Your director wants to post an angry response to a negative Facebook comment. The city manager thinks Comic Sans will make the flyer "more approachable." Someone in leadership suggests you "just don't respond" to a media inquiry that's absolutely going to become a story.
You know it's a bad idea. They don't.
Welcome to one of the hardest parts of being a government communicator: protecting your organization from itself—while keeping your job.
Why This Is So Hard
You're often the only communications professional in the room. Leadership hired you for your expertise, but they also outrank you. And when the mayor or chief or director has already decided what they want, pushing back feels risky.<
