Unify for Prosperity - part 2: The Solution

Unify for Prosperity

E pluribus unum
Out of many, one

Part 2: The Solution

Unity is oneness, an undivided entity, sharing a common cause and common values.  Unity requires joining to create unity and maintenance of the unity.   Power comes from putting unity to work through solidarity.  Knowing that we are powerless due to lack of size (unity) our next step is to determine why we lack the people required to make a large and powerful organization that can influence the people we elect and empower to make decisions in the public policy process. The simplest cause of the problem can be the fact that the goal is not of interest to a large number of people but if our goal is important to the common good then the next, more complicated cause of the problem, is the fact that people are not joining the organization.  Why people join (and stay) is the focus of this article.

Note: I will not tell you how to create unity as there are many ways to build unity.  Providing a process for creating unity would be like providing a process for developing friendship.  Deep down I think we all know how to create unity but too often people are not willing to do what is required for developing unity.

Human nature

Groups are about people and so we need to know what moves people. 

We all want to have control over things in our personal life and have some influence in our environment.  Our level of happiness, self-esteem and optimism in life increase when have ability to be proactive and have some control in our life. When we have no control or at least influence over issues that concern us then we develop a sense of hopelessness, learned helplessness, pessimism and in general unhappiness.

We join groups because through a group we have a greater ability to exert influence.

Unification:  Why do people join?

Simply put;

1.     The person has a problem they want to solve.

2.     The person finds a group through which the problem can be solved.

Unification is a mass mutual commitment to a common goal and actions.

People join (buy into, make a commitment) groups through which they will get some sort of benefit.  The benefit can be personal (something pleasurable), social (belonging, being a part of something bigger than self) and to solve a problem (improve one’s condition).  Personal and social reasons can be ends in themselves while joining to solve a problem is a means to an end but joining to solve a problem does not exclude personal and social motivations.  We can safely assume that in the public policy process people are motivated primarily by “the cause” but even there we seek to be in a positive environment that fulfills personal and social needs within an acceptable moral code.  We want to have fun while working for the cause.

“The cause” is an interesting concept because it represents both the goal and the people working together to towards the goal.  People become a part of the cause, something greater than the individual.  All must be humble servants of the cause.  The cause must be the end for all. 
The cause is not a means to an end for some.

Simplifying these ideas it can be said that we seek allies

Ally

Noun: A person that shares a common cause with who we join to work in good will and good faith towards the cause. Someone who helps and supports someone else. Associate, partner, supporter, comrade, friend.

Verb: To unite, form a mutually beneficial relationship (agreement, alliance, association), with the other(s).

The process of joining and unifying (making an agreement) creates allies in the common cause against a common foe. When we trust one another we are willing to help one another, be open, vulnerable and willing to sacrifice. 

Agreement eliminates confusion and creates certainty and safety. Meeting of the minds (also referred to as mutual agreement, mutual assent or consensus ad idem) is a phrase in contract law used to describe the intentions of the parties forming the contract. Latin term consensus ad idem, which actually means 'agreement to the [same] thing'.

Secret: Make sure that the goal/cause is clearly defined in order to prevent confusion and conflict in who joins and what is done.

Unity:  Why do people stay?

Simply put;

1.     People are getting results (in accomplishing their goal).

2.     People trust the others they are working with.

3.     People like the others they are working with and enjoy the effort.

Unity is ongoing (re)commitment to the cause.

Unity is togetherness, oneness, an undivided whole based on a mutually beneficial agreement towards a common cause.  The strength of unity is based on cooperation, loyalty, dedication, determination and contribution (naming just a few concepts).   Our level of unity increases when we know that our personal interests benefit from the collective effort (solidarity) and we are working together with other people also working with good will and in good faith towards the common goal.

People stay in the alliance as long as progress is being made towards the goal and there is hope that there will be a positive outcome that benefits everyone in the cause.  Positive relationships built on trust and likability influence the level of commitment to the cause and can overcome problems of hope and optimism.

Hope in the groups in influenced by a blend of three types of capital in the group:

·      economic capital (money and physical resources),

·      cultural capital (the spirit of how things are done),

·      social capital (the power of relationships).  

The power of groups is build on who is in the group, what each member is capable of and what each member is willing to do.  Each person has competencies (human capital, a potential to act) and cultural and social capital influence how the person will act and use the economic resources of the group.  While culture is very slow to change social capital can be developed and destroyed more quickly by leaders through the example they set. 

