Politics are polarizing. There’s no way around it. Depending on your political leanings, you’re either excited or upset about each presidential election, and this feels particularly true the last few cycles.
Spire has worked under several administrations, Republican and Democrat, and one thing never changes: Government keeps moving forward. Agencies continue to work on important programs. Citizen services continue to be delivered.
There’s no doubt each administration brings change, but it also brings opportunities. During transition, government agencies and programs have a window in which to “sell” the value of their work and build or renew buy-in with incoming leadership. Doing so effectively requires strong change management communications.
As an organization that’s passionate about public service, we have helped government clients navigate administration changes many times over. For ourselves and our clients, our guidance is always the same: Put politics aside and get down to the business of government.
In times of transition, smart, strategic communications is an absolutely vital asset. A smooth experience starts by anticipating new leadership’s questions, needs, and priorities, and then creating messaging and materials that address them.
This is where your internal communications, public affairs, website, and social media teams can really shine.
Quantify and storify your value
Newly appointed leadership may not be well versed in the intricacies of your agency’s portfolio. They may not fully understand what you do for citizens and constituents, nor be familiar with recent accomplishments. And that’s okay.
How you introduce them to your agency can make all the difference. By helping them understand what you do and why that’s valuable – to taxpayers, regulated industry, mission partners, and others – you can set them up for success in their new role.
The good news is that you almost certainly have plenty of source information.
The challenge is to identify the most salient metrics and data points, as well as representative anecdotes and examples. By weaving these together, you can tell a clear and compelling story about what you do and why it’s important to the nation.
Double-down on internal communications
Transition communications is all about internal communications. Your audience is – or will be – a fellow employee of your agency.
As leaders are appointed, take time to understand their knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives with respect to your agency’s mission. The better you understand their frame of reference, the more effectively you can frame transition documents.
As with all internal comms, the message isn’t just factual. It’s also cultural. Transition materials are an opportunity to welcome your new leader into the organization and create a sense of belonging.
Keep in mind that transition communications will be a multi-month endeavor as new leaders get acclimated. Prepare to communicate openly and regularly for several months.
Bring your future potential into focus
In addition to showcasing what you’ve achieved, highlight what your agency and programs are capable of.
- What initiatives or programs will deliver impact in the coming months or years?
- How are you prepared for future demands?
- What unmet needs are you positioned to serve?
By aligning your forward-looking information with the priorities of incoming leadership, you can establish a foundation on which to build – and from which to effectively manage the changes to come.
Put your best story forward
The reality is that skilled communications are a game-changing asset for government in any year. The heightened atmosphere of an executive transition just makes it more acute.
The good news is that, if you boil it down, transition communications are just table-stakes best practices: Define your audience, purpose, and channels. Use data and storytelling to showcase impact. Communicate early and often.
The goal is to maintain focus on fundamentals despite the sense of urgency and uncertainty.
In my experience, while change on this scale does call for agility and intense effort – refocusing and repackaging messages, thinking and communicating differently – it doesn’t stop important work.
Does your agency need strategic communications support? Spire offers comprehensive services to bring government stories to life.
