MAG-Net Anchors Meeting Day 3: Network Strategy & Story
“We got our story on today”
Today’s agenda shifted the focus from network structure and governance to strategizing about MAG-Net’s priorities and messaging.
Kicking off the day with compelling cultural spotlights from three MAG-Net anchors helped set the tone for our discussion of values, motivations, and stories.
Today was a day of visioning and creativity– from describing the values that have built up our respective organizations, to tackling strategic plans for the network’s future, to sharing our stories and visions through strategic messaging. It was a productive day and especially helpful for me as a new co-anchor.
The morning’s strategy circles produced useful recommendations for the network’s next steps. Between the dot democracy prioritization exercise and the messaging work, we boiled down the meaning of MAG-Net membership and came away with a better understanding of our collective story and vision.
The second half of the day provided an opportunity for anchors to practice their messaging and communications strategies with a session facilitated by Spitfire Strategies. We talked about constructing compelling messages, something our communities and us know well, but with a focus on making sure our stories were directed at the appropriate audience. Most often our audience is those who have the power to help us achieve our goals, whether policy makers or community members. Telling our stories is about sharing meaning and making connections with these different audiences and taking them from understanding to action.
The group worked through crafting messaging and elevator pitches about the network, which proved to be a helpful learning experience and generated important questions to consider. Andrea Figueroa of Martinez Street Women’s Center and Sage Crump of Art is Change were the brave souls to share their elevator pitches in front of the group, and made it clear that we have some great communicators in the anchor group. To close the exercise, Bryan Mercer from Media Mobilizing Project shared a compelling suggestion for a MAG-Net tagline: “The right to free speech means little without the means to be heard.” This line resonated deeply with us as community members, organizers, and storytellers hoping to grow the network and grow the movement so that we can be heard locally and nationally.
Laura Muraida is Mass Base Political Organizer at Southwest Workers Union.
