Building Winning Relationships By Andrew MacDougall MSLGROUP

Building Winning Relationships

“Invaluable Reputation” – Dec. 10, 2013 Andrew MacDougall, MSLGROUP London

Overview

+ Context + Building blocks for partnership + The role of transparency

Biography

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Senior Executive Consultant – MSLGROUP

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Dcomm to PM Harper

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Senior Consultant H&K

01 - Context

+ Budget pressures + Reputation issues + Need for partnership

Context – Budget Pressures

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Governments are facing reputation issues

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Be careful with your partnerships!

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Governments are facing reputation issues

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Because it’s facile

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Reputation and Competence

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02 – The Building Blocks for Partnership

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Build understanding Speak the language Reciprocate Plan carefully

Build Understanding • Government ≠ business • Start small and build up – Don’t walk in and ask for the moon

• Extreme cases make bad law – Don’t start in crisis (if you can avoid it)

• Be clear in your expectations – What are asks on each side?

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Speak the Language

• Speak politics – Put yourself in government shoes

• Speak to motive – What problem does it solve – for them

• No surprises – Governments can take bad news but don’t blindside

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Reciprocity

• All relationships involve give and take • Build capital – Offer support on tangential issues

• Remember the words “thank you”

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Plan Carefully

• Government can be big, dumb, slow • Add your voice to the debate – Prepare the ground

• Be agile – Be ready for opportunity

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03- The Role of Transparency

+ Risk management + The new normal (Snowden and social media) + Opportunities for creative approaches

Risk Management • Government moving to transparency – Lobbyist registries etc.

• More voices – Rise of social media • More threats • Lower threshold for “news” – More demand for content

The New Normal • Transparency is not a fad – Technology forces it

• Hold to higher standard – Be prepared to explain

• Defend legitimacy at all costs – Gov’t doesn’t have monopoly on ideas

Time to Get Creative • Who you know vs. What you know – Pendulum shifting • Use transparency to your advantage – Build audience

• More opportunities – Embrace the new channels

04 – Canada-EU Trade Agreement

Case Study

A model partnership

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Case Study – Canada-EU Trade Agreement

• Trade a priority – Savvy partners knew context

• Complicated story to tell – Needed third party validation

• Went with trusted partners – Relationships paid off

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Summary

+ Context + Building blocks for partnership + The role of transparency

To Summarise

• • • • • • •

Know the context and the constraints it places Keep your nose clean Build understanding Think politically, plan carefully Give as well as take Transparency is the new normal Embrace creativity

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