[MR] RE: Improving the level of participation at any activity

[David Wendelken]

If we, as a voluntary society, want a long
term improvement in the participation level
of any activity, there is only one way to
go about it.

It requires a multi-step plan of action:

1) Increase the amount of fun to be had
by **everyone** who participates in that
activity.

2) Publicize the amount of fun they can
expect to have if they participate.

3) If the activity is perceived as
requiring "a talent for it" that
"regular folks" don't have, ways to
get novices past that psychological
barrier have to be found (and implemented).

4) Encourage people to step up
**on their own initiative** and
implement fun, creative ways
to do that activity.

In a volunteer society, in which people can
easily "vote with their feet" and just
leave or not show up, that is your only option
for large-scale success.

Let's compare that with what I perceive to be
the current, "modern SCA" approach.

I will exaggerate to some degree, just to make
my point clearer :)  My "soapbox speech" is
not directed to any one organization or person.
It is a generalized discussion of the trends
that I see in our organization.

1) Immediately set up a formal structure
with lots of rules and regulations.
Pour all the excitement that people feel
into this, instead of actually doing
the activity.  Let's call it a guild.
Watch the excitement level of most folks
go down the drain as people niggle over
various nuances of "the new rules".

2) Put people in charge of that structure
who have demonstrated a talent for putting
up with the tedium of setting up lots of
rules and regulations.  Don't bother to
find out if they can actually mobilize
people to spend their spare time on the
"real activity" the guild was formed to
assist with.

3) Make sure the guild sounds really
official, so that no one else would dare
to actually do something about the activity
without "permission".  For an added bonus,
make sure the new guild head is really
snotty to "the little people" who come to
them with ideas.  That's sure to stifle
what little excitement there was still left
for the activity.

4) When the frustration level gets high enough,
spend available time and resources to "fix the
guild" instead of "do the activity".

Here is an alternative way to do things:

1) Get excited about an activity and share that
enthusiasm with others.  Don't ask permission
to foster that activity.  Assume you have the
necessary authority and right to do so until
**proven** otherwise - so don't just accept the
word of the first person who says no.

2) Come up with good ideas and mobilize folks
to help you implement the ideas.  Ask them for
help in coming up with good ideas - but be sure
to have some in reserve if they don't come up
with any!

3) Work with autocrats and officers to see if
they have resources that can support your activity.
Most will be more than happy to help you if they
can, and more than willing to cheer you on even
if they cannot.  If you run into a snotty one
who is in the way, don't let them discourage you!
Carry on without their help, work around them, or
mobilize someone to neutralize their opposition.

Be reasonable about it, but don't accept
excremental attitudes from anybody. Period.

Don't expect every autocrat of every event to be
able to accommodate your wishes.  The more
that you volunteer to handle for them, and the
less that they have to do personally, the more
likely that they will be able to accommodate you!

4) Let people know in advance how much fun they will have if
they show up.

5) Make sure that people have fun while they
prepare to do the activity, and that they have fun
while they actually do the activity!

6) Thank everyone who helped!  Let them know how
much you really appreciated their assistance.
See if they are ready to take the lead the next time.
If not, work with them so that they can be, if they
want to.

7) Repeat the above steps until it's too big for you
to manage informally.

8) Organize a formal structure to help you manage it.
Make sure that folks who have already proven their
ability to get the job done get put in charge of it
- but make sure they aren't almost burned out when
you pick them.

As a kindness to others, make it easy for others
to create another organization that could compete
with your own.  That way, if, in time, your
organization withers away and becomes an impediment
to the activity it was designed to foster, it can
be simply ignored and supplanted by a better one.

9) Repeat steps 1-6 as often as possible.


Earlier in this message, I suggested that, when
faced with unreasonable opposition from someone
"in authority", that you should carry on without
their help, work around them, or mobilize
someone to neutralize their opposition.

If you are truly serious about wanting a friendly way
past unreasonable opposition, feel free to contact
me for advice.

(Note: If someone just wants to whine about it
- trust me -
they don't want to contact me for advice.
Their feelings *will* be hurt because I'll tell
them to stop whining! It's the best advice I
have to offer in that situation. )

Andras Salamandra

_________________________________________________________________
David Wendelken
David.Wendelken at casetech.net
(910) 624-6214   voice                               818 Azalea Drive
(910) 677-0359   fax                                 Fayetteville, NC
28301

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