The Association Blog

When it comes to asking your city council or local government for more funds or resources, credibility is the difference between somebody who’s being dismissed and somebody who’s being heard. If you have credibility, they trust you. They will listen to you. To be seen as a credible leader, though, you need three things. You need data, you need honesty, and you need confidence.

First, that means being able to talk numbers, and being able to relate those numbers to the impact that they’re having. Be able to reference your intake numbers, your outcome numbers, your reunification numbers. And be able to tell a story with those numbers.

Second, you need to own your mistakes quickly. We all know that this is much easier said than done, but this will help you build that trust far more quickly than just going on about your day and pretending that you’re perfect.

And third, communicate with confidence and simplicity. Our industry is full of jargon. We’re full of acronyms. Be able to communicate in terms that the community understands.

So when you’re making your request, you need to put these three things together. You might say, “With one more officer, we can reduce our call times and prevent injuries.” That is relating the data to the community impact. And asking for things in that way is going to get you much further than just saying, “We need officers.” Be able to relate the data, be honest, and communicate clearly and with confidence.

– Jerrica Owen CAWA, Executive Director, National Animal Care & Control Association