What Exactly Is Your Issue? Four Tips For Better Lobbying

what's your issueI was on Parliament Hill recently and as my colleagues and I fanned out to share our messages I kept thinking about all the possible outcomes ahead of us.  We had the same message to deliver, but personal style and approach can make subtle changes occur that effect comprehension, reception and even perceived objective. This means that when presenting an idea, the question of knowing EXACTLY what you want is critical.

Whether presenting to government, an interviewer or potential client, it can mean the difference between success and failure.   If you are unclear about your issue, or do not ensure that your audience is clear on what you want, you may find yourself achieving an outcome you didn’t anticipate.  As time management expert Alan Lakein so succinctly put it, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

Take for instance the consumer advocate groups that lobbied the Canadian federal government for years on the issue of labelling of cigarette packaging.   They asked government to ban or restrict the word “light” from cigarette packages.  They were concerned that the use of the word would lead the public to think that these cigarettes were somehow not as bad for them as “regular” cigarettes.  In December 2004, then Minister of Health, Ujjal Dosanjh, was pleased to announce that the use of the words “light” and “mild” would be prohibited from use on future cigarette packages. Imagine his surprise, when on hearing his announcement, the various associations in question responded with criticism.  It seems that they were actually using the “light” discussion as an example of the kind of wording they did not want used. As it happens their “ask” was a good deal more complex than the use of one or two words, they were quite legitimately concerned about the use of any language or imagery that might be perceived as misleading, this included the use of numbers or coloring.  Subsequently, they did not see the change as sufficient.

By February of 2005, a grassroots campaign had been launched to tell government that their announced changes hadn’t gone far enough.  The subsequent nature of the relationship between the Minister and the associations following these events can only be speculated on, but needless to say a good deal of engagement would have been necessary to maintain good relations.

Knowing exactly what you want before you initiate anything, from a meeting to a full communications campaign,  provides you with a path. Waiting until you are at a critical meeting or juncture is not the time to to determine what you want. Brainstorming in tight circumstances is unlikely to be productive or successful. Its also likely to lead to frustration for you and those around you.  If you know precisely what outcome you are trying to achieve, you are also in a better position to spot options or opportunities, it gives you the flexibility to take short cuts that will satisfy your objectives. Knowing what you want means you are also in a better position to anticipate how long the process will take and what you will need to do in order to be successful.

When have you planned and succeeded?  Have you been taken by surprise by an outcome? Have you ever failed to plan and subsequently missed an opportunity?

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7 Tips For Meeting with a Member of Parliament

7 tips for meeting with a member of parliament
There’s No Such Thing As A Typical Meeting With An MP

There is no such thing as a typical meeting with a Member of Parliament (MP).  While all MPs may share the same job, and some share the same party membership, that’s about where their automatic resemblance to each other starts and finishes.  It’s not that you can’t have similar meetings with various MPs, but if you start to think that there is a set of rules or expectations on what will happen in meetings the only thing you can count on is that you will run into trouble.

How the meetings unfold will depend on a number of factors, not the least of which is the personality of the individual. The meeting will reflect what’s on their mind, their impression of you, what time they have, and many more issues you cannot control or even be aware of. Let’s not forget what you bring to the meeting with you.

I was once doing a series of MP meetings, about 50 one on one meetings in a three-month period. During the course of that process, I encountered MPs who knew all about my issue long before I got there and had done significant research after my meeting request was received. I also met MPs who didn’t know anything about the issue and not much more about the organization or group I was there representing. During the same round of meetings, one MP told me that I should never talk to the constituency MP (himself) but instead, I should talk to the party critic. Another MP suggested that I should never meet with MPs unless I brought a hired a lobbyist. I should mention that the particular MP had formerly been the owner of a lobbying firm.

One MP was only interested in talking directly to one of the professionals I was representing. Still, other MPs thanked me for bringing the issue to their attention and committed to speaking to folks in their caucus and in their constituency about the issue.  The range of reactions I received as I met with these MPs was as varied as the faces I was sitting across from.  I liked some and disliked others, but although they had all received the same information in advance, none of them responded in the same way.

Having made it clear that MPs are as unpredictable as most people, there are a few things you might expect when meeting an MP.

Lessons Learned

  • They will want to know who “specifically” you are and what it is you want from them.
  • They will expect you to explain as clearly as possible what your issue is.
  • They may ask you to suggest a solution or that you will provide one as part of your explanation.
  • The MP may oppose the position you are supporting and consequently may decide to argue openly or simply not commit to doing anything to help. In this case, note the position or acknowledge it if they share it with you. State your position, but do not engage in a back and forth argument.
  •  Always offer to serve as an information resource.
  • Remember to take the opportunity to ask the MP for his or her thoughts and how you can help.
  • Always remember to thank them for taking the time from their busy schedule to meet with you. If there are any follow-up activities don’t forget to do them.
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3 Tips for Creating the Right Mood For Your Message

This blog entry is a bit of a departure for me, but the experience illustrates so well how setting and approaBook Clubch can influence how ideas are communicated that I thought I would share the experience.

I recently joined a book club.  I am not a fan of book clubs.  They remind me of being in school and having to read books that are informative, but really boring. Simply not my idea of fun. So I’ll say that I went into the process with some trepidation, however I went because in this instance, my friend Jen Hunter, a dynamo who defines optimism, was leading the club.  Jen was also hosting it at a cool new venue, the Hub Ottawa. The book also had an intriguing title and I thought, if a book club could work for me, this was its best shot. The book, The Art of Possibility is a wonderful read from Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. It will make you laugh, cry and show you how to see the possibilities in every situation.

As it happens, just as I was starting to read the Art of Possibility, another dynamo friend of mine, Leslie Turcotte, suggested that I take a look at a TED presentation by Amy Cuddy, “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are”. The presentation explored how we could boost our own self-esteem or sense of power by changing our body posture.  The first chapter of the Art explored how we could give ourselves an “A” psychologically and consequently improve our performance. It seemed obvious to me that they were two ideas that should be joined.  I shared the TED presentation with Jen and she shared it with the book club members.  We all laughed at the antics that followed in our private worlds as we implemented the suggestions from the book and the presentation. Worlds destined to collide, collided and the only reason they did was because I received an invitation that worked (and I opened my mind to the possibility that a book club might be an enjoyable experience).

I should add that in addition to the book being a good choice, the book club members were smart, funny and insightful.  Nothing boring about this crowd.  The setting at the Ottawa Hub was thought provoking and in fact, the way we explored the book using a “World Café” style, was engaging.  So the book club in no way resembled what I imagined book clubs to be,  obligation and boredom. I am now optimistically looking forward to the next meeting of the book club and the newest book.

Lessons Learned

  • The best communications in the world will fail if the audience is unprepared to listen. It’s your job as a communicator to make sure they are prepared to listen.
  • Find vehicles that deliver old messages in new ways.  If you’re planning an event, consider what you can do to raise its appeal or intrigue your audience. It could be a clever invite or an unexpected theme, venue or approach.
  • Find multiple ways of delivering the same message.  People learn in different ways and by approaching the same message in different ways you are more likely to a) be understood by a wider group of people but also b) reinforce your message for those who can take it in multiple ways.
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