TV Solves Our Organizing Problems: Penmanship Matters

TV Solves Our Organizing Problems is a weekly advice column using pop-culture to figure out how to organize better. Or at least, feel better about organizing.

The question: I am an organizer at a union. I really believe in the work I do and the people I work with. But sometimes I struggle - I am convinced, particularly after a big fight that we won last month, that we have to go bigger then each individual workplace. I bring this up consistently with coworkers + members, but I feel like no one is really on board. I tried to do an emergent strategy reading group, after I heard about the book, but no one was into it. I thought the book was cool… But I wasn’t totally sure what it meant. Am I approaching the conversation wrong? Or, how can unions and other workplaces organize bigger? (I’ve already read no shortcuts.)

Emergent Strategy Fan

I saw my dad + step mom this weekend.

At one point my dad left me a note that said “doing laundry.”

I stared at it for a full minute before I figured out what the fuck it said.

My dad has horrendous handwriting,  just like I do.

A couple of months ago, I sent a friend a hand drawn chart I had made.

This friend has taken on the burden of being someone who I trust as an editor.  I send a lot of writing to them, usually with the subject line “UGH UGH UGH UGH” or “what is wrong with this” or “kill me”.

“OK, I know that my handwriting is really bad, and it’s kind of hard to read, but like… Do you kind of get where this is going? “I asked them.

“Like… I know that I need to clean it up but like… what do you think of the general themes?”

They texted back:

 “H… I can’t read this. “

I texted them back:

 “yeah, yeah, I know. But like… Do you get it? “

They texted back:

“H. I don’t know. I can’t read this. So I don’t know.”

There’s a solo letter writing RPG called Quill. 

The premise of the game is that you must write letters to different medieval fantasy characters — they respond differently based on how many points you earn.

You earn points by using certain words, addressing certain issues, and by rolling the die.

Based on how many stats you have in different attributes, your letters make different things happen.

Though unlike DND, or even my year running sick as hell monsters of the week group, instead fighting related stats like “tough” — your stats are in attributes like reputation, vocabulary, and, the point of today’s advice: penmanship.

In Quill, when you have poor stats on penmanship, no one can read your letters. So no one has any idea what the fuck they say.

Here is why I bring this up, spiraling emergent strategy fan.

And yes, I absolutely did make that up myself, because this person did not come up with a name. 

(Please come up with a name if you write in, I’m very bad at that.)

Here’s what I think is happening, SESF.

It is very likely that you have a lot of trust and respect from members and your coworkers.

I would almost say that this HAS to be true, given that you’re talking to people about emergent strategy in a union context and people are like… listening.

But what it sounds like is happening is well, kind of like what happens when you write letters in Quill with shitty penmanship. 

No one understands what the fuck you are talking about. 

When I read emergent strategy I was like… What is this about?

I wasn’t excited about trying to engage with or put into practice the things in it because… How the fuck would I even do that?

luckily, many of those people have written things a little more actionable as a result of this book.

All of that said: when I first read it, I had no idea what the book was fucking saying.

And even though people I genuinely trusted loved it, I was like… OK… Cool… I read it. Let’s move on.

So: why are you trying to get people to read emergent strategy to begin with?

What is at the heart of what you’re trying to say to people that you care about and already have a pretty meaningful relationship with?

Whatever it is, you don’t hide behind your shitty handwriting.

Try to say it as best if you can. And trust that your relationship with the people you are trying to change things with is deep enough to answer the question, without the theory.