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💡 Campaigns escalate pressure on our targets over time while also replenishing our organizations’ capacity to mobilize supporters.
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Many have read about big labor union strikes that left hospitals, automotive factories, and schools shut down for days or weeks, making it appear as though those workers quickly went “from zero to 100.” But the stories and TikToks about those actions fail to note the gradual escalation that built up to maximum pressure on their employers.
The most effective campaigns gradually build pressure on our primary targets over time, escalating in intensity in ways that also replenish our organizations’ capacity to mobilize supporters.
Tips for tactic sequencing:
- Put your opponent on your timeline - giving a deadline or ultimatum allows you to plan ahead and exposes their inaction as a choice.
- Escalation - increase intensity of actions as your capacity increases and as you earn legitimacy from the public and allies.
- Create a dilemma for your opponent - “dilemma tactics” put your opponent in a lose-lose situation while building suspense.
- Plan multiple actions ahead - knowing the ‘next action’ puts pressure on opponent and gives your base and allies a next step to plan towards.
- Balance tactics “on stage” with work happening “off stage” — training, recruiting, research, leadership development, etc. all build your capacity, but be clear which action tactics directly exert power on your opponent.
- Design for drama - show, don’t just tell the story of your opponents’ choices and the alternative you’re proposing
The worksheet below frames our tactic sequence in “Three Acts.” To use this worksheet:
- Identify the date ranges for different acts. When will the sequence launch (Act I)? When do we expect a dramatic confrontation to serve our goals (Act III)?
- Brainstorm external events that might be in the calendar for our base, allies, potential allies, opponents, and our target. Which events could we plan tactics around or avoid conflicts with?
- List tactics for each Act, being mindful for the tips above.
- Step back and assess. How does our tactic arc build pressure on our target over time? How does it activate our key audiences and potential supporters? How does it make room for or replenish our groups capacity and energy?
Worksheet
Create your own editable copy of all worksheets included in this guide.
Worksheet Preview ↓
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KKeBKcoLHUymcgoiaox6BcWkJh7H1TiHvzUo7hffWpA/edit#slide=id.g1f10c05034f_0_1360
Other Resources