One-on-Ones
A one-on-one is a personal conversation with an individual community member to learn about his/her concerns, level of interest and commitment for an issue, and the resources the person has to offer. At the same time, the organizer can introduce the issues of the project/organization, and increase the level of awareness of the issue or problem. One-on-ones should take place in a quiet setting and last 30 minutes to an hour, during which time the organizer and the community member should develop a level of trust with one another. The community member will do most of the talking in a one-on-one, while the organizer asks questions to clarify points and learn more detail — test your interviewing skills and take the one-on-one role-play exercise.
Why conduct a one-on-one instead of making a presentation to a large group?
The organizer must learn what community members' concerns are, and find out what they identify as problems, not tell the community what the problem is. Presentations by their nature do not encourage discussion, participation, or feedback. Some people may be uncomfortable expressing an opinion in a group or meeting. That is why an organizer meets first with people individually.
Who do you conduct a one-on-one with?
The organizer needs to talk to as many people as possible at the beginning and throughout a project. In order to have a broad base of support and determine people's real concerns, it is important to make contact with a representative sample of the community. It is important not to miss any groups or sectors in the community, or they will not have ownership of the issue, and the organizer will not know what their concerns are.
How does an organizer find the people to conduct one-on-ones with?
One-on-ones should start with someone the organizer knows, or knows of. Some things you should do include:
- Contact that person and ask to sit down and visit with her or him.
- Brainstorm about who are the stakeholders around your issue/organization.
- Ask to meet with their staff and/or board members.
- Every one-on-one should lead to future contacts. Ask for names of other people who may care about the issue.
Where does a one-on-one take place?
A one-on-one should take place somewhere that both parties feel comfortable and will not be interrupted. If possible, it is a good idea to go to the office or home of the person you are interviewing. The organizer should offer to go somewhere convenient for the person being interviewed.
What does an organizer ask in a one-on-one?
Find out about the person you are interviewing. Some questions you should ask:
- What kind of information will be useful to the issue your
organization is working on?
- How long have they lived in the community?
- Have they been or are they involved in other organizations that have/are addressing similar issues?
- What do they think of these organizations?
- What would they like to see happen in their neighborhood?
- Has this issue affected them?
- What way would they consider being involved?
- Do they have special interests or skills they could contribute?
- Are there other people they would suggest that you talk to?
Remember to ask open-ended questions.
Closed-ended : "Do you think we have a crime problem in this neighborhood?"
Open-ended : "What do you think about the safety of this neighborhood?"
Closed-ended : "Are you in favor of mandatory compliance checks?"
Open-ended : "What kind of concerns do you have about young people being able to buy beer at establishments that sell alcohol?"
How is the one-on-one different from an interview?
Many of us have conducted interviews in our work. We may have called them "key informant interviews" or surveys. A one-on-one is neither of these. A one-on-one is an active discussion and exchange. The organizer is not just gathering information, data, or statistics to put into a report. The organizer is forming opinions and evaluating the person during the one-on-one, whereas someone conducting a survey has a neutral role. The one-on-one is the basis for developing a relationship between the organizer and the individual being interviewed. One-on-ones are conducted to identify and create a base of active supporters for your issue and to determine who can contribute at what levels. The organizer identifies the people who will be involved in the organizing effort through the one-on-one process.
How important is it to document your one-on-ones?
It is very important to document your one-on-ones! You will need to create mailing and phone lists, so you can contact people in the future. Establish a simple filing system, Rolodex, or computer database to record names, addresses, phone numbers, organizational affiliations, and other important information about the people you have talked to. Click here (need content to link to!) for a one-on-one report.
Is the community organizer the only person who can do one-on-ones?
No! While an organization's paid community organizer may conduct more one-on-ones, it is preferable to have volunteers and community members involved in the process. This allows the group to reach more people, and expands the leadership of the group. Community organizing is about getting "real people" involved and mobilized, not creating staff driven initiatives. Elected officials should be able to clearly see that the base of the group's power is the citizens, not the paid staff person.
Role Play Exercise for One-on-ones:
Use this exercise to practice a one-on-one interview. Use an issue you know you will be working on. You can ask your partner in this exercise to be him/herself, or to act like someone you will need to interview in your work.
What will your issue be for the one-on-one?
______________________________________
Who are you going to interview?
______________________________________
What is their affiliation/position/etc.?
______________________________________
Develop a list of questions that you plan to ask:
Introduction:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Evaluation: Help each other evaluate your role-play to identify strengths and areas of improvement.
What went well?
What could have gone better?
Did you find out the self-interest of the person you spoke with?
Did you learn how s/he would be willing to get involved?
Were there things that should have been asked?
Were there things that could have been left out?
How did it feel to conduct the one-on-one?
How did it feel to be the person interviewed?
Sample Outline for a One-on-One
Setting up the One-on-One
"Hi, this is Jane Organizer. I've just been hired at the Your-County-Public-Health-Department to work on problems related to youth and alcohol. Look at some environmental strategies (link to definition: those that seek to change the context in which the agent (alcohol) and host (the individual) operate to each other so, that there is either no interaction or the interaction does not cause harm ) to reduce access to alcohol. First thing you should do is talk to people who have expertise and concerns about youth drinking and alcohol sales, to get a better understanding of the community's concerns. For instance, say something like, "your name came up as someone who would be good to talk to, and I was wondering if you would be willing to spend a little time with me to share what you know?"
The Sample One-on-One
Hi. Thanks so much for meeting with me today. What I'd like to do is give you a quick overview of our project and what I've been hired to do, and then ask you some questions about your experiences on the issue. Does that sound OK?
Give brief project overview.
Tell me a little about your organization, and what its role has been on teen drinking.
Have you done anything using environmental strategies ? (link to definition)
What has the history of such efforts been in the county?
Who has been involved?
How have elected officials been involved? Law enforcement? Other key groups?
What do you see as some of the barriers to getting ordinances/policies passed in the county/city?
What do you see as some of the opportunities that exist right now?
What do you think is possible?
What do you wish was possible?
Would you be able to (insert desired action based on what you've been learning in the conversation: research an issue, serve on a committee, make a presentation, send me a copy of your newsletter)? Can I add you to our mailing list?
Can you give me the names of some other people you think it would be good for me to talk to? |
