Council staff are often asked to present advice on topics they know deeply. That expertise is essential. But it can also create one of the most common barriers to clear communication: the curse of knowledge. The curse of knowledge is what happens when you know a subject so well that it becomes impossible to remember what it was like not to know it. You understand the background, the science, the process, the risks, the acronyms, and the technical language. Your audience may n

Staff play a crucial role in supporting sound decision-making through their advice and expertise. Managing staff input to meetings in a...

Simple guidelines for council staff attending an elected member meeting to provide advice.

You have spent many hours working on a project. Before proceeding, you need a decision – perhaps you are asking for more money, a policy...