Influence doesn’t need to be a dark art. Even in the face of rigid hierarchies. It’s time to unpack the steps you might take on the road to becoming a savvy public servant.

Influence is power in motion. In the public service, it’s difficult for the right voices to be heard by the right decision-makers. To strengthen your influencing muscle, here’s what a dive into the archive recommends:

  1. Define your strategy
  2. Nail your message
  3. Find your home in the workplace

Let’s look closely at each of these.

**Defining your strategy **involves anticipating and overcoming the obstacles that get in the way of achieving your goals. Sandra Naranjo Bautista, the former Vice-President of Ecuador, explains that “there are three questions civil servants should live by when seeking to influence a minister, or any decision-maker really”. They are: What for? Why now? What next? Your answer to each should be concise and leave nothing to chance.

Thinking strategically is a learned skill. Until it becomes second nature, it’s helpful to write down how you’ll achieve your goals. If you want to delve deeper, here’s a boot camp on how to think strategically in government.

To nail your message, start by listening. Public servants regularly mention the importance of empathy in government, and listening is key to developing it. You’ll communicate better if you understand what people want to hear and how they want to hear it.

Once you know how to reach your target audience, you should start honing your message. Besides developing your writing and communication skills, here’s what you need to remember:

  • Give enough context
  • Simplify, but avoid ambiguity
  • Cut (or tidy away) anything inessential

Finally**, **find your home in government. Governments are ultimately collections of people, and people form groups. Step back, see who communicates with who, and then learn how to manage up and how to make good stuff stick.

If influencing is a skill you want to grow, dip your toes into this preview of a premium Apolitical course on growing your influence in government.

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