Panel: Niwha and Political Nous

13/3/2023

The IPANZ New Professionals asked me to speak to them about political nous.

I focussed on how to move quietly and effectively in the poneketanga without becoming political.

I began by defining the poneketanga as the purple zone: the space between the political and administrative authorising environment.

I reminded the group that public institutions are made up of formal structures and human beings, and it is the human element where things can get messy.

We talked about how public service is complex and public policy, mainly, can be full of politics, uncertainty, intrigue and conflict.

When asked what good looks like, I offered the following: the best public servants are the ones who can navigate the unwritten signs; they also know who has power and influence, and they appreciate those who have the respect of the community and the front lines; they know which messages will work – and which ones will not; they understand and embrace the complexity of the political authorising environment – but they never become an actor; and finally they use those understandings to move the Government’s priorities forward.

When asked what less good looks like, I covered the following: compete with peers; be too quick to curry favour; share the wrong information; have poor impulse control; be a strident advocate; have no patience for due process; and be unable to work with others.

I closed with the idea that political nous in the poneketanga is about having the courage to walk through water without getting wet but being smart enough to know that is impossible.

Here’s a link to an article summarising the seminar: https://issuu.com/ipanz/docs/ipanz_june_2023_v5/s/26286315