Getting to the heady heights of being CEO does not instantly bring with it the ability to deal with government, politics or politicians. The trouble is, many like to think it does and that can lead to problems.
Whilst organisations will often have their own corporate affairs / external affairs / public affairs specialists in place, they are not always consulted. Just look at the problems senior executives can get themselves into. It ranges from poor or antagonistic appearances in front of Parliamentary committees through to obviously awkward conversations with politicians, and even fallings out.
Of course, politics is done differently across the world but public affairs exists and thrives. This is an issue my new book, Public Affairs: A Global Perspective, considers in more detail. Whether you take more established markets or consider new or emerging democracies, public affairs plays an active role in the political process. Knowledge and experience of these markets is essential.
Experience shows though that senior executives often head off on their own path and do what feels instinctively right to them. How different can politics be…? Well, very, in some cases!
Here are five of the most common mistakes:
- A lack of listening skills – with the best will in the world, politicians like to talk and they have opinions, it is important to be prepared to consider and listen to them properly. There will be a natural temptation to put your side across very forcefully but the more you take that approach, the less likely it is to be effective. The critical thing to remember is that politics is very different from business – the people you are engaging with put themselves up for election, you do not. That means that their motivations and requirements are different from yours. They may coincide but that may only happen for a very fleeting moment. The ability is to capture that moment.
- A lack of training – not that the training isn’t on offer but a level of self-confidence can often bring an assumption that suggests training is not needed. In that case, a look at some Parliamentary Select Committee sessions and the follow-up media coverage should be enough to change minds. Media training will be taken, so why not political engagement training?
- An obsession with ‘the top’ – the people at the very senior levels of government are not always the ones you need to engage with. An angry letter fired off to No 10 in haste may make an executive feel better but it is highly unlikely to be effective. In some circumstances, starting at the top can add delays that could count against the issue and, in the worst case scenario, could even be counterproductive.
- A failure to appreciate previous contact and positions – not every meeting starts from a ground zero position, most organisations have a history with an individual, political party or policy issue. Without the full facts and knowledge of each of these, mistakes can be made. The executive needs to know the issue from all angles and the questions that are likely to come at them. There is the chance that they may not be the right person to handle the meeting. But with early internal discussions these can all be sorted and agreed. When this isn’t the case, the unexpected and nasty surprise may not come until the meeting itself and by that time the damage may already have been done.
- A lack of contrition – quite simply, you are not the most important person in the room. That can come as a bit of a shock to some and the ability to show some deference is appreciated by many politicians. Depending on the circumstances of the engagement, there may also need to be some level of openness or apology expected. Again, this can come back to good preparation. It is if politicians believe that you are being obtuse or failing to open with them that the problems arise. A series of key messages might work in short media interviews but they do not work in more detailed political engagement.
Much of this is really focused on good communications, the willingness to seek out, listen to the advice that is available and knowing the needs of the audience.
But somehow politics and government is often seen as different, an area that executives can deal with on their own. The reality is that real and lasting damage can done. Reputations can be put on the line. Politicians and government can work with the media to damage you and can work with Parliaments to consider new laws and regulations that might be detrimental to your industry. Politicians, at all levels, do have power and they come with a set of expectations.
Poor actions can actually increase the level of scrutiny. Executives should remember that before simply disappearing off to talk to a politician.