By Graham Price
You may be aware that last week’s British elections resulted in a coalition government between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Seeing it first hand has led me to reflect on the resignation of former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and how he displayed his Social Style and Versatility during the campaign.
Writing an article that is free of bias is difficult because of the polarised nature of British Politics, exacerbated by the British press as they each back a particular party, so it is difficult to separate genuine news stories from fiction. Some stories report that Gordon bullies his staff, and allege that he frequently rams his pen into the back of his chauffeur’s seat during temper tantrums. Whether these stories are true is speculation, but his recent off-camera comments may show him in a true light. When a particular Labour voter (Mrs. Duffy) questioned him about immigration, he smiled to her face, wished her and her family well, and then disappeared into his Ministerial Jaguar and, unknowingly recorded, blamed everyone else for putting him in front of that "bigoted woman.......surely these things are supposed to be stage managed!!”
If we asked people to determine Gordon's Social Style, we would most likely hear he is more Tell Assertive, uses less hand gestures, speeds his speech and could be described as stern. This would lead us to believe he has a Driving Style, and the recent televised debates would confirm this.
As for Versatility, let’s look at each of the four components – Image, Presentation, Competence, and Feedback. During the TV debates, "independent" (I use the word loosely) opinion polls put Gordon Brown in last place, but his popularity increased when he talked about the economy. This indicates that his Image and Presentation skills are low; he didn’t come across well and his skills at communicating to a group of people were lacking. However, at least some of the substance of his statements was well received, and this could signify that he is perceived as having high Competence (he has good ideas, he perseveres to accomplish objectives, and he is optimistic about the success of his plans). When it comes to Feedback, it’s hard to tell since we see very little of politicians’ interpersonal interactions, which are mostly done in private. (Though his interaction with Mrs. Duffy might be a good clue about his lack of Feedback skills).
Many factors affect elections, of course, especially during difficult economic slumps, but could Gordon’s Versatility have impacted his chances for a more favourable outcome? The British public has voted on Gordon and his party, and this might be one of the reasons he has been defeated. The question that only future historians may be able to answer is, did Gordon Brown’s lack of self awareness and poor interpersonal skill contribute to his standing as the most unpopular Prime Minister in the last 100 years?
Graham Price is managing director of Accelerate, a distributor of TRACOM’s products in the United Kingdom. Visit www.accelerate.uk.com for more information.