Not only does this approach mean that you have a greater chance of success during that particular interaction, but it also helps to build your reputation and relationship over time.  In addition, James said, if you are trying to build your relationship with government, you need to bring them solutions and not just problems. ‘I know from my time working in government that everyone there is time-poor. They have access to lots of information but they also have stakeholders coming to them all the time with problems that need fixing. If you want to engage with government, take them something that they can work with: something that’s practical and realistic, and isn’t just going to drain them.’ During the COVID pandemic, governments everywhere were overwhelmed by noise, complaints, and requests from stakeholders in all sectors, as people wanted to influence the response, offer their services, and sometimes, frankly, take advantage of the situation. KPMG’s starting point in Australia was respect for the role of government in making the decisions. ‘When we did want to engage, we tried to reinforce it with whatever data we could, and we tried to be specific and tangible about our recommendations,’ said James. ‘Over time, more and more data came into play and we were able to prove our point. But this could only happen because we had already spent time and effort in building relationships, so they knew what we did as an organisation and trusted us.’ This was also important on a personal level, especially during lockdown. ‘At the end of the day, we’re individuals engaging with other individuals. They were in lockdown too: they were fatigued, they had information coming at them from all directions, they did not necessarily know what to trust. I found that just before a meeting, taking the time to check how people were feeling was an important way to establish a personal connection that made it easier to work together.’

Unsurprisingly, James has a large network, which he cultivates intentionally. ‘When I look at my diary for the week ahead, I colour-code what I’m doing – internal meetings, external meetings, admin etc. And I try to ensure that there is a sizeable chunk of time for external relationship-building. If there isn’t enough there, then I will make changes. Basically, if I’m sitting at my desk from nine to five, then I’m not really doing my job. ‘Cultivating a network does take energy, but you can be smart about it: you can schedule quick catch-ups over coffee, for example, or send a message just to keep the connection warm, with a promise to connect in more detail when you can.’  He stressed that being responsive is not about being at everyone else’s beck and call, but about recognising that they have made the effort to reach out to you. And it is not only possible but respectful to be honest about your own time constraints and set expectations about just how much you can do for them. However, as a chief of staff, building relationships is so important that ‘you’ve really got to make a commitment that it’s a priority for you.’