FlourishFiles

Government Use of Twitter for Engagement

 

The highlight of my week (so far!) has been attending a presentation by REAL Twitter employees – complete with American accents – here in Canberra.

It was part of a series of Gov 2.0 events facilitated by Pia Waugh (@PiaWaugh) from AGIMO and held at the swanky new DEEWR offices in the city.

Adam Sharp (@adams), Head of News and Government and Mike Brown (@mikeisbrown), Director of Market Development are in Australia as part of Twitter’s move to establish a presence here. Seems they have been holding meetings and briefings with Australian government officials and news outlets.

 

Adam Sharp, Pia Waugh and Mike Brown in conversation at the Gov 2.0 event this week.

 

By their own admission, the presentation was a farily basic overview Twitter, its power to engage and keys to success, particularly in the government space.

Never mind, there was some interesting information about how government, in the US, is using Twitter to engage with constituencies. 

In the US, 100% of Senators, 94% of Members of the House of Representatives and all but one, State Governor are on Twitter.

Why are they there?

Well, Adam tells us that Twitter users are opinion leaders and more likely to be involved in current affairs.  On election day in 2008 (US), there were 1.8 million tweets posted. Today, there are 1.8 million tweets posted every 6 minutes. A large, influential and growing audience for public officials.

But he also promotes Twitter as having evolved into a great tool for government, for these reasons:

 

“Scalable, Retail Governing”

We all know face-to-face interaction is the most powerful method for engaging with each other. But that’s impossible for government institutions (and representatives). So over time governments have turned to a range of methods to broadcast messages to stakeholders and communities. Often with only limited success.

Twitter now allows government to return to one-on-one engagement with stakeholders resulting in increasing faith in government while demystifying institutions and those who serve in them.

Check out how President Obama used Twitter to chat to constituents during his #My2K campaign last year.

 

“Town Square in your Pocket”

Remember when we all had time to hang around in our town squares and catch up on the latest news? Well, no, not really. But that doesn’t matter because Twitter now enables all of us to be part of the conversation any time, anywhere.

Two-way engagement, without having to hang out in public? Yes please!

 

“Real Time Measurement of Citizen Response”

Keeping in mind Twitter users are probably not fully representative of most constituencies, it does provide a handy tool to track real-time responses to issues of the day.

Remember, when people are watching TV, they’re usually holding a device. So instant commentary on a politician’s interview or policy announcement (or even a government advertisement) can be monitored, in real time.

Adam Sharp cited two great examples of Twitter being used by US government agencies to monitor issues in real-time.

Firstly, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds tweets are effective for monitoring ‘flu outbreaks because they’re in real time, unlike hospital admissions data. 

And the US Geological Survey is developing a Twitter Earthquake Detector because tweets noting “shaking” were sometimes appearing 30 seconds before the quake registered on their seismometers. 

 

In many ways, the presentation was a sales pitch – unnecessary for me, as I love Twitter. Next time, I’d love them to explore in-depth case studies of how Twitter can be a game changer in the public conversation.

In the meantime, it will be interesting to see how our government agencies respond. If they can get it right, magic can happen!

 

 

About the speakers

Adam Sharp is Head of News and Government for Twitter based in Washington DC. Adam works closely with News organizations to help them use Twitter to achieve their goals of improved news reporting and superior content syndication. Adam also leads Twitter's team dedicated to empowering government agencies and individual members of government. Government agencies and individual representatives (and their staff) employ Twitter to educate and inform citizens, provide superior government responsiveness and collect actionable feedback on public opinion and sentiment.

Mike Brown is Director of Market Development at Twitter. Mike's responsibility is to grow Twitter's user base in priority markets outside the United States. Recently, Mike has been leading Twitter's efforts to establish an Australian presence by hiring a local team and working closely with some of the leading organizations in Australia.

National Rural Women's Coalition Conference

 

Today I attended the first day of National Rural Women’s Coalition Conference at the National Convention Centre in Canberra.
 

Me (L) with Viv Thomson, a finalist in the NSW RIRDC Rural Women's Award 2013 catching up before Conference
(photo:  Georgie Somerset)

Approximately 400 women, from all over Australia gathered to explore the themes Big Challenges, Big Inspiration, Big Business and Big Networks.

The day started with the usual welcomes from the organisers and got underway with a keynote by Minister Simon Crean who challenged the women in the room to get involved in creating change. He noted that the most creative solutions to community-identified problems are those driven by communities. I was buoyed by his vision of embedding localism in the way governments engage with communities, seeking “place-based” solutions first. Wouldn’t that be nice!

Minister Crean was followed by Diana Gibbs, a Board member of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and Miriam Silva the former General Manager of Commercial Operations at Elders Ltd who both shared their stories and lessons for women seeking leadership roles. Catherine Marriott, Director of “Influential Women” was next up urging rural women to engage with consumers to build trust in agriculture.

