Oh, hi!
If you think your residents are engaged, think again.
This week on the Oh, hi! Stories Podcast, I sat down with my friend and civic-tech pro Luke Norris—VP at Granicus and someone who’s helped hundreds of cities modernize their digital services.
One thing became crystal clear: Tech doesn’t solve engagement. People do.
Three things you should know:
1️⃣ Most cities think they’re engaging residents—but their tools are outdated, their messages are one-way, and their timing misses the mark.
2️⃣ Even when cities have tech like SMS, AI agents, or chatbot tools, they often lack the staff, strategy, or time to use them well.
3️⃣ The issue isn’t the platform. It’s that most job descriptions haven’t been updated in 30 years, and a single “innovation officer” isn’t enough.
This part really matters: Engagement fails when we treat it like a software rollout.
If your team doesn’t have the right people—strategists, content creators, service designers—you're not connecting.
What you can do:
Audit your tools. Are they being used—or just gathering dust in a procurement drawer?
Rewrite one job description. Update it for today’s skillsets: think UX, content, community management, and digital literacy.
Fund training. Most cities spend less than $50 per employee on professional development. That’s not a strategy—it’s a red flag.
Trace the real resident journey. Take trash pickup, water bills, or permits. Where are they getting stuck? What could make it easier—an SMS? A 30-sec explainer video? A chatbot that actually works?
Modern government isn’t about chasing every new platform. It’s about equipping people with the right skills, tools, and channels to build trust—one interaction at a time.
🎧 Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.
Thanks for tuning in,
—Dana
🎤 Want me to speak at your next event?
From virtual keynotes to in-person workshops, I partner with city teams, associations, and organizations to talk about what’s next in digital engagement, citizen experience, and government storytelling.