Unity

·      From Latin ūnitās, from ūnus, one

·      In everyday terms unity = agreement, concord, harmony.

·      Acceptance and commitment to a joint decision (contract)
on mutually beneficial objectives and actions

Unity is strongest then we are aligned on more than the purpose (goal).  
We are most comfortable with people that are similar to us.

Identity, unity of being: Definition of who we are (and are not).

Ethics, unity of action: Moral principles that govern our behavior defining what we are willing and also importantly what we are not willing to do.

Solidarity: How do people act?

Remember, upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.

 - Alexander The Great

Desires and intentions bring people together but action creates influence.  To create power with which to influence decision makers in the public policy process all people in the unity must work in solidarity to maximize the impact of the organization.  Solidarity increases the synergy effect and helps in making “the whole greater than the sum of the parts”.

Influence = Size X Solidarity

Solidarity

·      community, fellowship, cooperation based on common interest

·      show support (especially political) for each other in the group

·      mutual responsibility in communion of interests and responsibilities

Solidarity is not idealistic and altruistic – but in a sense selfish. In contrast to what is commonly assumed, it is built on dependency and an expectation of reciprocity.  In solidarity we find safety and we know that we win or lose together, equally.

How we act, what we are willing to contribute depends on the level of reciprocity in the relationships.  The stronger the relationships, the more trust and likability, the higher the level of social capital and the resulting willingness to act in cooperation with others making a contribution and acting with reciprocity.  Social capital is related to camaraderie and esprit de corps (spirit of the body). 

Remember

1.     Act guided by the Golden Rule

2.     Act in good faith

Good faith

Allies work in good faith (honesty or sincerity of intent), guided by the spirit of the agreement rather than the letter of the agreement.  Good faith means there is no deliberate intention to defraud the other party.  Opportunism, taking advantage of the agreement out of self-interest, shows a lack of consideration for the needs of others and your obligations to them.  Good faith builds social capital.  Also known as “bona fides”.

Solidarity improves Teamwork

 Teamwork is a cohesive group of people, contributing diverse skills and resources, working in a coordinated way to accomplish a compelling common goal.

Community

When people join, unite and act in solidarity they are also developing a community based on not location but on shared interests, values, attitudes and goals.  The better the community the more meaningful it is to the members.

Community

·      a unified body of individuals

·      a feeling of fellowship with others

·      a feeling of caring for others in a group

Understanding the origins of the word can give us an understanding of what community is. The word community comes from the Latin communitatus, deriving from communis, meaning "common, public, shared by all or many”.

Being a member of a community has both benefits and obligations. 
A community is only as good as the members make it. 

Creates comminitas = from Latin, public spirit, a sense of duty and willingness to serve one's community (spirit of community).

Now to discover the heart of community

The Latin term communitatus has three elements,

Com = a Latin prefix meaning with or together,

  + munis = (PIE  origin) means "the changes or exchanges that link"

  + atus = a Latin suffix suggesting diminutive, small, intimate or local.

The heart of community is service. 

Munis derives from mūnia (“duties”), mūnus (“service”). mūnerō (present, honor, reward) which comes from the ancient Proto-Indo-European (PIE)  *moy-nós, from *mey- (“changes, exchanges that bind”) and nós (we, our)

Proto-Indo-European Root

*mey-[1] = to strengthen

*mey-[2] = to bind

*mey-[3] = exchange

Community happens when people care about the goal and care about their colleagues. By joining we are committing ourselves to responsibilities, obligations to others.  If joining has a cost then the reward must be good.  Every member must fulfill their obligations otherwise the community falls apart when some shirk their responsibilities.  Strong communities have a high level of social capital.

It might be easier to identify key factors why people do not unify, stay united and act in solidarity.  Avoid the major errors and you might succeed.

Why people do not join?  The simplest reason is that the organization actively prevents people for joining due to restrictive admissions criteria that make the organization too exclusive.  A more complicated reason is that people either do not see the organizations as capable of success or they do not believe that they will benefit from organizational success.  Time and effort are valuable resources for people and none of us want to waste our time and effort by investing our time and effort into unprofitable ventures. We do not join what we do not believe in.

Joining is a risky endeavor for both the established group and the people that want to join.  There is a natural tendency for groups to welcome new members that are very similar to the existing members in order to maintain the culture and objectives of the organization founders but this limits the potential size of the organization. Another risk factor is the level of trustworthiness of new members; are they genuinely interested in the cause or do they have counterproductive intentions? For potential members in addition to the fear of wasting time and effort there is also the risk of our identity which is developed in part by the groups that we join; will we be proud of our affiliation with the organization or will it embarrass us?