Then it was off to morning tea, before the concurrent sessions started.  First up I chose “Big Business” which featured Pip Job from Little River Landcare and Catherine Marriott again.

Pip Job introduced the concept of “Women in the Landscape” in order to engage rural women, some of whom felt they didn’t have ownership of farm practices, in Landcare.  It's been so successful that now more than 60% of field day attendees are women.  Importantly, these women often bring their children to meetings, so they’ve introduced a kids program to nurture these future Landcarers. Great vision!
 

Pip Job, CEO - Little River Landcare

Catherine Marriott spoke in more detail of her vision for a world where animal agriculture was valued and supported – achieved through one conversation at a time. Farmers need to present positive and accurate messages to the general public. She calls for a values-based explanation of agricultural practices; grounded in ethics, scientifically supported and economically viable. 

Her six tips for having an effective conversation include:

• Be principle driven
• Listen – don’t judge
• Ask questions and invite dialogue
• Identify common values
• Control your emotions
• Define the conversation’s outcome

I would add - set out to share your story, not “educate” consumers.  Too often (including about 5 times before 10am today) I hear farmers say urban people “need to be educated.”  No we don’t. We’re not stupid. But understanding your business or production methods will help us make purchasing decisions that match with our values. Saying I need to be educated immediately puts me on the defensive, which is not conducive to two-way conversations.
 

Catherine Marriott, Director - Influential Women

 

Next I set off to “Big Inspiration” where Kerry Anderson from Community Leadership Loddon Murray (CLLM) spoke on “Encouraging Entrepreneurism in Rural Areas.”  Working in three rural Victorian Shires, CLLM are exploring ways of reversing the population decline through the development of strategies to support local entrepreneurs.  It was a wake up call for these farming communities when 1000 students in Years 7 – 12 identified agriculture as only the third most popular career aspiration after education and training, and the “creative arts” like journalism, design, multimedia, fashion etc.  Further, only 47% of these students planned to return home after university. Working on the theory that modern technology allows businesses to be created anywhere, a committee is working on identifying the barriers and solutions to support young people start businesses. Can’t wait to see the outcomes!
 

Kerry's final slide - inspiring us to action!

Yolanda Vega from the Australian Women Chamber of Commerce presented on Facts about Rural, Regional and Metro Women Business Owners. And guess what? We actually have more in common than we might think!  Women in business in Australia, regardless of location, are driven by the same goals and face the same challenges. The top 3 reasons for starting a business were the same for both metropolitan and rural/regional women: 

• To be my own boss
• Work/life balance
• Flexibility

There is no difference in working hours, or the start up funds used to establish their business ($5,000 or less). Interestingly of all women surveyed, agriculture recorded the highest rates of gender discrimination (46%) followed by transport (43%) and construction (42%).  Really? Women in agriculture feel more discriminated against than women in construction?  Wow.

After lunch I checked out "Big Networks" with Kelly Foran, Georgie Somerset and Alison Mobbs

Kelly was up first to tell the story of her foundation “Friendly Faces, Helping Hands” which was established to provide information and support for rural families needing hospital care in metropolitan centres. Kelly has her own amazing tale of survival. Diagnosed with a brain tumour when 8 months pregnant and a subsequent stroke saw her as a new mother on a walking frame…at 29. She now helps rural families negotiate city hospital stays by providing practical information like the cheapest parking, nearest 24 hour supermarket, family friendly motels and "cheap eats."  This helps ease the pressure on families already under enormous stress. You can donate at their website - a program worth supporting!

The team from Queensland Rural Regional and Remote Women’s Network were up next to reflect on 20 years of the network. It was interesting to note how technology has facilitated a subtle shift in the way we network. The QRRRWN are extremely active in the social media space which is creating a nationwide network of women, in rural, regional, remote AND metropolitan areas.

Georgie spoke about the monthly webinars where #strongwomen share their views on overcoming isolation. I found it interesting that this is not (as you might expect in Queensland!) solely about geographical isolation, but about the isolation women can feel in leadership positions or not-for-profit roles. I'd love this topic to be explored in more detail at a future conference!
 

Georgie Somerset and Alison Mobbs from the QRRRWN

 

The Conference continues tomorrow.

 

The Role of Values and Culture in Getting What We Want

 

I had the pleasure of running a session for a selection of Art4Agriculture Young Farming Champions and Young Eco Champions this week.

Art4Agriculture does an amazing job of training young people in the agricultural and natural resource management sectors to speak and engage with confidence, particularly with urban audiences.

I was asked to speak to a select group who, after their training, are now looking to step up into industry or career leadership roles.

Jamberoo, NSW - an inspiring workshop location 

 

Being selected for the Art4Agriculture programs means they have already demonstrated their ability to present well in writing and at the interview stage. So, I decided to focus on giving them an edge in achieving their goals by adding an understanding of values and culture to their kit.

The words values and culture are so over-used these days; they’ve almost become meaningless.  But they underpin (sometimes sub-consciously) almost all decisions made by selection panels and recruiters.  So it’s important to understand how they contribute to success.

