building winning relationships by andrew macdougall mslgroup
DESCRIPTION
Andrew MacDougall, former government spokesman in Canada and currently Senior Executive Consultant in our London office, was recently invited to speak at a conference organised by Harvard Business Review Poland and MSLGROUP called “Priceless Reputation – protects, mobilizes, sells” in Warsaw. He brings context to the public affairs industry and its challenges including budget pressures and reputation issues. He also shares the building blocks for successful partnerships and how transparency is the new normal. More here: http://blog.mslgroup.com/harvard-business-review-mslgroup-conference-on-reputation/TRANSCRIPT
Building Winning Relationships
“Invaluable Reputation” – Dec. 10, 2013Andrew MacDougall, MSLGROUP London
Overview
+ Context+ Building blocks for partnership + The role of transparency
Biography
• Senior Executive Consultant –MSLGROUP
• Dcomm to PM Harper
• Senior Consultant H&K
01 - Context
+ Budget pressures+ Reputation issues+ Need for partnership
5Context – Budget Pressures
6Governments are facing reputation issues
7Be careful with your partnerships!
8Governments are facing reputation issues
9Because it’s facile
10Reputation and Competence
02 – The Building Blocks for Partnership
+ Build understanding+ Speak the language+ Reciprocate+ Plan carefully
12Build 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?
13Speak 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
14Reciprocity
• All relationships involve give and take
• Build capital– Offer support on tangential issues
• Remember the words “thank you”
15Plan Carefully
• Government can be big, dumb, slow
• Add your voice to the debate– Prepare the ground
• Be agile – Be ready for opportunity
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
21A model partnership
22Case 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
23
Summary
+ Context+ Building blocks for partnership + The role of transparency
24To 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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