2024 is the year of elections. From the UK to the US, to India, Brazil and many more. 

With much scrutiny on policies and the issues that parties and politicians have campaigned for in the past, there is an expectation that these will be in line with previous views. There is frequent criticism, especially from the media, if there is a deviation from the policy or if there is felt to be a change in direction. And certainly if members of the same party can’t agree 100%! 

But why is this such a problem?  

Isn’t listening to others’ views, paying attention to new information, and to the changing context a more appropriate response?  

This isn’t a political message. It’s one about collaboration, growth, and making better decisions rather than sticking to your guns come what may. 

In politics, terms like ‘doing a U-Turn’ are so negative. Yet if you’re driving and you take a wrong turn this is exactly what the sat nav tells you to do! It’s about correcting your course, not blindly continuing. Which do you do?  

The world is not static. Our knowledge is not static so why should our views be? 

The world of marketing and insights is the same. Being presented with new information is a shift in our knowledge. We now have access to data or insights that we didn’t have before.  

So surely, it’s only right that our perspective shifts? 

Yet for stakeholders this can be tricky. Admitting that their previous views have shifted can feel challenging. This is why it’s critical to deliver insights and feedback in a way that enables stakeholders to get on board with any shift in direction.  

It’s not about right and wrong.  

It’s about understanding where they’re coming from and what led to their previous POV. Valuing their perspective. 

It’s about sharing new information. 

And it’s about taking them on the journey and a new direction of travel. 

This is why developing hypotheses with stakeholders at the beginning of a project is so valuable – it allows us to get inside their head AND alert us if there’s a U-turn ahead. And it’s why Hummingbird Insights always have a pre-debrief to ensure that learnings will land with the wider team – it’s a smart, tactical move.   

It’s not just about the insights, it’s how they’re delivered. 

Need a fresh perspective. Talk to Hummingbird Insights.