I bought a cheap flip camera a few years thinking it would be a great tool for training union organizers on house calls.

I envision recording situations during an organizing drive and creating a guide for how to material.

After taping a few hours of material over the course of an organizing drive I went back to my apartment and got read to edit the video.

I couldn’t bring myself to use any of the footage.

I might have got the workers to sign cards and break through their fears, but there were some mistakes I repeatedly made. Worse yet – I was completely obvious to it.

I decided to watch it again making a list of everything I was determined to do differently during house calls.

For the next six months, every time I made a house call I first pulled out my list and reviewed what I was determined to change.

If you don’t film yourself you don’t know how good or bad you really are.

Try this house call tactic: While practicing house calls with your organizing team, videotape the interactions.

You might think you are pretty good but without a recording you will have no idea where to improve.