The best advice I’ve seen about meetings – from Edward Tufte

I’ve been re-reading Edward Tufte’s ‘Seeing With Fresh Eyes. Meaning, Space, Data and Truth’ (2020) Chapter 8 deals with Smarter Presentations and Shorter Meetings. In a town that has long meetings and comlex presentations,Tufte’s advice is unknown to many, but it is worth sharing. “The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has … Read more

What to Put in A Young Lobbyist’s Bootcamp

If I were designing an intense coaching programme for a young lobbyist, what should I put in? I’ve come up with a list of some process expertise and skills that would would benefit a young lobbyist at the start of their career.   How to prepare, draft and write clear: 1. Issue notes, 2. Debate … Read more

Wireframe for a letter to the Commission

We spend a lot of time sending letters to officials and politicians. Most don’t land well. These letters come across as whiny, babbling and incoherent. They get ignored and land up in the bin. This is my approach.   Wireframe for a letter to the Commission Dear [Name] Subject Heading: Indicates the issue/procedure. Point 1: … Read more

Some suggestions to make your work as a lobbyist easier

I was recently asked for suggestions on managing my workload as a lobbyist. Here are some things I try and practice. They took time and pain to learn. You can’t do two different things well at once.  If you try, you’ll spend 3 x more time correcting it. You can only have a small circle … Read more