Back to Basics: Office Visits 101

1. Back to Basics:Office Visits 101 Joshua Guy Lenes Lead Organizer - Campaign SpecialistAAUP National Staff jlenes@aaup.org @joshuaguylenes Rebecca Mancuso, Ph.D. Associate Professor, HistoryBowling Green State UniversityBGSU Faculty Association rmancus@bgsu.edu

2. QUICK Question

3. Workshop Outline • Why should you do office visits? • How should you do office visits? • How exactly should you do office visits? • Exercises • What should you do after an office visit? • Pulling it all together

4. “Why should my chapter do office visits?” (At least 10 good reasons.)

5. Reason 1 Reason 2 You have low membership density (and you want more members) You have high membership density (and want to put your members to good use)

6. Reason 3 Reason 4 You are negotiating a contract (and want to engage/inform members) You are between contracts (and want members to pay attention to important issues, hear their concerns, and discuss issues for the next one.)

7. Reason 5 Reason 6 You have stewards/reps (and want to put them to good use and make them visible) You don’t have stewards/reps (and you want to recruit them)

8. Reason 7 Reason 8 You are having an event/meeting (and want to turn out members) You want to have an event/meeting (and need buy-in from members to do it)

9. Reason 9 Reason 10 You want to know what your members are thinking (and their concerns) You want members to know what the chapter is thinking (and why everyone needs their help to be successful)

10. “Why shouldn’t my chapter do office visits?” (At least 5 bad reasons, with responses)

11. Bad Reason 1 Response We’re just not good at talking to people Faculty are introverted, not natural at office visits • Training: Lead an office visits training at the beginning of the semester. Do an annual refresher. • Team up: Don’t go it alone. Team up with a colleague.

12. Bad Reason 2 Response Our chapter has so much on our plate already. We’d like to do it, but it’s too much work on top of everything else. • That’s the point: Bring in more members to lighten the load. • Form an organizing committee: Who says the executive team has to do it? • Recruit stewards/reps: Use your office visits to recruit stewards, so you can do visits for the long haul.

13. Bad Reason 3 Response We don’t know anything about the people in [Department] [Department] is very anti-AAUP/anti-union • That’s the point: We want to know more about them, want them to know more about us. • How will they join if no one ever asks? That’s the #1 reason people aren’t members. • Hold a luncheon: Get to know everyone and listen to what their biggest issues are.

14. Bad Reason 4 Response We don’t have any other members in [Department] who can talk to them • That’s the point: We want to find advocates in that department who we can rely on • Work your connections: Is there anyone over there who has another connection to someone else? Gym? Sports? Committees? • Get on their level: If you don’t know anything about their department, say so.

15. Bad Reason 5 Response Our e-mails are great! Why don’t we just e-mail everyone? We send everyone newsletters • E-mails and Newsletters are great: but they are only one-way communications. • Not everyone reads e-mail, or reads all of it • One-on-one conversations are more effective, and make people feel valued.

16. “How should I do an office visit?” (An overview)

17. Plan out your turf If you have had turf “assigned” to you, figure out where your starting place is going to be. Could divide it up geographically, departmentally, by discipline. • If you are familiar with the turf, plan who you are going to talk with first. • If you are unfamiliar with the turf, pick a hallway or a wing of the building. If no assignment, set a personal weekly conversations goal for yourself. • Start with one conversation. • Pick 3 people you really want to find that week, and focus on them

18. Bring a buddy Having another person to tag along for an office visit can be beneficial for several reasons: • Helps to make the organizer (that’s you) more comfortable • It helps to have another person asking good questions, making their own impressions of the conversation • Gives the impression that what you need to talk about is important • Gives the impression that the union isn’t just one person (especially if the organizee is known to one of the organizers)

19. Have a clear goal in mind Before you walk into someone’s office, ask yourself: “What do I need to know before I walk out of this person’s office”? Ex: “I need to know if this person is going to attend the union meeting on Thursday, and I need to know if they are bringing someone, and whom.” Ex: “I need to know what this person thinks about the AAUP, and if they are interested in joining” • Keep that goal in the back of your mind • Guide the conversation toward it by asking open-ended questions. Both a skill and an art.

