This document outlines five steps to gaining internal support for advocacy efforts within an organization: 1. Identify the key stakeholders within the organization that should support advocacy based on their goals and levels of influence. Figure out how advocacy can demonstrate value to these stakeholders. 2. Educate colleagues about the role of advocacy through workshops and activities to help them connect advocacy to their own goals. Empower colleagues to participate in advocacy. 3. Make the process of participating in advocacy easy for colleagues by designing accessible internal pathways and utilizing familiar tools. Advocacy should be presented as an immediate and agile way to help colleagues reach their goals. 4. Share success stories from advocacy efforts to promote interest through

1. My Success is your Success
Five steps to getting your colleagues into advocacy
May 11, 2015

2. Why internal buy-in matters
Or, how to make your job easier, your program better, and your career soar

3. 1. More is more

4. Who should care about advocacy?
• Anyone with a company goal
• Look at org chart
– Who is the right “level” to target?
• From a functional perspective?
• From a higher-level supporter perspective?
• Where can you show value quickly
– What makes these stakeholders tick?
Figuring out your internal advocacy landscape

5. 2. Educate.
Repeat.
Try Again.

6. Workshops or simple one-offs
– Educate on function of advocacy in org
– Demonstrate your program
– Ask folks to come prepared with one goal
– Activity to connect advocacy to that goal
– Test out your input process
– Leave with a stockpile of new challenge ideas!
Empower your colleagues

7. 3. Make it easy

8. Advocacy must be easily accessible
• Design an internal pathway to advocacy
• Utilize tools your colleagues already use
• Gather 5 Ws
• Show don’t tell
– Advocacy can be immediate
– Advocacy can be agile
– “Advocacy can help you reach your goals”
People like process (even if they say they don’t)

9. Example: The online pathway I developed

10. 4. Share
Your
Success
And see interest in your program grow

11. • Newsletters
• Town halls
• All-hands
• Off-sites
• Intranets
• Social
• Department meetings
• Career fairs
Get on your soapbox

12. Be Bold! Make advocacy a happening…

13. “During our Q&A session with Warren
Barkley… he emphasized the
importance of showing parents and the
school board how students benefit by
using this technology. Right then, my
colleague and I reached out to our
school board president via Twitter.
Within a few minutes and three tweets,
we had a commitment from the school
board president to schedule a visit to my
classroom.”
Why sharing matters – for you and your advocates

14. 5. Grow
Your
Career
And your program and your budget….

15. Get recognized as an innovator

18. Grow your budget and advocate love