 This is some of what I shared with them....
 

Understand and align your values

What drives you?  What attitudes define you?

Values are important and lasting beliefs that influence your behavior in certain situations and circumstances. In a corporate/organisation context it may be shared ideas of what is desirable or undesirable.

Grab a list of values, like this one here and try and determine what’s important to you.  You can then use this list to align your values to those being expressed by the organisations / companies you are targeting.

 

Identify the culture

Aligning your values is a key way of determining whether you will fit the culture.

Corporate culture is often articulated on company websites and tends to include words like integrity, respect, flexibility, accountability, safety and sustainability.

But the real culture is often not defined; it’s implied and develops organically over time.  The major contributor to culture is people and it is the cumulative traits of people hired over time that will shape culture.

Recent media coverage of US research found top-tier banking, consulting and law firms are recruiting entry-level positions based on “cultural compatibility.”  That is, someone who will fit in.  Therefore, those candidates with a 100% match on education, skill sets and experience, may miss out to someone with an 80% skills match, but who is a better cultural fit. 

So, combine the fact that culture is built by the cumulative traits of people being hired / chosen and that people tend to select successful candidates based on cultural compatibility and you should have a pretty good indicator of your chances of success anywhere.

 

It’s not about ME. It’s about THEM.

So, when you miss out on an opportunity, don't beat yourself up. It's not about you, it's about them.  This means you need to stop thinking about yourself and what you want, and instead think about them and what they want.

Start asking yourself questions like:

What sorts of people succeed there?

What do they want from the successful candidate?

Why would they want to attach their brand to me?

What return will they get on their investment in me?

How will I benefit them?

Will I fit in?

Use the answers to these questions to craft your application. Find out who is making the decisions and try and get a sense of the people that tend to be selected, then sell yourself in a similar way. The more you can start to think like the recruiter or selection panel member, the better targeted your applications will be.

Note that I am not advocating changing who you are to fit in somewhere. Rather, once you have determined you support their values and fit their culture, ensure you articulate that somehow.

Use your network

Understand that websites are an amazing (free!) resource to research values and culture, but it is your networks that will provide the best insights. Remember websites are a public relations tool and will not tell you if senior management are control freaks who never promote Arts graduates. 

 

I always leave these workshops inspired about the future of agriculture and look forward to watching these young people’s careers take off!

 

 

* Thanks to a bunch of Twitter pals who helped me craft some messages via their feedback on what leadership looks like these days.

 

 

National Farmers Federation Congress 2012 - My Day One Highlights

This week I got along to the NFF's Congress in Canberra where around 300 delegates were discussing the Food and Fibre Boom - what is it? And how can Australia grab a piece of the action?

The day started with welcomes from NFF President Jock Laurie, Ngambri elder Shane Mortimer, Coles representative Robert Sadler and was opened by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig.

The first "keynote" speaking position was given to a comedian/hoaxer who led us all on a merry path of GM fantasy. Unfortunately, many delegates tweeted his comments in good faith before the joke was revealed - ouch. 

We were informed by our next speaker, David Thomas, that he wasn't an actor. (But could we be sure?) David is the CEO of Think Global Consulting and his speech was my first highlight of the day. 

He got us thinking about the food and fibre boom in the context of Australia's place in the world. 

Traditionally, the 3 inputs we think of driving booming economies are land, people and capital.  All three need to be in place to drive growth. If it only took land, then Russia would be the world's biggest economy. If it only took population, China and India would be the world's biggest economies and relying solely on capital make the US, China and Japan our biggest economies.

In the next 50 years, we will most likely add water, food and energy as drivers of booming economies. And pending development opportunities, that places Brazil and Russia in the box seat. 

What an interesting case study Brazil makes. Only 40 years ago, the UK's economy was three times bigger than Brazil's. This year, Brazil has overtaken the UK to be the world's 6th largest economy.

We all know it's the rise of the middle class that presents the best opportunities for Australian agriculture. Already, 68% of Russians are what the World Bank terms "middle income" earners. In China that number is 12% and India, 3%. 

In 2010 GDP per capita in the US was $40k. It is estmiated that in 2050, it will be $80k in the US, $60k in Russa, $43k in Brazil and $40k in China. When we think about the current rates of consumption and consumerism in the US, imagine the opportunities of a similar lifestyle aspiration in Russia, China and Brazil. 
 

 

David Thomas' slide showing the common attributes of the BRIC economies

 

Later sessions included panels with political representatives and experts on the key issues affecting agriculture, including the Basin Plan, R&D, coal seam gas and foreign investment. 

 

The foreign investment panel which included Federal Trade Minister, Hon Craig Emerson MP

 

My second highlight of the day was the speech by Patrick Medley from IBM Global Business Services, who introduced us to the producer / consumer relationship of the future.

Patrick tells us that ultimately technology is changing the consumer. They are now more "instrumented, interconnected and intelligent" than ever before. Their expectations about service are also now heightened in a world where "everything is known." 

