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Building Dynamic Coalitions:
A Communication Model


Jane Angelis

Children's literature often presents life stories in a simple, logical and whimsical way. Such is the storyline of Stone Soup as it tickles the imagination of the soldiers, embraces the helpful spirit of the villagers, and lures them into a captivating project. A communication model for building successful coalitions does much the same. It tickles the imagination of potential leaders, embraces the helpful spirit of organizations, and lures opinion leaders and citizens into a captivating experience. A dynamic coalition based on a Stone Soup-type blueprint will ask the questions: Why? Who? What will you do?

The why of beginning a coalition is often a crisis or great need that compels people to act. People don't build a coalition just to build a coalition. They have a purpose. Morse calls it "building on the community's resources, talents and assets" (Morse, 1996, p.17).

The who of a coalition are the people who are sparked by a need or crisis and see the emerging coalition as something positive that entices their involvement. Coalitions bring people together, not only those in powerful positions but also those affected by the activities of the coalition. Three types of coalition builders play necessary however divergent roles. First is the core, which includes key leaders and others who have an overwhelming sense of mission or something to gain. This core is the strength of the coalition, and they enhance that strength by reaching out to the less-committed individuals, sometimes through subtle persuasion. The second group is interested, helpful and supportive and will provide specific resources but are unable to partake in leadership responsibilities. The third group is comprised of individuals who have a passing interest and will come and go. Coalitions should be inclusive, "The fabric of community must be woven by many groups - municipal agencies, civic organizations, businesses, schools, churches, neighborhood organizations, community college and so forth," (Gardner, 1990, p. 107). And yet the odd adage, "start small," also has merits.

What will you do? is the essence of successful coalition development. According to do Tocqueville, coalition building is something that Americans do well. Our ancestors established new settlements, raised buildings and forged a path westward; they couldn't have done it without camaraderie and collaboration. Therefore, coalition building, you might say, is in our blood. "From the beginning, Americans have prided themselves on their ability to join together with their fellow citizens to get things done," (A Nation of Spectators, 1998, p.9).

Once the why, who and what will you do have been determined, a final question is posed: How will you do it? The answer is, collaboration. Collaboration is a communication-intensive process involving dialogue in groups, and information flow among organizations." Metacommunication - discussing our ability to communicate with one another - is a key element of collaboration because it clarifies meaning and develops a culture of communication. The steps of a communication model are: (1) developing a communication culture, (2) becoming a Team, and (3) celebrating.

1. Developing a Communication Culture

The beginnings of a coalition may follow any one of several scripts. Often a group of people come together, sit around a table and begin the process of getting acquainted. Introductions begin, "I am Mary Smith, and I represent the public library. I am here because the library has resources and we believe that we can accomplish more if we work together."

It takes time to get to know each other and to understand the personal and organizational agendas. Sometimes a coalition will start and stop, and start

* Dr. Jane Angelis, Director, Illinois Intergenerational Initiative, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Dr. Angelis is the editor of Continuance, a quarterly publication on intergenerational relationships and issues.

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again before it becomes effective. In the best-case scenario, understanding and trust are gradually developed as members symbolically lay their cards on the table. Effective communication is the hallmark of successful coalition development. "Although we do not share all the information about ourselves with others, we do reach a point where we are willing to disclose certain details about why we behave as we do," (Angelis, 1996, p.45). Each member becomes more familiar with the agendas and biases of those around the table and moves toward a shared vision. A communication culture is developed as part of the getting acquainted process; that is, certain words, humor or stories become unique to the group. These jokes or words along with the experiences of the coalition are repeated and woven together as something they have created together, something they share. Metacommunication becomes a natural part of problem solving and is the basis for cohesiveness and success.

Some in the group who are eager to get things done may find this early process unnecessary and experience frustration at moving ahead so slowly. Experts (Brown, 1995; Gardner, 1991; and Melaville and Blank, 1993, and Morse, 1995) advise us that this step of coalition formation is the foundation; if we do this part right, our chances for success are increased. Senge (1990) and Bellah (1989) suggest that sharing our vision requires ongoing conversation, helps us listen to others, and ultimately helps us discover that we agree more than we thought we did. Having said this, finding time can be a problem for overextended staff members who bear the additional responsibilities of involvement. A balance must be found.

The strength of the communication culture is tested when conflict and turf issues arise. Conflict should be regarded as a positive and necessary part of every successful collaborative effort. It often stimulates new thinking and strengthens the coalition through efforts to find common ground. Humor and storytelling help individuals get beyond the early dissonance and frame discord in a less serious manner. Humor may be the glue that holds the coalition together, creating a climate that nurtures trust and keeps the coalition interesting and fun.

Developing a communication culture is like Lewis Canoil's Alice Through the Looking-Glass. Individuals join the coalition with a variety of interests and agendas. Through dialogue the group symbolically passes through the looking glass and ends up with goals that are "ours." Members of the coalition begin to develop a new mind set, one not of competition, but of cooperation. Developing a communication culture is a journey through time. It is looking to the future by envisioning what could be, then looking to the past to determine how it has been done and taking action.

2. Becoming a Team

In the best of all worlds a coalition moves to a collaborative level by planning a project or event together and making long-term and short-term plans. Sometimes this happens by writing a proposal. "If there is a single lesson to be drawn from the recent experience of collaboratives, it is that there is no single 'right way' to make change. Instead of following a cookbook, step-by-step approach, partners must find the most effective way to knit their local needs, resources, and preferences into a purposeful plan" (Melaville and Blank 1993, p.19). The story of Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge gives a symbolic image of a team in action.

