Campaigns should be about educating candidates about you.

Identifying, assessing, prioritizing and responding to the opportunities and risks that the public policy environment throws at an organization is vital to an organization’s success. An organization's response to the regulatory, legislative and political challenges may include seeking to influence that change through a strategic communications plan, the media and through strategic partnerships and engagement.

 With the primary over, it is important to work pro-actively to build strategic yet meaningful relationships with key stakeholders and develop the strategies to influence public opinion and the opinions of government leaders during the next legislative session.

Elections are about change. And change is at the core an effective public affairs strategy. Public affairs professionals help companies and individuals guide the changing landscape of politics, personalities and policy. What will a new legislature or administration mean for your business?  Or a new congress or even a new committee chair?

As we know focus on the general election, take advantage of the campaign to educate the candidates about your business. Invite them in to your factory for a tour, have them meet your members and work pro-actively to develop strategic and meaningful relationships.

The Public Relations Audit

Before you start implementing a strategy you should take an inventor of your marketing assets. This public relations audit evaluates current practices and matches them up with best practices. It will then suggest areas, based on your business objective, as to where to improve.

From this audit, a plan will develop, complete with brand values, an elevator speech, key words and key messages.

THE WAY FORWARD

To Move Michigan Forward, we must first create a vision that a majority of stakeholders can agree on. This vision will help everyone focus on the core issues and when they stray toward politics, we can bring them back to the issue. This is the process by which we can start stakeholder engagement.

At each step of the way, we will identify quick wins or mutual gains for each stakeholder, to build trust and let them know we are all in this fight together. And at each step, we share information to help each of us make informed decisions. If it is not something we can agree on, then we should move to the next issue and focus on those issues that we can agree on.

The use of ADR processes by the courts and federal government has been widely celebrated as a more efficient and cost effective method of conflict resolution. Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process in which a trained, impartial mediator helps people examine their mutual problems, identify and consider options and carefully consider possible resolutions. A mediator has the experience to bring disputing parties together and help them draw out a successful resolution while preventing an impasse during the negotiations, or otherwise prevent the discussions from breaking down. Unlike a judge or arbitrator, a mediator does not make the decisions nor do they offer solutions. They help separate the politics from the process, help the parties find a common ground, build trust and identify potential solutions to agree on. 

Public policy dispute resolution focuses on the resolution of issues affecting the public, such as: Transportation; land use, special education, election districts and healthcare.  With public policy disputes, the issues tend to be a bit more polarizing, emotional and there are often a number of stakeholders from the community, including non-profits and business groups, and governments at a local, state and federal level.

Whether it is a public policy dispute or a dispute between neighbors, the goal of public any dispute resolution is to save money, preserve relationships and take control over the decisions. When it involves a public policy dispute, it is helpful and most effective if it creates the opportunity for all voices to be heard. It is a process being used in the planning process of multiple projects, including economic development projects in Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City Utah. 

In any mediation, the first step in the mediation process is to get both parties to agree to use a mediator. That is actually the first agreement both parties make together and we are on the way to developing trust and building a relationship.

While many states have dispute resolution clauses in key legislation or dispute resolution centers at universities, the State of Michigan does not. The ADR Section to the State Bar of Michigan, continues to talk with universities about creating a "Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution Services," and continues to talk with legislators.  However, since no university has yet to step forward in creating such a center, in part due to funding, The ADR Section is trying to show by example, the benefits of ADR.

Today’s political reality is that politics is by nature partisan and partisan politics has now overtaken the capitol. In addition, people and business are demanding a greater role in the policy making process so more voices are competing to make public policy that benefits or protects them. 

After Tuesday’s election, it is time our elected leaders push politics aside and focus on the big picture of helping Michigan Move Forward.

What Detroit Can Learn from an Alaskan Viaduct

Seattle, Wash, was struggling for years in figuring out how to replace The Alaskan Way Viaduct, a piece of aging infrastructure that stood as a barrier between Seattle’s downtown and its waterfront.

On one side you had environmental advocates that favored a solution focused on mass transit and bikes over more roadways.  The business community favored access and city leaders wanted to leverage the city’s waterfront to revitalize the city. And taxpayer groups wanted something that was low cost. 

As a result, a tunnel, elevated highway or retrofit of existing structures were not viable solutions.  A referendum failed and still after 10+ years of dialogue and debate, a consensus could not be reached.

City leaders turned to professional facilitators to help reach a consensus. The facilitators stepped in and secured a commitment from all those involved that they would negotiate a consensus agreement. They reframed the issue, considered the region’s needs and reviewed an independent technical analysis of potential solutions. In addition, an advisory group of stakeholders was forced to provide input into the process to assist those at the negotiating table.

It is time Detroit’s regional leaders come back to the table and negotiate a consensus agreement as it relates to the DWSD and help the region move forward onto additional issues that impact the region as a whole.

Today, Seattle is a vibrant community. It is not just a city. Those in Seattle have adopted a certain lifestyle, created in part by removing the barriers linking a downtown to its waterfront and creating a bridge between vital stakeholders who had the power to act and help the city move forward. 

And now that viaduct, is just "water under the bridge."

Strategic Relationships

If there is anything we can learn from the recent crises facing General Motors (GM), the Veteran's Administration (VA), Donald Sterling and the Los Angeles Clippers, The New York Times, Target and other companies and individuals facing their own high stakes crises is that it is important to talk to each other. 

As children, we learn that if we lie we will get caught, if we cheat we are only cheating our selves. So as business leaders, it is important to follow the rules and play by the rules. To engage your employees and the communities in which you do business.  Work hard at developing working relationships, not just in the board room, but on the court or course.  Make friends now so that if a crisis ensues, you will be prepared to respond and others will come at your defense. But most importantly work to minimize the risk of any crises by devoting the resources in developing strategic relationships. 

Why join?

We join associations for a reason:

• To access their benefits e.g. health care or office supplies.
• To network and gain new business.
• To be a part of something positive

For lawyers, to practice law in the State of Michigan, you must be a member of The State Bar of Michigan. In full disclosure, I am an elected member of the Representative Assembly to the State Bar. 

Organizations pass policies that not all their members will agree on.  Even though those polices may be counter to one's own positions, it is important that an organization's members voices be heard and considered in crafting that position. 

For the State Bar of Michigan, there are many positions the Bar takes that not all of its members will agree on. One issue I think most attorneys can agree on, is an organization that will be the standard-bearer of ethics, to hold lawyers accountable for their actions or a place for lawyers to turn to if necessary.   See Bill would make State Bar membership dues optional in Michigan, Detroit News.