IBM studies over the last 2 years show the consumer is talking about ME -

• Serve Me (no longer about loyalty to a brand, but a relationship with a brand)
• Listen to Me ("don't tell me what's good for me, let's have a dialogue about my needs")
• Know Me (Mass, generic marketing no longer resonates)
• Empower Me  ("how can your brand/product help me?")

But it's also about the communities of "we" that revolve around our interests and roles in life. These are the voices we trust about the brands and products that we buy.  A member of your tennis club praising a product on Facebook is a more powerful incentive to buy than an advertisement on a bus shelter. Think about what communities you are part of, that may bring customers to your door.

We gain trust through building relationships. But trust is harder to gain than ever before. Online shopping means the relationship has to evolve from people interacting in a shop, to assisting a consumer online, quite possibly in another country.

How does this apply to agriculture? Patrick reminds us that there is a growing interest in where our food comes from. He suggests famers need a higher profile in marketing products, building relationships with consumers through a mutual understanding of production practices. Amen to that.

 

(My final highlight of the day was seeing a herd of Art4Agriculture Archibulls at the Congress cocktail party at the National Gallery of Australia.)

 

National Farmers Federation Congress 2012 - My Day Two Highlights

 

The Prime Minister kicked off day two of the NFF Congress, immediately followed by the Leader of the Opposition.  Was this a highlight? Well, political speeches don't excite me too much these days. (If you're interested, you can read the speeches here and here). But it was great to see the NFF could attract both Leaders to Congress, on the same day. It is a measure of the NFF's influence, as well as the importance of the sector, that delegates were able to hear directly from the two Leaders. 

Prime Minister, Julia Gillard addressing NFF Congress...

 

...followed by Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott

 

The political speeches were broken down and analysed in a session with NFF President Jock Laurie and immediate past President David Crombie, facilitated by Kieran Gilbert from Sky News.  This was a great session; two wise heads being led through the issues by a seasoned political journalist. It was relaxed but offered some great insights into the political process and industry's place within it. A highlight!
 

Jock Laurie and David Crombie on the big screen during their session

 

I missed the Asian Century discussion, but enjoyed the Perspectives panel that had a mix of famers and industry-types sharing their views on the issues covered at Congress. It was interesting that the six panelists all had a positive outlook for agriculture, which was slightly askew to some views in the audience. Next time I'd like to hear more from the naysayers, in order to fully explore some of the issues.
 

Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay and beef farmer Alison McIntosh on big screen duing the Perspectives panel

My final highlight for the day was Stefan Hajkowicz from CSIRO Futures speaking on Global Megatrends and how they will change the way we live. A tough gig to speak at 4pm on the final day, but a compelling topic kept the room engaged. In 2009, CSIRO started looking at social, economic and environmental patterns would change the way we live. They've just updated the list and have identified these 6 megatrends:

 

More from Less - impacts of resource scarcity

Going, Going, Gone - challenges of shrinking biodiversity

Silk Highway - the rise of Asia

Forever Young - issues around the ageing population

Virtually Here - the interconnectedness provided by technology

Great expectations - the changing consumer


To me, this list could have been solely about agriculture! It is interesting that it's a list of trends and challenges that face the entire globe. The fact that our sector is already on top of most of these issues (at least in awareness) gives me hope that we will thrive.

You can download the Global Megatrends report at CSIRO Futures website.

My overall highlight? Well, that was actually catching up with so many friends, acquaintances, clients and former colleagues. In particular, chatting to WA Farmers President, Dale Park who I haven't seen since I worked at WA Farmers - 10+ years ago. We just picked up where we left off, defending WA's rights in a range of areas... (It's like I never left!)

After two days of Congress, my feet are killing me and my voice a bit scratchy from all the talking. Agriculture really is one big family and that's why I love it. Yes, we are a dysfunctional family at times, arguing and bickering amongst ourselves, but in the end we put our differences aside and find the common links to support each other. 

To me the NFF Congress was about identifying those common higher-level links and opportunities that unite us all and I think it delivered in spades.

 

Strategic Planning - 5 Tips for Implementation

 

Nothing makes people run for the hills faster than an invitation to a strategic planning workshop.

Why do we hate strategic planning?

Probably because we hate time-wasting meetings, right? And what is strategic planning but a time wasting, mega meeting, right?

Wrong!

Strategic planning is only a waste of time if once developed the plan is ignored.

So here are 5 simple steps for ensuring your strategic plan is implemented:
 

Make sure you give someone responsibility for implementing each goal.  

One of my pet peeves is seeing the word “All” in the “responsibility” column of many strategic plans. It may be that everyone should contribute to a goal in their own way, but you must give one person (or a cross-sectoral team) overall responsibility for implementation. 

Not only is everyone then clear of the chain of responsibility, it makes monitoring and evaluation much easier too.  If you ask “All” how implementation is going all you will get is the dreaded “crickets” sound throughout your organisation.

