Election; 6 things we learned about engagement

​With a surprising set of results in June, especially against early polling, in hindsight, it may be less surprising when you look at the approaches adopted and how people responded to them.
1              Be authentic; hearts and minds will always respond best to genuine people. Trust is engendered and new ideas can become endearing.
2              Turn up; good leadership is about visibility. Be prepared to face your critics and doubters as well as your supporters; it again will help build trust.
3              What seems like a good idea at first……; trialling ideas, especially controversial ones, is always a good policy. However good your arguments appear on paper and behind closed doors, once expressed and challenged you may need to find a different path. Be brave enough to ditch highly unpopular policies.
4              Do not rely on tag lines and sound bites. Strong and stable can soon been read as staid and uninspiring. When faced with difficult challenges, new and radical ideas will be more appealing. Creating a feeling of hope will draw new support and followers to the cause.
5              Listen; all textbooks highlight the importance of listening so nothing new here. However, sometimes within the cacophony of noise this may be tough and the feedback may be nuanced. It is always worth the effort if you want broad acceptance or approval.
6              Take nothing for granted; you may start with the popular support, but without a good headwind, progress may stifle as other factors come into play. Unexpected events may derail the original priorities and your response to these must be considered, reasoned and comprehensible.

So generally anything where public opinion is at play cannot be assumed. Good political tactics do not often respond well to unexpected events and can lead to unintended consequences.

Picture Copyright: <a href='https://www.123rf.com/profile_vaselena'>vaselena / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

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