Citizens Bank & Trust’s Post

Warren Madlin has shared his thoughts on the changing landscape of UK public affairs in our latest blog. What are you anticipating the biggest challenge for the sector will be?

We’ve seen this coming for a long time but the complicating factors of reduced office demand and higher interest rates will have implications across the entire economic system including local government revenues. https://lnkd.in/gYJAAgBn

Navigating office politics is indeed a crucial skillset in today's world. It can often be challenging, but mastering it can greatly enhance your career prospects and professional growth. I believe that understanding the dynamics of your workplace, building strong relationships with colleagues, and effectively communicating with different stakeholders are all vital components of navigating office politics. In my experience, one key aspect of successfully maneuvering through office politics is maintaining a positive attitude and focusing on building collaborative relationships. It's important to treat others with respect and empathy, even in difficult situations. Additionally, being aware of the power dynamics within your organization can help you identify potential challenges and navigate them more effectively. I have found that open communication and transparency are crucial when dealing with office politics. By fostering an environment where everyone feels heard and validated, conflicts can be avoided or resolved more easily. It's also important to stay true to your values and maintain integrity while navigating these dynamics.

…And similar anxiety for politicians. (Article below) I truly believe that politics should be a “calling” for the elected, not just a job, because rarely one wants to lose their job. But, elected life always has seismic shifts. It does comes to an end and often abruptly. For political staff however, “serving” is often part of a career and professional development path. It is at times a challenging but rewarding love-hate relationship. So many connections made, skills developed , and positive impacts made. But the hours are gruelling, the egos large, and some of the personalities involved aren’t on BFF list. Many experience professional political life and never wish to return and leave in disgust, while others get the “bug for life”. To those across the country bracing for a summer Cabinet Shuffle, this too shall pass. Good luck.

If you are interested in making content or comms, especially in B2B, I would strongly encourage you to take a good hard look at the website of the Tony Blair Institute. To my mind, it really is best in class. I am not surprised he is back. "The institute’s output has also helped change Mr. Blair’s image, Mr. Campbell, his former spokesman, said. The former prime minister saw a gap for relatively nonideological research focusing on technocratic policymaking and tackling challenges such as artificial intelligence, digital policy and relations with the European Union. "With about 800 staff members scattered around the world in Abu Dhabi, Accra, San Francisco, Singapore and New York, and a sleek, modern office in the West End of London, the institute has even had influence over the Conservative government, Ms. Rutter said, pointing to Mr. Blair’s proposal during the coronavirus pandemic to structure its vaccine program around giving as many people as possible a first shot. "Mr. Campbell, his former spokesman, added that the work of the institute showed Mr. Blair in a new light, making money not just for himself but also “to build an organization, the fruits of which people are now seeing.” https://lnkd.in/ejEPm2as #B2BContent #CommunicationsExcellence #TonyBlairInstitute #TechnocraticPolicymaking #DigitalPolicyInsights

Setting the context to one side, this UK-based aspiration contains an admirable top 'key ask' that could apply worldwide about access to theatre at any level. This talks about politicians funding access. Private enterprise and charities can and do get involved in this sort of thing: "Invest in children’s access: Every child has the right to access our world-class theatre sector. It supports wellbeing, educational attainment and talent pipelines. However, access to the theatre is declining, despite the fantastic work producers and venues do across the country to improve and develop children’s engagement. This is why we are calling on politicians to support our campaign to fund at least one trip to the theatre for every child before they leave school. #TheatreforEveryChild.

"Decision Based Evidence Making". The Australian Senate inquiry into the ‘Management and assurance of integrity by consulting services’ has received some intriguing evidence into consulting practices and how advice is provided to government. Last week, one witness described the practice of consultants engaging in “decision based evidence making”. This phenomenon is described by Peter Tingling and Michael Brydon in their 2010 article as, 'marshalling facts and analysis to support a decision that had already been made'. Artificial credibility is also a key issue as observed by former Competition Regulator head, Professor Allan Fels, who stated in the same senate enquiry, that there is a 'halo' effect whereby big accounting firms add legitimacy to decisions and audits even if that legitimacy may not be warranted. With the Public Sector being hollowed out and an apparent reluctance to provide ‘frank and fearless’ advice, there is little wonder that we are being plagued by appallingly poor business cases and bad decision making. The Robodebt debacle is a case in point. In my last blog on how to manipulate business cases https://lnkd.in/gGzkCtp2 , I discussed the need for business cases to be transparent and subject to scrutiny. Business cases should also be robust, impartial, and evidence based. One of the key takeaways on this topic comes from Prof. Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner's book “How Big Things Get Done” https://lnkd.in/gbtwCpQ6. For projects, ‘Reference Class Forecasting’ should be used to validate cost estimates, and ensure risks are understood and can be appropriately managed. If there is no reference class or evidence available, then why should massive amounts of resources be committed in the hope things go the plan. As Flyvbjerg and Gardner state, only 1 in 200 projects achieve the stated benefits on time and on budget. Hope is not a strategy.  

In his 2022 Let The Sunshine In report which painted a scathing picture of the culture within Qld's public sector, Professor Peter Coaldrake found the tone was set from the top. "The top means in a context of government the Premier or Prime Minister, it means Ministers, it means Directors-General,” he said. With the restoration of independence essential, it’s disappointing to see the dismissive tone to questions from non-government MPs during the annual budget estimates hearings. Is this how we drive the behaviours and outcomes Queenslanders deserve? #IndependentPublicService #BeatingHeartofGoodGovernment