1. Relational Leadership
Building Politically Effective
Relationships with Stakeholders
October 20, 2010
A Political Effectiveness Work Group Presentation

2. WELCOME!
OVERVIEW OF COOPERATIVE EXTENSION’S
POLITICAL EFFECTIVENESS EFFORT
Dan Wilson, Professor Emeritus

3. •WHAT WE SAY ABOUT PE
• “Doing good work” is not sufficient to build
awareness or political support
• WE must take the leadership roles in building
awareness and political support for CE
• Less than ½ of county offices (and many
individuals) have a strategy for
communicating value of CE – building
relationships with stakeholders

4. EXPECTATIONS OF THIS SESSION
• Questions and participatory dialog are
expected
• Safe environment – what is said here stays
here
• Have fun!

5. EVALUATION
• What are some of your “take homes” from
this session?
• How could this session have been improved?
• What further PE resources and training are
needed?
• What should be addressed/included in CE’s
PE Action Plan?

6. POLITICAL EFFECTIVENESS:
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
Rosemary Potter, Director of Government Relations, UW Colleges
and UW-Extension
Pete Kling, Community Resource Development Agent, St. Croix
County
Kristine Zaballos, Editor, Cooperative Extension Publications
Pamela Seelman, Public Information Specialist, Dean’s Office

7. What is your definition of political
effectiveness?

8. Political effectiveness is…
• Responsive educational programs
• Strong relationships with key decision makers
• Effective communications
• Fiscal awareness and political sensitivity

9. Responsive educational programs:
Have you done any of the following?
• Involved elected officials, partners, clients and
friends in program planning?
• Incorporate UW system resources into
program planning?
• Consider potential political impacts when
planning programs?
• Other?

10. Strong relationships with key decision makers:
Have you done any of the following?
• Developed a database of influential decision-
makers and key supporters?
• Developed and maintain professional networks?
• Worked to establish relationships with elected
officials beyond the Ag and Extension
Committee?
• Worked with other county, state and federal
agencies to establish collaborative relationships?
• Other?

11. Effective communications
• Developed a strategic marketing or promotions
plan?
• Invite key decision makers to participate in
Cooperative Extension events?
• Work with traditional and social media outlets to
communicate the value of your programming?
• Know how to explain the work of your colleagues
as well as your own?
• Other

12. Fiscal awareness and political
sensitivity
• Maintain communications with people who are
influential in budget development and adoption?
• Share impacts, outcomes, successes and financial
benefits of your work with key decision makers?
• Seek to understand the structure and nuance of the
budgeting process?
• Know who’s influential to the budget process and
know what their interests are?
• Other?

13. THREE LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION
FOR RELATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Kelly Haverkampf, Community Development
Educator, Vilas County

14. Three Levels of Communication for
Relational Leadership
Level Relationship Principle Reaction
1. Belief Credibility I believe you
I don’t believe you
2. Understanding Quality of information
translation
I understand you
I don’t understand you
3. Agreement Values, position,
politics
I agree with you
I don’t agree with you

15. Working on Real Situations

16. RESPONSIVE EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS
Eloisa Gomez, Director of the Milwaukee County
Cooperative Extension Office
Karen Nelson, Columbia County Cooperative
Extension Office Department Head and 4-H Youth
Development Educator

17. STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH KEY
DECISION MAKERS
Kelly Haverkampf, Community Development
Educator, Vilas County

18. Mapping your Circle of Influence
• List your regular contacts in your job or
position
• Are they decision makers or influencers?
• What are your communication points with the
influencers?
• What are their communication points with the
decision makers?
• How consistent are the messages along each
communication line?

19. County-based
Community
Development
Educator
County
Board
County
Extension
Committee
County
Department
Head
UWEX
Administration
UWEX
Program
Leader
State
Legislators
UWEX District
Director
Program
Participants
and
Volunteers

20. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
Pamela Seelman, Public Information Specialist,
Dean’s Office

21. Effective communications are…
• Honest and open communications with
decision makers about the mutual benefits of
our partnership.

22. Communications matter!
• Engage in open and ongoing dialog
• Communicate with multiple audiences
• Explain the value, breadth of our programs
• Share success stories, impacts and outcomes
• Use evaluation tools and reports to
demonstrate accountability, program impacts

23. CHANGING OUR BLUEPRINT
Rosemary Potter, Director of Government Relations,
UW Colleges and UW-Extension
432 N. Lake Street
608 263-7678
rosemary.potter@uwex.uwc.edu
www.uwex.uwc.edu/government/

24. Changing our Blueprint
•

25. Changing our Blueprint
•We are Resourceful
•Keep an Open Perspective
•
•Continue the Conversation

26. Changing our Blueprint
• Make Requests
• All Perspectives Are Legitimate
• Don’t Take Things Personally

27. Changing our Blueprint
• “I’m a beginner at…”
• “Help me understand…”

28. What are your challenges,
situations?

29. EVALUATION
• What are some of your “take homes” from
this session?
• How could this session have been improved?
• What further PE resources and training are
needed?
• What should be addressed/included in CE’s
PE Action Plan?