Recognizing When You’ve Reached Your Political Saturation Point

Recently I had lunch with a friend I’ve likely known longer than any other. We grew up together on the West Side of Columbus and have kept in touch now more than 30 years. Since that lunch, he gave me one of my favorite gifts: a book recommendation.

Working in and around politics is a tough gig because you are forced into friction and conflict on a daily basis. Especially as campaign operatives, winning those conflicts is a way of life – quite literally the way you make your life. My friend Bobby – like so many of us in the past 15 or so years – seems to be getting his fill of that conflict.

All I can say is, “same.”

Going into this midterm season, we can expect a lot more of that conflict. And for many, that will cause them to throw their hands up, say “to hell with it,” and check out. It’ll even happen to a lot of folks who are typically active in local politics.

What happens to finally push these grassroots warriors to walk away? How do experienced advocates, with so much invested in a party, a candidate, or an issue decide it’s just time to step away?

Well, Bobby’s book recommendation had a great way of describing the phenomenon: they reach their saturation point.

Amanda Ripley, in the book High Conflict, dissects the consistent themes we see in conflict at every level, from interpersonal to international. Released in 2021, I think this book will seem evergreen for a long time to come – especially when we take the time to look into our own saturation points.

We’ve likely all experienced them – those times when we’ve just had enough of the conflict experience, and opt out. It looks different for so many scenarios. As Ripley wrote about divorce she drew on the imagery of the burnt out, estranged lover finally conceding far more than expected just to be done. As she referenced gang warfare in Chicago, and guerrilla warfare in Colombia, she draws on images of individuals being reminded of their identity beyond those conflicts.

Ripley is a powerful storyteller, drawing the reader into the realities these individuals faced and helping them empathize with the subjects. And as I read this piece, I can’t help but to spend a great deal of reflection time relating those foreign (to me) experiences to my own work – as a leader and a political professional.

In 2018 and 2019, I reached my saturation point with party politics. I realized I needed to explore my other identities, beyond those defined by the people for whom I worked. It was a pivotal moment in my own career – and one that led to the same response others have when they hit their saturation points: I had to get some space. My space meant no longer working for individual candidates and elected officials, and instead working for an advocacy group on specific issues.

(It also helped at the time that we began expecting my firstborn. Like Ripley writes in her book, many reach their saturation points when their identity as a parent takes precedence. At the time I was even seeking a nomination to run for a legislative district in my state legislature. Becoming a father-to-be made the decision to leave campaign politics a no-brainer. Now years removed from that choice, I can view it as the saturation point it really was and know for a fact I’d have made the same choice over and over again.)

If you are entering this current election cycle already overwhelmed by the headlines and the hubris of politics, you may want to pick up a copy of this book. It will help you recognize the affect all of that partisanship is having on you. But why is that really important?

Well, frankly, it’s because good advocacy requires committed advocates to keep showing up. And if we’ve hit our saturation point in the partisan politics of it all, we’re just that much, and even more, likely to pull back, and retreat from the critical advocacy our issues require. Learning from Ripley’s studies on the subject will arm you to better recognize when you’re approaching that saturation point, and maybe just what to do about it.

One of the topics I discuss frequently is just how we’ve conflated the terms activism, advocacy and politics in our lexicon. While related, each has their distinct characteristics. And if we continue to confuse the high conflict attributes of political activism with the healthy conflict attributes of advocacy, we will continue to see our own efforts suffer.

Our saturation points will cause us to avoid meeting with a key decision maker of the opposition’s political persuasion. Our saturation points will discourage us from participating even on basic levels. Our saturation points will simply undercut our ability to continue showing up to participate in the cumulative and iterative processes of sound advocacy. And that’s important to know.

Because the people who continue to show up – despite their saturation point and despite the high conflict driving them bonkers – are the people who tend to get things done. If you want to be one of those success stories, this book could be a helpful tool in getting you there.

That’s why I’m proud to add it to the Bookshelf, and recommend it to any of you who is serious about moving the needle on the issues you’re truly committed to serving.