20. Checklist • Turf map/Campus map • Turf list/roster • Assessment sheets • Membership forms • Event flyer/petition/other actionable item

21. “Okay, but how exactly should I do an office visit?” (Step-by-step)

22. INTRODUCTION DISCOVERY EXPLORATION ASK REVIEW The Big IDEAR A framework for organizing conversations

23. Introduction Introduce yourself. Say who you are, and why you are there. If you already know the person you are visiting, let them know why you want to speak with them. I wanted to make sure I spoke with you about [issue] Do you have a few minutes to talk with me about faculty in [Department] I’m trying to speak with everyone in this department about [issue]. Do you have a few minutes to talk about AAUP? Adapted from Secrets of a Successful Organizer (Labor Notes, 2016)

24. Discovery (when there’s no specific issue) Start by asking open-ended questions, and attempt to uncover the issues that you colleague cares about. Listen very carefully, and guide your questioning in a direction that enables them to remember how they feel about an issue. Where did you work before here? What was that like? (What’s different here?) How’s your week going? This is your first semester -- what has it been like so far? You’ve been here long time, what was it like before (what’s different now?) Adapted from Secrets of a Successful Organizer (Labor Notes, 2016)

25. Discovery (when you have a specific issue) If there is a specific issue that you know you want to ask them about, or follow up on, don’t lead by asking them to immediately take an action. Instead, find out how the issue is affecting them. Last week you thought X, what do you think now? How is the new course scheduling system working for you here? What did you think of the Dean’s e-mail this week about [issue]? I spoke with someone else this week who told me ... what’s happening here? Adapted from Secrets of a Successful Organizer (Labor Notes, 2016)

26. Exploration (Agitation) Once you’ve uncovered important issues, it’s time to explore them through agitation. Agitation is a multi-step process that both allows the person to express their frustration (in the right direction) and gives them hope that something can be accomplished through collective action. What kind of an impact do you think these cuts have on students? Who is ultimately responsible for all of this? How do you think the college got into this financial trouble? Do you think the board will correct the issue on its own?

27. Exploration (Agitation) Once you’ve uncovered important issues, it’s time to explore them through agitation. Agitation is a multi-step process that both allows the person to express their frustration (in the right direction) and gives them hope that something can be accomplished through collective action. This is just a first step. We have to show them we’re willing to stand up for our programs. What would the board do if we organized faculty to all speak at the next board meeting? What about if we worked with students to bring this issue to the attention of employers? If we all stick together, maybe the administration will think twice about taking the next step. Adapted from Secrets of a Successful Organizer (Labor Notes, 2016)

28. Ask Perhaps the most important part of an organizing conversation: Asking your colleague to commit to taking part in an action. Before you go to talk to someone, you should have a clear idea of what kinds of actions you need people to take. I noticed you have a new colleague next door, what does she think of all this? If this is going to work, we need to show up with as many faculty as possible. What does your schedule look like at [time]. Can you commit to coming? We’re all meeting outside of the board room at [time] to go in together. Adapted from Secrets of a Successful Organizer (Labor Notes, 2016)

29. Review It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s important to inoculate the organizee with weak arguments against your position, or against taking action. That will bolster her “immune system” against stronger attacks from admin. Then, review what she agreed to do and make a plan for follow-up. I’ll follow up with you next week to see how you thought it went. What would the Dean try to do to the people who went to the meeting? Does that change your mind about going? Adapted from Secrets of a Successful Organizer (Labor Notes, 2016)

30. Listen, Listen, Listen • “80/20” Rule: Listen 80% of the time, speak 20% (and spend half of that time speaking asking open-ended questions) • It’s easy to get excited, but slow down. • Don’t interrupt, let the person finish their thought • Show them that you are listening: React, ask follow-up questions, repeat back what you heard. If you don’t understand, ask. (This shows them that you are really interested) • Avoid leading questions, like “Don’t you think that….?” • Meet people where they are • Always say “Yes” (never say “no”) Adapted from Secrets of a Successful Organizer (Labor Notes, 2016)

