How to work with Government

Our GovernmentQueen

FEDERAL

G.G.

House

Legislature

Senate

Ministries

Comm. Comm.

P.M.

P.M.O

Cabinet

Executive

PROVINCIAL

L.G.

Legislature

L.A.O

Ministries

Comm.

Premier

P.O

Cabinet

Executive

JUDICIAL

Supreme

Federal

Provincial

Municipal

Our GovernmentProvincial Ministries

EducationMunicipal Affairs

Municipalities School Boards

Knowing the Players

Decision Makers Targets Effective

AlliesEffective Enemies

Effective Neutrals

Knowing the Players

The Mayor is a decision

maker, but he is not THE decision maker.

The people who have the power to meet your objective and give you

what you want.

Decision makers

Knowing the Players

A Chief of Staff can’t make a decision, but

she is an asset in getting the right decision

made.

The people who influence decision makers.

Targets

Knowing the Players

Your dad wants you to win, but he is not an ally

because he can’t help you.

The people who can help you

and are already willing to - not the people that

like you.

Effective Allies

Knowing the Players

A Minister who likes the

environment but needs to keep spending down is an effective

enemy.

The people who can and will hurt

you – not the people who hate

you.

Effective Enemies

Knowing the Players

Your dad, although he likes you,

doesn’t have an impact on the

outcome.

The people who don’t care about

the outcome and aren’t going to help or hurt

you.

Effective Neutrals

Knowing the Players

Actors Group Responses

Decision Makers

Targets

Effective Allies

Effective Enemies

Effective Neutrals

Knowing their Motivations

Desire

People do what you want

because they will get something

they want out of it.

Fear People will do what you want

because they are afraid of a person or consequence they will have to face if they don’t.

Inertia

People will do what you want because it’s too much trouble to get in the way of what you want.

Decision Making Structure

What stages in what order

Committee consultation and/or staff

process?

Who has control when

Staff, public committee?

Who has input when

Open/closed?

Decision Making Style

Mode

Politically or bureaucratically

driven.

Concentration

Centralized or decentralized

decision making.

Ethics

Pragmatic or principled.

Knowing their Motivations

Motivations Group Responses

Desire

Fear

Inertia

Mode

Concentration

Ethics

Knowing the Play

Objective Goals

Tactics Resources

Knowing the Play

The objective of an election campaign is

to win enough seats

to form a government

The desired ultimate outcome

Objective

Knowing the Play

In a campaign, goals can

include gaining the support of key leaders in the community

or getting positive media.

Accomplishments along the way

toward the objective.

Goals

Knowing the Play

Tactics, or activities, can include calling

a press conference or meeting with Councillors.

The things you do to achieve

your goals.

Tactics

Knowing the Play

Resources can include

volunteers, a budget, and

an ally.

All the things you have that

you can use to carry out your tactics.

Resources

Playing to Win

Tests for a strategy

PracticalEach element of the “play” needs to have an impact on the element it’s aimed at.

SufficientThe total impact of a set of elements has to be enough to cause the desired result.

Consistent The elements can’t be mutually exclusive.

BREAK!

Knowing your PlayElements and Tests of a

StrategyGroup Responses

Objective

Goals

Tactics

Resources

Practical

Sufficient

Consistent

Six Rules to Win

Start early Find the win/win

messageWin early

Persuade staff

Win at the first

encounter

Always know the outcome

What Politicians Need Be Familiar

Most care more about their own neighbourhoods rather than what’s happening City-wide

Most are influenced by things they know best

Keep them aware of your activity and acknowledge their interactions with you

Find the Hook

Find out what they care about by looking at what they spend their time on

Attach your issue to ones you know they care about

Show how your issue links to the issues they already care about

Heart Over Head

Facts don’t mean as much as examples – one story shows a politician the problem is worth 10 statistic profiles

Keep arguments simple

Experts aren’t always effective, especially if the politician doesn’t know who they are

Competitive Messages

What your decision makers & targets want

Which ones might want you Your strengths & weaknesses Opposition strengths and

weaknesses Mirror opposites, stand alones Spin Inoculation

Positioning

Competitive Messages

Distinctive

Salient

Consistent

Simple Clear Memor

able

Your Message Your Image

Cooperative Messages

No opponent Focus on motivations What do you have to offer? How well does it fit with their

needs? How can you overcome their

inherent reluctance?

Cooperative Messages

Competitive vs. Cooperative Competitive Messages Cooperative Messages

What your decision makers & targets want

What your decision makers & targets want

Your Strength What you offer

Your Weakness What you need

Opposition Strength What they don’t want

Opposition Weakness What they want

Mirror Opposites, Stand alones Shared goals, Benefits

Spin Spin

Inoculation Inoculation

LUNCH!

Spin it!

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Michael Ignatieff

Barack Obama

George Bush

Messages & Messengers

Credible

Impartiality, experience,

expertise and a track record.

Familiarity

Interpersonal channels of

communication are more

influential than mass media.

Corroboration vs. Delivery

The distinction between a

messenger that delivers or

collaborates a message.

What’s the Winning Message? In 2008, the TCHC capital repair

backlog hit $300 million resulting from poor capital reserves when housing was downloaded.

TCHC has repeatedly asked the province to correct the capital reserve issue. They have been told NO every time.

The City has shown the limited capacity of City reserve to help.

TCHC has provided condition analysis of the buildings and demonstrated the cost increases resulting from delays.

Tenants remain in homes with mould, holes in ceilings, windows that bring in more air than it keeps out, and elevators that never work.

A group of TCHC tenants have come together to address the issue.

What’s their Winning Message?

Barriers to Engagement

Barriers to Engagement

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Reaching Audiences

Universal Regent Park

Had to reach all, but doubts about process held people

back

Focused on meeting full range of needs, addressing fears

Created culturally familiar settings everyone could relate

to

Coalition of the Willing

Brahms

Had to reach as many people as possible but no reason to

engage

Focused on finding meaningful gains – maintenance, not $

Process gained from listening to real experiences of

residents

Finding Messengers

Targeted

How are different people affected by the issue?

Who is in your community: cover all bases.

What experiences and skills do you need?

Coalition of the Willing

Who is affected by the issue?

Who is interested in getting involved?

Who is available?

Engagement StrategiesQuestion Individual Response Group Responses

Describe the group.

What would be the best ways to engage with them?

What resources would you need?

What are some of the barriers/areas of sensitivity?

BREAK!

Sustaining Engagement

A sustainable engagement process should:

Build trustTrust

what’s built

Show value

Address power and it’s

privileges

Maintain lists

Value rest and

relaxation

Engagement: Risks

Losing Momentum

• After the initial excitement, there is often a let down

• Plan for ways to regain enthusiasm with short term victories

Power Imbalance

• Imbalance in experience

• Imbalance in skills

• You encounter some imbalances and create others

• Plan for it

Loss of Focus

• Forgetting the goals

• Getting overwhelmed

• Losing confidence in process

Engagement: Risks

Mixed Motivations

• Business development, power, self promotion, networking

• All happen to some extent

Cultural Dynamics

• Resistance to inclusion

• Power brokers objecting to new players

Turnover

• Participants will come and go

• Plan for shifts in the group

Addressing ConflictRespect different perspectives and

approaches to the work

Don’t wait for the problem to get bigger

Ensure there is space for discussion to talk

through issues as they arise

Ensure space for a range of solutions, and

test for support and agreement

Practice active listening to make sure you

understand what is at the root of the

problem

Stay factual and avoid misunderstanding

Agree to disagree

Work with the group to develop ground rules

and refer back to them as necessary

QUESTIONS?

How to work with Government