Speaking UP Increases Influence

When You Think You Have No Influence

Have you ever felt powerless? 

I recently experienced a way to combat feeling powerless by speaking up for someone else.

Separated by a few states and isolated due to the pandemic, I relied on phone call check-ins with my 80+ year-old mother and father who still reside in their own home. After weeks of asking whether they had been scheduled for their vaccine and hearing “We have registered, and they will contact us to let us know when we can get it,” I probed further asking “How will you be contacted and who will contact you?” Their response gave rise to my suspicion that they had either missed a step in the online registration process, may not be receiving accurate information, or may not be on anyone’s contact list.

I began to research by reading everything I could find about the vaccination process in their state of Maryland and learned that indeed, theirs was an age group eligible for the vaccine, there was a shortage of vaccines, and there were limited vaccination sites in the rural area where they live. 

I searched news reports seeking information about an efficient process to follow that would ensure access for their age group. I found several highlighting positive experiences, accounting for the large number of people going to mass sites, and one touting the enlistment of the national guard, but found only one report that addressed the obstacles people encountered.

Identify The Obstacles

One of the biggest obstacles I realized was that all residents were expected to navigate websites and complete forms online to schedule appointments. Initially, there were no call centers for individuals accustomed to scheduling appointments or gathering information in this way. Vaccination seekers of all ages with various technical aptitudes were forced to navigate this process online. 

As I advocated for my parents by completing online forms for them, emailing the health center where they had registered, calling the health department in their county, and calling pharmacies in their area (who advertised to be vaccination sites but had not yet received the vaccines), I began to think about the individuals who may not have family members to advocate for them and who may have limited access or skill required to complete the process online and may give up.

Gain Influence By Enlisting The Help Of Those With More

At first I thought, “The accessibility barrier is too great a problem.” I realized I could use what little influence I had to help by enlisting the help of people with greater influence. My quest to advocate for those with little influence led to my emailing a few reporters to make them aware of the accessibility issue hoping they might shine a light on this problem that would gain the attention of those who could solve it.

The result? Madeleine O’Neil, state reporter from USA Today reached out to interview us and published an article that got the attention of the governor’s office. The governor’s office reached out with an offer to help my parents get the vaccine. But it was a friend in my parent’s community who had read the article who offered the solution. She too had struggled to navigate conflicting online information to help her mother register for the vaccine. She had just received a tip from someone who worked at the only vaccination site in their rural town about when vaccines arrived at the health center and suggested optimal times to schedule appointments. 

Passion Fuels Action

Feeling somewhat powerless navigating a flawed system fueled my motivation to find a solution, but speaking up led to the outcome we needed.

I am hoping that speaking up will prompt the governor’s office to examine accessibility issues for all residents who don’t have access to or don’t use the internet. I hope community members will speak up and advocate for their neighbors, families, and friends. And, I hope that you will not give up when you feel powerless but instead, speak up to advocate for yourself and others.

If you would like to learn more about how you can increase your influence through speaking up, let’s set up a meeting so that we can discuss your goals and communication strategies we provide in our training and coaching. Drop a message in the comments or email me at [email protected].