One day at the George Washington University

After nearly 4 months in DC I think it's the right time to write my first post in English. Fair enough I'd say!

A few weeks ago I had the chance to join some friends at the George Washington University. I attended the course "Elements of Influence", taught by Professor Alan Kelly at the Political Management Faculty.  

Prof. Kelly has developed a system called "the table of influence" which is a definitive taxonomy of the 24 most basic stratagems in communication, social media, marketing, sales,  politics and the military, among other influence industries. It is similar to a scientific periodic table but applied to political management. 

http://www.playmakersystems.com/the-playmaker-system/the-system/

I found it very innovative and interactive as students were asked to simulate a negotiation on the gun bill between different parties (Federal Government, opposition, media and gun associations) using some of the plays from the table of influence. Students got to experience what the real political life is like, predicting what their opponents will argue and preparing for the next move.

Alan Kelly, CEO and Founder of Playmaker Systems, LLC, is a visionary business strategist, author, and award-winning Silicon Valley public relations agency CEO. In 2006, Kelly founded Playmaker Systems, a Washington D.C. area management consulting firm specializing in the development and execution of influence strategy. He approaches his work with a simple but provocative charter - that the moves and counter-moves of business, politics, and pop culture can be mapped and managed for competitive advantage.

Kelly's development of a breakthrough periodic table of influence strategies in 2004 is testament to his vision for a comprehensive standard in the industries of influence - namely management, strategy, marketing, sales, advertising, public relations, public affairs, and even law. It is a system that names, describes and prescribes the work of playmakers everywhere, and which is exhaustively catalogued in his landmark book, The Elements of Influence: The New Essential System for Managing Competition, Reputation, Brand, and Buzz (Penguin Books 2006).