Effective communications require understanding people's motivations and values. People are motivated by different values like tradition, status, or ethics. Communications need to match these values and address people's core concerns to influence them. Most people feel listened to if they can air their views, even if the outcome doesn't match their preference. Different communication channels work best depending on people's values. Frontline staff are important for communicating with more tradition-driven residents. Understanding communities' values is key to building trust and engagement during a time of budget pressures and changing approaches.

1. Effective communicationsKevin Huggins CooperDirector of Public Sector Transformation

2. AgendaOverviewWhat the community wantsMessages from Connecting CommunitiesValues ModesDifferent channels and techniquesThe current climate and budget pressures

3. Changing approachesCouncil newspapersCongruent communicationsMerging functionsBudgetsSocial media and electronic commsDifferent channels

4. Real influence matters What do people mean by influence?People don’t separate engagement from their other dealings with the councilThey base their level of influence on their personal experience of customer servicesThey want to air their experiences/storiesPeople have different motivations at different timesThese vary according to people’s values and this requires different approaches to communicationsYou need realistic expectations of residents’ knowledgeParticipants in formal mechanisms belong to a self-selecting group

5. People’s values inform their approach to engagement. Some people...don’t engage, believing they won’t be listened todon’t know how to engage...but feel they will be ignored anywaybelieve they best influence through personal contactdon’t feel they have enough time ( too busy)feel they will be fobbed off with someone junior only trust messages from people they know / like themseek influence by joining up with like minded peopleengage in wider civic society, but might not feel this gives them influenceare disappointed at a lack of feedback: nothing changes

6. So what?Most people feel they have had influence if they feel listened to, even if they are not “obeyed”.They definitely want OUTCOMES.

7. Regional FindingsIt’s not fair

8. They’re not like us: Outsiders

9. Private landlords and housing allocations

10. Do the little things

11. It’s not safe round here any more

12. Young people today…. tensions

13. The Council doesn’t do enough

14. Can we believe what we read?

15. Who told you that?

16. You can’t trust themGaining insight into behaviourWe now know lots about who people are and how people behave, but do we know enough about why people behave as they do?

17. Behaviour and valuesHow people behave is determined by the values that drive them - not simply by information

18. Emotions will always trump facts

19. People may act in the same way but for different reasonsWhat might have motivated someone to buy this car?Traditional segmentation might suggest that having just behaved the same way (and bought this car) that their motivations are the same

20. What might have motivated them?“I bet the neighbours will be impressed!”“Petrol prices are going up and I will save money!” “It's good for the environment!”

21. British Values Survey:identifying what predominantly drives peopleSettlers: sustenance driven: core needs, safety, belonging; local

22. Prospectors:outer directed: striving, care about opinion of others, tangible results; Me

23. Pioneers:inner directed: comfortable in own skin, networked, do their own thing; globalMatching motivationsGet people to do the same thing for different reasons, eg prepare for floods:Pioneers make an ethical contribution