Final thoughts

Summing up

Many pessimists will say that not much can be done and there is no influence when there is no money.  That is bullshit.  Money only buys what you can’t do for yourself. The more feet marching and hands working the less money is required.  The power of social capital is greater than economic capital.  If you can’t do it yourself then maybe you do not deserve the benefit you seek.

All these concepts are summarized in the diagram below.

  

Most failure in achieving success is not a problem of individual ability but a problem of individual will due to social/solidarity problems; what are people willing to do in a social environment for the common cause. 

You can’t have success without solidarity.

You can’t have solidarity without unity.

You can’t have unity without unification.

This is all about building and strengthening relationships.

Social capital – figure it out.

If you know that “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts” why aren’t you bringing together and unifying “more parts” ?

BUT unity must not turn into uniformity and conformity.

A little bit more (just in case you want it).

Two important words for friendship, to be a friend and not a foe, are dignity and trust.  Dignity and trust used towards a common cause, based on common values that we work together in an ethical manner, create social unity and solidarity resulting in increased social capital.

Definitions

Dignity is the based on the acknowledgement of equal worth between unique individuals.  Dignity means that I acknowledge that your worth as a human being is equal to mine and I treat you accordingly.  I respect your dignity when I treat you with consideration; that I take your well-being into consideration in the decisions that I make for the actions I take.  Religions promote the concept of love but I prefer the term consideration.  I might not love you because of your actions but I nonetheless give you consideration so that I do not do you any harm. It is the understanding that my well-being is not more important than yours.

When we respect one another’s dignity and give one another proper consideration then we have the basis for trust.  Trust is the belief that I can, in situations of uncertainty, give you the benefit of the doubt (take a risk and be vulnerable) that you will fulfill your obligations to me and not take advantage of me and thereby decrease my well-being.  When we trust one another we have an environment in which we can work together with confidence.  When there is trust and competence there is also hope.  If we are optimistic and have a high level of trust then we are willing to make a greater personal contribution (investment) into the common cause because we know that there will be a just allocation of rewards (return on investment).

Take these two words into consideration in everything you do and you might not succeed but it will be more difficult to fail.

A person that wants others to join him but does not want to join others will rarely build unity.  An ally a person supports others. 

We know all this.

These are simple concepts.

We just have to do it

A reminder

This article has been speaking about internal unification and unity in a single organization (special interest group) – building an alliance between individuals.

These concepts apply to the development of coalitions between like-minded special interest groups.  The most powerful way to have influence in the public policy process is through the lobbying efforts of a coalition of special interest groups.

Coalitions are built on

Unity of purpose from diverse group of people.

Mutual support through strength in numbers.

Integration of diverse skillsets towards common cause.

Thoughts from others

Where there is unity there is always victory.

 - Publilius Syrus

Unity is strength, division is weakness.

 - Swahili Proverb

When spiders unite, they can tie down a lion.    

 - Ethiopian Proverb

Not in numbers but in unity that our great strength lies.

 - Thomas Paine

Even the weak become strong when they are united.

-       Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller

Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much.

   - Helen Keller

In union there is strength.

 - Aesop

United we stand, divided we fall.    

 - Aesop

All for one, and one for all.    

 - Alexandre Dumas

By union the smallest states thrive. By discord the greatest are destroyed.

 - Sallust

For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.

 - Rudyard Kipling

We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.

 - Benjamin Franklin

Not vain the weakest, if their force unite.

 - Homer

When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.

― Winston S. Churchill

I am a strong individualist by personal habit, inheritance, and conviction; but it is a mere matter of common sense to recognize that the State, the community, the citizens acting together, can do a number of things better than if they were left to individual action.”

― Theodore Roosevelt, The Man In The Arena: Speeches and Essays by Theodore Roosevelt

Individual commitment to a group effort: That is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.

  - Vince Lombardi

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision, the ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.

  - Andrew Carnegie

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.

  - Michael Jordan

The strength of the team is each individual member.
The strength of each member is the team”

  -- Phil Jackson

What ever disunites man from God, also disunites man from man.

 - Edmund Burke

The reason why the world lacks unity, and lies broken and in heaps, is because man is disunited with himself.

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Behold they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.

-- Genesis 11:6

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.
-- Psalms 133:1

Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

-- Philippians 4:2

Our flag is not just one of many political points of view. Rather, the flag is a symbol of our national unity.

 - Adrian Cronauer