“If we weigh in on our issues right now, it will fall on deaf ears. They’ve got bigger fish to fry.”
It’s a refrain I heard time and time again throughout 2020. At the beginning of COVID, through the summer of Black Lives Matter protests and into the presidential election, it seemed a whole host of advocacy organizations turned gun-shy and opted to pause, or outright retreat from, their advocacy efforts.
To a degree, I get that urge. I’ve even advised caution to some in making sure you optimize the timing of your message – to a degree. Remaining aware of the broader political climate can help keep you from misstepping. But it will also crush your momentum.
Advocacy organizations exist to push agendas forward. By nature, they must engage in all types of political climates. But when we aim for perfection in our messaging, we’re compounding the likelihood our message will go unheard.
Right this moment, while so much of the political world is focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s more important than ever that individuals and organizations evaluate the environment and make a deliberate decision: do they go to the mat for their issues, or do they step back and wait for “a better time”?
Well, I hate to break it to you – there will never be a better time. There will always be another crisis, another scandal, another headline in the way. History marches on. But we can only control what we can control. So, here are three ways you can make your message count – even when the timing seems wrong.
Paint Your Priorities With Broad Brushstrokes
Legislators, administrators, and executives alike are pressed for time. They don’t have the bandwidth to deal with the nitty gritty detail of every issue. When preparing to talk to your legislator you don’t need to know every angle on an issue. You DO need to be able to tell a story that frames the issue in terms they understand.
Tell decision makers about how a reality in the headlines is affecting your business. Share how a policy is impacting the real people you’re serving. Tell a story. When groups successfully fight the urge to micromanage their message, they empower their advocates to do just that.
Be of Service
Again, it’s about bandwidth. Find a way to align your agenda items with their needs. Especially during a crisis, decision makers need to see a broader picture so they can understand the second and third order impacts of policy. They need advocates who can provide trusted information in a way that helps them better serve their own constituents. Help them do that.
If our nation is on the brink of war, that situation crowds out every other detail in the public discourse. But you can continue to communicate your issues in the context of those “bigger” stories. Don’t be afraid to connect the dots from those stories to yours. Then help your target gather information, engage with constituents, or share their own message. Find a way to add value when so much else is drawing on their limited resources. In short, find a way to be of service.
Focus on Regulators
Please never forget the fourth branch of government: administration. Only so much of the government’s impact on your daily life flows through the legislature. Much, much more bubbles up through the regulatory process. During times of heated national debate, or global emergency, unelected administrators continue to do the work of rule making. Find a key issue where you can operate in this space, and avoid the broader fray if you must.
But Above All, You Must Eventually “Press On”
My favorite President, Calvin Coolidge, had a touch of the stoic in him. One of my most often cited quotes from him is an important reminder for all of us in the advocacy realm – now and always.
There is real power in continuing to show up, continuing to engage, continuing to “Press On.” We cannot control the tide of global events. But in our own local work, we can strive for more. We can keep showing up. We can press on. And there’s no better time than the present.
Part of the Possible 