As a former journalist, I know exactly when the ‘election fog’ sets in. It usually starts about six months out from polling day – right about where we are now.

In newsrooms, this is the moment the economy of attention shifts. Editors stop looking for gradual trends and start hunting for binary conflicts – those that get the most clicks, especially. It’s also a time where it’s much easier to stumble across an ‘exclusive’, which is loads of fun when you’re in the game.

Every story is suddenly weighed against the political horse race where form is carefully considered along with the state of the track on the day. If your message doesn’t have a partisan hook, it risks being treated as background noise.

But there is a greater risk than being ignored. Being hijacked.

We’ve seen a masterclass in this recently. The headlines surrounding TVNZ’s political editor Maiki Sherman – from her suspension over parliamentary rules to the resurfacing of allegations from a pre-Budget function – show how quickly a professional can become the story. 

When that happens, the original intent of the communication vanishes. The ‘what’ (the news of the day) is completely swallowed by the ‘who’ (the controversy). Pointless, unfair, possibly even ridiculous – but we all heard about it.

If a seasoned political reporter can find their narrative pulled into a vortex, where does that leave your team?

After leaving the fourth estate years ago for the dark side of the force, my advice as a comms guy to leaders is often counter-intuitive… during an election year, the real battle for visibility isn’t happening on the news – it’s happening in your office kitchen. 

How do the messages you need your team to access, process and action cut through the noise?

An extreme example was the near-zealous focus we all had on the 1pm briefings during the Covid pandemic. How much discussion around the, then, virtual water cooler was about work stuff? 

1. The internal audit: Is your team’s focus ‘vortex-proof’?

The ‘election fog”’ doesn’t just cloud the media, it seeps into your workplace culture. It creates a natural sense of ‘wait and see’ that kills productivity. People start to hesitate, waiting to see what the government does before committing to projects – whether it’s related to your industry or the personal position and impact on any individual employee.

• The pivot: As a leader, you must ensure your internal messaging isn’t accidentally feeding this uncertainty. Instead of letting the team’s focus drift to external policy shifts, anchor them in Operational Utility. While the country talks about ‘what’ might change on 7 November, your internal frequency must stay laser-focused on ‘how’ we are delivering for our clients today and preparing for tomorrow.

2. Guarding the kitchen table: Maintaining team cohesion

In New Zealand, we pride ourselves on being a village, but that village can get pretty tense when the regulated period kicks in. Political debates at the water cooler (or on Teams) can quickly turn from healthy discussion into a cultural vortex.

• The strategy: Position your leadership as a Safe Harbour. This isn’t about banning politics, it’s about providing a clear frequency that stays above the fray and, often, bullshit. Reiterate your shared values and common goals. When the external environment is high-tension, your workplace should be the one place where the narrative remains stable, respectful, and focused on collective results rather than partisan friction. It’s likely impossible to ban ALL the bullshit, but at least ensure the shovel is up to the job of clearing it and dumping it on the vege patch.

3. Cutting through the static for your people

As we approach the election, the external volume will only increase. Your role is to act as a ‘signal filter’ for your people.

• The action: Don’t let your internal agendas be hijacked by the headline of the day. If a news story doesn’t impact your core mission, keep it out of the tent. By maintaining message discipline inside your organisation, you ensure that while the country is shouting, your team is still moving forward on the tracks you’ve laid.

The Bottom Line

You can’t stop the election noise, but you can decide not to let it inside your walls. In a season of high volume, the leader who stays focused on the ‘how’ will always outpace the team caught up in the ‘what-if’.

Ready to protect your team’s focus?

The next six months will be a test of leadership clarity. If you are worried that the election cycle is starting to distract your people or muddy your message, let’s talk about a Leadership Communications Health Check. What are the imperative messages that must punch through?

We help leaders cut through the noise, resolve internal friction, and build a narrative firewall that keeps your team productive through to November and beyond.

Need some help framing your messages up? Reach out to me by email or call on 021-277-2118.