a single source, nothing corroborates it

Hand early helpers the tools and the openings

Take both kinds of recruit without ranking them: the ones arriving with momentum of their own, and untested people you can place somewhere their potential becomes visible. Demonstrating the method in front of the group and then handing over the same tools makes each watcher conclude they could do it themselves, and saying so out loud is the part most organisers skip.

The method

1. 01

   Recruit two kinds of early helper without preferring one: people who arrive with momentum of their own, and untested people you can place in a spot where their potential becomes visible.

2. 02

   Demonstrate your method in front of the group and then hand over the same tools, so each person watching concludes they could do it themselves and you agree out loud that they can.

What it returned

• Anne Kronenberg came to Milk with campaign and organizing experience; Cleve Jones had almost none and was given the openings to prove himself.

Sources

• What I learned from watching Harvey Milk: A Roadmap for Community OrganizingAlex Hillman · dangerouslyawesome.com · 1. Inspire · 2008-12-01