Show me how to
Overcome anti-government opposition,
political gridlock, and
get the public’s trust and respect
SDIC 2.0
Systematic Development of Informed Consent
Get access to limited in-person training blended with
interactive online modules and feedback.
In-person Training: Not only will you feel awe and inspiration — this course will make you excited about tackling the hardest aspects of public-sector work (political gridlock, “Us vs. Them” mindsets, and NIMBY-ism).
Half-Day: 1 – 5pm
Full-Day: 8:30am – 4:30pm
Half-Day: 8:30am – 12pm
Online Modules: After completion of the in-person training, each student will gain unlimited access for 12 months to 4 master-level Consent-Building units.
Each quarter we’ll focus on one module, with real-world case studies, online exercises, and feedback from peers and the Bleikers. (Your access to a module lasts until we move on as a group to the next.)
The 4 Online Modules: Respect & Legitimacy, Values, Strategic, Tactics (read below for details).
Your time is worth learning…
Why the Public Doesn't Trust You
How to consistently get a “Thank goodness you’re there!” reaction from your public, even anti-government opponents.
You Can Be Responsive AND Responsible
Being “responsive” to your public too often means giving into their demands… which amounts to being less responsible. We’ll show you how your team can actually be BOTH — but it’s not necessarily as you, or the public would expect!
Why You Can't Rely on Science
Americans aren’t particularly impressed by scientific evidence or all your solid data. But don’t despair, that doesn’t mean it’s useless in creating more informed (and less political) decision-making.
You're Contributing to the "Us vs. Them"
You’re mission is legitimate and your intentions are genuine, but your unwittingly sending contradictory signals. Anti-government sentiments are on the rise. You can’t afford to play into their fears that you’re one of “Them… evil government.”
What You’ll Learn in the
Online Portion of the Course
In the year following your completion of the in-person training, we’ll strive to make a few fundamental “a-ha’s” click in your mind.
Think of this as a deep dive into why our Consent-Building approach works…. Why it’s fundamentally different from public relations tactics… Why it does NOT mean you’ll do more public outreach (it’s wholly different)… And why you can be the best technical expert and still get sandbagged by a tiny segment of the public.
You’ll get a chance to go through the nitty-gritty steps of applying this methodology with our guidance as we look over your shoulder.
Respect & Legitimacy Module:
You’ll learn practical steps you can immediately put to use to prevent, and if necessary reverse the public’s anti-government attitudes towards your organization and project.
By applying the methodology you learned in the in-person training and going through this module’s exercises, you’ll understand what it takes to get a “Thank God you’re there!” reaction from your public — including opponents and anti-government groups — on a consistent basis.
- This Module is accessible July through September.
Values Module:
When you walk away from a public meeting or encounter with an opponent feeling like people are “irrational,” that’s a symptom that you don’t fully understand their higher values.
Higher values deal primarily with issues of fairness, rights, freedoms, liberties, responsibilities, duties, etc. While this module isn’t “touchy-feely”, it is going to get to the root of why some people seem irrational. In this segment, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of your opponents’ higher values, and see them as the key to reversing their opposition to your proposals.
- This Module is accessible from October through December.
Strategic Module:
The rubber meets the road in this module. You’ll learn how to deploy your limited outreach resources strategically.
By the end of the module, you’ll have completed the rigorous and necessary steps to design an Objectives-Driven Public Outreach Program that’s tailored to accomplish the top priority needs (and how to identify them) of any given project.
- This Module is accessible from January through March.
Tactic Module:
So much of what you’ve probably focused on in the past are Citizen Participation Techniques. During the in-person training, you’ll have already learned not to see any CP Technique as “good” or “bad”, merely as a tool that is either helpful or harmful to the task at hand.
In this module, we’ll share with you some powerful Tactics that not only incorporate what you’ve learned so far, but often take LESS time, use FEWER resources, and yield a MORE informed public discourse… which leads to a more informed decision-making process. You can sometimes accomplish a very challenging Citizen Participation Objective by deploying one or another of these Consent-Building Tactics.
- This Module is accessible from April through June.
THE BLEIKERS’ IN-PERSON COURSES
Plus these free bonuses
1 year of Unlimited Clinic Access (savings $1,370)
Join our monthly webinars either live or stream any of our past Clinics (120+). Each is designed to address an aspect of public-sector work that often stumps even the most knowledgeable professionals. We’ll share some guidance on how to keep your team from being ensnared by this common problem, and how to use it to gain the public’s “Thank goodness you’re there” reaction.
Presented By:
HANS, ANNEMARIE and JENNIFER BLEIKER
Consent-Building Coaches