Editing Canvassing (section)

== The art of listening ==
A common misconception about political engagement is that you have to know a lot about politics to get involved. The thought is that to make an impact you have to know the jargon, stay up to date with current events, know the stats, and more. The reality is, while that is all helpful, it is not essential. This misconception keeps folks from volunteering or discussing politics. Instead, avoiding jargon helps to make you a stronger communicator and campaigner. You understand how to speak to the everyday person in a clear, welcoming, and reflective way. Most of the time, you won’t get into a political discussion, and that isn’t always our job canvassing. Learning how to listen to people so they feel heard and gathering data is. To encourage people to volunteer and to vote, instead of stressing about knowing all the facts, we need to practice the art of listening which also includes thoughtful, reflective questions. Here are some examples of how to get out of jargon talk or how to listen/ask questions to help them feel heard without having to know all the facts. 

The key to a powerful conversation is you nodding and saying “mm hmm, for sure” while they keep talking. There is always a line if people are outright deniers of facts or are being aggressive however often folks are being defensive because they may not know how to answer and don’t want to seem uneducated or unengaged. The reality is politics is something that everyone understands, because it is experienced - so ask for theirs. Rather than denying their truth and shutting them down, try to find the ounce of truth in what they said and repackage it so they gain some information & feel heard.

Showing compassion, conversing in a layperson friendly way, and keeping the conversation going with questions and active listening leads to people being heard. In this way we can also get a sense for how people are feeling about the BC Greens and what their top issues are.