What I Learned from Posting Video Content on Instagram and TikTok Every Day for 31 Days

I’m a small content creator. I don’t have a lot of followers on either Instagram or TikTok. Really, until I started writing this blog, I didn’t understand the power, or the importance, of either of those two social media platforms.

After pushing myself to post every single day in the month of May, I can say I’m starting to get it. If you’ve wondered about the ups and downs of content creation and what it takes to get yourself out there more, this piece is for you. It’s what I learned in a month that has me re-thinking how I engage with social media overall.

I hope, that by the end of this piece, you’ll consider how you might gain from engaging with these platforms differently.

Lesson Learned no. 1: It’s a Grind

It’s pretty easy to dismiss online content creation. Especially for folks like me who straddle the generational gap between Gen X and younger Millennials/Gen Z. We can write off the actual work that young creators put into generating appealing content, growing their audiences, and building brand partnerships. It is an absolute grind.

If you’re working full time, parenting full time, and trying to create daily content you’ll have to come to terms with the reality of late night editing sessions. This is where young, unattached content creators have a distinct advantage. But that advantage is diminishing because of the platforms themselves (see lesson no. 3).

Lesson Learned no. 2: Content Creation Isn’t JUST About What YOU Post

If, like me, you’re part of the Facebook generation – those who were early adopters of that social media platform in the early 2000’s – you’ve watched these platforms emerge. Unfortunately, we did so while watching the bugs get worked out and the format change dramatically. I mean, I was posting on Facebook before they created the timeline feature. And there was genuine outrage when they made that change!

But newer platforms aren’t necessarily built around the idea of creating your own page, your own nook within the platform. Sure, we still talk about channels, pages, and profiles. But newer platforms are about posting proactive content that puts you into a broader feed. They’re also about you engaging with other folks’ content.

On the days that I saw the best growth, I wasn’t always posting a new video. Many times, the days I spent time commenting on other creators’ work were the days I expanded my own following as well.

Content creation isn’t all about posting a new and unique video each day. Every comment you make, every question you ask, every duet or stitch you perform gives you an opportunity for cross pollination and audience growth. If you’re not ready for consistently generating original content, employ a different strategy. Post a few original pieces per week, then use focused time each week to comment, share, and engage with other creators. You’d be surprised whose attention you can grab.

Lesson Learned no. 3: It’s Not Nearly As Difficult As It Used To Be

But as daunting as video creation may seem, Instagram and TikTok in particular will surprise you.

Because IG Reels and TikTok Videos are short content, the platforms themselves are able to include really incredible tools that can make your videos stand out. I’m not a pro at nearly any of it – I think I’ve only used one filter ever – but I can tell you that some tools are really critical. Like captions.

Depending on the time of day you’re posting, viewers are going to be more inclined to watch your content if they can read along with what you’re saying – think about how many meetings you’ve spent in the back of the room scrolling and wishing you had headphones in to listen to the video. Now, for IG Reels and TikTok alike, those are built in options. They make your video accessible to those with hearing impairments, and for those who just need a silent watch option. And since they are auto-generated, you don’t have to spend hours up on hours editing each piece of content to perfectly time and place your captions.

When you pair features like that with the easy editing options you already have in your modern cell phone, or the apps themselves, it is actually easier than ever to create short content every single day. Yes it’s still a grind, but if you time block, and grant yourself space to record batches of content, you’ll be surprised how much you can put out there.

Lesson Learned no. 4: There’s Incredible Opportunity Out There

It took a LONG time for me to hit my initial goal of 10,000 unique views on my own website. And there was a ton of work to get there. While I love, and prefer, written content like this the reality is plain and simple: more people want short video content at their fingertips, and where they’re already spending their time.

In one month of posting on Instagram, the same things I’m posting about on here (politics & advocacy, leadership, veteran & military topics, even nerd culture) reached more than 60,000 users on Instagram. Sixty. Thousand.

Have I ever gone viral? No. Do I expect to ever go viral? Not from talking about what I do. But in one month, my content reached farther than ever before. And I wasn’t even employing great strategies on when to post and how to target it.

