That heading will attract all kinds of attention, most of it disbelieving. "What the hell are you talking about?" is the likely thought.
Quite unintentially, I've been taking my lead from these professional social networkers for many years now. If there is no election within sight and they don't have any political gains to earn, a good politician has a lot to teach me about networking and keeping in touch with my clients. They do it better than most, as part of their daily routine.
I'll use a Toronto city counsellor I know from high school as an example. Paula Fletcher and I attended Sir James Dunn C&VS in Sault Ste. Marie in the 1960's. Even though she is not my representative at City Hall, I support her nonetheless. She's an honourable person and she works her rear end off on behave of her constituents. She's also a master of getting reelected (or as I prefer to think of it, rehired). How does she do this?
Well, she began early in her career meeting and greeting and helping her neighbours. She seems to really care and very much enjoys this aspect of her job. She has a presence in every local publication, regardless of how small or large. She hosts seasonal events such as Christmas skates and Environmental Day recycle drop off points. She rallies citizens to get involved and express their views on issues that are important to the city. She supports local initiatives that are good for the city, regardless of where it originates. She keeps in touch by mail and email just the right amount. I never drown in her material and.... there's always a point behind her messages. Yes, sometimes the point is self serving ("I'd like to get reelected, please donate to my campaign") but more often than not, it is about helping make our community better.
As I write this and think about Paula's work, I hope that I can say the same about my messages to the community. I guess in that sense, I am a politician too.
