One of the\u00a0things\u00a0that some people find hard about my person centred and\u00a0responsive\u00a0approach to developing ‘Communities with Ooomph’ is the emphasis that I place, initially at least, on working with individuals to help them clarify and pursue their self interest and to build the power that they need to pursue it effectively. \u00a0Actually there are three things that ruffle feathers in there:<\/p>\n
In Support for Working with Individuals<\/strong><\/p>\n It is nigh on impossible for most people to talk honestly and openly about what is really happening in their lives, what they really need to work on, in a group setting. \u00a0It is just too painful, and the risks to confidentiality are just too great. \u00a0And when we start working with groups to explore what\u00a0they\u00a0collectively\u00a0want, we usually end up discussing a ‘lowest common denominator’ project. \u00a0Something that everyone agrees is a good thing to do, but that will not directly address the specific inhibitors of progress for any of them. \u00a0So we end up\u00a0planting\u00a0a piece of waste land or campaigning for a children’s playground, getting the graffiti cleaned up. \u00a0Now these are good, worthwhile projects, and I am not saying that they don’t have a place. \u00a0They help build relationships, common cause and improve skills. \u00a0But to what end? \u00a0Unless individuals are helped to really explore and understand their self interest and to act on it, many of these projects simply leave communities treading water with people moving from one community project to the next with little or no progress.<\/p>\n In Support of Self Interest<\/strong><\/p>\n For us to make common cause, I must be\u00a0clear on my self interest. \u00a0So must you. \u00a0We can agree to work on an interesting project without this clarity, but if we are to really collaborate with commitment, vigour, creativity and enterprise then it must be in both our\u00a0self\u00a0interests if there is to be a reasonable chance of significant purposeful progress. \u00a0Otherwise our\u00a0collaboration may be partial and weak.<\/p>\n So why the resistance to really exploring self interest? \u00a0I think because it is confused with\u00a0selfishness\u00a0and individualism. Self interest is neither <\/span><\/strong>of these things. \u00a0It is about a proper and effective\u00a0negotiation\u00a0of ‘self’ amongst others (interest is from the latin ‘inter este’ which means ‘to be amongst’, so I am reliably informed). \u00a0So the pursuit of self interest is the pursuit of ‘self’ negotiated amongst others. \u00a0It is about developing identity in the community.<\/p>\n Exploring\u00a0self\u00a0interest, and understanding it, is not easy work, but it is worthwhile. \u00a0Self interest is a powerful source of Ooomph.<\/p>\n Self\u00a0interest is easily misunderstood leading to poor decision making. \u00a0Take as an example the relationship between self interest, reciprocity and generosity.<\/p>\n Reciprocity is the act of giving only if there is a reasonable expectation of some reward in exchange. \u00a0Generosity is the act of giving with no immediate expectation of return. \u00a0But which is most likely to be in my\u00a0self\u00a0interest?<\/p>\n An initial glance would suggest that\u00a0reciprocity\u00a0would be best. \u00a0I scratch your back, you scratch mine. \u00a0But for reciprocal relationships to work we have to find an exchange partner who has something that we\u00a0want\u00a0and who\u00a0wants\u00a0something that we can give. \u00a0And finding such relationships can be hard. \u00a0This is why we invented money to ensure that reciprocal arrangements could always be made. \u00a0Which is fine, as long as you have money, or people with money want what you can offer. \u00a0Reciprocity is the language of transaction.<\/p>\n Generosity on the other hand is the act of giving when we are able, without expectation of return. \u00a0We may be giving time, money, advice, support. \u00a0Opportunities for generosity are plentiful. \u00a0If we live in a community where\u00a0individuals\u00a0choose to be generous, rather than\u00a0reciprocal,\u00a0in their giving it is likely that much more will be both given and\u00a0received\u00a0by each member. \u00a0Help will be more free flowing in the community. \u00a0Generosity, giving with no expectation of return, is actually more in the\u00a0self\u00a0interest of each community member than reciprocity. \u00a0This is just one aspect of what I\u00a0mean\u00a0by fully understanding self interest and how it works in community. \u00a0Generosity is a better tactic for each of us in the proper negotiation of our self interest.<\/p>\n In Support of Power<\/strong><\/p>\n There is a lot of\u00a0talk\u00a0in Big Society circles of ‘pushing power down’ to communities. \u00a0Of giving them power. \u00a0As if power is something that can be gift wrapped and handed over. \u00a0Authority may be given. \u00a0Even\u00a0responsibility. But power? \u00a0That has to be grown from within, surely. It is strange that policy makers seem to see no irony in their endeavours.<\/p>\n Power is the ability to get things done.<\/p>\n It is correlated with the ability to organise people, money and other resources in pursuit of a goal. \u00a0Power itself, exercised wisely and with compassion is\u00a0a good thing. \u00a0It should be nurtured and grown. \u00a0Yet many of us are taught that to seek power, to be power hungry are unbecoming, almost pathological behaviours. \u00a0Which is perhaps why so many good people are disinterested in the pursuit of power.<\/p>\n Once individuals are clear on their self interest and start to think about the power to pursue it they nearly always have to make common cause with others. \u00a0They have to associate and cooperate.<\/p>\n What emerges will be, to paraphrase Mr Cameron, a community with oomph.<\/p>\n So if you\u00a0want\u00a0to be a part of one of these start working with individuals, their power and self interest. \u00a0Soon enough you will find yourself working with associations and communities with real power.<\/p>\n