That means, even for a novice, there is incredible opportunity to extend your reach. If you’ve ever felt compelled to create something to share with the world, you have an opportunity now to get it in front of more people, faster, and easier than ever. There’s almost no downside (as long as you can handle a little criticism along the way).

What Does Congress Think of You?

Congressional job approval. You hear about it in the news. Pundits tout it as a sign of what will happen in the next election, or how it will shape public policy debates.

It’s a fairly important measure. But it’s not the whole story.

In today’s post, I share insights into just how low members of congress and their senior staff rank most of us when they are judging our performance in advocacy work.

The bottom line up front?

We shouldn’t stop at congressional job approval. If we’re going to bat for our issues, we need to understand just how important it is to invest in the right type of preparation so that we stand out from the crowd, build credibility, and increase the chances our priorities will have to rise to the top.

Falling Out of Love With Your Plan

If you’re in a leadership role, you have to be a planner.

As much as I insist on the importance of being adaptable, nimble and responsive to the moment, the reality is leaders have to be able to structure the work of their teams. But thanks to the Marine Corps, I can pinpoint the moment I internalized the importance of keeping our plans grounded in the reality that our environment – and the challenges we’re trying to conquer – are constantly evolving.

That evolution holds no regard for our egos.

In the summer of 2007 I was a 22 year old officer candidate, going through Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, Virginia. And for those unfamiliar with USMC Officer selection processes, OCS is NOT a boot camp for officers. Rather, it’s a 10 week evaluation process.

Yes, we learn some basic drill and military disciplines. But over those weeks we only learn a small fraction of the basic military knowledge we’ll later need. The rest comes later, at the next school. In fact, we internalize only enough to be prepared for the evaluations specific to OCS along the way. While some of those are traditional tests, the real question OCS seeks to answer is this: will the Officer candidates in training be able to adapt in the midst of chaos. They are testing our mental plasticity in tandem with our grit. And those tests are not on paper.

At several points in the training schedule, we and our classmates are given an opportunity to lead our peers through tactical problems. These can be small – like a four man team navigating a physical obstacle/puzzle type problem with only a few resources in front of them (and a very short deadline). Or they can be larger, like leading an assault on an enemy position in a simulated battle.

But along that entire spectrum, the instructors aren’t looking for whether you win or lose. They’re looking to see how you react when you fail or your plan falls apart.

No matter how well you seem to be doing in the moment, the instructors always seem to have some trick up their sleeves to unravel your plan. And that’s the point of just about every exercise. They are looking to see if – when everything you’ve invested in falls apart – you have the guts to throw away your plan and lead your Marines in the chaos of the moment.

None of us has this ability perfected. But the evaluation process of OCS helps identify whether you’ve got the basic building blocks to grow that skill set. It’s the follow-on training that helps you put those blocks together.

I remember when I failed in one of the early exercises. It was one of those obstacle/puzzle scenarios and my team was coming up short. I had the play clock in my head and was trying to force a solution that just wasn’t working. More importantly, I wasn’t recognizing that reality appropriately in the moment and reacting fast enough to change my own performance. It was humbling.

I could see exactly what I wanted accomplished. But in the moment I was failing to communicate, and micromanaging instead of reworking the plan in the reality of the moment. That day, one of the instructors introduced me to a Marine mantra that’s stuck with me: “you have to be willing to fall out of love with your plan.”

As leaders, we take our ideas seriously. When we’re doing leadership the right way, we own those ideas – for their successes and their failures. But far too often, we fail to recognize when we’ve fallen in love with our own vision, and ignore opportunities to let our teams help us work the problem.

There are absolutely times when we will be the only person with the vision and will to attack a problem – and we’ll have to either drag our teams along or earn their buy-in through our own sweat equity. But more often than not, we should be strategically pulling our heads out of the playbook and putting our eyes back on the field. Building touch-points into our work – dedicated opportunities to see what’s really happening with our vision – is a skillset that can help us break the cycle. And our teams – the real experts doing the work – need to be a valued part of that process.

