I like to have my hands occupied. So, when I watch TV, I am usually doing something with my hands. One of these things is tapestry. In their final form, tapestries can look good as cushion-covers or wall adornments. When people ask me how long it takes...
Dear Here to Help, I am the CEO of a professional association. A constant frustration with government decisions is that they don’t talk to us – the profession – before they make their decisions. Government “consultation” is often after the fact and our input then doesn’t...
Dear Here to Help, We are a small industry association, with a limited budget, and have been talking about doing advocacy for some years now. However, we haven’t had any impact in advocacy to date and we feel advocacy-stagnant. We represent clinicians and one of our key...
Dear Here to Help, I’m so frustrated. I don’t know where to start! I guess the best way to explain is that so many large bureaucracies insist that we, ordinary unsophisticated people, abide by ridiculous rules they create, but those same bureaucracies refuse to follow their...
Have you ever experienced a situation where you tried to do something good, but it didn’t turn out as you expected? Sometimes this happens with governments too. You have probably noticed raised bumps or lines on the ground in public places. This is also called tactile paving....
Have you ever experienced a situation where you tried to do something good, but it didn’t turn out as you expected? Sometimes this happens with governments too. You have probably noticed raised bumps or lines on the ground in public places. This is also called tactile paving....
Dear Here to Help, I have written to government about a bad decision they made, but nobody has come back to me with anything that makes sense. Help! Thanks for your query. Here are some tips to help you better communicate with government. (1) Always state what you want, clearly,...
I use this picture in every presentation I give about dealing with government. The picture never fails – heads nod, eyes roll and I even hear the occasional laugh. I’m never sure whether the laughs are saying “that’s funny”, “if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry”,...
Dear Here to Help, Every time it rains, my house is flooded. The water overflows from the street and pours down into my front door. Yet, when I look at Council’s flood management strategy, my street is not marked as flooding. I have complained to Council over the...
Being asked what I do for a living is complex and, sometimes, anxiety-producing. If I say “public policy” or “government relations”, most people’s eyes glaze over and they start rocking on their feet, not even bothering to stifle a yawn. I pre-emptively put an arm out,...