The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT)’s CEO, Simon Posner, gives operators the golden rules of Ministerial meetings
The weather forecasters tell us that autumn is about to end abruptly, and by the time that you read this we will be in the grip of an icy winter. That can only mean one thing – it’s time to write our letters to Santa (or in our case, the Secretary of State, elected Mayor, local councillors etc.) asking for all the things we need to ensure that we have a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
I do not intend to put my wish list on the pages of this fine magazine, as this would be a sure-fire way of filling the letters pages with people who did not get their wish at number one. That said, I am sure that the over-arching wish for all operators would be for a working environment that enabled them to serve their passengers in the best way possible.
Golden rules
Before I get tempted down the road of what that might be, I would rather look into how we ask for what it is that we want because there are some golden rules. I have seen many Ministerial meetings from both sides (I was once a Minister’s bag carrier), and some meetings have definitely been better than others.
I would say that preparation is key to any meeting. I know how much preparation has gone into the meetings that I have been involved in. Goodness knows what it must be like if you are actually going to meet the Prime Minister.
Nevertheless Alastair Campbell often tells of the times when, after the delegation had left, Tony Blair would turn to him and say “nice people, what was it that they wanted?”
I have to say that I am not altogether surprised, although I am sure it is not a mistake that we have made.
Know what you want
It might sound simple, but you need to know what you want and who is going to ask for it. Do not make the mistake of blurting out everything you have always wanted to say about transport to a Minister as if they were in the back of your cab.
Rehearse the meeting. Make sure that your asks are repeated at the end (three is usually a good number) to ensure that the Minister and officials are not left in any doubt.
Be careful when talking about what you don’t want. Instead of just being negative about something you don’t like, be clear about the pitfalls of the proposed policy but then come up with an alternative and better method of helping the Minister reach his or her policy aims.
Clearing our throats
Which is actually the key point. Ministers are not going to give you something just because they like you. Your requests have to demonstrate clear passenger benefit and deliver an outcome which helps the Minister take the policy forward. Simple really!
For our part, we have had to be a little on the defensive recently for entirely understandable reasons as a welter of legislation and uncertainty has been pushed our way. I think that the horizon is changing, however, and it is time for us to be more proactive and positive about what have achieved.
There is a time to shout (politely), and a time to work under the radar. I think that we may now be clearing our throats.