Tip - Don’t forget to allocate a budget, or other necessary resources (including time!) to this person / team.

Make sure the strategies you allocate to each person are related / meaningful to their job description.

It seems silly to say, but too often I’ve seen tasks given to people that are not a fit for their daily responsibilities.  “Mary is great with people, let’s make her responsible for sponsorship.” The fact that Mary is the accountant means she is probably not the appropriate person to lead this project.  

I’m not saying accountants are bad at securing sponsorship, but they spend their days managing your organisation’s accounts. To ask them to take on sponsorship requires an additional layer of work unrelated to their core business.  This is an inefficient use of their time and your resources and will end in frustration (and failure).

I’ve also seen organisations allocate responsibilities inappropriately because the right person for the job is “already too busy.”  This is a signal for management to revisit resources or prioritise goals. 

Tip – If Mary the accountant is great with people, by all means invite her to events where she can create a good impression of your organisation in the presence of potential sponsors.  It all helps!

Integrate the Strategic Plan into your annual work plan

The worst thing you can do is treat the strategic plan as separate to your core business. If people feel they need to find extra time to work on implementing the plan, it just won’t get done.

If a goal is to increase sponsorship, then allocate time in the annual work plan to achieving that goal. It might be that you need to develop a business case and design materials before you can actually make contact with a potential sponsor. Allocating time (and resources) throughout the year gets things done.

Tip - This is a really useful way to assess if your plan’s goals are specific and measurable.  If you can’t list practical steps to achieve your goals, you won’t be able to implement your plan. 

 

Add goals to your regular meeting agendas

Staff meetings, management committee meetings, it doesn’t matter, if you regularly discuss your strategic plan and its goals, things will get done. Again, if your objective is to increase sponsorship, have “Sponsorship” listed as a standing item on your agenda. Then invite everyone to contribute ideas about who might be worth approaching for sponsorship. You’ll be amazed at what people may have read or heard or who they’ve met, that might create a lead for the person/s responsible for implementation.

Tip – Having the strategic plan’s goals integrated into your meeting agendas gives you a head start on monitoring and evaluation as you’ll soon see where progress is being made…or not.

Celebrate accomplishments!

Celebrate the small steps along the way. It might be that you have developed a new prospectus or a potential sponsor has agreed to hear your pitch. Ensure you let the team know this is a strategic plan outcome and it will motivate everyone to keep going.

Tip – Include the strategic planning responsibilities/objectives in job descriptions and therefore performance reviews. That way more formal feedback and/or bonuses can be provided.
 

So, happy planning and always keep your eye on implementation! (And let me know if I can help!)
 

Strong Women - Gillian Kirkup

Gillian Kirkup

(photo from SunRice Annual Report)

As an 18-year-old computer programmer at Ricegrowers’ Cooperative in Leeton, Gillian Kirkup received a valuable piece of advice.  The only female in a team of 13, it was the tea lady who told her “always be yourself; don’t try to be one of the boys.”
 
As the first female Chairman of Murrumbidgee Irrigation and the only female Director on the SunRice and Rice Research Australia Pty Ltd Boards, it’s a piece of advice she still considers a “gem” to this day.
 
“Women bring skills to a Board, just like everybody else,” she says. “But there are definitely differences in communication styles between men and women.  We speak and interact differently, which can cause some tension.  But you have to stay true to yourself.”
 
Gillian’s career as a programmer and business analyst was put on hold when she and husband Barry moved out to the family farm at Leeton in 1996. Running the business side of the farm and with two young children meant her 60 -70 hour working weeks were no longer practical.
 
“I loved looking after the children, loved being on the farm and managing that business, but didn’t have a direction for myself.  My own identity was very important.” 
 
Gillian decided a longer-term goal would be to seek a Board position that allowed her to use her business skills, while providing some flexibility in her working arrangements.
 
She started by joining the Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia (RGA), assisting with the coordination of Conferences, playing an active role in her local Branch, eventually rising to become a member of the Central Executive.  It gave her an opportunity to put something back into an industry that was pivotal to her family and wider community.
 
She credits the RGA with providing her with the skills and networks she needed to take the next step in seeking a Board role, but says all experience is useful.
 
“Everything I’ve done in my life, when I look back, has contributed to me being elected and being able to contribute as a Director.”
 
“Often the careers that you have before you join a Board are really valuable. And often women have different careers to men and it’s that perspective that makes a huge difference.”
 
Gillian considered that it was extremely important to gain professional training and skills to be a director and to seek out additional opportunities to increase her knowledge. “I made a conscious decision to train,” she says. “I took every opportunity offered to me, after all this is now my career.”
 
What started out as a need for flexible work arrangements has turned into an all-consuming seven days a week job for Gillian.  Along with Murrumbidgee Irrigation and SunRice, she is also an elected Director of the Rice Marketing Board for the State of NSW.
 
