Principles of Advocacy: Identifying Opponents
Learn how to identify your opponents, and to understand, anticipate, and defuse their opposition, in order to increase your chances of success.
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WHO ARE YOUR OPPONENTS?
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WHY SHOULD YOU WANT TO IDENTIFY YOUR OPPONENTS?
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HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY OPPONENTS?
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HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE POWER OF YOUR OPPONENT?
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HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE YOUR OPPONENT'S TACTICS?
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HOW CAN YOU DEAL WITH OPPOSITION?
WHO ARE YOUR OPPONENTS?
When you're moving toward your goal, it sometimes feels like everyone supports what you are doing. If you are raising money for a new wing of the hospital, or writing a grant for a new branch library, everyone in the community may sing praises to you. This is wonderful. But it is also relatively rare. Much of the time, you are likely to encounter some resistance or some open opposition to what you are doing.
There are several different forms of opposition that you may encounter. Sometimes your opponents are visible and public. These opponents are sometimes easier to deal with, because you know what you're up against. It can be a lot tougher when your opponents are less visible, because it's harder to be sure who your opponents are.
This is especially the case when people appear to support you but then withhold support, or even oppose you, when it really counts. The bottom line is, you need to become skilled at recognizing the type and degree of opposition in addition to simply identifying your opponents.
Who might your opponents be? Well, much like potential allies, the answer is just about anyone. It just depends on how much other people or groups stand to lose by your victory. In this section we'll take a closer look at the sources of that opposition, and how it can be overcome.
WHY SHOULD YOU WANT TO IDENTIFY YOUR OPPONENTS?
As with allies, there are opponents to just about every issue. If you stand for one thing, someone may challenge you and stand for something else. Here are two important reasons to identify opponents before you implement your campaign:
- You can anticipate the type and degree of opposition or attack you will encounter
- You can effectively direct your resources towards weakening or eliminating your opposition
In other words, identifying your opponents and anticipating their opposition should increase your chances of success.
HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY YOUR OPPONENTS?
The first step in determining who your opponents might be is to again ask yourself "Who cares about your issue?". In this case, the best answer to your question is: "Anyone who might lose something from your success."
It will help to create a list of opponents, including all the people, groups of people, and organizations that may have something to lose, directly or indirectly, if you win. They will be the ones actively trying to stop you from winning. A simple example might be if your group was trying to get restaurants in your area to ban cigarette vending machines. One opponent would certainly be cigarette-makers, because they would be losing money from sales, and they would be losing an important marketing instrument. Other opponents might be restaurant owners or tavern keepers who might lose money if the machines are removed.
It stands to reason that the people with the most to lose are going to fight your group the hardest. You should ask yourself: What specifically will they lose? Money? Time? Prestige? Staff? The answer is likely to be several of these things.
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