Are your red lines real, or are they a joke?

A red line usually refers to a line that should not be crossed, i.e. we’ll go this far, but not further.

I hear the term used a lot when companies talk about a Government Affairs strategy on a specific issue: “This is our red line”, “this is how far we are prepared to go”, “this is what we will accept”, but it is very rare that the consequences of the so-called red line being crossed are clear.

To me a red line indicates that you have power, that you can impose a consequence that the other party cares about.

While logical reasoning and good arguments do have a role to play in Government Affairs, the main power companies have that matter to policy makers are investments and jobs, other than that, they are basically consulted in the legislative process.

Personally, I believe in working with policy makers to create win-win solutions, but if you are going to get real about your red lines, get real, don't be hot air!

If you are telling policy makers that jobs and investments will disappear, be prepared to back it up and be specific about what investment and which jobs will go elsewhere, otherwise it is not really a red line, it’s really more of a joke….

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I help clients globally develop win-win Government Affairs Strategies anchored in business priorities, underpinned by relevant KPIs and implementation measures. Curious to know more? Send me an email on [email protected]

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