One of the most powerful oppression tools that people use to make someone go away is DELAY.
Creating delay, ongoing, constantly extending, makes people give up like nothing else because they start to feel hopeless that anything will ever be resolved.
So…..They give up. They go away. Feel hopeless. And never return.
Delay is like a magic wand. It sucks the life out of people. And they KNOW it.
Even outside of education and other various government systems that are dealing with people’s complaints, they systematically and strategically delay people. They make “mistakes” that extend time. Things get lost or misplaced. Filed incorrectly. It is incredible how much this is used. All Intention. I have seen forms being intentionally altered to re-route a complaint to an inappropriate department. Delays work especially well for them on the most vulnerable people. Many, many times, these “mistakes” are not innocent. But most of the time, it’s so difficult to prove intent, which makes it such a powerful strategy.
Delay works like magic for them.
If you are in a position of advocacy, get ready. You will 100% be dealing with this.
You will see a variety of delay tactics. Even ones that seem positive they can turn them into delays. The duty to consult can be used as a delay tactic, and it takes friggen forever to organize the consultation, and it just goes on and on. Multiple issues with the consultation process just keep happening. An investigation can be a delay tactic. Extending the investigation for a variety of reasons that make it look like they are doing a good job. Dealy. Waiting for you to lose interest in the outcome. It appears that things are being done.
On a systemic level, not funding systems to manage the high volume leads to delay. People will self-select themselves out of systems, wondering if their complaint is worth it or not. It alters the data and shows a decreased need.
When you are advocating, they will not respond to emails. When they do, they will tell you that they will respond next week, and then don’t. They will ask for extensions due to schedule conflicts.
The skill in the delay tactic is to make it look reasonable. How can you complain? If you do, you are the one who looks unreasonable.
Keep your eye out for delay tactics. Keep a log. Dates. What they did. Being able to connect the dots and pull everything together may be very useful one day.
So how do we combat delay? We need to be pleasently persistent.
Sometimes you just have to ride the wave. Just be aware of what is happening. Document. You’ll learn patience like no other.
But know this. They are delaying things for a reason. The delay has a purpose. You have hit a nerve. You are onto something. They are nervous.
To Do:
When you email them, give them a timeline. If you don’t get a response, go up the chain and include other people or organizations. You literally need to be politely up their butt. They need to see you and hear you. The most stubborn or patient people will most likely be successful in dealing with delay strategies.
Remember: Access delayed, is access denied.
Not making a decision is still making a decision.
Being ignored is communication.
External complaints can be a way to hold them accountable. But be prepared, external complaint systems are long. Halarious right! Yes, we do live in a ridiculous society.
Get really good at being patient. Distract yourself while you wait. Your patience will be a thorn in their side.
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.” African proverb quoted by the Dalai Lama
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
Page on how do deal when schools are ignoring you.