And that remains essential.
But the environment in which influence operates has changed profoundly.
Trust is fragmenting.
Information travels instantly.
Artificial Intelligence is accelerating both knowledge and misinformation.
And citizens increasingly expect not only decisions, but explanations.

In this context, I believe Public Affairs is evolving beyond advocacy alone.
Its most valuable contribution may increasingly lie in helping organisations, institutions and stakeholders make sense of complexity.

Not simply influencing decisions.
Helping create the conditions in which better decisions become possible.
Less about controlling narratives.

More about helping stakeholders understand and navigate complexity into informed action.
Less about access to power.

More about building the informed dialogue that power ultimately depends on.
This is not a retreat from influence.
It is an expansion of it.

Because in a world flooded with information, influence may become easier to achieve.
Understanding may become harder.
And therefore, more valuable.

This challenge is increasingly visible across governments, international organisations, businesses and civil society alike.

The organisations and professionals that will lead Public Affairs in the next decade may not be those with the loudest voices.

They may be those most capable of building trust, fostering understanding and translating complexity into meaningful dialogue.

Because influence without understanding can shape decisions.
But understanding is what sustains legitimacy.

So perhaps the question is no longer whether Public Affairs should influence decisions.
The question is whether influence alone is still enough.

What do you think?

In an era defined by complexity, trust and AI, should Public Affairs be measured only by its ability to influence outcomes - or also by its ability to help society understand them?

*** One additional thought:

For years, Public Affairs professionals have been asked how effectively we influence decisions.
Perhaps one of the defining questions of the next decade will be:
How effectively do we help others understand the context behind those decisions?
The two are not mutually exclusive - but the balance may be shifting.