Much has been written about the importance of good communication in conveying ideas, direction, information and inspiration in local government. It’s about more than just facts and figures – effective communication can help local people to understand what their council is about, what it has achieved, the plans it has and the role that individual councillors play.
Your personal success may also be heavily dependent on your ability to communicate – influencing people to get involved, turn out at elections, voice their satisfaction (or concerns), contribute to activities in the community and be better citizens. In effect, it’s a chance for you to demonstrate your community leadership.
On the flip side, poor communication is a waste of your time and that of the people you are trying to influence. It may also be a waste of the council’s limited financial resources, eg a badly judged leaflet, an expensive and ineffective consultation activity, or a poorly advertised community meeting.
Poor communication risks alienating the very people you are trying to influence. Alongside the fact that you fail to achieve what you intended, you may be seriously damaging your long term relationship with key people. There are risks from this to both the council (an erosion of its corporate reputation) and to you personally (it could lose you votes).
The Local Government Association (LGA) has produced a wealth of material available from the website that can help improve your communication skills.
Political skills framework - communication
Positive indicators |
Negative indicators |
Communicates regularly with community via newsletters, phone calls and local media |
Interrupts, appears not to listen and uses inappropriate or insensitive language, eg shouting, being rude or abusive |
Listens sensitively, checks for understanding and adapts style as necessary |
Communicates reactively and is slow to respond when approached by others, eg public, colleagues, officers or media |
Builds relationships with local media and creates opportunities for communicating key decisions, activities and achievements |
Fails to listen to others' views and presents rigid and inflexible arguments |
Speaks clearly and confidently in public; uses accessible language; and avoids jargon or 'council speak' |
Uses information dishonestly to discredit others and is unwilling, or unable, to deliver unpopular messages |
Provides regular feedback; keeps people informed; and manages expectations |
Fails to participate in meetings and lacks the confidence to speak in public |
Uses appropriate language to communicate key points verbally and in writing, eg letters, reports, interviews and presentations |
Presents subjective and confused arguments using poor language and style |
Challenge 5 – planning to influence people through communication
Outline how you would plan to influence people through communication in the scenario below:
The council has started a high profile campaign to encourage people to minimise their domestic waste and reduce the amount of refuse being collected for recycling and disposal. You have decided to champion ‘waste minimisation’ in your ward to show what can be done and encourage greater efforts by everyone in the local community. On this basis:
What do you want to achieve from the communication?
Who is your audience?
What is your key message (s)?
In what format are you going to communicate for the best impact?
By far the most common and useful way of influencing people is through face to face communications, ie meetings, talks, conferences, advice surgeries etc. Though these days more of our communication is done through virtual platforms. In earlier sections of the workbook we discussed the importance of creating a good impression, building rapport, generating discussion and winning ‘hearts and minds’. Other things you should consider, when planning to influence people through face to face communications, include:
- Having a good ‘opening’ in any talk or meeting to grab the attention of the audience, eg using arresting statements, facts, anecdotes, quotations or rhetorical questions. Avoid the use of excuses, negative statements, excessive detail and clichés.
- Having a structure to what you want to say, eg preparing and practising, focusing on the agenda required, sticking to time and following a logical sequence of key points.
Avoid making it up, reading from a script, gabbling and going over your allotted time.
- Using good content, eg clear visual aids, slides to display brief points/prompts and handouts of key information. Avoid excessive use of PowerPoint slides.
- Maintaining the interest in what you are saying, eg speaking clearly, varying the tone of your voice, altering the speed of your delivery (not too slow or fast), smiling and maintaining eye contact with those listening. Avoid repeating yourself too often and watch the signals you give out through your body language, eg slouching, looking bored, yawning etc.
- Responding positively to challenges and objections, ie actively listening (eg nodding and using “Mmm…”, and “Yes” in response to questions), using questions to check your understanding of the objection being made (this sometimes heads off the challenge in itself) and politely signalling when you disagree (eg “As things stand…” and “What I would say is…”). Avoid saying, “Ah yes, but…” when challenged.
- Finishing any meeting or presentation with an effective ‘ending’, eg voicing a conclusion, asking for a decision and summarising major points or next steps.
Avoid finishing without a conclusion or ending with “I hope I have…”
The skills you would employ in face to face communications are equally applicable when in an online situation. However you should be aware that the dynamics of influencing might be different when you are ‘separated by a screen’. However in some ways virtual platforms provide us with easier ways to communicate without the risk of being seen as overly assertive or aggressive. The art is to remain persuasive without compromising your interpersonal skills when not face to face with those you are seeking to influence.