As I got up to speak, the organizer of the meeting said to me, “You’ve got one minute.”
Anyone who’s been in the government affairs profession for some time, particularly for a large company, has been in this situation before. We are often one of the last items on the agenda of a board of directors or executive leaders meeting, and our presentations are often truncated by time constraints.
So I decided to use the situation to lay it on the line with the executives. I got to the podium and said I would do my presentation in 30 seconds. Then I asked one question: “When Congress was debating the Dodd Frank Act, how many Senators and Representatives called you to ask you what you think?” As I anticipated, not one hand went up in a room with more than 30 senior bankers. Then I responded, “That’s going to change and that’s OUR plan.”
For many organizations, the government affairs function exists to manage a problem. The problem is one of increasingly complex and ambiguous government regulation that creates uncertainty for business planning and operational success. In general, people who run an organization, develop and sell products and services, or manage a profit and loss statement see government as a bizarre, incomprehensible, three-headed fire-breathing monster. Engaging it elicits fear and loathing. Understandably, they abhor the messy details of politics and policymaking. They just want to know that the legislative and regulatory process is being managed, and that their government affairs people can be trusted to manage it.
This is a critical competency for government affairs leaders. At a minimum, they need to be able to effectively monitor legislative and regulatory actions, prepare their company or trade association for new rules and regulations, and preempt potential threats to business goals and objectives. But in today’s complex political and policymaking environment, effectively managing risk is just one of many competencies that are needed to successfully navigate the haze and maize of government.
Equally important is the ability to lead an organization’s key players in an engagement strategy that views government not as an adversary, but as a key stakeholder in the success or failure of the enterprise. That requires having an executive presence that inspires others to act, and having the confidence to allow others to share in their success.
For today’s successful government affairs leaders, it’s not enough to be just the manager of government risk. Doing so can undermine their effectiveness and limit their value. Instead, they must also work to create a culture where everyone understands that engagement is a shared responsibility. They do so by articulating a shared vision and compelling value proposition, creating alignment with key stakeholders, getting buy-in at all levels, and playing the role of orchestra leader, where everyone has a role to play whether it is being the face of the company in meetings, contributing expertise to the policymaking process, or supporting to the PAC.
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. Other commentaries about government affairs leadership can be found at www.capitolknowledge.net.