31. Other tips • Better to say “yes, and” or “you’re right” (never “no, but”) • Say “I don’t know” if you don’t know the answer to a question. • Be a source of reliable, trustworthy, factual information (Your colleagues will respect you for it) • Gives you a reason to come back (Your colleagues will appreciate that you took the time to find out the answer to their question). • Avoid engaging in speculation, rumor, and personalities • Shows that the organization is above-board in its dealings • Makes it about issues and policy, and not about personalities

32. DO’S ✔ • Listen twice as much as you talk • Emphasize the the chapter is only as strong as its members • Say “I don’t know” if you don’t have an answer • Stick to the purpose of the visit, don’t get sidetracked • Point out that criticisms are a reason for them to get personally involved

33. DON’Ts ✘ • Start formulating your response before they’ve finished talking • Be afraid to ask your colleague to join • Get into heated arguments • Gossip or deal in personalities – stick to principles and issues • Write down notes as they are speaking

34. Responding to Objections • Objections to joining are exceedingly common, but they do not necessarily indicate that someone is not willing to join or take an action. • People may have limitless objections. It is your job as the organizer to determine if that person’s objections are sincere (and are willing to be changed), or not. • It’s a very good idea to try to list out the kinds of common objections you encounter, compile them into a list, and create effective responses to them.

35. Responding to Objections Deal with objections using feel, felt, found

36. Responding to Objections Deal with objections using feel, felt, found. • I understand how you feel • I’ve felt that way before [or I’ve felt a different way] • What I’ve found is... [joining the union, or taking an action as a solution to said issue]

37. Responding to Objections Ex: If we just keep our heads down, things will get better. I don’t want to make waves. • You’re right, I also feel that things are pretty terrifying right now for everyone. • I’ve often felt that I should just stay in my office and focus on my work. • What I’ve found is that there’s strength and safety in numbers. Joining the union means that we can speak collectively about the issues that affect us without any one of us being singled out.

38. Making Assessments Assessments are a judgment call that you, the organizer, makes after having a conversation. Ask yourself this question: “Based on what your colleague said, what is his/her support for the union/chapter/action?”

39. Making Assessments

40. EXERCISES

41. You did an office visit! Now what? • Document • Document • Document Documentation is vitally important for your office visits program. It • Provides the next organizer with key assessment and follow up information, and information about what issues they care about. • Provides the office visits coordinator with assessment and issues information to compile together in order to move the program forward.

42. Pulling it all Together Getting serious about your Office Visits program

43. Coordinating Committee If you are serious about organizing, get serious about coordinating your office visits program • Create an organizing committee, or use an existing structure (e.g. stewards, Department Reps) to coordinate visits. • Choose a person to coordinate this committee, or utilize a leader in the existing structure as an office visits coordinator (e.g. chief steward)

44. Coordinator/Chief Steward Duties The person coordinating the office visits program should be experienced with office visits, but generally should not be doing many of them his/herself** • Accepts incoming Assessment forms from organizers • Compiles data on progress at the department-by-department level • Creates and updates Turf Lists for organizers • Leads coordinating committee meetings on a regular basis • Helps organizers debrief their conversations • Occasionally pairs up with an organizer for a “difficult” conversation • Creates or coordinates the creation of literature pieces based on incoming Assessments **Unless that person is responsible for his/her own department

45. Coordinating Committee Meetings Get serious about holding office visit coordinating committee meetings. • How often? Hold them at least every other week. Longer periods between meetings can slow momentum, and sometimes folks forget the details of conversations. • Campaign update: Run through “the Numbers” with the committee • Debrief your conversations. Use the time to identify common objections, and determine if there seems to be a pattern. Talk through good way to respond to them, and make sure everyone is on the same page. • Plan for Next week. Set goals, distribute updated turf lists, materials, instructions, etc.

46. Sample Coordinating Committee Agenda Agenda • Updates • Campaign progress breakdown • Upcoming communications or literature • Updates from Negotiations Team or other related committee • Conversations • Debrief conversations • Next Week • Turf lists/Assignments • Materials

47. Celebration!