Resources

GETTING STARTED: CRAFTING YOUR VISION AND TELLING YOUR STORY

Marshall Ganz’s Telling Your Public Story: Ganz is a Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a renowned community organizer and trainer. This worksheet walks you through the importance of crafting a story to articulate your movement’s vision and breaks down the key components of a “Story of Self,” “Story of Us,” and “Story of Now.”

Jim Collins Vision Framework Exercise: An author and lecturer, Jim Collins writes on the subject of company sustainability and growth. In this exercise, he walks you through the steps to create and articulate your organization’s vision.

Vision Worksheet: All movements start with a vision, and the more clearly defined a vision is, the easier it will be to rally people around your cause. This worksheet will help guide you to articulating your vision. 

THEORY OF CHANGE

Center for Theory of Change: A non-profit organization established to promote quality standards and best practices for the development and implementation of Theory of Change. The site includes the “Theory of Change library” which provides how-to books and articles, case studies, videos and presentations and tools to help you understand and develop your own Theory of Change.  

The Aspen Institute: The Community Builder’s Approach to Theory of Change: A Practical Guide to Theory Development and implementation of Theory of Change. The site includes the “Theory of Change library” which provides how-to books and articles, case studies, videos and presentations and tools to help you understand and develop your own Theory of Change.  

TOOLS AND ARTICLES FOR LEADING AND INSPIRING TEAMS

Motivational Pie Chart Exercise: An important tool for anyone who leads teams. The Motivational Pie Chart asks how an organization is performing against the criteria that motivate a specific individual.

Horizon Exercise PDF: In the same way that you have a long-term vision for your movement, helping your team create a long-term vision is one way to keep them motivated. This is an exercise I adapted from a Change.org colleague that starts with the outcome you want and then works backward to figure how to get there.  

Decision Log: As a leader, one of the most important things you can do is empower your team to be in control of delivering results with the ability to make their own decisions. A Decision Log is a helpful tool for tracking the decisions that are being made in organization and who is making them.

Cultivating a Growth Mindset