Use the following steps with your team if you are unable or do not want to use the online Tactical Mapping tool.
The spectrum of allies tool is especially helpful in raising awareness of the diversity of positions. This expands your possibilities for gaining new allies. It also helps you better assess your opponents to address their actions.
Exploring Allies to Opponents
The New Tactics Strategic Effectiveness Method tool for exploring allies to opponents has five segments.
- Active Allies
- Passive Allies
- Neutral
- Passive Opponents
- Active Opponents
NOTE: We have used a large sheet of paper for brainstorming. Use the relationships from your tactical map. Write new “post-its” for each relationship to create your spectrum of allies. View both the tactical map and spectrum of allies side-by-side.
Consider where to place each relationship on the “spectrum”. Discuss the best position from an active ally to an active opponent. Use this Spectrum of Allies Measure of Change worksheet to help you verify the position and track changes.
You will discover that you identify new relationships. Or you may identify more specific people within organizations or institutions. Be sure to add any new relationships or “actors” that emerge to your tactical map as you create your spectrum of allies
- Place each relationship “post-it” in a “segment” on the spectrum. This relationship may be a person, group or institution. Consider how this “actor” relates to your identified problem. Use the characteristics of each “segment” to discuss the best placement for each actor’s position.
NOTE: Different kinds of tactics are most effective for “actors” placed in each segment. You will find “tactic selection tip” ideas for each segment on the spectrum of allies tool. Focus on tactics that will move the targeted “actor” only one segment toward the active ally position.
Active Allies: You believe you can already count on them to help you.
Tactic Selection Tip: Use tactics to keep these allies engaged. Use tactics that keep these allies actively working with you toward your goal.
Passive Allies: You think these “actors” have similar interests, investments or needs to solve the problem. They may be close to agreeing with you about your vision. Or they may be interested in common goals. But they may not be able or willing to actively or overtly support you.
Tactic Selection Tip: Use tactics that will move these passive allies to the “active” ally position. You want tactics that will increase their interest and willingness to become active allies.
Neutral: These are people, organizations, institutions that may not know about the problem. They may not know about you and your work. They may not understand your position. They may not understand their own investment in the problem.
Tactic Selection Tip: Use tactics to inform or educate them about the problem. Use tactics to promote your position. You want tactics to move them to a “passive ally” position. WARNING: Be careful to examine your tactics for “actors” in this segment. You do not want to anger or alienate them. You do not want your tactics to move them toward your opponent’s position.
Passive Opponents: These are people, organizations, institutions that you think have interests that would be opposed to your issue or position. They may oppose your short or medium-term goals. They may have relationships or interests with those who are actively opposed to you.
Tactic Selection Tip: Use tactics that will create doubt about their position. Use tactics that raise fears that their position may be “costly” to them in some way. Use tactics that will keep them passive or move them to the “neutral” position. WARNING: Be careful to examine your tactics so you do NOT push them to the “active opponent” position.
Active Opponents: These are people, organizations, institutions that have a big investment in opposing your position (related to power, position, finances, relationships, etc.).
Tactic Selection Tip: Use tactics that put these “actors” into a great dilemma. Actions they would take against
you would be “costly” to them in some way. Your tactic goal is to move them into a “passive opponent” position.
This tool helps you visualize your allies and opponents regarding your issue. Click here to use the online Tactical Mapping Tool to create your spectrum of allies.
Mapping your terrain of human relationships prepares your team for selecting effective tactics. This is an important step to prepare your team for strategic and tactical innovations.
Done mapping relationships? Click to explore tactics for achieving your human rights goals.
RESOURCES
- Article: Tactical Mapping: How Nonprofits Can Identify the Levers of Change
This article provides an overview of the tactical map tool and specific examples of its use. It was published in The Nonprofit Quarterly, Summer 2009 edition.
Susan Banki of the University of Sydney explains why visually mapping the relationships that surround a human rights issue is important in identifying effective strategies, and she shares the steps involved in this activity. Thank you to the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Sydney for creating and sharing this video.
