The Path of Least Resistance

BELVEDERE'S BRIEF - Community engagement is easy when, from the very start, you ask yourself one question: What is the path of least resistance?

What this means for you:

• Showing up where people already are, and at the time they want to be there. Schools during drop-off. Senior centers during lunch. Youth programs after their meetings.

• Removing unnecessary barriers. Use plain language instead of policy jargon, short surveys instead of long forms, quick check-ins instead of endless meetings.

But it also matters when tensions rise or conflict surfaces. Sometimes the “least resistance” is choosing a smaller table over a big press conference. It is sitting down with a neighborhood group before a city-wide rollout. It is listening to the loudest critic one-on-one instead of letting them derail a community forum. It is starting with shared goals (“we all want our kids safe”) before tackling disagreements.

Leaders often think engagement requires a huge lift with glossy campaigns, new initiatives, and complicated processes. In reality, it is the opposite. The easier we make it for people to connect, the more likely they are to trust us.

Every barrier you remove makes trust easier to build.