Guide to Effective Key Leader Engagement
Proficiency in Key Leader Engagement is a skill that a Civil-Military Operations operator must possess. Based on the experiences of CMO operators in the field KLE is the most widely used skill in order to accomplish the mission despite the often-limited resources at our disposal.
The inadequacy in resources can be addressed by forging partnerships with concerned government agencies or private entities in order to carry out projects for the benefit of the community we serve. More often, civilian agencies trust the military’s ability to organize activities that they are willing to release whatever resources needed to make any project happen. Key Leader Engagements can also be a forum where we can identify problems and concerns the leader may have and how we can help. In such instances, we take the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with them.
This is where our CMO specialists come in. The essence of KLE is to identify our desired effects and to make sure that all parties benefit from a win-win solution. The key to an effective key leader engagement resides in our ability to synergize the three pillars to achieve maximum support. Nevertheless, we refer to the Key Leader Engagement Cycle as our guide in this undertaking.
The first phase is to identify the key leader that we are about to engage and the network he keeps in relation to his duties. Using a Face-to-Face Engagement Outline (FFEO), we shall carefully formulate the main and supporting arguments needed to convince the person to take action or support our cause. The FFEO also guides the engaging party in identifying the appropriate arguments for each key leader that they are influencing. This is the responsibility of the information support affairs specialist.
Next is knowing the key leader’s background and the influence he may wield in the community. This is important because this is where we assess if the key leader we are about to engage is the right person who can help us achieve our desired effects. We study the mindset of the key leader concerned for us to be able to prepare the right approach. Also, this phase helps us identify a need that the key leader and his organization cannot resolve. Such situations can be used as leverage to get them support our objectives when the time comes.
The third phase is for us to determine the desired effect or what we want to achieve after we have engaged the particular key leader. We must clearly state our objectives and what the key leader and his organization can gain in return. We make an inventory of our assets and showcase our capabilities in order to convince them to entrust to us the success of the project we are putting forward. It is like telling the key leader that this is the part that we are willing to do in such a way that he is obliged to do his part too.
The next phase is to prepare accordingly. This is crucial because in some instances this is our first engagement and we must be able to make a lasting first impression. During the presentation, we must be able to express our sincerity to make things happen and the inherent urgency of the change we are advocating. In short, this phase is dedicated to rehearsing our approach before the actual engagement. Each team member, if more than one individual is going to execute, should fully understand his role and must properly perform his task to ensure the success of the upcoming engagement.
The fifth phase is execution, the Key Leader Engagement proper, wherein the civil affairs specialist presents the project proposal. The specialist follows the established guidelines and etiquette when performing the engagement such as being respectful and being an effective listener. He explains the capabilities of his unit, provides the details of the planned activity, and the assistance needed for the project to materialize. At this point and more often than not, the key leader would have already been convinced to support our projects. However, it is important to emphasize that the military’s role is facilitative only and the engagement should make the key leader feel a sense of ownership of the project. Therefore, in case due recognition must be given, the key leader can take all the credit.
After the execution, the team conducts debriefing to properly document the activity for future reference. Lastly, the team should be able to re-engage the key leader at some point in the future. Therefore, it is imperative that the initial meeting is pleasant enough to pave the way for future collaborations. Sustaining the relationship is the goal of Key Leader Engagement.
After mustering the support of the local government and other stakeholders involved, it is now time to promote the project to gain the trust and confidence of the public. Public affairs will now take over to keep the community informed throughout the project implementation. This will be done through public information and community relations to reach as many audience as possible. In this way, the public will perceive the dynamic cooperation between the military and the civilian stakeholders and the exercise of good governance that comes with it.
Engaging key leaders is part and parcel of our job as CMO operators. We must always remember that all our efforts must integrate the civilian community in order for us to measure the success of our mission.
