The Sacred Cows of Organizing

Description: Are the common approaches to organizing serving us well? Are there better ways to achieve long-term strategic alliances and structural changes? How can we incorporate the best of different approaches into new or existing organizing models? This session provides organizers an opportunity to constructively debate and critically assess key elements of common organizing practices and to explore whether new approaches are needed.

Purpose: (1) To examine some sacred cows – common theories and practices – of organizing, (2) To identify strengths and weaknesses of a few of the sacred cows; and, (3) To consider new approaches to organizing that recognize the strengths and weaknesses ofthe sacred cows.