Although the reason is lost on me, many, no, most business executives and owners refuse to become politically savvy. Maybe it's because they think they will be solicited for donations -- not true -- or maybe they are just ignorant of the potential upsides of simply communicating well with your elected representatives.Regardless of your political affiliation or that of your elected representatives -- on a local or national sphere -- you should let them and their staff know what you are doing, your triumphs, issues and problems. They genuinely want to know and help (mostly). The time to get to know your elected representatives is always before you need help. Your elected reps can be a source of help and referral in ways that may not have occurred to you, however you should always be prepared to answer the question: "How can we help?".
I have found a good formula to be one of hosting a sub sandwich lunch for employees and the Member, where the Member can either deliver prepared remarks or mingle and take questions -- or all three. This is usually preceded by a brief tour of your facility and a conversation of what you do well, current issues and problems, etc.
We recently hosted Congressman Harry Mitchell at our Scottsdale offices. Congressman Mitchell serves on the House committees on Veterans Affairs, Science & Technology and Transportation & Infrastructure. If they are relevant to your business, you should also understand what your Representative's subcommittee assignments and responsibilities are. In later posts we will talk about mobilizing your constituency on issues of importance to you.
The key point is, you can make an impression on your legislators: (I happen to think Congressman Mitchell actually wrote or dictated the letter we received)
No comments:
Post a Comment