*Also see the attached PDF for more detailed information about 1-1s.

Context

Leaders have decided to build an organization and now need to understand how to better connect with people in their community. This training exposes them to the elements of a 1-1 visit.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the importance of self-interest.
2. Learn the four steps to a 1-1 visit.
3. Practice a 1-1 visit.

Key Principle(s)

• People act out of their self-interest.
• Never do for others what they can do for themselves.
• Take people from where they are, not from where we want them to be.
• Leaders have followers.

Content of 1-1 Training

We build our local organization through a 1-1/listening campaign.  The goal 1-1 is to initiate and/or deepen our relationships with families in our congregation/community so that we can act collectively to change conditions in our community.

Self-Interest:

• Definition:  Inter  (among)  Ese (to be)
• Self-Interest = that which is important to me.  If we go back to the Latin, we see that at its root self-interest is based on the notion that we only act on what is      important to me in relationship with (among) others.

When we do 1-1s, we want to understand what is important to the person - since it is those things that will motivate the person to act (in the organization).

1. Parts of the 1-1:

• Definition:  30 minute face to face meeting.
• Setting up the visit:

Credential the organization (see below),

Ask for 30 minutes when you can sit down and share the LOCs work as well as listen to concerns/dreams for the congregation/community

• Credential:

Give your name, congregation name;  

Who referred you (ideally, give pastor's name or key leader/staff);

Share what/why the LOC is doing -- reaching out and listening to the families of our congregation/community to understand the needs and concerns - with the notion that once we understand the needs of our families, we will try to join together to do something about them.

Reiterate that we are exploring with families - don't know what action we will take - that will emerge from our 1-1 visits with families. What we are clear about is that we need to all walk together if we are going to make meaningful changes in our community.

• Focus:

Listen to the person's concerns/dreams for the community. Ideally, you will have a deeper understanding of the person's self-interest (what is important to them) by the time you leave.

Probing questions:

- How long have you lived in this community?  How has it changed?

- What are some of your concerns about the community?  Are their things you would like to see changed?  WHY?  WHY? WHY?

- Have you ever tried to address any of the problems in the community?  (If yes) What was your experience?

- Do you know other people who share your concerns? 

- How long have you been a member of the congregation?  Do you participate in any ministries?

• Invitation:

Principle: You only know how real a ‘yes' is if you give a person the opportunity to say ‘no'. You are not responsible for getting someone to say yes - you are responsible for offering an opportunity to take one step.

Levels of invitation:

1. If the person has energy (passion), invite them to the LOC. 
2. If the person is either not very interested/shows little energy/cautious:ask if we could count on their support down the road if we take action on one of these concerns.

Other suggestions for next steps: If the person knows people who share concerns, they can visit them - and LOC member could go with them.

Outline of Model Training: 1-1 Visit

• Begin with the self-interest piece. 

§  Have folks think of someone they know well --  draw a stick figure and put down what is important to that person. 

§  Report back, collectively) on what was important to the person they thought of.

§  In organizing, we talk about this as self-interest - that which is important to me.  How many of you are comfortable?  Not comfortable with this word?  Why?  (On a continuum - can be selfish; can be absolute altruism)

§  Give latin derivative.  Our guiding principle:  People act out of self-interest. 

§  Why is it important that we understand self-interest?  We need to understand what's important to the families of our church/community if we expect them to join us in addressing the concerns/needs.

• Part of the 1-1:

§  Definition

§  Setting up the visit

§  1-1 visit: Credential, Focus, Invitation

• Role play a 1-1 visit
• Evaluation:

§  Was the credential clear?

§  What do you understand about that person's self-interest based on the questions that were asked? How did we learn that - what were the effective questions that uncovered that?

§  Were there other questions you would have asked?  Such as?

§  Was the invitation clear?  Was it the appropriate invitation? (ex.  If you invited the person to the LOC, why?  What did you see/hear during the course of the visit that suggested that this person should be on the LOC?)