From the Field: Working With Rogue Coalition Members

Eddie Bautista of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest found himself in a dilemma he never anticipated. One of the staunchest members of his coalition to 'spread the pain' of waste management in New York City was suddenly protesting a pact that had taken years to hammer out. Shifting housing demographics in New York had changed the characteristics of this particular community, and Eddie was now facing a 'Not In My Back Yard' attitude from a once low-income, politically powerless region of the city. Due to rapid gentrification, the coalition member was now representing a much more powerful, self-interested population that was trying to back out of its obligation to the full group.

Eddie offered his problem as a case study for his fellow Leadership for a Changing World awardees, and they spent an afternoon sharing stories about their own rogue coalition members, eventually coming up with a 5 point plan to address the problem.

Five Points for Working with Rogue Coalition Members:

1. Delegitimize the rogue with people of authority who are in the community. Use the relationships you have in the community and within the power structure to bring pressure to bear on the rogue's position within the coalition. Make it politically difficult for the rogue to stay with this position.
2. Prevent 'roguery' by focusing on common agreements. In Eddie's case, this was a new actor stepping into a long-standing community, and a long-standing relationship. Roguery can be prevented by keeping everyone at the table focused on the goals and agreements that were the founding impetus for the coalition.
3. Use (a) helpful rules and (b) embarrassment to delegitimize rogues. Many individuals and organizations are living with practices and histories that they'd prefer not come to light. Can these be useful in a time like this? (Is it ethical to use embarrassment in such circumstances, the group wondered.)
4. Understand the nature of community - it's always changing!
   • Make a place for newcomers and long-standing members. Help newcomers into the fold by pairing them with long-standing members.
   • Stakeholders change - but values underpin the common ground. Continually reference the common values that brought the coalition together in the first place.
5. Avoid tunnel vision - focus on equity. Don't get stuck on personalities. Don't get stuck! What is fair? What is equitable? How can you reference your mission statement to move the process back to a discussion of equity?