The Top 12 Political Involvement Management Practices for 2011

As you know, I’m always leaning forward in my seat taking notes. Here are some of the best ideas I’ve heard this year from stellar grassroots and PAC leaders.

1. Advise your stakeholders of your professional goals. Are you evaluated on the percent of responses to grassroots mobilizations? On PAC receipts? Tell your key volunteer leaders; they want to help you and this invests them in your goals. 
2. When your senior leaders tell you: “Let me know what I can do to help you,” send them a detailed memo that outlines how they can help your program, and do it within 24 hours.
3. If personal grassroots communications to legislators matter, reward that behavior rather than just talking about it. You have to reward the behavior you want more of. 
4. Want a high survey response? Include in your budget a small gift for completing the survey. In many cases this doubles survey responses. 
5. Call one volunteer a day to express thanks. And not just “thanks for your involvement”, but be specific---what is the behavior or result they exhibited that you appreciate? How has that made a difference to the organization or you personally?
6. Have one chapter or facility that consistently out-performs or out-fundraises others? Create a grassroots certification program for your chapters or facilities.
7. Require members to complete an application to attend grassroots training workshops.
8. Let volunteers design their recognition program.
9. Have cocktails during your meeting session not just at the reception. (Creativity and levity  is the goal here, not drunkeness)
10. Have your senior leadership suggest members or employees to serve as Key Contacts and  / or PAC Board members.
11. Ask your PAC Board to determine fundraising goals and tactical approach.
12. When lawmakers tour your facilities, be strategic! Make sure they are witnessing a process or situation that directly addresses a legislative issue you are facing.  We weigh vivid information more heavily than position papers or talking points.

Banish These Words

I always instruct my presentation skills clients to do their best to avoid common clichés and phrases. People are inundated with information, and we owe it to our audience to be memorable. 

One of my favorite web sites is the annual list of banished words published by Lake Superior State University.  Anyone can recommend a word for banishment (is that a word?!), and the best part is the reader commentary, of which I’ve selected my favorites. 

My favorites from 2011, and the ones I have experienced guilty pleasures using:

Optics – first used by political pundits and now pervasive when describing the perception of an event.

Occupy – Let’s pray that this doesn’t become a noun or adjective. Interestingly, “bemuse” is a synonym for occupy, as in “to occupy the attention of” so maybe groups can wave the “bemuse” flag as an option.  

“Spring” – This is my 2012 prediction – every grassroots movement will try to claim they have a “spring” as in “Arab Spring” movement that surpasses all other grassroots movements. I can see it now: “Bankers Spring,” “Small Business Spring” “Labor Spring,” etc.   

“Lawyer up” – All of the “ups” are downers to me. (Full disclosure, I frequently use the term “cowboy up” since I think that has effective imagery and I love the west.)    

“Man up” - ditto. Especially odd when telling a woman to “man up.”  

Read more here:  http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php

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NAFSA:  Assoc. of International Educators

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IN THIS ISSUE

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@AmyShowalter It’s probably not good to wave the underdog banner; it has more credibility if it comes from someone else’s lips. #underdogedge

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@AmyShowalter Underdog card rule #2: Don’t squander the resources you do have! #underdogedge

@AmyShowalter "People will tell you anything, but what they do is always the truth." -PJ O'Rourke

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@AmyShowalter Successful underdog biographies have an external advantage a better resourced competitor doesn’t have; it must be believable. #underdogedge

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