In the previous lesson, we identified the different centres of power. In this lesson, we will focus on the decision-makers and their profiles. Below you can see an iceberg diagram. Imagine that each person is like an iceberg. On the small surface above the water level, everything is apparent. But below the surface is a whole area of qualities, traits, and resources that are not visible at first glance. On the tip of an iceberg of a hypothetical decision-maker is his formal function, his identity. A decision-maker can be, for example, a mayor, a councillor, or the chairman of a non – governmental organization. This identity can also be a political affiliation if declared and widely known. Beneath the water level, there are several informal traits. These traits include interests and hobbies, ambitions, competencies, agenda, professional and personal goals, specific behaviours, personal preferences, likes, and dislikes, etc. In the previous lesson, we mentioned that authority on a formal institutional level is different from the authority of a specific person, a living being with emotions, a social life, and baggage of experience. For the information about power to be complete, we must analyse all its aspects.
Based on the iceberg picture:
Knowing and understanding the perspectives of the key partners with whom the youth council will be working is one of the most significant elements of representative work for a specific social group