Unleashing Social Power: 4 Key Takeaways from the Social Change Report

At New/Mode we’re relentlessly focused on how we can help our community of campaigners to have real tangible impact on policy and power. Ultimately our work should always be about how we can change the conditions and lived experience of our communities. 

So we took a keen interest in the latest report from the SMK’s Social Change Project:   "The Social Change Grid: Identifying the most effective tactics for change".

You should give the full report and the key findings they identify a read, but here’s our 4 key takeaways from the report: 

1. Embrace the Diversity of Tactics: The report emphasizes the importance of employing a diverse range of tactics in your campaigns. Recognizing the 12 different categories of tactics laid out in the Social Change Grid can help you diversify your approach and maximize the impact of your campaigns. From collective action to challenging established narratives, it's essential to tap into the full spectrum of tactics.
2. Know Your Context: The report highlights the significance of understanding your social, political, and cultural context. Tailoring your tactics to suit the specific circumstances of your cause is key to success. Analyze the landscape and be ready to pivot when needed, ensuring your campaign resonates with your target audience and decision-makers.
3. Collaboration is Crucial: Building alliances and partnerships can multiply your impact. The Social Change Grid underscores the power of collaboration, urging advocacy professionals to connect with others in the field. By pooling resources, sharing knowledge, and working in unison, you'll bolster your collective power and drive change more effectively. Check out this free guide on collaborative campaigning.  
4. Measure, Learn, and Evolve: The report encourages campaigners to continuously evaluate our tactics and strategies and adapt accordingly. To create lasting change, it's crucial to learn from your experiences and iterate on your strategies. This is one reason why New/Mode uniquely provides advocacy metrics to our subscribers such as how many supporters phoned their representative, how long the call lasted, if the call went to voicemail etc..  We know that those who take advocacy seriously will want to monitor these and other metrics. 

 This one is from me, not the report…

Celebrate Successes and Share Stories: The report does a great job noting the importance and power of grounding campaigns in the lived experience of those in our community. It’s also so important to celebrate and share your victories.

In a sense the report itself is sharing examples of successful campaigns, which is a great contribution to our space on its own.  When you recognize your achievements and share your story, you inspire others to join your cause and contribute to the momentum for change.  This is why ‘Give Recognition’ is a core element of our Engagement Principles Checklist. It’s so easy to forget this part of our work and so powerful when done right.

SMK's Social Change Grid is a powerful tool for advocacy professionals seeking to drive change. Thanks to the Sheila McKechnie Foundation’s work in putting this resource together and making it available for free.  

For more insights and updates, be sure to follow the New/Mode blog!