Don't blame voters

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This week, Prime Minister Trudeau lost two by-elections, one of which was in the fortress of Montreal. This is the second time he has lost a Liberal stronghold in the last three months.

Losing like this always hurts, even when the writing is on the wall, as it has been for some time now.

But the PM’s response is one that surprised me, because it’s one I’m used to hearing from corporate leaders, not elected officials.

Here’s what he told reporters as he walked into Cabinet the next day:

“We need people to be more engaged, we need people to understand what’s at stake in this upcoming election.”

Does that sound benign to you? If so, it shouldn’t.

It is, whether intentional or not, a finger pointing exercise. And the target? Voters?

There is no “first rule” of public affairs, but if I were to put forward a candidate for such a rule, it would be there:

“Don’t blame voters.”

If you lose a campaign, voters are not to blame. You are.

And this is true of regulatory campaigns in the corporate world. It is your responsibility to educate, motivate, engage, and ultimately, mobilize voters into action.

If you fail to do so, it’s because you’ve failed to align your message to your audience’s values. Your framing, positioning, and messaging has missed the mark. You have failed to give people a reason to rally behind your cause.