What We Can Learn From the Cast-Iron Communication of the Iron Lady

Baroness Thatcher, or Margaret Thatcher as she will be better remembered, was a controversial figure. In fact that’s probably the understatement of the decade, given the former British Prime Minster, who died earlier today, was always one to divide public opinion. One thing’s for sure though, love or loathe her policies, she was a fearsome communicator.

And being the first women to ever run the UK, she could probably not have done it any other way.-

From proposing to abolish free school milk to the moral outcry that came with her public support of apartheid, Thatcher had a knack for eliciting controversy, and a plethora of strong opinions swilled around her name during her political reign. 

Indeed it seems that on the day of her death, it is her beliefs - and agreements or disagreements with them - that are being bandied about on Twitter timelines and Facebook threads. These discussions seems to be permeating the boundaries of generation, party affiliations and even nationality.                                                                                       

One of the clear reasons for that is that regardless of personal political view, we always knew what Thatcher stood for. Her positions on issues were so potent that they have transcended political eras since, and cast a long shadow over party and governmental leaders.

There was no grey area with Thatcher, no ‘fluff’ to distract you from the fact that nothing was actually being said, and  no wad of  PR lingo used in an attempt to slow the mental registration of a polarising statement. In nothing else, she was utterly direct in her communication with her public, even if that largely meant relying on the mainstream media to get her point across.

Some of her infamous quotes bear testimony to this:

“Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope."

“To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning.” 

In today’s crowed and faster-moving media environment, perhaps we can all learn something about cast-iron communication from the Iron Lady.