Now, at almost 37 years old, I can say I’m still working on this. I still fall in love with my plans…a lot. But I’ve also taught myself to cue in like this from time to time. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m definitely more likely today to fall out of love with a plan than I was back then. And for that, I’m really grateful to a staff sergeant who had the right words for me at just the right time.

But what should I expect? That’s what staff sergeants do.

A Different Thought from the Shooting in Texas

Originally I had a much different post in mind for this week. But the events in Uvalde, Texas are weighing heavily on me this evening so I’ll beg your forgiveness for a brief diversion.

When I started this blog, the mission I had in mind was quite simple: make the intangible work of advocacy just a little more understandable to the average person. By pulling back the curtain and sharing my own experiences from the political world, I hope to make meaningful, effective advocacy achievable for anyone and everyone.

The catalyst was pretty straightforward. In the summer of 2020, I was as frustrated as others that our communities were being pulled apart – divided by opportunists from every camp who were seeking to capitalize on the pain being expressed through the Black Lives Matter protests.

The frustration of that time – at least for me – was watching a powerful moment slip through the fingers of would-be world changers. At a singular point in time, when we could have seriously advanced criminal justice reform, community policing and countless other issues, we witnessed that moment squandered in community after community. Of course there were some token exceptions along the way, but by and large, the status quo remained.

Most folks would place me right of center on the political spectrum. So it would likely be a surprise to many to hear that I was interested in finding a way forward on those issues. I understand that surprise. But even more so, I was interested in helping the people seeking to drive change own that process for themselves. I felt so helpless to do that – until I started creating my own content here.

After Tuesday’s news from Texas, there are a lot of people searching for answers to incredibly difficult questions. There are also countless people looking to simply pick a fight, score cheap points, and maybe gain a bit of fame along the way. I want to challenge you to pursue a third route.

If writing on this blog weekly has taught me anything, it’s that you cannot create something like this from any other motivation than genuine love. You have to love the process. You have to love the mission. You have to love the people you’re looking to serve. Anything short of that type of love will never get you off the ground.

Creating this content has helped me serve some people along the way. I’ve pulled back that curtain, and helped some folks better understand just how they can take that next step into being a better advocate. But the work of content creation has also spurred new friendships, and new opportunities to push myself and learn new skills. As much as I started off seeking a way to empower others, I’ve found myself empowered along the way as well.

If you’re struggling with just what to do after a tragic event, I urge you to find a way to create.

In moments when you feel helpless, and pushed against your limit, make something positive to share with the world. I know that seems tone deaf on the surface to some. But it WILL give you the ability to put some good back into the world. And for those of us removed from the immediate impact of recent events, it’s a starting point.

At the end of the day, each of us can only control what we can control. We have no say over our time left in the world, only how we will use what’s given. Choosing to create something of service to a higher, more just cause will propel you in ways you could never imagine before you try it.

As you wrestle with your own perception of the tragedy in Texas, I genuinely hope it serves as a catalyst for you to do just that – to try creating. As the stoics remind us: memento mori. Remember that you must die. But choosing to create something to benefit the world is an incredible way to live along the way.

Standing Out in the Crowd

Yesterday, I posted this video across my social channels.

That’s right. As much as we disapprove of how Congress is doing their job, there’s another- equally important – disconnect to consider as well.

Typical advocates are not government affairs professionals – and they shouldn’t be. In every meeting with a decision maker, the interests of real constituents should be front and center. And the human story behind those interests is always best served by placing real, tangible constituents in front of elected officials or their teams. There is simply no replacement for the lived experiences of a volunteer advocate who is passionate about a cause.

The downside, of course, is that volunteer advocates don’t get the repetitions in to really get comfortable with advocacy – at least not typically. From my view, it’s exceedingly rare that an advocacy organization will invest the time in helping their volunteers get those reps in. But for a would-be advocate, a few small steps can go a long way in helping you overcome that barrier to successful advocacy.

Know Your Team

If you’re participating in an in-person advocacy event, you’re likely to be assigned to a specific team that’s tasked with targeting an assigned set of decision makers. That team is your backbone for a day of advocacy. They provide logistics support and eliminate a few variables about what to expect in the conversation. As an advocacy day goes on, you can almost always witness these teams gel together.

