demand connect with their goals & values?
Step 5: Hold Decision-Makers Accountable
Deliver the demand to the decision maker(s) so they know what you want
Turn up the pressure: Put them in the spotlight and get them on the record
If they say no or ignore you…
● Try again using different approaches
○ Reframe your message to align with their values
○ Apply pressure through:
■ Clearer or stronger messaging
■ More compelling messengers
■ Public attention (media, events)
● Escalate based on their response
What is a way you can escalate your efforts if you are ignored?
What would be overkill?
What would be insufficient escalation?
If they say YES… and nothing changes
● Confirm that they actually did what they said they’d do
● The decision-maker you seek to sway isn’t all powerful
○ They operate as part of a system of decision-makers.
■ Mayor might say yes, but City Council might withhold funding
■ Your state rep might introduce a bill, but not have the votes to pass it
● Look for the next bottleneck and work to solve it
You can win the change you want to see
● Pick a clear goal
● Rally others to support it
● Keep pushing, stay persistent, and try new approaches
