Cutting Through
Helping executives
clarify and convey complex ideas
Influencing Unpopular Decisions
This episode's guest is an expert at influencing unpopular decisions.
Asking people to pay for things that were previously free isn’t easy!
And yet, Russell was able to persuade New South Wales public transport users to start paying, with barely a peep of resistance.
He also laid the groundwork for one of London’s busiest underground commuter systems, the Northern Line.
He brought decades of public policy experience to this, honed by being an elected official in the UK.
In our conversation, Russell shared several things that I think you will find useful while throwing in a few cricket terms too. He discussed …
How to gain stakeholder buy-in well before you pitch anything. He calls this ‘rolling the pitch’. Imagine getting the field ready before a game.
How to navigate decade-long-term projects that could fail at any point should community support dissipate.
The importance of verifying and explaining thoroughly. Assumptions about understanding and positions can be very damaging.
Why you must prepare for performance dips after any initial implementation goes live.
Timestamps
00:01:02 – Russell explains how he became interested in public policy at a young age
00:02:31 – Discussion of Russell's experience as an elected official in the UK
00:03:32 – Example of the Nine Elms regeneration zone and Northern Line extension in London
00:05:43 – How Russell engaged with private sector partners to fund infrastructure projects
00:09:52 – Strategies for identifying and categorizing stakeholders for projects
00:14:54 – Russell's transition from the UK to Australia and building a new network
00:20:12 – Discussion of Sydney's Metro City and other successful transport projects
00:22:19 – The importance of getting foundations right when implementing long-term projects
00:28:43 – Managing the implementation dip that occurs after initial enthusiasm fades
00:30:31 – Case study of successfully removing free public transport fares in NSW
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