Learning each other’s cues and quirks goes a long way in making an advocacy meeting a bit more predictable. By removing a few of the unknowns, your whole team will be more comfortable – thus more natural – in conversation, and that helps everyone tell their own stories better.

Invest in Practice

But simply being attached to a team doesn’t make you instantly better. Just like any other new activity, we improve our advocacy skills when we practice them – when we get in the reps.

As goofy and ridiculous as it may seem, getting your team to role play through a mock meeting or two really does help you work out some kinks. And it doesn’t take much. A single 10 minute practice session can help you iron out who who’ll do what during a meeting, and help you understand each other’s cues before you get into the real advocacy environment.

There’s no downside to some realistic role playing. Every time I’ve trained advocates, they’ve reported feeling more confident, prepared and relaxed in subsequent meetings. That doesn’t mean they feel every meeting went perfectly. It doesn’t mean they got a “yes” on every request. But it does mean they were that much more willing to come back and participate again in the future.

Remember it’s About More than One Meeting

And that’s the secret sauce. Effective, prepared advocates understand the limitations of a single meeting. They know they won’t have all the answers, and instead use each meeting as a springboard for future relationship building.

This reality check releases us from the temptation to know it all. It helps us realize that needing to go back for more information or getting an answer on a tough question opens the door for the next conversation. Knowing that it all doesn’t have to happen in a single meeting helps even the least experienced advocate feel that much more empowered to keep engaging.

Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. A little bit of preparation goes a long way in making you stand out in front of elected officials and their staffs. It helps you establish credibility and stand apart from the 9 out of 10 who don’t take these small steps to prepare. And that goes a long way in helping bridge the gap between us and those who represent us.

It won’t fix all of the problems we may perceive in Washington. It won’t make us like those in office, or make us approve of what they do. But each of these small steps can go a long way in helping us own what we can of improving our own skills. That’s us controlling what we can control – and it’s a big deal.

2 minutes, and 37 seconds on Why I’m Optimistic About Politics

As I’ve been posting on Instagram and TikTok every day this month, there have been plenty of ups and downs. There have been plenty of lessons. And there have been a handful of negative comments along the way.

I’m sharing one of those videos below because I think the message is one I have for just about every person I encounter: you may not feel great about our politics – but that should be a call to action in itself! Simply being disappointed isn’t enough. If you’re really serious about making things better, there is no substitute for action, and action means showing up.

This video is a simple reply to one of those commenters questioning a statement I made about my optimism based in the access we enjoy through our system. In it, I dive further into the “why” behind my optimism in the work that I do.

I have no fear about being dubbed a pollyanna. My goal is only to serve those who want to think about politics differently and change the world. That mission is worth a little shade from time to time.

Postscript: if you don’t follow me on Instagram (@luke_crumley) or TikTok (@luke_crumleyofficial) yet, I’d love to see you on those platforms!

Social Media Advocacy: Even the Big Boys Get it Wrong

If you’ve been paying attention on Twitter, you may have seen a tweet from Jeff Bezos that’s caught some attention in political circles in the past few days. In fact, his latest spat with the Administration via Twitter prompted this scathing opinion piece by Politico…

In short, the Politico opinion piece calls on Bezos to engage in other types of writing, urging him to utilize other mediums “worthy of his station.” While I agree that Bezos’ rant was wasted effort, frankly their argument based on social station falls flat for me. Bezos’ choice to take to twitter wasn’t “dumb” (as the Politico piece says) simply because he “shit=posted.” Rather, it was dumb precisely because Social Media remains a massively ineffective way to get the proper attention of those who can really make an advocacy agenda move forward.

I’ve said this before: social media is an incredibly passive way to communicate your issues. Even for the ultra wealthy and socially influential, social media is not the marketplace of ideas for legislators, regulators, or political appointees. Despite the growth of social media in the past two decades, the truth remains that thoughtful policy advocacy doesn’t happen over 140 characters.

