ROOTS
OF SUCCESS
Winter 2005| Volume 7 | Issue 4
©
2005 All Rights Reserved, The Showalter Group, Inc.
Reproduction or redistribution without permission is strictly
prohibited.
Increasing
Internal Government Affairs Visibility Through the (can you
believe it?) HR Department
Many corporate government affairs staff
covet the opportunity to meet with new employees during routine
"new employee orientation." We often believe if we can simply
get in front of these malleable minds, they will develop an
allegiance to our grassroots and PAC. Getting in front of
them, however, is an HR hurdle. Then, if and when we do get
to talk with them, we don’t always get the results we had
hoped for. Why? We neglect the importance of substance and
style when interacting with new employees.
 Ann
Clayton of ConocoPhillips and the Government Affairs team
did get in front of her new hires and interns, and received
rave reviews from the audience. Read my interview with her
below to find out how she did it. I’ve inserted some “reality
checks” into this article so you can contemplate how to adapt
some of Anne’s techniques.
Q: How did the opportunity to present
Government Affairs programs to new interns and hires arise?
I contacted the person in charge of
our New Hire Network who also worked closely with our summer
interns. Our summer interns had a segment this summer on leadership
and that is who we talked to first. We will be planning a
new employee meeting soon. The HR people really want us to
bring in a member of Congress and I've talked to the chiefs
of staff of two members. HR is very excited about this.
Q: What was the meeting format?
Our meeting format was partly what went
over so well with these young people. We first showed a Tonight
Show replay of "W" then we gave them a pop quiz. The questions
were ones we knew were common misconceptions about what corporations
can and cannot do. We also asked them why they thought corporations
were involved in politics and we went over with them very
clearly why -- that corporations being involved is not a bad
thing.
Reality Check #1: Rather than fighting
objections (“corporations shouldn’t be involved in politics”),
acknowledge and address them. This demonstrates credibility
and respect for your audience.
There were two of presenters -- me,
the grassroots and PAC person, and one of our state lobbyists
who is a very dynamic speaker. We ended with a Saturday Night
Live skit of President Clinton. We were told it was one of
the best presentations they had all summer; I think it was
simply more fun.
Reality Check #2: Humor matters.
Reality Check #3: Think of how your
audience is influenced in their daily lives. Research shows
that young people get most of their political knowledge from
comedy shows. Instead of fighting that, embrace it and incorporate
it into your presentation.
Q: What type of response did you
receive from the new hires?
It was very positive. They were very
surprised about what companies can and cannot do. These were
all very bright students and they answered very few of the
questions correctly which, to me, meant that we did indeed
provide them with new information.
Q: What were typical questions asked
by the new associates? They asked about our backgrounds,
degrees and how we got jobs in the Government Affairs profession.
We made our presentation first (45 minutes), then we went
to the company cafeteria with them. They didn't so much ask
questions, but wanted to tell us about the things they had
done politically. I recommend presenting first and then having
lunch or a coffee break with them so that you can build relationships.
It gave us a chance to talk with them one on one when they
may be reluctant to ask questions.
Q: What advice would you give to
government affairs professionals who want to institute this
type of program in their companies? Talk with your HR
staff about options. Our company offers regular meetings for
the new hires in our large field offices. Presenters come
in and talk about different aspects of our company, usually
operations and financial people. You make their job easier
if you invite yourself. Quite frankly, government affairs
is not typically the first group they think to talk to.
Reality Check #4: Take responsibility
to promote the value of Government Affairs. Don’t wait to
be invited to participate in these meetings.
Q: What were the results of the meeting?
The result is that we are on HR's radar
screen, they want to make us regular presentations to the
summer interns each year and also be a part of the regular
program with the New Hires. This means that we can more quickly
influence employees about our issues. That increases the probability
that they will respond to our Action Calls. We are tracking
involvement in our PAC and grassroots as a result of these
presentations, and will have information on that later next
year.
Q: Why do you believe your presentation
was so popular?
I believe the format was consistent
with how these individuals learn. It wasn’t a technical presentation,
or a lecture; they learned something they could quickly relate
to. One of the questions we asked was: "Do you think ConocoPhillips
has supported Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger?" Of course,
they yelled out "NO WAY." Well, of course, we have and we
explained why. The HR people who sat in on the meeting told
us they were embarrassed -- they learned as much as the students
did.
Q: What did you and the GR team learn
from this experience?
I learned that I need to go all over
the company and give this same pop quiz. I met the other day
with one of our IT people. I was talking with our IT folks
about what we do and why so they could understand some new
technology applications we were requesting. They, just like
the students, said: “We didn't know you guys did all of that!”
Reality Check #5: It’s a risk to assume that all departments
understand and appreciate the Government Relations function.
We have to earn their allegiance and respect.
