Last week I was asked over dinner about the people and books that have influenced my thinking on communicating public policy.
Some Key Books
Chris Rose, How to Win Campaigns (link)
Chris Rose, What Makes People Tick (link)
Barbara Minto, The Minto Pyramid Principle (link)
I have just finished a course by Edward Tufte that was a bit of a revelation on presenting data and information. Even at 52, I am happy to keep learning, and realise what I’ve been doing before is not that good.
The campaign bible is by Chris Rose. It lays out in detail what you should do. It is so meticulous that I think many people are put off by it and go with their gut.
My only regret is that I came across Minto’s work late. She helped me bring greater clarity to my writing.
Some people have influenced my thinking.
I’ve been fortunate to work with and know some great political campaigners and public policy experts in Brussels.
The late Tony Long, who set up WWF’s European Policy Office head, was a major influence on my thinking on how to change public policy and campaigning. I had the good fortune to work with Tony, learn from him, and swap many war stories.
The late Simon Bryceson had an important influence on my work. He was one of the few corporate lobbyists who could effortlessly switch between the world of C-Suite and NGOs. His blunt assessments, nearly always correct, were too brutal for most executives (in firms and NGOs) to take. I learned a lot from his writing and ad hoc calls and meetings.
My idea of the ideal civil servant remains Peter Gammeltoft and Grant Lawrence, now long retired from DG Environment. They taught me how to get good quality laws drafted, passed and implemented. Their belief in evidence-driven policy would be seen as quaint today.
There are others, but I’ll spare them the well-deserved praise, for fear of tarnishing them.