“I love the interaction of the three Boards,” says Gillian. “Between them they represent the fabric of our community.  And as a Director, if you have a good business, then 3,000 farmers have the possibility of a good business as well.”
 
And it’s these 3,000 farmers that are Gillian’s focus as Governments negotiate the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which will most likely remove water from the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.
 
There are major issues for irrigation companies to consider. “It’s going to be difficult in the short term. As water leaves in a closed irrigation system, efficiencies no longer hold and economies of scale are threatened.”
 
But Gillian believes the future can be bright. 
 
“It’s a matter of surviving the short-term and redefining ourselves which could take 10 years. It’s a bright future; it’s just a future that we will have to think outside the square to make work profitably.  Those farms that have chosen to keep their water and with a vision for how to do things better and smarter, will be the winners.  
 
“The family farm is still the best business model, but it’s truly more of a business, it’s not a lifestyle anymore. Every person needs proper financial training in addition to understanding the science of farming.”
 
“The Basin Plan will, in my view, result in generational change and we must ensure the young men and women taking over farms are supported.”
 
When asked for her advice for young women interested in a Board career, Gillian points to conviction as being the most important driver.
 
“Being a Director is not an easy thing, you’ve got to realise it’s a really serious job, with serious consequences for getting it wrong.  But don’t let that put you off.”
 
A good training ground, says Gillian is community groups and organisations. “Get involved. Never let an opportunity go by and allow yourself to have a go at something different.”
 
“In the end, you have to do what you do because you believe in it.”
 

This profile first appeared in the Spring edition of the NSW Department of Primary Industries' Rural Women's Network magazine, "The Country Web" exploring the theme "Women Crossing Boundaries." Read the whole magazine here.

Lessons from the Clean Energy Future campaign

 

Back in June I attended a presentation by Trish Johnston, the Acting Director of Campaigns and Engagement at the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, here in Canberra.

Hosted by Australian Science Communicators, Trish shared her views on using research to inform communications, linked to her experience running the government’s Clean Energy Future campaign in the lead up to the introduction of the carbon tax.

It was an informative talk but I won’t bore you with details about the research and market segmentation findings, instead share what I thought were two interesting take home messages relevant to agriculture.

 

VALUES, VALUES, VALUES

We’ve heard a lot in the last few years about the need for agriculture’s engagement with urban communities to be based on values, rather than technology/productivity/economic advancements. 

Interestingly, the Department also got this message in relation to communicating climate change. The research, undertaken in 2010, showed strong community support for the concept of climate change and a strong belief (around 50%) that it was entirely caused by human activity. But the research also showed the Department needed to stop talking about the science behind climate change as it promoted circular conversations about the legitimacy of that science, weakening the call to action.

So, instead, the Department tapped into their market segments in a way that resonated with values. And so the Clean Energy Future campaign was born.  I guess even if you disagree the climate is changing, it’s a bit harder to decry the benefits of working towards a clean energy future.

 

DON’T LET GOVERNMENT BE THE SOLE VOICE

Unfortunately for the Department, by the time the campaign launched in early 2011, community sentiment had shifted considerably. 

By then Australia had a minority government with the Greens demanding more action on climate change than the Labor Party had proposed, the Opposition was campaigning against the carbon tax and the Government was perceived as silent on the issue.

Into this confusing and increasingly negative environment the Department rolled out its Clean Energy Future campaign, including advertising (print & TV), household mailouts and social media / web resources.

Normally, governments can expect to have around 90% of the media buy when running campaigns related to policy announcements; crowding out opposing voices. However, the proposed carbon tax galvanised a range of industry groups to run their own advertisements opposing the policy. In end the Clean Energy Future campaign only had around 60% of the advertising voice.  This made it very difficult for the Government to gain traction on the issue.

Obviously the carbon tax is now law, but the damage had been done and support for action on climate change never regained the backing it had prior to the last election.

It made me think of other campaigns where competing voices managed to change policy – the opposition to the Mining Tax and Workchoices come to mind. In fact, it could probably be said that these campaigns changed our Prime Ministers!

So my take home messages, (which were probably not what Trish Johnston had intended) were that we need to continue to tell our stories in a values-based way and industry can get results by not allowing governments to dominate the media landscape.

And while I’ll probably never live to see the day when agriculture outspends its opponents to support its position, it made me think about what I can do each day to swing the balance a bit our way…

 

Dr Russell Reinke - A Foreign Perspective from an Australian Rice Breeder

 

I am thrilled that Dr Russell Reinke from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in South Korea has agreed to write a guest blog.

I first met Russell in 2005 when he was the principal rice breeder for NSW DPI at Yanco outside Leeton. In fact, all but one of the rice varieties currently grown commercially in Australia have come from the Rice Improvement Program at Yanco. The team's focus was on breeding for productivity, grain quality in response to market needs (export in particular) and developing varieties with higher water use efficiency.   

I was interested then, when Russell moved to IRRI to hear how Korea’s research priorities may differ from Australia’s and what it was like being the sole Aussie in the team.

