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The buck really stops with local governments because—to pile on another old saying—it’s really where the rubber meets the road. Literally. Citizens are only half-joking when they reference potholes with local elected officials. Keeping the streets safe and clean is one of the most basic of municipal functions. But you know what’s as important as being responsible? Being responsive. Nothing ticks off people more than when they think they’re being ignored. So I tell my clients

You’ve heard the expression “downplay expectations” applied to all manner of scenarios.  It applies to government contractors, as well.  One should never promise the moon but deliver a meteor.  In other words, under-promise but over-deliver.  Be upfront with your client about your limitations as a contractor.  If your strength is communications, don’t promise website development unless you’re prepared to staff the contract with a web developer.  Or let them know that while yo

The adjective “special” is applied in a myriad of ways, not all of them positive.  But for non-profits, it’s not whether you’re special or not that’s important, but what your specialty is.  If you’re an animal shelter, that’s special.  But if you’re an animal shelter that always fosters out your pets rather than putting them down, that’s your specialty.  Or let’s say you’re a non-profit dedicated to military veterans.  Now that’s special, but if your mission is focused on hel

If you’re running communications on a campaign, you must know your audience because every audience is different. Audience dictates everything in communications, because they’re the whole point of you communicating in the first place. Message: What are you trying to convey? If seniors are your target, then your message might center around in-home caregiver compensation, an issue of relevance for many in that sub-population. Tone: Are we issuing a call to action? Be direct. Are

One of my favorite nonprofits is Habitat for Humanity, and it’s fitting we recognize them with the recent passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter as she and President Carter were instrumental in raising their profile after leaving the White House.What I like about Habitat is that while there are plenty of nonprofits out there for housing, Habitat had the idea of involving their beneficiaries in the process. They help build the house in which they’re going to be living, a

Government contractors have a lot of audiences because they have a lot of stakeholders, and it’s important they communicate with every one of them: 1) Existing Customers: This one’s obvious. These are the folks paying you, so they have a right to know the status of timeline, deliverables, programs and personnel. 2) Potential Customers:  These are the folks whose business you hope to have in the future, so it’s a good idea to communicate with them in mind.  As you demonstrate

You’re doing the work and making things happen, but are you telling the story?  Never forget your audience, internal  and  external.  Keeping them informed keeps you both transparent and accountable, critical attributes for any government but especially local government, because when you’re local the stakeholders are local. Another reason to always tell your story is it creates a reserve of good news.  One day, something negative will inevitably occur within your department o

Message discipline is key in any relationship, whether it’s your relationship with your partner, your colleagues or your voters:  Knowing what to say and when, and knowing when not to say it all.  Staying on message helps us to know the right thing to say, the right way to say it, and the right time to say it.  Or not say it.   If you stick to three issues in your campaign messaging, it keeps the candidate on message.  We’ve learned that any more than three and voters lose fo

BE HUMAN:  In business & contracting the mantra has long been “keep it professional”.  In other words, whatever’s going on in your personal life is only a distraction and therefore unprofessional so don’t bring it up.  But I would argue the opposite, or at least a happy medium.  In being transparent about personal situations while maintaining the work will continue it can engender trust with the client.  For example, if you have been diagnosed with an illness that must be pri

It’s Election Day…finally!  There’s few things more important than staying on message, whether it’s a political campaign, product campaign, or corporate damage control.  Some might call it “scripted” or “boring” but in fact it’s essential to keeping the public focused on what you think is important.  Veering away from your established message dilutes that message and distracts the public.  It has the effect of confusing the audience as to what it is you’re trying to convey an