Author: Sofija Opacic
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How to make joined-up working work well: a nifty idea
One thing I love about being a public affairs professional is talking to loads of different people and picking up inspiring success stories; then sharing them. Looking back on 2013, The Homework Club – set up by Reading Refugee Support Group (RRSG) and The Abbey School struck me as a nifty idea THAT WORKS. It…
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10 questions to ask before setting up a small business
A friend recently asked me for some advice on setting up a small business from scratch. Let’s call her April. She had a few ideas; and simply needed someone to help her frame her thoughts. In a bid to make her life – and yours – a little easier I cobbled together 10 questions to…
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Helping people say what they want to say: listening to articulate
Someone’s trying to tell you something and it’s as fuzzy as a bear. Here’s four simple steps to help people find their own clarity. One: Focus on them. Ask some good, well-pitched questions that get to the heart of their issues, needs and wants. One that’s always worked well for me with potential clients is:…
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People’s stories: passion lives here
One of the key tasks of a public affairs professional is to create content which is then communicated to engage people with what organisations do and what they believe in. We do this by: Commissioning new research Identifying an interesting statistic Developing some key messages Enlisting a “celebrity” or an “expert” and Composing case studies/human…
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In pursuit of virtue: value-based campaigning
“Once upon a time there was a small girl who gazed at the last tree in the world . . . “ It’s a short-story exercise an inspirational primary school teacher set me back in the early 1970s. I remember seeing that beautiful tree in my mind’s eye, how we all needed it, how good it felt…
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When maybe means no
“What do they mean?” How many times have you been asked this question by a friend who needs to get a handle on what someone’s trying to say to them? Part of what I do is helping people read in between the lines. People who have crossed continents or have a disability that impacts on their…
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Effective e-mails: 6 useful tips
Contacting influential people – whether they’re newspaper editors or MPs – can be a little like walking a tightrope. You know they’re busy people so you don’t want to hassle them unnecessarily; but you really want to engage them with your latest news, ideas, campaign . . . Here’s some strategies that have worked for…
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How to create good social policy: 10 tips
1. Be realistic. We’d all like to have a magic wand but only the fairy queen has one. 2. Be clear about your outcomes. An outcome is not the activity itself (serving lunch to a group of older people who currently live at home) but the impact it has on their lives (it might increase their…
Creative Public Affairs 