I understand the temptation to share what you believe with the masses. But if Jeff Bezos was serious about advancing an agenda, why not use his unique position to launch a full court advocacy press against the administration? Frankly, I think it’s a cop-out.

I think his real motive was to be seen in a new light by the Twitter user base, not to actually address a shortcoming of administration policy. So often overshadowed by the much spicier content of Elon Musk, Bezos may have simply wanted to rattle the cage to get some attention. He does this from time to time, when he posts passive-aggressive commentary about Musk in particular. It almost always comes across as petty and ill-conceived. And he invariably gets owned by Musk who is much more in tune with the milieu of Twitter.

For those of us lacking the nearly bottomless well of funding available to the Amazon founder, appealing to the Twitterverse – even when tagging a specific elected official – remains ineffective. It’s not a formal method of communication; you’re not getting a record of whether the official actually heard your concerns; and it ignores the most basic principle of advocacy: building credibility through relationships.

As tempting as it may be – your issue deserves more than a sharply worded tweet. If you’re serious about changing the world, you have to be willing to put more into the fight than that.

If Bezos was simply trying to earn some anti-administration street cred, well, mission accomplished. But if you are looking to advance an agenda, don’t follow his lead. Instead, practice the basics of good advocacy: join a coalition with others who care about your issue; engage in thoughtful, direct advocacy efforts; and build rapport with the decision-makers who can actually bring legislation forward that aligns with your position. Those tried and true methods position you to tell your story and deliver the real world impact of decisions made in Washington and state capitals across the country.

It’s a long journey, and you may never go viral, but you’re much more likely to find willing elected officials who’d choose to champion your position. And when they do, you can take to to social media platforms of your choice and thank them in public.

Mental Health & Advocacy: Being a Voice for Others, and Ourselves Too

Abe Jacob is a Government Relations professional in Columbus, Ohio. Connect with him on LinkedIn

Like any other community, those of us in advocacy endure circumstances unique to the work we do. As thought workers, there’s an especially noticeable toll on our mental health.

When it comes to our mental health, no one enjoys the luxury of a script to help them navigate the difference between present day hurdles and repeat potholes from the past. While I am thankful that the month of May is dedicated to mental health advocacy and awareness, those who face the challenges of anxiety, depression, and manic episodes (just to name a few), probably wish their bouts were only one month out of the year. That would make navigating the challenges so much easier.

There’s no question that politics can be messy, draining, and can take its toll. I admit that I still don’t have the hang of mentally preparing for that fateful news update or client call that kicks off a fire drill of calls, texts, and intel digging to combat a newly introduced poison pill piece of legislation.

Those in government relations face the tidal waves of bad press on a priority bill, an interested party meeting going south, and a budget amendment that didn’t quite make the cut without explanation. In those cases, your longterm mental health and ability to weather the storms of politics are often driven by, and reflected in, how you choose to manage your reactions and the quality of people with whom you surround yourself.

In the last decade, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to experience and analyze my own ability to weather those storms. I’ve had my share of missteps and wins along the way. Here’s what I’ve learned:

Community is key

Those we surround ourselves with can be an incredible source of resilience as we endure the stressors of the work. Like any business, there are going to be those who choose to be jerks in their interactions with colleagues. But, just the same, there are more than a fair share who pay it forward through kindness that help us find success. Those who opt in to community bolster each other, providing a much-needed mental health boost during hectic times.

But it’s up to us to build it

But that work is a two-way street. Each of us has to own our role in providing that support for one another. In a field where trust is our most valued – and squandered – currency, that takes a lot of work. You may have to double down on the kindness you extend to others. You have to begin by giving that support without an expectation of receiving. You have to opt-in.

The reality is that every field faces its own unique set of challenges. Those challenges force us to grow and learn. When we care about the work that we do, those challenges can become much more personal. The same is true in advocacy.

If you’re serious about being in this field – as a professional or a volunteer advocate – you have to get serious about your mental health. Whether that means seeing a professional counselor or not is a deeply personal decision. But until we acknowledge the toll this work takes on those of us engaged in it regularly, I think we’ll struggle to help the casual activists in our networks navigate their own mental health friction points.