Do you want your organization to
be a member of the “85% Club?” Amy is offering
TeleClasses and workshops on how to implement these success
factors into your PAC and/or grassroots programs. Contact
us at 513.762.7668 / amy@showaltergroup.com.
Copyright 2005 The Showalter Group,
Inc.
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THE 2005 ALL-SHOWALTER
TEAM
It’s that time of year again,
to announce the 2005 All-Showalter Team. The All-Showalter
Team is comprised of grassroots and PAC professionals who
embody one or more necessary qualities of a political involvement
avatar. A few individuals are previous Team members from a
different category, yet they exemplify additional traits necessary
for government relations success.
Attention to Detail
- Many of us are adequate self-starters; however, we have
to be excellent self-finishers. The road to achievement in
government relations is riddled with incomplete projects and
loose ends. How many projects, initiatives, programs do we
have that are lying on the shelves, or “in process?”
While it’s good for some of them to stay on the shelf,
it’s not a bad practice of getting in the habit of finishing
what you start.
- Lori Cherry, Southwest Airlines
Curiosity/Innovation
- Because grassroots activism is not a natural state of being,
the astute grassroots leader knows that they always have to
find new and innovative ways to get people engaged in their
cause. Continuously asking questions as to why something is
the way it is, or how it can be made better, is the essence
of curiosity, and leads to innovation.
- Debbie Federspiel and Julie Snyder,
Denver Children’s Hospital
Focus on Results -
Focus creates efficiency. It allows us to ascertain whether
or not a particular action will help us move toward our goal.
Focus reminds you that if something is not helping you move
toward your destination, then it’s not important. Less
successful people are inflexible on outputs, deliverables,
etc., but are flexible on their results. Successful people
are focused on the results, and are flexible in how they get
there.
- Sue Pechilio Polis – American
Heart Association
Humor - The key is
to take your responsibilities, but not yourself, too seriously.
Everything must be kept in perspective. A sense of humor is
appealing to PAC and grassroots members.
- Phil Schoolcraft, MetLife
Risk Taking - Following
the herd is rarely a recipe for success. Risky pursuits in
one organization may be common practice in another, but if
you are not making waves, you’re not accomplishing anything.
What have you changed or altered from the “usual way
of doing things around here?”
Kristine Kilbride, Genworth Financial
Passion - The best
grassroots and PAC leaders love what they do. While not everyday
is bliss, they generally go to work with a sense of mission
and belief in their cause.
Planning/Goal
Setting - Ad hoc PAC and grassroots efforts are rarely
successful. Further, lack of planning and goal setting results
in a lack of program momentum. Planning and goal setting increases
the likelihood that your efforts will result in an organized,
results-oriented program.
- Louis Vega, The Dow Chemical Company
Presentation Skills
- To rally the troops for any cause, you have to speak! Preferably,
your presentations are an experience, rather than just a transfer
of knowledge.
- H.J. Reid, ConocoPhillips
Organization - Juggling
multiple projects and initiatives is a constant challenge.
The organized government relations professional keeps it all
together. The result is a program with momentum and efficiency.
- Catherine Goldstein, Juvenile Diabetes
Research Foundation International
What a stellar combination of talents
and skills! Congratulations to the members of the fifth annual
All-Showalter Team.
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The Top 11
Things Your PAC and Grassroots Prospects Don’t Want
to Hear
Here’s the list of the most uninfluential
and uninspiring ways to gain PAC and grassroots involvement.
In our next issue we’ll reveal why these sound bites
aren’t effective in influencing your prospects.
1. “You need to give to the PAC
because campaigns are expensive”
2. “We will communicate with you
when we need you to contact your legislators.”
3. “Our lobbyist needs PAC money
to do his/her job.”
4. “Email is the best way to communicate
with legislators.”
5. “PAC money gives us access.”
6. “The CEO wants everyone to
join the PAC .”
7. “We don’t know what issues
we’ll be following, so we can’t give you advance
notice of our Action Alerts.
8. “Everybody hates politics,
but we want you to join the PAC.”
9. “What is the definition of
politics? “poly” meaning many, and “tics”
meaning blood sucking leaches.”
10. “A PAC is the price we pay
to play the game.”
11. “It
would be difficult to give you a list of who we have contributed
to this session.”
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About The Showalter Group,
Inc.
The Showalter Group works with associations and corporations
that
want to increase their grassroots and PAC productivity. We
provide
highly customized solutions via grassroots consultation, public
affairs
staff and volunteer training, coaching for public affairs
staff,
keynote presentations, and grassroots project management.
To book Amy Showalter to speak at your next meeting, or to
inquire
about our grassroots or PAC consulting services or other products,
contact us at:
The Showalter Group, Inc.
312 Walnut Street
1600 Scripps Center
Cincinnati, OH 45202
p 513.762.7668 | f 513.553.9777
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