Russell has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from The University of Queensland, a Master of Agricultural Science from The University of Melbourne, and a PhD in Plant Sciences from the Australian National University. 

Enjoy Russell's story...

 

Dr Russell Reinke

After almost 30 years working in regional NSW I find myself embedded in the Korean equivalent of an Australian government agriculture department.

A pathway to clear communication is one of the key challenges I am facing in my current role, and that’s because I find myself the only native English speaker in my new work place (hence the title of my blog entry). And for someone who loves the English language, the nuances of meaning and description which can be teased fromclever and imaginative use of words, it’s been (and continues to be) a huge challenge. I can communicate well with my immediate colleagues in English, and with many in my workplace – although it helps to have someone bi-lingual close by, to ensure that the real message gets through in both directions. I have embarked on learning the language, and it’s stretching my limited brain in ways I didn’t think possible. It’s going to take some time to reach any level of competence, but I look forward to that day with great anticipation.

And given that I can’t easily ask for an explanation of all that I see around me I place significant stock in the actions and activity that I see around me. There is the old adage that “actions speak louder than words” and it can be quite revealing to compare the written aims and objectives of an organization with its actions on the ground, to see what it really does on a daily basis.

As an aside, I think communication is one of my key drivers. As I write those words I am reminded of all the times I have failed to live up to that phrase, and I suspect that’s true of most of us at some stage. Nonetheless, clear unambiguous communication is a precious commodity at all levels, on the domestic front, certainly at work, and it’s especially refreshing when it happens at a high level (think of a government department or politician speaking plain, meaningful language). I am hard-pressed to think of an example, but plain language insurance policy documents are a breath of fresh air, bringing clarity to otherwise impenetrable “fine print”.

A few things have stood out more than most during my transition. The first is the impressive level of resources directed at agricultural research, and in my case specifically rice research. For this country of around 50 million there are three distinct rice breeding programs each with associated physiology and grain quality research programs, and from my initial appraisal these are well-resourced with labour, infrastructure and I surmise, funding. I have noticed similar support for agriculture in my travels throughout China as well, and in Japan. These are countries that can afford to invest in agricultural research, and they do. There are many countries less affluent who would direct more to such research if they had the means. Of course the default position is to argue for more support for your own specific discipline, so I’ll stop short of doing that. I’ll avoid polemic and instead assert that there is an appropriate level of resources to be directed at securing food supplies – raising productivity, staying ahead of evolving diseases and climate stresses, meeting market needs - and my travels thus far have shown wide disparity between countries.
 
South Korea is a study in rapid development. It seems astounding that this highly developed country was war-torn and devastated just 60 years ago. I have travelled a little in my time here and there are building cranes constantly in motion, forests of high-rise apartments emerging at a steady rate, expanding expressways and traffic which often reaches saturation point. And now in mid-summer it seems every level space not occupied by buildings has a crop of some type growing on it. Vacant building sites are sprouting vegetable gardens, and while out walking close to my apartment I noted with interest a small rice crop (less than a quarter of a hectare) surrounded first by vegetable gardens and then by high-rise apartments and houses. Clearly there is great interest in the general population in producing food and retaining a link to production no matter how small the scale and despite the fact that supermarkets are well-stocked with every imaginable item. I think there is a collective memory of what it’s like to be short of food, even though the younger generations of South Koreans have only known good conditions and a rising standard of living. A common greeting is to enquire if you have eaten recently.

During the early seventies South Korea set out to attain complete self-sufficiency in rice production, and by the end of the decade they had done it, moving from around 80% to more than 100% self-sufficiency in 1977. They invested widely and wisely to achieve this aim, directing efforts at varieties, associated research and extension, and changed policy strategies.

Having secured their food supply, the ongoing development and rising living standards has resulted in a predictable change in dietary habits to more processed foods and a decline in per capita rice consumption. These days self-sufficiency in rice production is achieved with relative ease with around 6m tonnes of production.

You would think that this would result in a re-deployment of resources away from rice and onto other crops – a kind “problem solved, let’s move on” approach. But that’s not what I am seeing around me. I see an ongoing commitment to maintaining research capacity, to stay ahead of the curve and keep the improvements coming, even if the emphasis has shifted from somewhat from raising productivity to sustaining it in the face of disease and climate threats, and exploring grain quality diversification.

Many have argued that the long period of abundance has made the developed world complacent about food supply and diminished the resources directed at agricultural research. Once a crisis arises there is a considerable lag phase before we can deal with it, and it’s even longer if we have to restore research capacity first.

Pardon the pun, but it really is food for thought…

 

Government Relations - Flourish Style

 

Since my blog post on the live export ban and my suggestion that the industry’s government relations strategy was in part to blame for it, I’ve been asked how I would have handled the situation. 

Rather than do that (because I have no knowledge of that specific case) I thought I’d share with you how we do government relations at Flourish.

These are general tips and are relevant to local scout groups wanting more funding from local government to an industry body wanting policy change at the State or Federal level.