Let’s be better about owning the work we have to do for ourselves so we can show up better prepared to support those volunteers and activists who can suffer the biggest mental health swings in advocacy.

3 Tips on Communicating with Elected Officials

Sometimes the most basic questions remind me just how intimidating participating in advocacy can be.

After a recent meeting with a congressman, one of my volunteers pulled me aside. He had one question: “how do I get the Congressman to visit my business?” The question made me pause in its simplicity. It reminded me that there are willing volunteers who just feel…foreign…to the process. These are folks who could make big strides in being viewed as credible resources with just a little coaching.

The good news is this: there are some pretty straightforward answers to questions like this. And the surprising part may be just how easy it seems once you give it a go.

Tip 1 – Use THEIR System

A huge number of prospective advocates get hung up on a wild idea that they need to know someone with special access to an official if they want to get anywhere with them. Yes, someone “in the know” can be helpful. But you can squander a lot of time trying to find the right contact. Instead, use the public facing system those officials have chosen to manage their communications.

The truth is, most offices at the state and federal level have automated constituent management systems. These systems are a one-stop-shop clearinghouse for all kinds of direct communication with their team.

Have an issue with a state or federal agency? You can typically email them directly through their website that’s tied into this system. Want them to vote a certain way on a bill? You can do that on their official websites too!

The one key to remember is that all these communications should flow through their official team and not a campaign page. Unless you’re looking to support their campaign, make sure the site you’re using to communicate with them is a .gov and you should be good.

The value added to the elected official is pretty important here too. One of the hardest things about responding to constituents is ensuring a record of the interaction exists so they can make sure their team is helping as many folks as possible. By using THEIR system, you’re making it far easier for them to help you – you’re facilitating your own solution.

Tip 2 – Have a Clear Ask, and Make it Early

You really don’t need fluff in an opening communication to an elected official. You don’t have to provide pages and pages of background information – especially if sending something through their website.

What you must have is a clear, tangible ask that relates to their job. If your problem is with a state level agency, you should direct your request to a state level representative or executive, not your member of Congress. The reverse of that is also true. While most elected officials can work diligently to provide mutual support to overlapping constituencies, asking the wrong person for help can add an unnecessary delay to addressing your problem.

The same is true when your ask isn’t clear.

You don’t have to be coy with elected officials. Be up front about what you’re asking. “Congressman, I’d like to invite you to tour my business on such and such date” is MORE than sufficient. State your clear ask early in the communication, and then provide a small dose of background information. A clear ask will get you a call back from an appropriate staffer much more quickly.

Tip 3 – Remember They Have Limited Resources

As easy as modern tech has made it for us to communicate with just about everyone, we often still take it for granted that elected officials have limited resources. You should engage with them like you would a local small business.

Like any small business, they don’t have 24 hour call centers. In times of heated political debate, your message could be one of thousands their team is processing. Be realistic about response times, and don’t be discouraged if you have to send a follow-up email.

I recommend waiting seven days. A full week allows a small team to work through a lot of messages and is more than appropriate for sending a second note.

But don’t let that second note become abusive. Remember, successful advocacy is about long term relationships. Whether you’re seeking help with a personal issue, or advocating for a cause, treating those messages as a professional correspondence will serve you well in the future.

Bonus: A Tweet Sent Is Not a Tweet Received

I’ve harped on this before. Social media is NOT direct communication.

Simply tagging an elected official with a random request on social media will get you absolutely nowhere. Most public officials don’t have the office resources to scan every social media post, tag, reply or DM.

Fight the urge to use social media as your platform for communicating with them. Again, find their official page and use the “contact me” option you’ll see on just about every site. It will be better than a phone call because there’s a record; it will actually get to a live human; and it will help you make sure your message gets to an appropriate decision maker.

The Bottom Line

It IS easier than ever to communicate with decision makers. But too often we build the prospect of it all up far too dramatically in our own eyes. Remember these basics: use their system, be direct, and be professionally polite. They’ll help you get further in bringing your issues to the front of the line.