Tips for swapping caution for courage in our comms
I have written a lot about how much I hate most approval processes.
They suck the life out of team culture and creativity while leading almost inevitably to worse results.
They also spark the question: why would we insist on a system that everyone hated, was inefficient, unnecessarily involved senior staff, and produced crappy results?
Well, because it’s much easier and safer not to stick our heads above the parapet.
In my experience, government comms systems generally aren’t designed to maximise helpfulness or boost audience engagement, but instead to minimise the chances of saying something problematic.
That’s why we see sign-off processes that involve 2, 3, or even 4 layers of approval, and where the process is largely about pulling back or toning down rather than being bolder, funnier, or taking more risks.
Which is a huge problem (except for those in charge of the systems).
Right now, we need boldness and innovation in our government communications more than ever. And in order to truly innovate, we might need to swap some of our caution for courage.
As Matt Ridley puts it: “Innovation is the parent of prosperity but it is the child of freedom. History shows that innovation happened where people were free to experiment, fail, try again, change their minds, and back themselves.”
Here are some tips for working with - or around - your approval process to make it less about caution, and more about courage and innovation.
Tips for approvers
Defer to your experts - you may have opinions but that doesn’t mean you always need to give them. Zip it and trust your experts to work things out.
Think longer term - ride through the uncomfortable moments by reminding yourself of what you’re trying to achieve long term, and why those results might be worth enduring a bit of media attention or internal scrutiny.
Be a catalyst for innovation instead of a roadblock - rather than always dialling back content, challenge your team to go further or be bolder on occasion.
Absorb some of the anxiety - when people start getting nervous, they start looking for ways to make the work safer. So keep things in perspective and try not to catastrophise. Your calmness will count for a lot.
Tips for approvees
If it doesn’t need approval, don’t ask for it - if sharing that draft is about arse-covering or reassurance, then you’re just wasting people’s time. Back your abilities and judgement and press play.
Ask ‘why does this make you nervous?’ - it’s not rude to insist that those up the chain explain their decisions from time to time. Get into the habit of asking why.
Push back if you need to - if the effectiveness of your content has been compromised by the alterations, then you have to point this out.
Step into the accountability void - if no one wants to own the potential consequences for the approach, there is an opportunity for you to fill that void. This can be scary, but if the alternative is doing work you know to be ineffectual, it might be worth it.
Any questions? Email me at seamus@seamus.nz