Interview with a Mayor
Since I am interested in a career in politics, I decided to interview Mayor Terence Roberts of Anderson, South Carolina. He is a first term Mayor and said that communication and writing are the most important skills any politician can have. It is essential to be able to communicate with several different groups, and they all require different skills. Those three groups are fellow City Council members, personnel on the City of Anderson Staff, and the residents of Anderson, which often includes dealing with the media.
Communicating with other council members often involves e-mails and other personal correspondence. Although these are often private, they are by no means informal. Often this is one of the best ways of discussing an issue before it comes up publicly, and it provides an opportunity to look for ways of overcoming any obstacles and challenges that are likely to appear. These wittings are heavy on persuasion. It is good to have a mix of logic and data, but it is also essential to know how to make an emotional plea as well.
Directing the activities of the staff is a little different. Many different publications are used to clearly define goals for the staff to accomplish and follow them to completion. It can often be a simple as a memorandum or an email. However, it can be as elaborate as a complete operational plan, a budget, or an ordinance. It always important to clearly state goals, set performance measures, and motivate them to be a part of the team.
Speaking to constituents is the most complex, but also the most important. A great deal of the communication happens through the media. There are certain ways in which the government interacts with the various media outlets, some of them are very formalized like news releases while others are less defined, especially on the internet. However, it is important to understand the expectations of the media and the information they want because they are an important facet of keeping the citizens informed. There are also direct communications like speeches (which should always be written and often distributed in print), personal correspondence, editorials, and other newer interactions like blogging. It is important to understand the audience you hope to reach and tailor your message to mean the most to them.
Communicating with other council members often involves e-mails and other personal correspondence. Although these are often private, they are by no means informal. Often this is one of the best ways of discussing an issue before it comes up publicly, and it provides an opportunity to look for ways of overcoming any obstacles and challenges that are likely to appear. These wittings are heavy on persuasion. It is good to have a mix of logic and data, but it is also essential to know how to make an emotional plea as well.
Directing the activities of the staff is a little different. Many different publications are used to clearly define goals for the staff to accomplish and follow them to completion. It can often be a simple as a memorandum or an email. However, it can be as elaborate as a complete operational plan, a budget, or an ordinance. It always important to clearly state goals, set performance measures, and motivate them to be a part of the team.
Speaking to constituents is the most complex, but also the most important. A great deal of the communication happens through the media. There are certain ways in which the government interacts with the various media outlets, some of them are very formalized like news releases while others are less defined, especially on the internet. However, it is important to understand the expectations of the media and the information they want because they are an important facet of keeping the citizens informed. There are also direct communications like speeches (which should always be written and often distributed in print), personal correspondence, editorials, and other newer interactions like blogging. It is important to understand the audience you hope to reach and tailor your message to mean the most to them.
posted by bgrace at 5/28/2007 10:26:00 PM
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