Understand the “relations” in government relations

Politics is all about relationships.  If you build relationships with honesty and transparency, you will find all the other stuff comes pretty easily.  Always think about what they NEED from you. This is usually information to assist in policy formulation, but also may include a willingness to collaborate or an acceptance of compromise. You can then determine where you stand and how your relationships can be built.

Tip – Be nice to everyone

The sensitive nature of political offices often means they promote staff from within. The receptionist you have always treated like dirt will likely turn up as an adviser just when your biggest issue hits.

 

Understand what’s motivating key decision makers.

Are they dealing with a budget “black hole”? Do they need to win key seats in certain areas?  Are they implementing election commitments?  Do they have to deal with Independents? Understanding the government’s motivation will help you determine where your objectives sit in the broader policy framework and you can plan accordingly.

Tip – Always remember “politics is the art of the possible”

You won’t win on every issue, in fact sometimes you’ll be asked to compromise and STILL get traded off for an outcome somewhere else.  Just remember to keep your eye on what’s possible and continue to engage.

 

Define your objectives

In other words, understand what you want to achieve. Objectives are easy to define when you want policy changed. Essentially, you ask – did we win?  And you should also ask “did we make new friends along the way?”

Influence as an objective is a trickier beast to tie down. You could commission research to get an idea of your standing in certain sectors. But I like to use simpler (and cheaper!) measures.  I’ve defined success as a Departmental official ringing me for comment on proposed legislation. Sometimes it’s the ease by which you can gain an appointment with the Minister or his staff. Success is being recognised as the key representative body for your industry.  Being invited to sit on government advisory panels or asked to lead programs in your industry are great indicators of success. Other times it’s what other groups are saying about you that infers your level of influence. Think about what you want, both short term and long term.

 

Tip - Always start engaging early, before you have any major policy problems.

Otherwise you’re playing catch up to the other groups already in that space. Think about the groups you’re involved with today – who could you reach out to?

 

Identify the key decision makers in your policy space

When there’s little money around (agriculture!) it pays to plan your government relations strategy carefully.  Identify those members of parliament and departmental officials with responsibility for the legislation and policy areas that govern your industry. Identify those members of parliament who represent the areas within the geographic spread of your industry. Identify those members of parliament who may represent areas impacted by the actions of your industry (important!).  Then focus on them in the first instance. Success is not having met 30 MPs over 3 days. Success is more likely having a small number of important and influential advocates in Cabinet.

 

Tip - Don’t forget metropolitan Members of Parliament

Agriculture spends a lot of time shoring up support from the Ministers for Agriculture and the Environment and we focus on our relationships with rural MPs. But most welfare and environmental campaigns are run out of metro seats.  You need to make sure their MPs are aware of your side of the story too.

 

Be proactive and available

If there’s some bad news on the horizon, (or in your inbox) make a call.  The worst thing you can do is hide and hope it goes away.  You do not want your supporters in government being caught on the back foot and relying on your opponents for information.

Ok, so you didn’t MAKE the call. Make sure you TAKE the call, because you will get one! And make sure you have something constructive to say.

In these heighted situations, don’t call your opponents idiots or ignorant. It's rude (and do we really need to stoop to that level?) and you’re not contributing to the debate in a meaningful way.

But most importantly, you’re not giving key decision makers any information they can use to support your cause. It’s true what your mother said - honesty is the best policy.

“Yes, we may have a problem. Can we please work with you to be part of the solution?”

Tip  - Be proactive about the good news too!

We all know about agriculture’s reputation for “whinging.”  Make a concerted effort to pass on good news too, usually at a Departmental level. This could be as simple as local rainfall events, regional crop predications or international price movements.  Not only does this tip the balance away from bad news, but provides some industry intelligence to a departmental official who will appreciate the heads up – relationships remember!

 

Yes, don’t forget Departments!

You all know that Departments are responsible for providing advice to their Minister. But did you know many Ministerial offices send correspondence and some meeting requests straight to the Department for response? Therefore you need to make sure the departmental officials in your policy space know who you are and are well informed about your industry. 

 

Tip – Departments are interested in the technical detail

People bemoan the fact that departmental officials are “overly bureaucratic” but that can work for you. When an issue is politically difficult, you may still be able to win the day (or concessions) on making a strong technical case to those who are responsible for drafting policy and supporting legislative instruments. 

 

Support those that support you!

I am astonished how often groups work really hard at getting their issues on the agenda, but when it gets into the public arena, they go to ground.  If the government (or opposition) take a stand on your behalf, you need to be standing next to them.  You need to thank them for taking on your issue and you need to run interference on any person or group trying to bring them down, even if this means upsetting your local member of Parliament with whom you have a close industry relationship.  I don’t deny that getting that balance right is one of the hardest parts about government relations. But if you’ve been open and honest with everyone about what your industry needs, you have solid ground on which to stand.

 

Tip – In politics, memories are long and grudges are held.

‘nuff said!