There have been a few projects in the media of late where community groups have lamented a lack of consultation on projects prior to delivery. Many of these projects have centred on construction and development but a few have involved policy development in areas as diverse as energy, water supply and even the definition of marriage. However diverse the topics, one thing stood out as being in common.
I recently had the pleasure of travelling throughout the Surat Basin in south west Queensland with a client of Articulous for a week, facilitating community information sessions. There were a few key lessons that I took away from that week that I thought were worth sharing, purely from a practical perspective.
Some people thrive on blank slates. Others respond better if they are given context, background and solutions. Either way you need to know your objectives and stimulate the conversation.
Public meetings. Ugghhhh. We often try to avoid them, but to be perfectly honest, I’ve also seen them work really well.
Evaluation is a common word in communication and engagement circles, and yet it is often overlooked or hastily considered at the conclusion of a project.
If you work long enough and achieve a certain amount of seniority then it is almost inevitable that you will need to discipline somebody who reports to you.
Here are three key tips that I have learned along the way that I find very useful to keep in your back pocket next time you are having conversations with another.
What struck me was that given that all of the commenters were men, did they really understand what it was like for a female jockey in the Australian racing industry and did they even ask?
It seems to me that outrage, confected or otherwise is being seen as a completely legitimate tool in public discourse.
