Campaigns are about persuading your key audience. Usually that group is quite specific, it is the men and women who will make the key political and economic decisions you need to happen. Your job as a campaigner is simple. Work out who they are, work out what drives them and makes them tick. Find the right messages and medium to put your case to them. And, then start work. Your ambitions should start high but remain realistic – for your own emotional health at least. But, organisations get big, and when they get too big the risk is they spend most of their time bickering and arguing inside the organisation and spending constant valuable time in internal meetings. Now, I think self reflection is a good thing. Clearing the head, testing assumptions and making sure that you have the best plan to deliver your goal is a smart thing. But, internal organisational dialogue in airless rooms for a hours on end is hardly the best way to release creative thinking.
This problem of the internal NGO self-monologue has ever been there. But, as this recent NYT piece suggests, it seems that the problem is getting worse. And, the reason for the even longer internal conversations is that NGOs are not winning. The reason many give for the decline in fortunes, and some of their big own goals, is that industry opposition are involved in some great conspiracy against the common good. Having worked for all sides on all issues, the truth is that there are far fewer conspiracies than you’d ever imagine. Personally, I have never encountered them, but Edward Bernays, on his own admission, seems to be devised some.
The reality is all together far duller. Communicating effectively with your key audience works wonders. People really do change their mind for the better (or worse). The trick is spending the time communicating with them. If you don’t you tend to loose. Perhaps, now is a good time for some of the leading NGOs to return to their roots to save our wonderful planet.