Reading the room politically
Political communications and political acumen.
- Level
- Bitesize
- Learning time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Where
- Working in a Political Environment
- Price
- £39
When you step up to a higher level, what you paid in the last 12 months for lower-level courses inside the bigger course comes off its price, in proportion to how much of each is inside it, whichever topic it's from. Courses at the same or a lower level don't give credit against each other. A Focus course or above always costs at least £15. Read the full terms
Certificate of Completion
Overview and Outcomes.
Overview
Political communication is a different discipline from ordinary council communication. This module examines the multiple audiences and compressed timescales that make it harder, uses Drew Westen's research to explain why facts alone rarely change minds, and draws on Clive Veroni to separate ethical framing from spin. It covers message discipline, handling opposition challenge and Birmingham's bin strike as a live optics crisis, ending with practical principles for officers. This capstone introduces almost nothing new; it puts the whole toolkit to work. It recaps four tools, the many hats, Mendelow's matrix, Baddeley and James's owl, fox, donkey or sheep and Berne's transactional analysis, then applies them to two current cases: the Isle of Wight's cross-party budget and Birmingham's bin dispute. Comparing them shows the theory did not change; what changed was whether anyone applied it in time.
What you'll develop
In this Bitesize, you will develop the ability to:
- Identify the multiple audiences and time pressures a council statement faces, and check a draft against each before it is sent.
- Explain why purely factual messaging tends to fail and distinguish ethical framing from spin.
- Apply message discipline and practical principles, such as holding an agreed line and escalating rather than improvising, when communicating under political pressure.
- Select and combine the right tools from the programme to read a live political situation.
- Compare a successful and an unsuccessful case and explain where political acumen was or was not applied.
The Modules.
1 hour 15 minutes of learning.
- 08Political CommunicationsPolitical communication is a different discipline from ordinary council communication. This module examines the multiple audiences and compressed timescales that make it harder, uses Drew Westen's research to explain why facts alone rarely change minds, and draws on Clive Veroni to separate ethical framing from spin. It covers message discipline, handling opposition challenge and Birmingham's bin strike as a live optics crisis, ending with practical principles for officers.42 min
- 09Applied Political AcumenThis capstone introduces almost nothing new; it puts the whole toolkit to work. It recaps four tools, the many hats, Mendelow's matrix, Baddeley and James's owl, fox, donkey or sheep and Berne's transactional analysis, then applies them to two current cases: the Isle of Wight's cross-party budget and Birmingham's bin dispute. Comparing them shows the theory did not change; what changed was whether anyone applied it in time.37 min
Keep going.
Part of the Working in a Political Environment topic, also sold whole as Politically savvy.
Go deeper, and pay only the difference
- You are hereBitesize, 1 hour 15 minutes, £39
- Next stepFocus, Working with members, 3 hours 30 minutes, £69. Already own the Bitesize? You pay £30.
- The whole topicExplore, Politically savvy, 6 hours 30 minutes, £129. Already own the Bitesize? You pay £90.
When you step up to a higher level, what you paid in the last 12 months for lower-level courses inside the bigger course comes off its price, in proportion to how much of each is inside it, whichever topic it's from. Courses at the same or a lower level don't give credit against each other. A Focus course or above always costs at least £15. Prices per person. Read the full terms
Also part of: Serving your community well, Working with politicians, Leading from the front bench
Other Bitesize in the Working in a Political Environment topic
- The many hats of a councillorCouncillor roles and the local political system1 hour 30 minutes£39
- The bigger political pictureNational politics and local government reform1 hour 30 minutes£39
- Two roles, one purposeMember-officer relations and leadership1 hour 30 minutes£39
- Earning councillors' trustWorking with elected members45 minutes£39
