It’s hard to imagine that a simple lesson so many of us were taught as children has often wound up on the back-burner in our everyday lives.
Of course, conveying words of appreciation after someone holds the door for you at the morning coffee shop is something that should be automatic, but as it relates to the role of an advocate, gratitude goes farther than you think. As professional advocates, we are tasked with either recruiting and maintaining members of an association/organization or recruiting and maintaining clients for a specific firm. Even if you’re employed by a company that has chosen you to lead their in-house government affairs department, you still have a responsibility to carry the integrity of that business with you and a key element of establishing lasting relationships is appreciation.
Who do we need to thank?
Let’s start by looking through the lens of an advocate for a member-based organization or association. Sure, your job isn’t necessarily to bring on new members, but you should take it upon yourself to unroll the welcome mat and put forth a legitimate effort towards getting to know them. By understanding their strengths, you can empower them to be a subject matter expert on a host of complicated policy issues. Your investment in them from the very start can produce more than you could have imagined simply by thanking them for the knowledge and experience they possess. The end result can lead to a long-term member in your organization and potential statewide leader in the industry.
Believe it or not, contract advocates can follow the same framework as those on the membership driven side. The obvious difference is working with clients individually as opposed to organization wide efforts. For a whole host of reasons, the clients may not be in a position to work with you and your team on a regular basis, so the time you have with them needs to be clear and concise but put them at ease knowing that you respect their time and are thankful for it. Remember, they call it government relations for a reason and part of any sustaining relationship is gratitude for the investment being made. As a client, their trust goes beyond simply analyzing public policy. From something substantial like holiday cards to all your clients from your firm to simple follow up emails of thanks to the support team for your clients, you want them to know that they matter.
Before you complete your appreciation tour, don’t forget the ones who ultimately lead towards your policy victory on the official side. Of course, it is simple to thank the elected leaders at the conclusion of a meeting, but as a former legislative staffer, I know there’s more than one person to thank. By you going out of your way to thank the official’s office team, they will remember you for the kindness you conveyed and that could deliver positive results down the road when time is limited, and the stakes are high. It establishes a rapport with that office. From there, trust can be built and ultimately the assurances that the next time you need to get back on the calendar, it’s done in record time.
But why do these little touches matter?
Look, this pandemic has warped many everyday tasks performed in various professions and advocacy was no exception. In fact, it is because of evolved advocacy efforts that helped our elected leaders make tough decisions to keep our schools operating, economy going, and livelihoods afloat. I believe that as a profession, we need to continue to carry the flag for those we advocate for, but we cannot forget to bring gratitude along with us in that message.
We have to choose to actively show gratitude for being chosen as the torchbearers for important issues facing our communities. Let’s prioritize showing appreciation to those who take the time to hear us.
Thank you!
Part of the Possible 