Much of my work with campaigns and organizations focuses on the execution of digital tactics and strategies, but my ultimate goal is to develop a culture of innovation and change the way political professionals think about technology.
This blog post articulated the distinction for me in a way I hadn’t thought of before:
“Instructions make you better at doing what you (independently) valued, whereas coaching makes you better at valuing—it cues you in to what’s important, at an intellectual or physical or emotional level.”
Often, I’ll lead with instruction because a client already values some aspect of digital. It’s where we start the conversation about what you should ultimately value. For example, candidates know “digital” – which I’m using here really as just a shorthand – is important because they’ve heard it works for other people, but they may not grasp the “why.”
Online fundraising is great and I can train you on all of the tactics and best practices, but the true benefit of online fundraising is getting supporters invested in your campaign, gathering their contact information, and turning that into a flywheel to grow support for your campaign.
In other words, we can’t lose sight of the tactical as merely a means to an end – winning. If, after we’ve worked together, you don’t value the underlying reasons we do something online, I’ve failed you as a coach.
The tools, tech, platforms, and tactics are constantly changing and developing. But keeping your focus on the ultimate goal will always help you value what actually matters.
Instruction is easy, coaching is difficult.