Facing Reality – And Moving Forward with Purpose
NOVEMBER 7, 2024
By: Scott Westcott
Ever since we learned the outcome of Tuesday's Presidential Election, plenty of conversations around the country are starting with the phrase, "I can't believe..."
This time around it's supporters of Kamala Harris who are uttering those words as they process Donald Trump's victory. But if Harris would have won, the statement would have been similar – they'd just be coming from an entirely different group of people.
For those who are unhappy with Tuesday’s result, I’d like to propose a challenge.
Avoid starting conversations with “I can’t believe.”
Believe it. It happened.
Denying it won’t help.
Expressing disbelief won’t get us any closer to moving forward. It will simply provide an excuse to avoid exploring what happened.
A more useful way to start conversations is with the word, why?
Why did this result happen? Why are we so hopelessly divided? Why do so many people support him?
For those who did not support Trump, it's time for a reckoning. And it’s a reckoning that demands a healthy dose of reflection.
It starts with asking some important questions.
How do you adapt to cultural realities while still maintaining your values and beliefs?
Do you need to rework the well-worn playbooks on how to approach key issues, recruit and rally allies, and message intent and desired outcomes?
Ultimately, if you want real change, you must explore what you must do differently to achieve different results– and that will likely lead to changing your messaging and how you execute your work.
Over the past year, we have helped several clients reassess their messaging and communications related to equity work.
In each case, these organizations want to maintain their commitment to advancing equity.
However, they realized to make sustained progress they may need to adjust their mindset, methods, and messages essential to achieving those aims.
As part of this process, there were instances in which we captured the insights of a range of key stakeholders of different backgrounds, experiences, and political beliefs.
What struck us, time and again, is that once we were able to dig beneath hot-button words, phrases, and perceptions, there existed nearly universal agreement in support of the principles and purpose of that work.
The question then became: What should we do to tap into those shared values in ways that meaningfully advance the cause?
There’s no single answer to that question. For every organization — and in every community — there are unique considerations that have to be taken into account.
Yet, ultimately, taking a step back to test and rethink assumptions and reframe how to talk about your work and values serves as a step forward. It offers the chance to reignite progress and reimagine how to bring people together in ways that serve the common good.
Denial and disbelief are natural responses to events we find upsetting or abhorrent.
Yet acknowledging reality and then responding accordingly offers the most promising path to creating the communities – and world – we want to live in.
Believe it.
