Collective Action Elevates Our Intentions
When you try to make a dent on your own, it can be slow. When you bring others together to join in, that’s where change happens.
People always do the best they can and sometimes they concentrate so hard that they don’t give themselves the time to look up and see if others are doing similar things with a similar goal.
It can be soul destroying.
When that goal is supporting and contributing to a local community, be that a local neighbourhood or a business sector for example, the impact could well be amplified through collective action.
I am currently reading a fascinating book by Cormac Russell and John McKnight called The Connected Community. A concept that leaped out from the introduction was not to rely on leaders or the government but to seek out the local gems, those people that are already contributing or just waiting to be asked.
When it is all on one person, some people may think there is a hidden agenda, even if you are doing it for the right reasons.
Having more people involved strengthens the message and increases the organic reach through everyone’s own connections. Timing can be a bonus too for amplification.
Imagine running a marathon on your own. The loneliness, the pain of hitting the wall, the mental strength to continue. All of this can be eased when running as part of a larger group and it could easily give an added boost. A marathon with 45k people around you feels more uplifting than heading out on your own, on a Sunday morning.
I was at the You Are The Media Creator Day and gave a task for everyone. It’s an experiment demonstrating collective action. We used social media with a goal for amplification. It worked very well when everyone used the #inPoole hashtag to share a photo and post. This meant people could find each other, even if they didn’t get to meet on the day.
When all the collective action comes together, it can really help cement the reputation of those involved and the central purpose too. Working together, alongside the people who matter also paves the way for new approaches to reaching common goals.
Bringing people together can amplify the impact you seek to make. It doesn’t have to be reserved for the privileged or those with influence. Collective action strengthens the message and organic reach, and new approaches can be discovered when working alongside those who matter.
