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
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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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