REFLECTION MEETINGS
It’s good for canvassers to communicate with each other in some way during the period of active door-knocking. Having a chance to report, share highlights, and ask questions can be very valuable for volunteers.
Each group and its leaders can decide the best way to do this. Here are some options:
- Set up shared online communication: Establish a way for people to communicate with written messages: on a private Facebook group, a shared Google Doc, an app like Slack, group texts or email chains. This is not as powerful as real-time communication, which the next two options provide, but it can help canvassers stay in touch and share impressions and questions. Volunteers may be very busy and have limited time for more meetings—but they can still support each other.
- Hold short check-in meetings: Set a regular weekly time for group members to show up on Zoom and report on their progress. This could be just 15 minutes. A town leader or another designated person should plan to host. The question should be simple:
- “What have you been doing?” or “How is it going?” This works well for keeping track of concrete tasks. People might report on how far they’ve gotten on their turfs, whether they need a driver for next week, and other practical issues. They might also share ideas and quick stories. For more extensive discussion, choose the next option:
- Hold longer discussion meetings: Set a time for participants to share experiences, questions, and ideas. This might happen mid-way through the canvassing time, and perhaps again at the end of your local project. Some groups may wish to do this in person, perhaps at someone’s home, with some social time as well as canvassing discussion.
You may invite a Voter Outreach Committee member to facilitate via Zoom, or you can adapt the following agenda suggestions for your use:
Possible Agenda for Conversation Canvassing Discussion:
The plan below is for a one-hour meeting. It can be shortened to meet your needs, especially if the group is small (5 or fewer).
Greetings, introductions (if needed), agreements: 10 minutes
Review Working Agreements:
- Best practices, not prescriptions
- All experts, all learners
- We bring curiosity, compassion, and courage
- We are all doing the best we can: no shame, no blame
Successes (a round of “roses”): 10 minutes
Each person has a chance to tell a story about something that went well or felt positive. The facilitator will call on each person in turn. People can choose to pass rather than speaking. The stories or comments should be short, a minute or less.
Challenges: (a round of “thorns”): 10 minutes
Each person has a chance to tell a story about something that was problematic or difficult. As before, the facilitator calls on each person in turn, people can pass, and the stories or comments should be short.
Changes: (discussion of “buds,” places to grow and improve): 20 minutes
The group looks for themes in the stories they heard, identifying things that might be changed. This can be done as a round, calling on everyone to contribute, but a more general discussion is likely to emerge naturally from the first two rounds. The facilitator or another person should make notes so there’s a record of these ideas; this can be shared with the group afterward via email or Google Docs.
Next steps and closing: 10 minutes
The facilitator or recorder should review decisions and actions the group has agreed on, making sure there’s someone who’s agreed to follow through as needed.
Depending on the time, you might close with a quick round where each person answers a simple prompt question, like one of these:
- “What do look forward to in your next round of canvassing?”
- “What do you hope for in the next round?”
- “What’s one word or phrase that describes how you’re feeling right now?”