Wilfired Gordon McDonald Partridge is the story of a little boy who had a good friend named Nancy Alision Delacourt Cooper who lives in the nursing home next door. One day, he heard his parents say that Miss Nancy had lost her memory. He asked different people, "What is a memory?" and received different answers: it is something warm, something that makes you happy, something that makes you sad, something as precious as gold, and something from long ago. He was determined to help his friend Miss Nancy, so he took a basket and gathered treasures that represented the definitions of memory he had heard. He gave the treasures to Miss Nancy and each one stimulated recollections from her past. The little boy helped her to find her memory (Fox, 1985).

The Wilfrid story symbolizes teamwork at its best: asking questions and listening, developing a vision of how to solve the problem, setting goals, taking action and celebrating the completion of the activity. Barbara Gray in Collaboration: Finding Common Ground for the Multiparty Problems echoes the Wilfrid story as she describes collaboration as a process to "explore the differences and search for solutions." Members of a coalition need to see themselves as part of a team - and innovative group - seeking to accomplish community goals. Completing a small step or short-term goal reinforces the idea that they can do it. "Most of us like the feeling of being part of an effort that is proving to be successful" (Brown, 1995, p. 127).

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Coalition leadership changes periodically to remain robust. "In effective collaboration, leadership will shift among participants as different challenges and tasks are approached," (Tice, Angelis, and Poulsen 1996, p.3). According to Robert Greenleaf's concept of servant leadership, nurturing leadership in others is as essential as leading itself. Leaders of a coalition promote action through involvement of everyone.

3. Celebrating

Periodically an organization needs to pause, reflect and celebrate. In Together We Can, reflection and celebration are discussed as important activities that should happen after each step in coalition development. "Reflection - a process in which partners look back on what they have done - is a tool to help them learn from their collective experience. To the extent that partners leam the lessons of their experience together, they will have greater strength to pursue future challenges," (Melaville and Blank, 1993, p.33). As a result, new energy, new ideas and a feeling of success are captured by the coalition and enthusiastic participants move toward another collaborative task and new goals.

Celebrations recognize the achievements of the group and also individuals in the community. A team image is helped by publicity and media attention. If the world says, "Look at that teamwork," members of the team believe it. We should never underestimate the value of celebration and its function in recognizing individuals. It is a golden opportunity to enjoy success and congratulate those who made it happen.

Collaboration is Communication

"Coalition is derived from the Latin coalescere, which means to grow together, to unite or merge into a single body," (Angelis, 1992, p. 15). To do that, a communication-intensive process unfolds. Like the TV game shows, you are asked to choose door number one, door number two or door number three. When building a successful coalition, you select all three. Door one is interpersonal communication. From the very first meeting, communication is essential to getting acquainted, listening, keeping information clear and flowing and moving the group effectively. Door number two is interorganizational communication, that is, keeping the information flowing between organizations and fostering connections and cooperation. Door number three is communicating the actions of the coalition to the community and getting their feedback. Developing external support as well as support within the coalition requires communication with the people who may be involved the implementation as well as opinion leaders within the community. Burns refers to opinion leaders as individuals in places of prominence and also those who communicate with many people such as a "taxi driver, neighborhood druggist, or a shop foreman" and calls this "leadership at its simplest" (Burns, 1979, p.262). We live in a media-dominated society, which means that from the earliest stages of the coalition building we must keep the media informed and involve them as much as possible. In today's world, success may depend as much on how effectively we send the message as on the results achieved.

Outcome

The why, who, and what will we do?, of coalition building leaves a critical question unanswered, "What is the global outcome of building a dynamic coalition?" The two children's stories provide the answers. Stone Soup begins with scarce resources and suspicion between the villagers and soldiers. The ending is a collaborative project that creates their unique communication culture and brings them together as a successful team. They address an innate human need and develop trust. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge begins with a youngster taking a complex adult problem, defining it creatively and finding solutions. The global goal of coalition building is about finding solutions. It is about citizens of all ages working together to create doable solutions to old problems.

References

Angelis, Jane, Creating Intergenerational Coalitions: Bottom Up - Top Down Strategies, (Carbondale: Southern Illinois University, 1992).

Angelis, Jane, "Intergenerational Communication: The Process of Getting Acquainted," Southwest Journal on Aging, 12 (1-2), pages 43-46.

Bellah, Robert et al., Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996).

Benton Foundation, Buildings, Books, and Bytes: Libraries and Communities in the Digital Age, (Washington, DC: Benton Foundation, 1996).

Brown, David, When Strangers Cooperate, (New York: Harper & Row, 1978).

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Burns, James MacGregor, Leadership, (New York: Harper & Row, 1978).

de Tocqueville, Alexis, Democracy in America, (London: Saunders and Otiey, 1835).

Fox, Mem, Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, (Brooklyn: Kane/Miller, 1985).

Gardner, John W., On Leadership, (New York: The Free Press, 1990).

Gray, Barbary, Collaborating: Finding Common Ground for Multiparty Problems, (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1989).

Greenleaf, Robert, Servant Leadership, (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1977).

Koller, Marvin, Humor and Society, (Houston: Cap and Gown Press, 1998).

Marcum, Deanna, "Redefining Community Through the Public Library," Daedalus, 1996 (4), pages 191-205.

Morse, Suzanne, "New Constellations of Stars: A Guide to Community Collaboration," Wingspread Journal, (Racine, WI: Johnson Foundation, 1996).

Moyers, Bill, A World of Ideas, (New York: Doubleday, 1989).

Peters, Tom, "A Physics Lesson: Connections are Everything," Chicago Tribune, September 7, 1992, page 5.

Senge, Peter, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, (New York: Doubleday/Currency, 1990).

Tice, Carol, Jane Angeles, and Susan Poulsen, Serving Well, (Racine, WI: The Johnson Foundation, 1997).

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