Lobbying

Stupidity is the cause of most failures in lobbying. There is a lot of it. It includes the refusal to engage constructively at the start of the policymaking process, the self-righteous moral indignation expressed at any opportunity, the conspiracy theories, self-denial of the votes against your position, or the reliance on the political margins to … Read more

Ray Dalio  “Truth – or, more precisely, an accurate understanding of reality – is the essential foundation for any good outcome. Most people fight seeing what’s true when it’s not what they want it to be” (Principles, p.135). One of the greatest risks in lobbying is you are going to fool yourself or have a … Read more

I’ve been working as a lobbyist for more than 20 years in Brussels. I’ve represented most interests in town,  from NGOs, trade associations, foundations and multi-nationals.  The cores of good lobbying don’t change on who you are representing. It does not matter if you are working on detailed policy, emotional,  or technical issues. The rules … Read more

If you are serious about influencing public policy decisions, you need to plant some acorns. You’ll copy the forester. You’ll plant a few ideas, or as we will call them, acorns, that can be harvested at the right time to influence decisions in the right direction. If you plant an idea, the seed needs to … Read more