Navigating Power Dynamics Through Emails

"Power building" is a term frequently used by the Sierra Club to describe both a method and an objective within the grassroots movement. Throughout my years with the Club, grappling with its practical implications has been a consistent challenge.

Anyone can join the nation's largest environmental organization as a volunteer without any assessment of his/her skills or leadership capabilities, even rise to powerful positions without any performance review. As Ramona Strategies’ report pointed out, “Being a ‘volunteer-led’ organization cannot stand for volunteers having carte blanche.”

How to engage Club leaders who consistently fail to respond to emails? I started to encounter this pervasive problem shortly after I joined the Club. Many leaders say they have too many emails to read. Some even pressure activists to send fewer emails. The arguments have centered around the quantity of emails, rather than their effectiveness or email management.

While the debate between quantity and quality remains subjective, I wish to emphasize the importance of email management. Learning a few little software features might just be the biggest climate action one can take today.

Outlined below are three screenshots from Microsoft Outlook, similar features exist in other email platforms too.

• Set rules and folders to streamline the handling of emails based on sender and subject.
• Schedule email delivery for times when recipients are more likely to check their inboxes.
• Search for features.

Additionally, consider adjusting listserv setting to receive email digests on a daily basis rather than receiving individual messages instantaneously.

Today’s activism has extended far beyond traditional email communication. It’s time for Sierra Club leaders to stop complaining about emails, and start exploring “power building” through AI-powered campaigns.