In many of these articles, there is a not so subtle attempt
to blame increased lobbying disclosure requirements for the growth of strategic
government affairs, arguing that the shift away from direct lobbying is an
attempt to evade registration. While
that may explain a small part of the shift, the changes taking place in the
profession are real.
The government affairs function of any organization is more
challenging and complex than it was just a few years ago. Government regulation and political
uncertainty have become an increasingly important part of business operations
and planning. And thanks to information technology,
political power is more dispersed. A homemaker
in Ohio or a tech industry executive in California with the help of social
media can have more of an impact on public policy than traditional shoe leather
lobbying.
In other words, “government affairs” is no longer just a
relationship game. For many
organizations – companies, trade associations and other non-profit groups -- it
is a function that requires more sophisticated leadership skills, the ability
to navigate and engage internal hierarchy at all levels, and inspire action. Unfortunately, leadership development
programs are not well-equipped to support the unique challenges of this evolving
role.
Most government affairs professionals already have some core
leadership skills. For those that worked
in Congress, in a state legislature or in executive branch policy positions, and
have been part of successful legislative or regulatory initiatives, they know
how to collaborate, get buy-in and alignment, and communicate effectively. For them, the challenge isn’t about learning
how to be a leader, but how to translate those leadership skills to different
cultures and environments.
It is difficult to go from an environment where only results
matter to one in which process is equally if not more important. Large organizations, in particular, are
confronted with significant legal and regulatory compliance requirements. It’s not enough to show compliance. They must prove that they have the governance
processes in place to ensure that non-compliance doesn’t happen. Even if there is no direct connection to what
they do for an organization, government affairs leaders still have a
responsibility to support bureaucratic rules necessary to promote operational
discipline and regulatory compliance.
In addition, business leaders operate in a bilateral
negotiating environment, where they sit across the table from a partner or
potential partner and agree on terms that define outcomes. In dealing with public policy, government
affairs leaders operate in a multilateral negotiating environment, where
multiple parties have a stake in the outcome and it’s difficult to determine
which parties belong at the table and which ones are critical to success. It’s no wonder that so many business leaders
find Washington to be so dysfunctional.
Likewise, executives at public companies generally have to
meet performance goals and objectives on a quarter-by-quarter basis. It’s never easy to have to tell a business
executive who is struggling to meet a tough revenue target to drop what he or
she is doing to spend time focusing on a public policy priority that may or may
not pay dividends or address a particular problem for a year or two or even three.
Like all organizational leaders, government affairs
professionals need continuing professional development to expand their
leadership capacity and become more effective.
But it’s a real challenge, first, to recognize the need and, second, to
find the kind of support that takes account of the government affairs culture.
Most senior legislative and government affairs professionals
that I know don’t like to show vulnerability.
They operate in a political environment where mistakes are often made,
but rarely acknowledged. In general,
they have a can-do spirit and a belief they can accomplish anything if given
the chance. But inevitably, they are all
hampered by organizational and cultural barriers that impede their success.
When that happens, it is difficult to find someone to
confide in because established coaching and leadership development programs
don’t really relate to what government affairs professionals do. When
organizations do invest in leadership development, the programs tend to be
designed for core mission leaders, and to promote executive succession
planning. While these programs provide
valuable tools for unleashing creativity and empowerment, those tools are
diminished when they are disconnected from the culture and norms that underpin
the value proposition of government affairs leaders.
About the Author
Vincent Randazzo is
Principal and Founder of Capitol Knowledge, LLC, a government affairs and
leadership development consulting firm. He
is a certified executive
leadership coach, having completed an International Coach Federation-certified professional training program
in Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance. Vince
has more than 30 years of extensive
professional, managerial and executive leadership experience in government,
business and public policy.
Vincent, please consider sharing this with the WNG Government Relations group on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/WNG-Government-Relations-SIG-4485715/about
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